Nearing the end of our seven month adventure, it was time to embark on a three week road trip around England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
Our itinerary was blank so we relied on a lot of tips from the people we came across during our travels who hailed from the UK.
Our first stop was England where we flew into London and picked up our little hire car which was by far an improvement on the Icelandic shitbox…
After a short overnight stay in the burbs, we made our way out of London and to the Stonehenge in Wiltshire.
We decided to save ourselves 30£ and found a little trick online to see them up close for free. By dodging some potholes down a public dirt road and taking the footpath behind the tourist bus stop, you can see the Stonehenge up close for free. #winning
The English countryside is so green (thanks to all that rain) and we found ourselves stopping every 10 minutes to take photos of the farmlands, rolling hills and old stone farmhouses.
Our first night’s stop was the town of Bath and we were greeted with dark clouds and heavy rain. Who would’ve thought England in November could be so wet and cold 😕
We delayed a visit into town and waited until the sun was shining the next morning.
Day two began with a visit to the Bath Cathedral which was stunning inside and out, before exploring the Roman Baths.
The Roman Baths are a well preserved archaeological site and visiting the museum gives you a good picture of just how far the Roman Empire once reached during its reign. The Roman baths were part of the day-to-day life in Ancient Rome and visiting the site was a worthwhile stop.
Our road trip continued through the Cotswolds area before stopping in Stratford Upon Avon to see the birthplace of William Shakespeare.
We continued driving to our next overnight stop, a tiny town just outside of Betswy Y Coed in Wales.
The sun sets quite early this time of year so it was too dark to visit anything but the local pub for an early dinner. The next morning we made our way to Snowdonia National Park and drove through some of the most beautiful countryside so far.
The rain would be our constant nemesis on this trip and spoiled our plans for a 14km return hike to Snowdon – the highest peak in the Snowdonia National Park. Instead, we made it as far as this beautiful waterfall and some lookout points…
Calling it quits on hiking we continued to Conwy and wow, this town can give Dubrovnik a run for its money! We drove into the old town which was surrounded by medieval town walls. Added bonus – you can walk the walls for free!
We also toured the Conwy Castle which overlooks the town and surrounding ocean. The castle is a medieval fortification built by Edward I during his conquest of Wales between 1283 and 1289.
Looking for a spot to eat lunch, we stumbled upon a great little drive around a place called Gogarth. The one way road is called Marine Drive and for a 3£ toll, you can drive up to the peak and around the ocean road which has incredible views and cliffside caves.
We stayed in Conwy overnight and the next morning made our way back across the border to England to explore the Lake District National Park.
Blue skies and green mountains, the Lake District is a beautiful part of the U.K. We drove to Newlands just outside of Keswick to hike the Catbells Peak which overlooks Derwent Water.
By the time we made it to the hiking trail, the blue skies turned into heavy rain. We eventually caught a break in the downpour and hiked the short trail to the top for these views…
A hearty English pub meal and a couple of pints in Keswick thawed us out and warmed our bellies.
Day two and we planned a busy day, starting with Ullswater and stopping at Pooley Bridge…
…and Aira Force where we did a short hike to some stunning falls.
Next stop was Buttermere and the drive was just as amazing if not better than the lake views!
Just when we thought the views couldn’t get any better, we took an “off the beaten track” road around the far side of Derwent Water, where we found ourselves in the middle of this…
The English and Wales countryside was really something else and while the weather left a lot to be desired, the spectacular scenery more than made up for it.
Stay tuned for Part Two of The Great Reidy Roadtrip!
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