England beyond London 3 – Great cities and wide open spaces

We have previously featured the wild north of Cumbria and Northumberland, and last week described the beauty of Durham and North Yorkshire. In this final post we will travel between Leeds and Liverpool, and also venture into the Peak District for some more breathtaking scenery. Join me for another peek at some of England’s greatest hidden secrets.

1. Leeds. Considered the north’s financial services capital, Leeds has grown in economic importance over the last two decades. But the charms of the city date back beyond that time. I lived in the city for a couple of years and made the most of some fantastic restaurants. For some of the best Japanese meals in the country, you’ll be hard pushed to do better than Little Tokyo. Wonderful service, and don’t miss the Japanese profiteroles! (deep fried ice cream covered in syrup).

The city is full of impressive remants of the industrial revolution, none more so that the central Corn Exchange. Now a hang-out for the teenagers, the interior is well restored to match its appearance as the main trading floor of its day. Also impressive is the central market and the buildings along the Headrow – all clues to the wealthy past of this city.

2. Manchester. I studied here for two years on an international MBA course, and a large number of the students who had travelled from across the world to come here had only heard of Manchester for one reason. But as the football of the city is not to my taste, I won’t linger on that subject (of course, bias aside, a trip to Old Trafford and soaking up the atmosphere of a 75,000 crowd will be a memorable experience). Like Leeds, Manchester was a central transport and business hub during the industrial revolution, and many of its most impressive buildings originate from that time.

Just walking through the centre, you will see wonderful intricate details on so many buildings. If you get the chance, visit the central library. This giant dome in St Peter’s Square has one of the most striking reading rooms. The Great Hall, a giant round room, has the most impressive collonade and acoustics that will astound. Just emit a small cough, and you can hear it echo around the room as if you had a microphone (maybe not so good in a library, on reflection). Chinatown is worth exploring, particularly around lunchtime of course. It is England’s biggest Chinese district outside of London.

Manchester is also home to some of the UK’s best museums. At the Lowry art gallery you can see some of the best of British modern art (or if you are a philistine like me, scratch your head and frequently say “is this really art?”). Next to this is the Imperial War Museum, where some excellent exhibits give an insight into life in wartime Britain.

3. Liverpool and Merseyside. If Manchester is all about football, Liverpool is undoubtedly known first and foremost for the Beatles. And they make the most of this famous boy band, with Beatles heritage tours, museums, a themed hotel and of course a Magical Mystery Tour bus that takes you around the sights that link to the story of the Beatles. Once considered a derelict and even dangerous city, Liverpool is now modern, full of new buildings and even was awarded the accolade of European Capital of Culture recently. The waterfront area is very well geared to the increasing tourist trade.

North of the city is one of my favourite spots. Leaving the city behind the coastline becomes sandy, and by the time you reach Formby there are extensive dunes and huge expanses of sand (particularly if the tide is out). Not the place to go for a swim unless you are very brave (or foolish) the coastline offers wonderful walks and the freshest of fresh air. If you park at Formby Point, you will also have a good chance of seeing red squirrels. This is one of the only places left in England where these squirrels have survived the invasion of their North American cousins.

4. The Peak District. This area, a designated National Park, is a hiker’s paradise. Rolling hills and pretty valleys, small villages and towns evenly scattered to stop from breaks and treats, and plenty of industrial heritage thrown in for good measure. You can base yourself in Castleton, probably the most tourist friendly town in the area, where as well as eating and drinking in the town itself you can visit four nearby caverns – one involves an underground boat ride. You can also climb up the valley to Peveril Castle – if you have seen the film The Princess Bride, you will immediately recognise you are walking through one of the main filming locations.

You can also start in Bakewell, home of the famous tart and also a pretty market town from which you can explore the Dales in every direction. We stopped here recently and visited the famous Bakewell Tart Shop, leaving around 30 minutes later feeling full to bursting.

As an added bonus if coming here from the south, don’t miss the chance to pass through Chesterfield and see one of the most unusual sights. The twisted spire of the town’s church was no doubt a great source of anger and embarrassment when it started to deform, but is now the landmark of the town and is worth passing through for this sight alone.

5. Chester. Almost in Wales, this Roman city is well worth a visit on a trip north. It boasts a very well preserved City Wall, and you can walk along large parts of it, giving a good view over the Roman Amphitheatre and the city streets. There are always Roman re-enactments taking place, and it is a normal sight to see a centurion leading a group of children on a march through the city. Don’t miss the town cryer, who gives the day’s news to the citizens of the city at 12noon (and gets paid a lot less for doing it than his  BBC counterparts).

The river is a nice place to stroll and enjoy the large houses of the rich and famous of Cheshire, but the boat trip along the river is not worth the time or money (unless you like that sort of thing).

One thing not to miss in Chester; in the wall of the East Gate of the city, there is a small kiosk selling snacks and drinks. They also knock out deep fried Mars Bars – something everyone should experience once (I’ve had several actually; they are nicer than they sound).

I hope you’ve enjoyed this short tour of the north of England. If I can convince one person to extend their trip to England beyond London and the south east, it will be worthwhile. Did I mention the friendly people up north? You will just have to experience that for yourself.