Northern England is home to the best of the North, which encompasses cities, countryside and coast.Northern England offers the best in the North, whether you’re looking for cities, countryside or coast.
There’s no denying that the strength of the north of England is contrast; the place where the industrial metropolis meets the real wilderness, and an hour from the industrial metropolis to the real wilderness and vice versa. Here are some tips for planning around all three.
These are the cities that are worth a trip to build.These are the cities that it is worth the trip to build.
### Manchester
Industrial powerhouse to cultural capital – the Northern Quarter’s independent shops and bars, two great football clubs and a live music history from Joy Division to Oasis. Useful for onward journeys to the Peak District and/or the Lake District.
### Liverpool
The Beatles Story museum and the Cavern Club are next to the Royal Albert Dock, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with renovated Victorian warehouses, now housing a collection of museums and restaurants.
### York
York Minster is one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Northern Europe and the Shambles is one of the most intact narrow medieval streets in England. Run the entire perimeter of the city in less than 2 hours.
### Durham
It is one of the most unusual cityscape locations in England, with Durham Cathedral and Castle resting on a rock and the River Wear forming a loop around it, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
### Leeds
The Royal Armouries museum, strong independent food scene and Victorian arcades. A popular base to explore Yorkshire Dales without the rural setting.
## Countryside That Defines the Region
### The Lake District
The most dramatic national park in England: Windermere, Derwentwater and the fells that inspired Wordsworth. Base in Ambleside/Keswick to do the hikes, lake cruises, and true quiet countryside within an hour of the water.
### Yorkshire Dales
Not so pretty as the Lake District, but easier for strolling about a bit. The role of villages such as the drystone-clad Malham and Grassington is to provide anchor points in a landscape of drystone walls, waterfalls and limestone pavements.
### Northumberland National Park
In the least populated National Park in England, including Hadrian’s Wall and a Dark Sky Park, where the starry night sky is one of the darkest in the country for serious stargazing.
This is in the Peak District (Southern Edge).
Lying on the north-Midlands border, but accessible to walkers from either Manchester or Sheffield and with easy access to limestone gorges and villages such as Bakewell.
There is also a relatively untouched coast.There is also a relatively neglected coast.
### Whitby
A former ruined abbey, which had inspired Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ overlooks a fishing working harbour. It’s a full day out: Cobbled streets, fresh fish and chips, and 199 steps up to the abbey.
### Northumberland Coast
Bamburgh Castle overlooking expansive, virtually empty beaches, and the tidal island of Lindisfarne – one of the most wild and rarely-visited stretches of coastline in England.
### Scarborough
A typical seaside resort of the Victorian era, split by a headland castle ruin into two beaches, one of which is quieter and less polished than the beaches found on the south coast.
The three steps to combining are:The three steps for combining are:
### Long Weekend (3–4 Days)
All can be reached within 90 minutes’ drive of each other in Manchester, Lake District and York.
### One Week
From Manchester via the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, York, Durham and Northumbrian Coast (Bamburgh/Lindisfarne) to return to Leeds.
### Getting Around
Manchester, Liverpool, York, Leeds and Durham are well serviced by trains. The Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Northumberland and the seaside towns are all much easier to get around by car — public transport becomes sparse once you venture away from the cities.
## Final Word
Northern England doesn’t require a choice between grit and beauty; Manchester’s reinvention, the fells of the Lake District and the empty beaches of Northumberland are all within a few hours of each other. Choose one from each column and you’ll be leaving with a much more comprehensive picture of the north than most itineraries bother to try to capture.