Head To Cheltenham Festival 2023
14–17 March 2023
The Cheltenham Festival heralds the start of the British Social Season. While it doesn’t have the pomp and ceremony of Ascot, it’s a serious sporting event and you can always wear a hat if you wish (but you may prefer a flatcap).
Preview The Edinburgh Festival At Shakespeare’s Globe
27 March, 24 April and 22 May 2023
Top comedians will descend on Shakespeare’s Globe this spring – or, more specifically, the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse – for ‘Comedy by Candlelight’, a series of one-off Edinburgh Festival preview performances:
- 27 March: Rob Auton and Ania Magliano
- 24 April: Luke Kempner and Pierre Novellie
- 22 May: Chloe Petts and Ahir Shah
See what’s on at shakespearesglobe.com
Celebrate Easter
9 April 2023
Undoubtedly one of the most wholesome annual celebrations, spring means Easter and Easter means chocolate. Tuck into tasty Hot Cross Buns slathered with butter, bake some chocolatey goodies or cook a scrumptious roast, plan an egg hunt and, most importantly, make sure you eat lots and lots of choccy.
Make the most of your long weekend by venturing on a wholesome Easter walk, or visiting an English Heritage site for their ‘Easter Escapades’ filled with Easter-themed games.
Dine On Nikita Pathakji’s Five-Course Menu
12–15 April 2023
Hampton Manor’s immersive and award-winning walled garden dining experience, Grace & Savour, will host MasterChef: The Professionals’ winner Nikita Pathakji this spring for a four night residency. Visit for a delicious five course menu inspired by Nikita’s love of travel and her experiences on MasterChef. Don’t miss the residency’s finale on Sunday 15 April, when Nikita will cook alongside fellow MasterChef: The Professionals alumni Dan Lee and Stu Deeley (also chef director of Hampton Manor) for a one-off lunch. hamptonmanor.com
Walk Scilly
15–21 April 2023
It’s been 20 years since the first Walk Scilly, a week brimming with island knowledge parsed by local experts. Author Raynor Winn – who, despite walking the entire South West Coast Path, has never been to Scilly – will be a guest speaker, while Cornish business Molesworth & Bird will be seaweed foraging and pressing and, as always, locals will showcase their favourite walks on each island.
Make sure you’re there on 20 April to experience the Tresco Low Tide Festival, a pop-up food and drink micro-festival. Timed to the minute when the tide is low enough for the sandbar between Tresco and Bryehr to be accessible, tables and chairs, a gin bar and food stalls are set up so visitors can walk across the wet sand and tuck in. visitislesofscilly.com
Celebrate Shakespeare’s Birthday
22 April
Pay tribute to the Bard on his birthday at Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon, where you can tread the floorboards of the home where he was born and admire the gardens of Anne Hathaway’s cottage.
Celebrate King Charles’ Coronation
6 May 2023
King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s coronation will take place on 6 May at Westminster Abbey, but it will be celebrated up and down the country. Time to start planning your street party…
Enjoy Regal Afternoon Tea at Cliveden House
Cliveden House has hosted every British monarch since King George I, and is celebrating its illustriously regal history with a special afternoon tea for 2023. The Great Royal Gardens Afternoon Tea will be served in the Cliveden Dining Room with views of the impressive grounds, gardens and woodland. It will be served all year but, of course, best enjoyed in the month of our new monarch, May.
BOOK IT: The Great Royal Garden Afternoon Tea is served in The Great Hall on Sundays (from 4:15 pm) and in The Cliveden Dining Room Monday–Saturday (from 12 noon). From £50 per person, with a vegan option available. clivedenhouse.co.uk
Join the Isle of Wight’s Walking Festival
Saturday 13–Sunday 21 May 2023
Avoid the crowds and the summer heat and get fit at the same time by taking park in the Isle of Wight‘s annual walking festival each May, or do your own version. For those up for the challenge, you can walk round the whole island (72 miles) in 24 hour. isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk
Celebrate Dylan Thomas Day
14 May 2023
Celebrate Wales’ most famous literary son on International Dylan Thomas day also in May. Do make sure you visit his boathouse in Laugharne, where he wrote many of his most famous works.
Try Cheese Rolling
29 May 2023
Yes, you read that right. Ever rolled a cheese down a hill? Perhaps not, but every Spring bank holiday, health and safety goes out the window and runners hurtle down the exceedingly steep Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire after a 7lb Double Gloucester.
You may well ask, but its a centuries old tradition that has even earned a dedicated episode of Netflix documentary series, We Are The Champions.
Visit The Newly Reopened Manchester Gallery
The Manchester Gallery reopened on 18 February 2023 following a major, £15 million refurbishment. Expect new exhibition spaces and more inclusive facilities for visitors, as well as the brand-new South Asia Gallery in partnership with the British Museum. Overall, the museum aims to ‘build greater understanding between cultures, a more sustainable world and to bring to life the lived experience of diverse communities through the Museum’s historic collections and new displays’.
VISIT: Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL. museum.manchester.ac.uk
Photo by Chris Bull.
Follow The New Art Trail At Fairmont Windsor Park
Featuring work from acclaimed artists Paul Vanstone and Thomas Joynes, this countryside Windsor hotel has teamed up with The High-Performance Art Gallery to showcase a curated selection of stunning sculptures. Guests of Fairmont Windsor Park will immediately be able to see the sculptures upon entrance to the grand estate, and more across the 40 acres of lush greenery.
VISIT: Bishopsgate Rd, Englefield Green, Windsor TW20 0YL. fairmont-windsorpark.com
Stroll Around A Pretty Garden
There are plenty of gorgeous gardens across the UK worth a daytrip, but our pick this spring is the newly reopened Borde Hill in West Sussex, a Grade II* listed garden set within 383 acres of heritage parkland. There’s an Enchanted Garden Trail for little ones, a Spring Plant Fair for horticulturalists, and an Eco Trail coming later in the season, too. bordehill.co.uk
(Image © Emli Bendixen)
See winter shake off its torpor and the year really come alive at Exbury Gardens, the vision of Lionel de Rothschild, who planted copious colourful rhododendrons and azaleas, which are best seen in May. exbury.co.uk
Or try Gravetye Manor, one of the most historically significant horticultural sites in the UK. Once owned by William Robinson – whose wild gardening ideas popularised the English cottage garden – guests can venture on guided walks ranging between 30 minutes and four hours, covering gardens, meadows and woodlands. gravetyemanor.co.uk
Go Crabbing in East Anglia
Crabbing season starts in late April. While Cromer is the obvious choice, gillying in Blakeney Quayside and Wells Harbour is also popular. Wait for high tide and use bacon as bait if you’re using a line.
Image: Cromer Pier
Bluebell Views
Between April and May, follow the woodland path on the Ashridge Estate in Hertfordshire, admiring the springtime carpet of bluebells as you go.
See Beautiful Cherry Blossom
Forgo the long-haul flight to Kyoto and head to the Japanese gardens at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens instead. From as early as the end of February, nature’s confetti decorates the trees here. But, for the best cherry blossom vista, visit in April or May when the blossoms are in full bloom.
Enjoy A Literary Festival
At the end of every May, the literati gathers at the UK’s favourite book festival in Hay, where the small town, with more than its fair share of bookshops, attracts names as diverse as Eddie Izzard, Miriam González Durántez (and her husband Nick Clegg), Helen Fielding and Colm Toíbín.
25 May–4 June 2023, hayfestival.com
Image (c) Sam Hardwick
Visit Lundy Island
Step back to a simpler time on Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel. Here you’ll find puffins, seals… no cars. Bliss. You can stay in castles, old school houses and lighthouses through the Landmark Trust.
Photo by Sarah Kilian on Unsplash
Climb Leith Hill Tower
Count counties from Leith Hill Tower in Dorking on a clear morning. It’s the highest point in south-east England, which means you might even spot a boat on the Channel.
Take A Trip To Scotland
Hop aboard a steam train and take in the Scottish landscape from the comfort of a railway carriage. Harry Potter fans will be delighted to cross the Glenfinnan viaduct, recognisable from the films.
If you’re in Aberdeen, relax and unwind in an outdoor space if you’re able to. Try the Japanese-inspired Johnston Gardens, with flowing waterfalls, trickling streams and gorgeous blooms.
Visit A Waterfall
Take a spring walk to see the Rhaeadr Fawr waterfall (Aber Falls), home to many rare and beautiful birds from the Great Spotted woodpecker to the pied flycatcher.
Take a Trip To A Castle
Visit the stunning formal gardens of Alnwick Castle, redeveloped by the Duchess of Northumberland, which has its very own poison garden and a fantastic restaurant in a treehouse.
Or venture up to Scotland or across to Ireland for more castles galore.
Step Back In Time at Lindisfarne
Step back in time on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, Northumberland, and marvel at all that has been preserved. From ponies to seals, the wildlife on the island is also spectacular.
Visit Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Yorkshire Sculpture Park, set in the glorious parkland of Bretton Hall estate, displays works by leading sculptors of the 20th century and is an absolute must-see. Until September 2024, there are four magnificent Damien Hirst sculptures on display.
Joana Vasconcelos, Solitaire, 2018. Photo © Jonty Wilde, Courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Spot Birds at Havergate Island
Hop in a boat to Havergate Island in the middle of the River Ore to spot wading birds. It’s best-known for breeding avocets and terns at this time of year. The boat goes out at 10am on the first Saturday of every month, taking just 12 people, so plan ahead for a birdwatching experience that’s far away from the crowds. thesuffolkcoast.co.uk
Visit London’s Very Own Nature Creek
Who said you need to leave London to soak in some nature? Deptford Creek is one of the last natural creeks in the UK and it’s bursting with 120 species of wild flowers.
