Today, I am going to try and nominate my Twenty Favourite Spots in England. What do you think?

1. Lakes District National Park- Steamer trips on the lakes, steam train, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge Beatrix Potter and days of hiking in all weathers!
2. The Yorkshire Dales -wild and stunning
3. Stonehenge- if you get a chance get onto one of the few tours that actually lets you walk around the stones – it is mesmerising
4. Little Venice and the Canal Path to Camden Markets, London– stroll through the countryside in the middle of London. Have walked this many times and seen few tourists!
5. Isle of Wight– a few km off the coast of mainland England, the Island is known as England in the miniature, has a stunning diverse landscape.  You need 2-3 days here
6. Thames Path, Richmond. You can walk all 300km (180 miles) of the Thames between the Cotswolds and the Thames Barrier in London. My favourite bit is from Kingston to Teddington to Richmond),  London. The scene below is near Richmond 12km from centre of London
7. Hyde Park – “It came to me that Hyde Park has never belonged to London – that it has always been , in spirit, a stretch of countryside; and that it links the Londons of all periods together most magically – by remaining forever unchanged at the heart of a ever-changing town.” ― Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle
8. Devon coastline
9. Bath -parks, gardens, architecture and tourists- billions of them but one has to join them as Bath is a treasure
10. Cornwall (yes all of it) from Lands End to Bude with all of its beaches, art galleries, old houses, Cornish Pasties, ice cream and cream (see my hot chocolate below and yesterday’s Review of the Eden Project)
11. Brighton-a tourist place yes, but still fascinating and great fun so close to London
12. London Theatre- do I need to say more?
13. Peak District – the second most visited national park in the world after Japan’s Mt Fuji. There are places where you can enjoy the landscape without the crowds
14. Liverpool – the home of the Beatles and a European city of Culture – looks and feels great
15. Bristol- has scrubbed up well in recent years and is a very enjoyable city -give it at least a couple of days
16. Exeter- ancient city with a magnificent cathedral and stunning Roman remains
17. YorkMinster – the most well known Gothic church in England, I would say.
18. Cambridge- quintessential English experience
19. Cotswolds-I was 7 when I first saw the pretty villages with thatched cottages and was entranced. Sadly, the cottage belonging to family friends burnt down when the thatch caught fire so I have yet to stay in one
20. Thames Path, Central London -the most Touristy part of London with Tate Museum, Parliament, Big ben and London Eye. Lots of tourists around but few take the chance to meander along  the Thames. Do it!

Thats my Top Twenty and it will take someone a few weeks to see it all properly. And people try to “do” England in two days! What is on your Top 20 List?