From plunging gorges to fairytale woods, we share a handpicked list of the best natural wonders in the UK
We’d been back in Britain for a mere two weeks when Peter told me he was heading to Dartmoor to walk the Two Moors Way. Our recent trip through Europe had mainly stopped in cities and clearly hadn’t satisfied his need to be outdoors. Peter grew up by the coast, and swimming and hiking were formative parts of his childhood.
I envy him in many ways. I grew up in inner city London and can count the number of times I saw the sea: a school trip to Walton-on-the-Naze, another to Bude in Cornwall, a few to Southend-on-Sea. I never went hiking. I certainly never went glamping, which I now know is a wonderful way to get closer to nature; to explore beautiful, natural parts of the UK while still enjoying a luxury stay. These pleasures were (and still are) alien to my family – and indeed my broader community.
This saddens me because it deprives us not only of nature’s benefits – better mental health, physical health, wellbeing and development – but also of Britain’s beauty. This is a land filled with natural wonders and we should all make an effort to see it. To help you decide where to go, we’ve put together a list of the best natural wonders in the country.
Best natural wonders in the UK
With so much to choose from, we asked the experts at Unique Hideaways to help us curate this list. Below, you will find plunging gorges, dramatic sea stacks and eerie fairytale woods grouped into England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Durdle Door & Lulworth Cove
Location: Dorset, England
Durdle Door is a natural limestone arch on the Jurassic Coast near Lulworth in Dorset. The arch was formed by eroding waves that forged a hole through the middle of the rock. The name Durdle comes from the old English word ‘thirl’, which means to pierce, bore or drill.
The Jurassic Coast itself is one of the most impressive natural wonders in the UK. This 95-mile stretch from Orcombe Point in East Devon to Old Harry Rocks in Dorset is of such geological importance, it was designated England’s first Natural World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2001.
Find out more about Durdle Door and book a stay with the Dorset hideaways collection
Wistman’s Wood
Location: Dartmoor, Devon, England
Wistman’s Wood is one of three remote high-altitude oakwoods on Dartmoor in Devon. The ancient forest has largely been left to…
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