Top 10+ great British days out that hark back to a golden age of travel

The pick-your-own site, How to do it, Laze beside a seaside lido, How to do it, Get mucky on a working farm, How to do it, Ride a heritage steam railway, How to do it, Visit an olde-worlde theme park, How to do it, Tour a miniature model village, How to do it, Take a boat trip on a historic canal, How to do it, Explore a classic English village, How to do it, Picnic in a private garden, How to do it, Head down to a summer fête, How to do it

Nettlecombe Farm offers a hearty dose of British nostalgia

When it comes to days out, old school is the new cool. Across the UK, families are rediscovering the joy in what was, and the slow, sensory charm of golden-age travel is making a comeback. We’re swapping screens and superhero blockbusters for hands-on fun where memories are made with muddy boots and no photo filters.

This is because, tucked away in Britain’s back lanes and quiet corners, are days out our grandparents would recognise. Swap the supermarket for a pick-your-own farm, where ripe berries go from bush to basket – sticky fingers guaranteed. Cool off in a seaside lido that’s barely changed since the 1930s, or hop aboard a steam train, where the hiss of the engine and a smudge of soot feel far more thrilling than any theme park queue.

This isn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake – it’s a reminder that travel doesn’t need an upgrade, it needs heart. And that sometimes, the past is the freshest way forward. We’ve rounded up ten of the best wholesome days out for some screen-free family time, whether you’re hunting for an afternoon outdoors or a weekend away.

The pick-your-own site

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Cairnie Fruit Farm is one of the best pick-your-own-farms in the UK - Katielee Arrowsmith

Who hasn’t strolled through strawberry fields with juice-stained fingers muttering, “One for the basket, one for me”? Pick-your-own farms have been a beloved British summer tradition since the 1970s, and their appeal hasn’t faded. Rows of strawberries, raspberries, cherries, gooseberries, even sunflowers and pumpkins ripe for the picking. Most farms don’t need booking, and entry is usually free – just pay for what you pluck.

How to do it

Cairnie Fruit Farm in Fife, Scotland is one of the best, plus it has a play area and farm café. Balmeadowside Country Cottages have family lodges from £220 per night.

Laze beside a seaside lido

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They don’t come more picturesque that Tinside Lido in Plymouth - Alamy

Lidos took off in the 1930s with a dash of Art Deco flair as an alternative to the segregated socialising of Victorian indoor pools, and at their peak there were 300 across the UK. Today they’re having a major revival thanks to their charm, community spirit and screen-free simplicity. You might have to brave the chill to bask beside the blue, but this classic British seaside experience is worth braving the seagulls for.

How to do it

Tinside Lido in Plymouth is open to non-residents; tickets cost £8 per adult, £6 for juniors, free for under 5s. Fox on the Hoe offers luxury two-bedroom apartments from £250 per night.

Get mucky on a working farm

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Lords of the Manor Hotel is the perfect place to stay after a day at Cotswold Farm Park - Carla & Moss

Most of us, young and old, know the nursery rhyme Old MacDonald Had a Farm, so why not bring it to life with a visit to a real working farm? You could bottle-feed lambs, watch a cow being milked, groom a Shetland pony or hop on a tractor ride. Some farms also offer nature trails, beekeeping demos and hands-on activities like butter-making or bread-baking. It’s arguably the best classroom a child (or adult) could ask for.

How to do it

Cotswold Farm Park has rare breeds; adults £17.50, ages 4-15 £13.50, ages 2–3 £8.50. The four-star Lords of the Manor Hotel is child friendly and has rooms for two adults and two children from £585 per night.

Ride a heritage steam railway

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A ride on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a great time for everyone - Northedge Photography

The rhythmic chug of the engine, the smell of coal in the air, a wave from the guard in crisp uniform – nothing propels you into the past faster than a heritage steam railway. Once the workhorses of Britain’s railways, these beautifully-restored locomotives deliver a dose of nostalgia on rails where the journey is the destination. It’s not just a ride – it’s time travel served with tea and countryside scenery.

How to do it

North Yorkshire Moors Railway has a hop-on hop-off Day Rover pass from £34.65 per person. Bramwood Guesthouse B&B has doubles from £138.

Visit an olde-worlde theme park

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Blackgang Chine on the Isle of Wight is the UK’s oldest theme park - Christopher Pledger

Old-school theme parks have a charm no CGI can touch. Think halls of mirrors, pirate ships, sticky candyfloss and haunted houses, some date back to the late 1800s, and they’ve kept their innocence. Forget having to brave uber-scary thrill rides and instead enjoy the teacups and queuing with your nan for the dodgems. Simple, honest fun that still hits the spot.

How to do it

Blackgang Chine on the Isle of Wight is the UK’s oldest theme park; admission £18.95 per person; kids under a metre tall enter for free. Nearby Nettlecombe Farm has nine dog-friendly self-catering cottages from £516 for two nights.

Tour a miniature model village

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Bekonscot is the oldest original model village in the world - Eddie Mulholland

Ah, the joy of feeling like a giant. Britain fell in love with the pint-sized perfection of miniature model villages in the 1920s, with their appeal peaking after the Second World War. Today there are still 30 spread across the UK ranging from hobby projects to set ups constructed by teams of engineers. Low on tech and rich in whimsy and quirk, these tiny towns are proof that small can be mighty when it comes to wholesome fun.

How to do it

Bekonscot was established in 1929 and inspired authors Enid Blyton and Mary Norton; a ticket for a family of four costs £39. Family-owned Penn Meadow Farm has glamping tents that sleep four from £120 per night.

Take a boat trip on a historic canal

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Enjoy boat rides up the Leeds and Liverpool Canal - Alamy

Gliding slowly past locks and wildlife, waving to walkers on the towpath and stopping for long pub lunches – a canal boat trip is slow travel at its best. Once industrial lifelines, canals like the Kennet & Avon, Llangollen and Grand Union now offer 4mph calm. A skippered trip means zero stress and more time to soak up the views and kingfisher sightings.

How to do it

Lancashire Canal Cruises offer four-hour private skippered tours of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal for up to 12 people from £237. Splurge on the Crow Wood Hotel & Spa, which has doubles from £400.

Explore a classic English village

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The PIG-in the Cotswolds is one of the best British countryside hotels

Re-enact scenes from a Jane Austen or Thomas Hardy novel amid the crooked thatched cottages, cobbled lanes, ancient inns and village greens of quintessential English villages such as Castle Combe, Clovelly or Bibury – all of which are listed in the medieval Domesday Book. They might just inspire your own book, or at least a very poetic postcard.

How to do it

William Morris dubbed Bibury “the most beautiful village in England” – though it’s best visited outside the summer season if you’d rather avoid the crowds. In the next village is the four-star The PIG, which has doubles from £295.

Picnic in a private garden

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The Heritage B&B is the best place to stay near Bennetts Water Gardens

“Our England is a garden,” wrote Rudyard Kipling, and every year between May and October, passionate horticulturists around the UK open their private gardens to the public as part of the National Garden Scheme. Many allow you to bring picnics and find a quiet bench or lawn to sit at while munching your cucumber sandwiches and taking in the riots of flowers.

How to do it

Try the eight-acre Bennetts Water Gardens in Dorset, with its water lily ponds spanned by Japanese bridges; open Apr–Sept; adults £9.75, ages 4–16 £4; under 4s free. The Heritage B&B has doubles from £125.

Head down to a summer fête

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Village fêtes are a great way to get involved with the local community - Alamy

Think coconut shies, tombolas, wet sponge-throwing and egg-and-spoon races on the village green, as well as bunting, brass bands, bouncy castles and white elephant stalls all run by local volunteers. There’s usually a tea tent serving cream teas, lashings of homemade lemonade, regional treats and plenty of jam made by nans. It’s the perfect slice of community spirit.

How to do it

The annual Frensham Fayre in Surrey offers the quintessential fête experience. The four-star Frensham Pond Hotel & Spa has doubles from £87.

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