UK alternatives to popular tourist destinations abroad
You don’t need to leave the UK to see the world’s most beautiful gardens. Take a minibreak in a Best Western hotel and discover some of the loveliest green spaces imaginable – right on your doorstep.
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If you want exotic plants, sculpted landscapes and even giant redwoods, there’s no need to go abroad. The UK’s gardens have them all, and chances are there’s a Best Western Hotel close by. Here are some of our favourite horticultural hotspots.
Looking for some peace and quiet?
Famous for its meditative outdoor spaces, Japan’s calm-filled gardens can be appreciated much closer to home. Dorset’s Compton Acres features a beautiful Orient-inspired world complete with wisteria-draped Tea House and clouds of cherry blossoms in spring. Not far away, you’ll also find Best Western Plus The Connaught Hotel & Spa. It’s close enough for you to pop back the following day to explore the other gardens on offer and spend some quality time with a tasty afternoon tea!
Discover a homegrown alternative to The Garden State
So called for its 715,057 acres of farmland, New Jersey in the US has beaches, lively boardwalks and a fascinating past. In the UK, we have Kent, The Garden of England. It’s famous for the spectacular White Cliffs of Dover, rolling countryside and history galore.
From strawberry fields to ancient apple orchards, you could pick-your-own fruit and veg. Alternatively, admire other people’s horticultural handiwork in the romantic gardens of Hever Castle, once home to Anne Boleyn. For a comfy bed, stay nearby at the Best Western Manor Hotel & Suites in Gravesend
Art and nature lover?
From Gaudi’s dreamlike Park Güell in Barcelona to the eccentric Park of Monsters near Rome, sculpture gardens are like entering another world.
For a fascinating UK creation, visit Wakefield’s Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the oldest in the UK. It’s home to works by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Damien Hirst, as well as the Yorkshire Artspace, showcasing jewellery, ceramics and leatherworks. Less than four miles away is the Best Western Wakefield Hotel St Pierre in the beautiful village of Newmillerdam. You’ll be within walking distance of a country park for more striking scenery including a beautiful lake.
Explore the greener side of the City
Sometimes gardens pop up in the strangest of places. Take those in Singapore’s Changi airport for example. Or the green terraces on the roof of the Rockefeller Center in New York.
In our own capital, secret garden hunters won’t be disappointed: there are many lesser-known leafy destinations. Among them is the tiny Postman’s Park in the City of London. It’s home to the Watts’ Memorial, a moving tribute to ordinary people who selflessly lost their lives saving others. Break up a shopping trip with some moments of quiet contemplation. The friendly Best Western Corona in Victoria is just a few miles away if you want a place to stay.
Go around the world in an afternoon
You don’t need to travel the world to see its most stunning trees and flowers. Oxford Botanic Garden is the oldest in the UK and just one of the famous university town’s many attractions. Take a stroll through tropical rainforests, swamp lands, deserts, and giant redwoods and do your bit for conservation.
After taking in some of nature’s great works, marvel at more of the painted kind at theu less than half an hour’s walk away. Its rooftop bar and restaurant are also perfect for a pitstop. Or if all that fresh air has tired you out, retreat to a room at the Oxford Linton Lodge Hotel, BW Signature Collection by Best Western just a ten-minute walk from the University.
When love is in the air…
Monet’s Giverny, Ninfa (Nymph) in Italy, the exquisite Gardens of Versailles… Greenery is good for romance – and fortunately there are plenty of breathtakingly beautiful places here in the UK made for a lovers’ tryst.
World-famous Stourhead is just one. Described as ‘living work of art’ it’s a seductive combination of landscaped gardens, Roman temples, a grotto, Iron Age hillforts and a grand villa with views across a lake. Sadly, it’s closed by 5pm, at which point your romantic rendezvous could relocate for a light supper to the Best Western Shaftesbury The Royal Chase Hotel…
Go on safari
So you’re not going to see the Big Five, but if you want to combine your garden experience with some animal encounters, it’s nice not to have to do it in a moving vehicle or from behind glass!
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