England Guide
Things not to miss
1 Punting on the Cam • Pack a picnic and take a trip down the river by punt in the handsome university town of Cambridge.
2 York Minster • See the world's largest medieval stained-glass window at Britain's biggest and most dramatic Gothic church.
3 Whitby fish and chips Magpie Cafe • Sample Yorkshire's most delicious rough-and-ready cuisine, at its best with mushy peas.
4 Castle Howard • For tangible proof of Britain's history, the country's many castles and stately homes – like Castle Howard in Yorkshire – can't be bettered.
5 Hadrian's Wall • Once the frontier against Britain's northern tribes, the Roman wall today is remarkably well preserved – and you can walk its length along the 84-mile Hadrian's Wall Path.
6 Ullswater • Serene Ullswater is many people's favourite Lake District lake, overlooked by the heights of Helvellyn and by Wordsworth's dancing daffodils.
7 A night on the town, Newcastle upon Tyne • Northeastern England's premier arts and nightlife destination has a scintillating quayside of bridges, bars, galleries and concert halls.
8 Surfing, Newquay • The beaches strung along the north coast of Devon and Cornwall offer some great breaks, and Newquay is still the place to see and be seen.
9 Oxford • One of the world's finest academic cities glories in its dreaming spires, honey-coloured stone and manicured quadrangles.
10 Bath
• Whether you're visiting the Roman baths, England's most elegant Georgian terrace, or the new high-tech spa, Bath has it all.
11 Shopping in Leeds See Victoria Quarter • Glorious Victorian arcades packed with designer labels, plus indoor markets and Harvey Nick's – there's no better place to blow your budget.
12 Avebury • Avebury's stone circle rivals Stonehenge in aspect and interest, and its function is as hotly debated.
13 Tate St Ives, Cornwall • Southwest England's best art collection occupies a superb site overlooking Porthmeor Beach.
14 Eden Project, Cornwall • Spectacular and refreshingly ungimmicky display of the planet's plant life, mainly housed in vast geodesic "biomes".