The English summer, anticipated throughout the colder months and shorter days of the year, is the best time to experience the outdoors and there are a host of activities that will enable holiday-goers to make the most of the long-awaited season. Lengthy days, reaching their peak in June, allow for extended periods outside the house while the warmer weather makes leaving the home to go on an outdoors adventure a more inviting option.
Abseiling.
Abseiling, that is descending steep surfaces with the aid of a rope and harness, remains a popular summer activity in England and can be undertaken in landscapes of both natural and human origin. Bridges, towers and viaducts are common man-made structures used for abseiling while cliffs, gorges and waterfalls are all examples of geological formations favoured by abseilers.
Cycling.
Cycling is one of England’s most popular summer activities and the quality of the country’s cycle-paths, whether it is the flat surfaces of the Fakenham to Harwich cycle-route or the steeper terrain of Hadrian’s Cycleway, attracts visitors from all over Europe and beyond. Clay Trails in Cornwall, Fallowfield Loop in Manchester and Marriot’s Way in Norfolk are amongst the best cycle-routes in England and are at their most popular in the summer months.
Take to the skies.
Taking to the skies, whether in a aeroplane or a helicopter, is one of the most thrilling activities to engage in during an English holiday and the experience of flying can be undergone as either a passenger or a pilot. For those who wish to become a pilot for the day there is the option of flying experience days where individuals, under the watchful eye and expert tutelage of a flying instructor, get to take the controls of an aeroplane.
Hiking.
There are few better ways to enjoy the outdoors in summer than to follow the various hiking trails that snake across the English countryside. Cornwall’s gorgeous Lizard Peninsula has attracted hikers since Victorian times, the romantic scenery of Cumbria’s Lake District has been popular with hikers since Wordsworth immortalised it his poems while the chalky downlands of Sussex South Downs contains some of the country’s most magnificent hiking trails.
Country gardens.
England is home to a number of stately homes, many of which are open to the fee-paying public, which contain some of the most breathtaking landscape-gardens in the world. Capability Brown, the famous landscape-architect, designed over one-hundred-and-seventy parks for the landed aristocracy during his lifetime and today it is possible for tourists to stroll through some of these country gardens and admire the view.
Conclusion.
Staying indoors in the summertime seems like a waste which is why it is important to get out and about during the warmer, longer days of the year. Holiday-goers in England have a wealth of options available to them, from cycling across the English countryside to flying above it in an aircraft, to maximise the use of the warmer temperatures and extended hours of sunlight.