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Thanks to These 8 Pieces, You Will Always Travel in Style

Whether you're getting a bus, plane, train or boat, it can be difficult to look stylish when you're travelling, thanks to a lack of sleep, crumpled clothes and the many things you have to lug about with you. The key to travelling in style is to keep it simple and opt for classics that are primarily practical but will also make you look smart and put together at the same time. First things first, it pays to think carefully about your luggage and handbags  and invest in quality pieces you can rely on every time you travel.

As for clothing, stick to simple classics that will work in different climates and are comfortable and relaxed. Accessories are where you can add a little personality, whether that's via a pair of cat-eye sunglasses like Eva Chen's or a splash of colour. Keep scrolling to shop the eight pieces that will ensure that you always travel in style.

1. A Smart Suitcase

This suitcase is smart in both meanings of the word—it look polished, but it also charges your phone so you don't have to scramble for a plug (meaning you'll never be without your e-ticket). We've all been there.

2. Smart Loafers

Classic loafers can be just as comfortable as a pair of trainers, but they'll look smarter and go with anything you wear to travel in.

3. A Hold-Everything Wallet

Rather than keeping your important papers in a plastic wallet, hold it all in one place in a travel wallet. I use this Mulberry one whenever I fly.

4. A Blazer

Throw a blazer over a T-shirt and leggings and you instantly look so much more put together and stylish—opt for a lightweight fabric, which will work when you arrive in hotter destinations, too.

5. Tote Bag

Instead of carrying lots of small plastic bags onto the plane, take a large tote on board with you—the Sézane Gaby is what I always use for travelling, and it's big enough for a change of clothes for the plane, too.

6. A Cosy Cashmere Jumper

A cosy extra layer is an in-flight essential. Two words: air con.

7. Simple T-shirt (with a spare)

I always travel in a blazer and a white T-shirt—but take a spare one in my handbag so I can feel refreshed when I land.

8. Statement Sunglasses

A statement pair of sunglasses instantly adds extra attitude to your look when you exit baggage reclaim. ■

For more airport inspiration, see more of our airport ideas from our editors.

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Home » Travel Guides » United Kingdom » England » 15 Best Things to Do in Peterborough (Cambridgeshire, England)

15 Best Things to Do in Peterborough (Cambridgeshire, England)

On the edge of the low-lying Fens, Peterborough is a city commanded by a superlative cathedral.

This is one of the few complete examples of 12th-century Romanesque architecture, with a Gothic facade that looks like nothing else in the UK or Europe.

Peterborough emerged as an industrial city in the mid 19th century when a railway junction was built just west of the centre.

You can take a nostalgic trip along a stretch of a preserved 19th-century line on the Nene Valley Railway, which will also carry you into Ferry Meadows Country Park for active family days out in summer.

Within a brief drive there’s no end of interesting things around Peterborough, from Elizabethan Prodigy Houses to the site of a mysterious Bronze Age causeway at Flag Fen.

Let’s explore the best things to do in Peterborough :

1. Peterborough Cathedral

The indispensible sight in Peterborough is its jaw-dropping cathedral, which was mostly completed before 1237. It is one of a clutch of cathedrals in the country to have kept hold of its 12th-century Norman architecture, which is conspicuous on the long line of semi-circular arches, traced with zigzag patterns along the nave.

The western facade is an extraordinary Early English Gothic construction, with three massive arches that resemble nothing that came before or since.

Peterborough Cathedral sprang from a much earlier Anglo-Saxon church, founded around the 7th century, and the beguiling Hedda Stone from that building has been put on display.

At the east end of the church the “New Building” has Perpendicular fan vaulting by John Wastell, architect of King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, and you can also seek out the tomb of Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII.

2. Peterborough Museum

In a solemn stone townhouse from 1816, Peterborough Museum has more than 220,000 objects recounting the human and natural history of the city and region.

In the middle of the 18th century this mansion had been Peterborough’s first hospital, and upstairs you can find out what a Victorian era operating theatre would have looked like.

You can view art from the17th-century to the present, and a collection of original manuscripts by the poet John Clare, who was born not far away in Helpston.

There’s also Roman pottery, Jurassic fossils and a host of intriguing artefacts from Norman Cross.

This was a camp set up outside Peterborough for French and Dutch soldiers captured during the Napoleonic Wars.

It was the world’s first purpose-built prisoner of war camp, and the museum has arts and crafts like model ships and dolls houses handmade by the prisoners more than 200 years ago.

3. Nene Valley Railway

Peterborough Nene Valley Station in the centre of the is the eastern terminus of a preserved railway that runs along the Nene Valley for 7.5 miles to the village of Yarwell.

This is a fragment of a line that once extended from Peterborough to Blisworth, 45 miles to the southwest in Northamptonshire.

Opened in 1847, the line closed in 1966 and a stretch was purchased in the 70s to become a visitor attraction.

In 2008 it was extended a little further to Yarwell.

The line runs on weekends year-round, but also weekdays during school holidays.

Generally you’ll be able to ride on a train pulled by a BR Strandard Class 5 steam locomotive, but diesel locomotives fill in during maintenance.

4. Longthorpe Tower

In Peterborough’s western suburb of Longthorpe is a stunning three-storey tower from a 14th-century manor house.

Longthorpe Tower is Grade I listed and maintained by English Heritage.

The tower is a must for its incredible murals, painted around 1330 and covering almost all of the first floor.

These were covered up with whitewash during the Reformation, and were only found once more in the 1940s.

The paintings are almost unique in the UK, and have religious, moral and secular themes.

Pondering these works you’ll see musicians, saints, animals, kings and a strange mythological beast shooting flaming excrement from its backside.

The exhibition at the tower recounts the story of the building and the family that constructed it.

• 5. John Clare Cottage

The beloved Romantic poet John Clare was born at this humble thatched cottage in the village of Helpston in 1793. The cottage was purchased by a trust for the poet in 2005 and has been turned into a visitor attraction over the last decade.

A few of the rooms have been reverted to their rustic appearance at the turn of the 19th century, and there are examples of John Clare’s work and information about his life, which was beset by bouts of poor mental health.

The idyllic garden is maintained by volunteers and there’s a cafe serving home-baked cakes.

You can also browse the bookshop at the cottage, well-stocked with Clare’s works.

Follow up a visit with a trip to Helpston’s parish church to locate Clare’s grave.

6. Nene Park

In the centre of Peterborough is a colossal public par that continues west for 3.5 miles along the banks of the River Nene.

The park encompasses more than 2,500 acres and within that are chain of lakes encircled by walking and cycling paths that beckon you through meadows and into woodland.

You can get there by walking along the large, rectangular rowing and canoeing course and will enter via Orton Mere, which is also a stop on the Nene Valley Railway.

Nene Park also includes the Ferry Meadows Country Park, which follows below and is packed with attractions and facilities.

7. Ferry Meadows Country Park

About a quarter of Nene Pak is taken up by Ferry Meadows Country Park, which has tons for families to get up to in summer.

At Gunwade Lake you can rent pedal boats, rowboats, canoes, kayaks and paddleboards.

There are also bird hides overlooking Ham Mere, one with a bird-feeder in sight so you stand a great chance of seeing something interesting.

Go carefully on the paths to the hides and you may be able to spot a kingfisher.

In Ferry Meadows’ visitor centre you can watch footage from a nest cam in the park’s sand martin box.

The country park also has a miniature steam railway, three children’s play areas, horse-riding stables, two 18-hole golf courses, a pub, garden centre and plant nursery.

A special way to get to Ferry Meadows is by getting off at “Overton for Ferry Meadows on the Nene Valley Railway”.

8. Flag Fen Archaeology Park

On Peterborough’s eastern outskirts is an enigmatic Bronze Age site that came together around 3,500 years ago.

This feat of prehistoric engineering is made up of 60,000 vertical and 250,000 horizontal timbers, configured in five long rows to form a causeway.

Since the 14th century landscape has been drained for farming by dykes, but in that period it was much wetter and hard to navigate on foot.

Part way along the causeway is an island that is believed to have held spiritual significance.

Flag Fen has a visitor centre examining the meaning of the site and displaying the many artefacts recovered from the site like weapons and jewellery, believed to have been placed in the water as votive offerings.

In the wet room, you can see a row of the timbers in place.

Outside there are reconstructions of Bronze Age and Iron Age roundhouses, and a Bronze-Iron Age droveway.

9. Railworld Wildlife Haven

Open on select days from February to October, Railworld is a combined railway museum and nature park next to the Peterborough Nene Valley Railway Station.

Kids and model railway enthusiasts will be impressed by the vast and detailed OO Model Railway, which adds new buildings and landforms by the year.

Over the last 20 years the outdoor space around the museum has been turned into a wildlife park, attracting more than 250 native species.

Beehives, bird boxes and hedgehog “hotels” have been set up, a pond has been dug and more than 250 trees have been planted in that time.

10. Elton Hall and Gardens

Eight miles southwest of Peterborough, Elton Hall is a baronial hall that has been in the same family, the Corbys, since 1660. The River Nene flows through the estate, and the house has a medley of architecture going back to the 1400s.

The oldest elements can be seen on the pointed Gothic windows of the south facade.

The house is open from May to August, on select days, which tend to fluctuate.

You have to go to view art by Renaissance masters, as well as Gainsborough and Constable, and set foot in one of the UK’s richest libraries in private hands.

Among its treasures is the Henry VIII’s personal prayer book.

The formal gardens with boxwood and yew topiaries have been restored since the 1980s and contain a charming Gothic-style orangery, built to celebrate the new millennium.

11. Sacrewell

A little way west, Sacrewell is a heritage farm attraction that will enchant younger members of the clan.

In 50 acres, the farm was mentioned in the Norman Domesday Survey of 1086 and opened as a family day out in 1964. For kids the joy will be meeting the animals, and the farm has donkeys, Shetland ponies, pygmy goats, punch horses, alpacas, Boer goats, New Hampshire red chickens, Landrace pigs and a variety of sheep breeds.

There’s also a mini-maze, an indoor “Playbarn”, a cafe with free WiFi and a farm shop selling produce and gifts made on site.

One of the most arresting sights is the watermill, built in 1755 newly restored to working order with the help of National Lottery funds.

12. Crowland Abbey

Over the county line in Lincolnshire, Crowland Abbey is a comfortable 13 miles from the centre of Peterborough.

A Benedictine monastery up to 1539, this Grade I listed building is a functioning parish church and rather unusual because it continues to be used for worship after most of the abbey was demolished.

The monastic buildings, chancel, crossing and transepts were partially torn down right away, but the nave kept its roof and has housed the church for the last five centuries.

With ruins of pointed bays and window arches clinging to the intact portion of the church, Crowland Abbey is supremely picturesque and was the subject of a sonnet by John Clare, published in 1828. The church has a skull of the 9th-century abbot Theodore, slain at the altar by the Vikings.

13. Burghley House

A good 15 miles from Peterborough on the way to Stamford, Burghley House is a trip worth making if you have an eye for English aristocratic architecture.

Burghley House is the archetype of the Elizabethan Prodigy House, constructed in the last decades of the 16th century by Lord High Treasurer William Cecil.

In the 18th-century the gardens and regal avenues were laid out by Capability Brown, the leading landscaper of the day.

The house is open to visitors in spring and summer, free-flow, or with an expert guide.

Burghley House’s art collection runs to several hundred pieces and includes works by Veronese (chapel altarpiece), Luca Giordano, female Renaissance trailblazer Artemisia Gentileschi and the German Baroque artist Johann Carl Loth.

See Verrio’s ceiling fresco from 1697 above the Hell Staircase, and the later wall paintings by Thomas Stothard.

14. Queensgate

As the largest city for some distance, Peterborough is a regional shopping hub, a fact underlined by the Queensgate shopping centre, which was opened by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in 1982. The centre was modernised at the start of the 2010s, and when this post was written plans had been announced for a further £30 million enhancement, including a multi-screen cinema.

The centre has all of the midmarket brands you’d hope to find on a well-to-do British high street, like Office, Paperchase, John Lewis, H&M, John Lewis, Lush, River Island, Superdry and M&S, to name a few.

For dining options, familiar names like Greggs, Pret, Costa, as well as a few fast food chains are all on hand.

15. Key Theatre

On the Nene’s north bank since 1973, the glass-clad Key Theatre is Peterborough’s main destination for live culture.

The venue books touring musicals, bands and dance shows, and also stages local community productions.

The highpoint of the programme comes towards the end of the year when the Key Theatre puts on its family-friendly pantomimes, which have been an institution for more than 40 years.

The Key Studio is a more intimate 112-seat for drama and live comedy.

In the day, the theatre’s highly-rated Riverside Restaurant benefits from a lovely view of the river.

15 Best Things to Do in Peterborough (Cambridgeshire, England):

• Peterborough Cathedral
• Peterborough Museum
• Nene Valley Railway
• Longthorpe Tower
• Ferry Meadows Country Park
• Flag Fen Archaeology Park
• Railworld Wildlife Haven
• Elton Hall and Gardens
• Crowland Abbey
• Burghley House
• Key Theatre

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17 great day trips from peterborough you need to go on [2024].

Peterborough local? Join the club.

I’ve only lived in the city for a year or so but it’s safe to say that I try to escape as much as possible at the weekend.

I’m especially a sucker for the countryside and hills, so I’ve made it my job to hunt out some of the best spots nearby.

And let me tell you, I was so surprised by how many amazing day trips from Peterborough there are, especially if you’re willing to drive a couple of hours and make it a long day out!

If you’re not a fan of a long day trip like myself (I could happily spend hours behind the wheel!), then you can turn these day trips from Peterborough into short weekend breaks instead.

So whether your heart is in the hills, you’re a water baby or you just love the city life, here are 17 great day trips from Peterborough you need to go on.

Day trips from Peterborough within 50 miles

1. rutland water (27.2 miles away).

How long does it take to get there? 40 minutes by car

Looking for the perfect place to go for a long walk that isn’t too far away from Peterborough? Rutland Water ‘s the place to go.

One of the largest artificial lakes in Europe, Rutland Water is a reservoir located near Oakham, home to some amazing walking trails, nature and wildlife, watersports, and fishing.

It may be relatively flat but you’ll be surprised by how much your legs will ache after visiting Rutland Water.

The full circuit of 24 miles provides some serious cardio, but even if you avoid Hambleton and cover 16 miles instead, you’ll still be knackered by the end.

But don’t worry, if you haven’t got much time on your hands or simply don’t fancy a long walk, there are plenty of other shorter walks to choose from.

Nestled within 4200 acres of stunning countryside, there’s plenty to explore!

And the best part is that you can get your body moving while eyeing up some great views too.

It’s pretty much impossible to visit Rutland Water without getting a little snap happy by Normanton Church.

One of the UK’s most unique churches, it looks great in a photograph and its classic architectural elegance has attracted many a couple looking to say their vows.

2. Sandringham Estate (42.2 miles away)

How long does it take to get there? 55 minutes by car

The Royals love it so why won’t you? If it’s fit for the queen it’s fit for us.

Famously the private home of Elizabeth II, whose father, George VI, and grandfather, George V, both died there, Sandringham is a real historical landmark.

For £20 (or free for children under 17), you can explore this grand stately home.

Yep, you can actually wander around the queen’s digs. What a treat!

But even if you don’t step foot into the country house, you’ll still absolutely love your visit.

Park up early on the side of the road before the main car park to avoid parking charges, then roam wild in Sandringham’s 20,000-acre estate.

Set in the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the estate provides exactly what it says on the tin: outstanding natural beauty.

Whether you take to the park by foot or on wheels, expect a mixture of evergreen and deciduous trees and a whole lot of amazing wildlife.

All that exercise and you’re bound to work up an appetite, right?

As far as amenities are concerned, you’ll find a cafe, gift shop and toilets at the Visitors Centre when you arrive.

Top tip: Keep an eye out on their website for events they host throughout the year.

Whether you fancy taking a bushcraft course, going on a Land Rover safari, or even catching a show at an outdoor theatre (that’s personally high up on my bucket list!), Sandringham is sure to entertain you somehow.

3. Cambridge (43.1 miles away)

How long does it take to get there? 50 minutes by car, or 55 minutes by train

As the nearest city to Peterborough, a day trip to Cambridge is something you absolutely cannot miss.

Made famous by its university , you could easily just spend the whole day there exploring the various colleges and historical landmarks.

You definitely can’t miss King’s College  and  Queens’ College .

But if that’s not your thing, don’t you worry! Cambridge has something for everyone.

Firstly, you can’t visit Cambridge without climbing aboard one of the punts and sailing down the river.

It’s a great way to see the city from a different angle and sometimes if you can’t beat the tourists, you’ve just got to join them, right?

Another great way to see Cambridge is to hire bikes.

The city is home to miles of cycle paths along the shores of the River Cam and through its quaint streets.

So why not make the most of them?

Must-see places to pass along your way include the Mathematical Bridge, the Bridge of Sighs, and the Botanic Garden .

And for a gorgeous view of Cambridge from above, climb Great St Mary’s Church stone tower.

Day trips from Peterborough within 50-80 miles

4. lincoln (51.3 miles away).

How long does it take to get there? An hour and 15 minutes by car, or an hour by train

A city best-known for its medieval cathedral, Lincoln is one of Britain’s best cultural hotspots!

It’s rich in history and home to a plethora of independent boutique shops, great arts and culture.

Start by climbing Lincoln Cathedral tower to get your bearings and enjoy amazing views across the city and beyond.

 Next, I’d recommend heading to Lincoln Castle to revel in the history of this mighty medieval stronghold.

Once you’ve soaked up the history, visit the Arboretum , a park of Grade II historical importance, boasting beautiful gardens, lakes and fountains.

A great place to relax in on a summer’s day, you could easily spend hours lounging here.

Before you leave, make sure you check out Steep Hill.

The recipe for the perfect Instagram photo, the picturesque cobbled streets are lined with quaint independent shops, and you may even spot the wonky lamp post and crooked house.

It’s 100% worth the steep climb!

5. Thetford Forest (54.2 miles away)

How long does it take to get there? An hour and 20 minutes by car

So you know how I said my heart belongs in the hills and countryside?

Well, my heart also lies in the forest too.

And the nearest one to Peterborough is the beautiful Thetford Forest in Norfolk.

Within just an hour or so’s drive of Peterborough, you feel like you’re in another world entirely.

Although touristy, a great place to start is at the High Lodge

. From here, not only will you have several walking, cycle and mountain biking trails at your feet, but also all the facilities you could dream of.

There are parks for the little’uns and even Go Ape for the slightly larger little’uns or the young at heart.

Or you could make your day out a little more unique by taking to the trails by segway.

Once you’ve explored all that the forest has to offer, settle down for a picnic with your loved ones to enjoy the scenery at a slower pace with a sandwich or two in hand.

A quieter, slightly less tourist-y spot in Thetford Forest is Lynford Arboretum which is home to some great walking trails and more importantly, some really cute highland cows.

Need any more reasons to visit? I think not.

6. Bury St Edmunds (56.3 miles away)

How long does it take to get there? An hour and 15 minutes by car, or an hour and 10 minutes by train

Looking to visit a small market town packed with a ton of character?

Then Bury St Edmunds should be at the top of your list.

I actually visited Bury long before I moved to Peterborough when I stayed in nothing other than a hobbit hole !

Although it was the Lord of the Rings nerd in me that really attracted me to the town, Bury is a great place to visit regardless.

Ideal for a day trip when you just want to enjoy life at a slower pace, Bury is a great place to slowly wander about and soak up the sights. It’s so quaint!

Be sure to check out the Abbey and Abbey Gardens before you leave, and if you fancy heading back to yesteryear, why not visit the first English village at Anglo Saxon Village and Lakes while you’re in the area?

7. Wells-next-the-Sea (63.2 miles away)

How long does it take to get there? An hour and 25 minutes by car

Beach babies, this one’s for you, and boy is it a good’un!

Wells-next-the-Sea is home to Holkham Beach, regularly voted one of the UK’s best beaches.

I mean when it’s part of the largest coastal nature reserve in England and Wales, it’s no surprise that it’s so beautiful.

And how lucky are us Peterborough folk that it’s less than an hour and a half away from us?

Known for its expansive white sands backed by sand dunes and pine woods, Holkham is popular with walkers and bathers alike.

And despite the fact that it’s so well-loved, it never really feels too busy or crowded.

Be sure to also check out Holkham Hall , an 18th-Century Palladian house, before you leave too.

If country houses aren’t your thing, the rolling parkland filled with fallow deer and red deer is enough to warrant a visit.

8. Sherwood Forest (68.9 miles away)

How long does it take to get there? An hour and 30 minutes by car

So we’ve seen Thetford, now it’s time to check out Sherwood .

Made famous by Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men, you’ll see why they were so bloody merry when you visit Sherwood.

Aside from its historic associations with the legend of Robin Hood, the forest is home to so many beautiful walks and trails.

The Wildwood Trail is ideal for adventurers, taking you through different landscapes, such as heathland and wood pasture.

The Giants Trail is shorter and more gentle and will take you through Europe’s largest collection of ancient oak trees.

But there are all sorts of walks in between to cover all fitness levels and interests!

And of course, any trip to Sherwood Forest is incomplete without visiting the Major Oak, the most famous resident of Sherwood Forest, who’s been standing for anywhere between 800-1100 years.

Legend even has it that Robin and his Merry Men used the tree for shelter!

9. Royal Leamington Spa and Warwick Castle (71 miles away)

Since these two places are just an eight-minute drive from each other, I thought I’d combine them both!

A spa town with style, Royal Leamington Spa is one of the more upmarket day trips from Peterborough.

As one of the only two Royal spa towns in the UK, the town boasts some stunning elegant Georgian Regency architecture, plus a whole host of independent shops and restaurants.

One of the UK’s most popular tourist attractions, the nearby Warwick Castle is home to a thousand years of jaw-dropping history.

From the castle and gardens to the hedge maze and castle dungeon, there is plenty to see and do for both adults and children alike.

If you plan on visiting Warwick Castle, book tickets in advance online as they can be pretty pricey.

It’s also worth extending this day trip to a weekend trip so you can dedicate a whole day to visiting the castle to make the most of your money!

10. Warner Bros Studio Tour (75.2 miles away)

How long does it take to get there? An hour and 30 minutes by car, or

Harry Potter fans, this one’s for you! If you haven’t already visited Warner Bros Studio Tour then what are you doing?!

I think it goes without saying that Potterheads will have a field day here so book your tickets and scooch your bum over there.

It’s basically the nearest thing to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter that you’re going to get in England.

Based in Leavesden, the studio tour takes you through the Making of Harry Potter covering everything from your favourite sets like the Great Hall and Diagon Alley to props, costumes and special effects used in the films.

You’ll even get to try a taste of the world-famous Butterbeer!

I personally wasn’t a fan but if you love cream soda, you’ll love Butterbeer.

11. Norwich (77.2 miles away)

How long does it take to get there? An hour and 40 minutes by car, or an hour and 30 minutes by train

We’re covering some serious ground in Norfolk but when the county’s nearby and packs a whole variety of day trips, from beaches to forests to cities, I can’t help but visit loads!

Next up on the list is Norwich, Norfolk’s county town.

Steeped in history and a great place to visit for a change of scene, Norwich is home to over 1500 historic buildings, all within the city walls.

History lovers will be in their element here as you’ll also find 33 medieval churches in Norwich, which is more than any city in northern Europe!

Visitors also can’t miss Elm Hill, an oh-so-picturesque historical cobbled street with stunning examples of Tudor buildings and wealthy merchants’ houses.

If history’s not your thing, you’ll also find loads of amazing places to eat in Norwich.

I’ve heard great things about Al Dente Norwich and Brick Pizza . Vegans and veggies will also love The Tipsy Vegan !

Day trips from Peterborough over 80 miles

12. birmingham (85 miles away).

How long does it take to get there? An hour and 35 minutes by car, or 2 hours by train

Okay, so Birmingham may not jump out at you as one of the best day trips from Peterborough.

Why visit Birmingham when I could visit so many amazing other places?

Well, hear me out. There are actually so many fun things to do in Birmingham !

From crazy golf and go-karting to Bear Grylls Adventure and checking out the botanical gardens, there are loads of fun activities that you wouldn’t find in little old Peterborough.

Plus, if shopping’s your thing, you can’t get much better than the Bullring .

Home to Brum’s landmark  Selfridges building, pictured above, the Bullring has every shop you could ever want to visit. Great for a rainy day, you could get lost in this place for hours.

Follow up a long day’s shopping with dinner in Digbeth , Brindleyplace or the world-famous Balti Triangle, the centre of Asian cuisine in the city.

If you head to Digbeth for dinner, you’re in luck because there are so many great things to do in Dibeth .

Make sure you don’t miss crazy golf at the quirky Ghetto Golf .

I’d also recommend grabbing a bite to eat at the funky  Digbeth Dining Club .

Offering street food from some of the UK’s best independent traders, it’s a great way to try some tasty, local cuisine.

If you fancy eating dinner at Brindleyplace instead, make sure you take the opportunity to take a stroll along Birmingham’s canals.

Birmingham does have more miles of canals than Venice, after all.

13. Stratford-upon-Avon (85.4 miles away)

How long does it take to get there? An hour and 45 minutes by car

So I’ve treated the Potterheads to a lil’ summin-summin.

Now it’s time for the Shakespeare nerds.

If you didn’t already know, Stratford-upon-Avon is the 16th-Century birthplace of Shakespeare himself.

There’s a network of houses where Shakespeare and his family spent large parts of their lives, all of which are open for visits from the general public.

Must-see sights include Shakespeare’s Birthplace , Hall’s Croft (the home of Shakespeare’s daughter, Susanna) and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage (that’s Shakespeare’s wife).

But the main thing you can’t miss when visiting Stratford is a trip to the Royal Shakespeare Company .

The  RSC is comprised of three theatres in Stratford-upon-Avon: the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, the Swan Theatre, which both share a building on Waterside, and The Other Place which is a short walk away, on Southern Lane.

As a big fan of the best playwright in history, I’ve seen a whole handful of plays at the RSC and each is as good as the last.

From Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Macbeth to Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, they’ve each been a real feast for my eyes and ears.

Tickets are quite reasonably priced, ranging from just £ 10  to £ 60 , though I’ve never once spent more than £ 25  on tickets.

While Shakespeare is the main draw for tourists, the town is also packed full of history, quaint side streets, wonderful markets, great restaurants, open parklands, and walks along the River Avon.

So even if the bard isn’t up your street, you’ll still enjoy a day trip here.

14. London (85.5 miles away)

How long does it take to get there? Two hours by car or one hour by train

Now, this city needs no introduction.

But a list of the best day trips from Peterborough would be seriously incomplete without name-dropping the capital.

Whether you spend your day getting snap happy at the best London Instagram spots or eating and drinking yourself silly at the best quirky places to eat in London , you’re always guaranteed a good time in the capital.

Despite having been born in London, and having visited the city on countless occasions, I still haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of it.

This means I can visit it as many times as I like from Peterborough and each time there’s still something new to see!

15. Oxford (86.8 miles away)

So you’ve now visited Cambridge. Why not take a trip to Oxford too?

You can pack a lot into just one day in Oxford , so even though it’s almost a two-hour drive, you’ll still get to see most of the sights.

With limited time, I’d recommend visiting some of the university ’s colleges, the Bridge of Sighs and Radcliffe Camera , going punting on the river and climbing the University Church of St Mary for some amazing views across the city!

However, if you’re a bookworm like me, you could easily just spend all your time in Oxford getting lost in the city’s many bookshops.

That’s basically what I spent the majority of my time there doing.

16. Peak District (107 miles away)

How long does it take to get there? Two hours by car

The Peak District is easily my favourite day trip from Peterborough.

For someone whose heart is in the hills, I sure have chosen the flattest place on earth to live in.

But the redeeming part of living in Peterborough is that it is only two hours from door to door to the Peak District.

And the Peaks are synonymous with amazing hills, great hikes and even better views.

If you don’t know where to start, some of my favourite places to visit in the Peak District (not only for their amazing views but also for their proximity to Peterborough) is anywhere near Castleton and the Hope Valley.

Check out Bamford Edge, Curbar Edge, Alport Castles, Winnats Pass, Mam Tor and the Great Ridge Walk.

All these walks are easily doable in a day, and you’ll feel a million miles away from the streets of Peterborough.

And once you’ve completed your walk, you can reward yourself by filling yourself up with pub grub at one of the Peak’s many amazing eateries. Any excuse, right?

17. York (125.7 miles away)

How long does it take to get there? Two hours and twenty minutes by car, or an hour and twenty minutes by train

While this might be quite a long drive, you can easily visit York from Peterborough by hopping on the train!

Less than an hour and a half door to door, you’ll be in this quaint, little city before you know it.

This city is great explored alone or with friends and family, but it’s definitely best visited with a partner since there are so many romantic things to do in York for couples .

We’re talking pottery painting, wine tasting, and even snuggling up on a velvet sofa in a cinema together!

Must-see sights in York include York Minster , the River Ouse (you can take to it either by boat or by walking along the river), Clifford’s Tower , the Museum Gardens , and the City Walls.

Oh and make sure you don’t leave without taking a stroll down The Shambles and snapping a quick photo while you’re at it.

It’s an old street with overhanging timber-framed buildings that is basically the UK’s answer to Diagon Alley.

So have you ever been on these day trips from Peterborough?

What did you think of them?

If there are any great day trips from Peterborough that I’ve left off this list, please let me know in the comments below!

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Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in Ontario, Canada. According to the 2016 Census, the population of the City of Peterborough was 81,032. The population of the Peterborough Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), which includes the surrounding Townships of Selwyn, Cavan Monaghan, Otonabee-South Monaghan, and Douro-Dummer, was 121,721 in 2016. In 2016, Peterborough ranked 32nd among the country's 35 census metropolitan areas according to the CMA in Canada. The current mayor of Peterborough is Diane Therrien. Peterborough is known as the gateway to the Kawarthas, "cottage country", a large recreational region of the province. It is named in honour of Peter Robinson, an early Canadian politician who oversaw the first major immigration to the area. The city is the seat of Peterborough County. Peterborough's nickname in the distant past was "The Electric City" as it was the first town in Canada to use electric streetlights. It also underscores the historical and present-day importance of technology and manufacturing as an economic base of the city, which has operations from large multi-national companies such as Siemens, Rolls-Royce Limited, and General Electric, and more local businesses such as Merit Precision Ltd., Dynacast and Bryston. Electricity was one of the reasons Quaker Oats moved to the city, and as part of PepsiCo remains a major fixture in the downtown area. However, over the years the number of major manufacturing plants has declined, and General Electric closed its last remaining facility in 2018. As a result, employment has been shifting toward the service industries and tourism is now the leading industry in the area.

Useful links:

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How we met: ‘I found Bethany attractive – but I thought she was straight’

Rachael, 40, and Bethany, 38, bonded over their love of a TV show, not imagining this would lead to a romantic relationship. They now live together in Norfolk

B efore the pandemic, Bethany was travelling around the UK regularly for her job with an educational charity. “I was staying at lots of unglamorous hotels,” she laughs. “It was a lovely job, but quite lonely and I couldn’t join any evening classes as I was away so much.” She began looking for online groups and soon found a Twitter community for fans of the TV show Good Omens , which she’d been watching. “I discovered this lovely group of people and found out there would be a small convention for the show’s fans to raise money for an Alzheimer’s charity.”

The convention was being run by Rachael, who was based in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. “I had recently moved back to the UK after working in the US and Australia,” she says. Once home, she found a job in education content, but struggled to build a network of friends locally. “When this new show came out I wondered if there might be some interest in a convention. I’d organised them before for Star Trek and Harry Potter events. I thought people could come, dress up, play games and meet like-minded people.”

She found others who were interested through a Twitter call out, and set up a group online. Bethany was impressed by Rachael’s commitment. “She seemed invested in creating a warm atmosphere,” she says. “I liked being in a group where I could be geeky and proud.” She offered to help with the planning, which Rachael was grateful for.

In July 2019, the pair met in London to take some photos for the event. After the convention, they met up regularly for theatre trips and their friendship continued to grow. “I was living in Peterborough with my mum, and Rachael was in Beaconsfield, so it meant we’d stay with each other for a few days at a time,” says Bethany.

Although they shared a strong bond, neither ever imagined anything romantic would happen between them. “I’ve had relationships with all genders before and I found Bethany attractive, but I thought she was straight,” says Rachael. In 2019, Bethany was coming towards the end of her marriage, and had never considered the possibility of being with a woman. But after splitting from her husband, she found herself wondering if there could be a spark with Rachael. “At first, I wondered if I was feeling attracted to her because she was being so kind to me at a difficult time,” says Bethany. “But then I realised it was definitely different to other friendships. I’d never felt such a strong attachment.”

In early 2020, they shared a kiss. They went on holiday together shortly after, returning to the UK during lockdown. Making a snap decision, they agreed to move into a flat in Milton Keynes together so they didn’t have to be apart. “Before that, we hadn’t spent more than a few days together but we got on so well,” says Bethany. “We then moved to Heacham on the north Norfolk coast in 2021.” In the early days of their relationship, they bonded over watching Netflix’s Tiger King and old box sets, but since then they’ve enjoyed travelling, going to restaurants and starting up the Good Omens convention again.

They married in July 2022 with a Good Omens-themed wedding. “We’d proposed to each other at the same time at a bandstand in Milton Keynes, which is an iconic location in the show,” says Bethany. Sadly, her mum became unwell with cancer a few weeks before the wedding, and died shortly afterwards. “She managed to watch it online holding a glass of champagne,” says Bethany. “Rachael was then hospitalised with complications from asthma and Covid, so it was a hard time for both of us.”

The pair relied on each other to get through it. “It’s the support you don’t even know you need, like Rachael helping me to clean my mum’s house after she died. It means you don’t worry about things you can’t focus on.” Later the same year, Rachael made the decision to change careers and became a teacher, which Bethany fully supported.

Rachael loves how kind and thoughtful her partner is. “Bethany always wants to talk about things to understand how I’m feeling,” she says. Bethany describes her wife as “joyful”. “She’s totally true to herself and when she laughs, everyone else laughs, too. Coming home to someone who will make you feel better if you’ve had a bad day and celebrate the good times is the best thing.”

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Subscriber only, travel | a $1.5 billion ultra-luxury resort in boca raton: ‘it better be the best thing that’s ever been done’.

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Residences in Boca Raton is expected to be completed some time in the first half of next year.

Once open in 2025, the project, at the corner of Federal Highway and Camino Real in downtown Boca Raton, will unveil a 164-room hotel and 85 luxury units, most of which have already sold.

Amenities will include a downtown golf and city club, restaurants and retail spots — the “kind of stores you find in Paris or Milan,” said Albert Piazza, the president of development for Penn-Florida Companies, the developer behind the project.

Piazza said he started designing the project in 2015. He said the project’s primary delay can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent supply constraints that followed.

“We’re part of the real world,” he said. “We were interrupted by the pandemic.”

He added: “We have what is going to be one of the most expensive hotels in the United States. We want make sure that when we deliver it, that the designs are in fact current.”

They did not want their designs to be dated, he said, which also spurred delays.

“If we’re going to be putting a billion-dollar project in the middle of Boca Raton, it better be the best thing that’s ever been done,” he said.

Elizabeth Cross, Penn-Florida’s vice president of marketing, emphasized that sentiment, saying they are taking time to ensure quality.

“It’s more important to us than timing,” she said.

The $1.5 billion-project also has been refinanced, which is “extremely complex,” Piazza said. Refinancing is just financing something with a new loan, sometimes with a lower interest rate.

“Because of the long-term nature of it, it’s typical and quite natural that the loan structure changes as the project moves forward,” he said. “The loans typically have a shorter time period than the overall construction of the project may take. So loans in their normal life cycle are modified as you go through or extended.”

Cross said the project is “fully capitalized,” and they “have ample funding” to finish it.

A Mandarin Oriental Hotel exists in Miami, but Piazza said it will be closed down soon for new construction, further placing pressure on the Boca Raton location to open its doors.

“The Mandarin is very anxious for us to get our hotel open because we’ll be opening here just about the time they’re closing the hotel down there,” he said. “So they’re looking at us being their footprint here in South Florida.”

The hotel is designed as a “ultra-luxury resort in of itself,” Piazza said, with features including Michelin-star restaurants, a prohibition-style bar, a ballroom, a “rooftop resort experience” with pools, a children’s activity center and a meditation garden.

The hotel will be one of 36 in 24 different countries, and the residences will be one of 10 worldwide, according to Penn-Florida.

Scott Gerow, the director of luxury sales for the CBG Luxury Team at Compass in Boca Raton, said people are excited to have the Mandarin brand associated with the city.

“I think it’s a great privilege to have them as part of the community,” Gerow said. “So many people in the city are excited to see the finished product.”

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Discovering an Omani Paradise

Muscat, the capital, offers opulent culture, but it is the mountains and the sea that bedazzle.

By David Belcher

Reporting from Muscat, Oman

High in the mountains of Oman and along its pounding shoreline, I stumbled onto an unexpected slice of heaven thanks to a friend’s recommendation. I even sprang for a few extra amenities for a mash-up of pauper meets paradise.

I first visited Oman in 2018 after regularly making one- or -two-day stopovers in Abu Dhabi, Dubai or Qatar to break up long flights between Europe and Asia. And although it is about a one-hour flight from those bustling and scorching cities, Oman can feel almost removed from time, whether you are in the Hajar Mountains that cut a swath across the country’s northern edge or dipping into the roiling waves of the Arabian Sea farther south.

I had read about the country’s wild and often empty coastline that stretches nearly 2,000 miles, but mountain hiking in the Gulf region was a new experience for me. What I discovered was a cinematic, “Dune”-like landscape of deserts, mountains and rugged canyons punctuated by centuries-old terrace farming. The scenery then plunged into the vast wasteland of the Rub’ al-Khali desert (“the empty quarter” in Arabic) and rivaled anything I’d ever seen.

Bordered by Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, this country of nearly 4.7 million was transformed over the decades by Sultan Qaboos bin Said , who died in 2020. He had ousted his father in a bloodless coup, backed by the British, to embrace modernism — and scads of oil and natural gas deposits — in 1970.

The country has a fascinating maritime history — the Omani empire once stretched as far south as Zanzibar in the late 17th century — and a relaxed and accepting vibe rooted in Ibadism , which is often seen as a more moderate branch of Islam.

It has seemingly maintained political neutrality for decades , despite being situated in an at-times-volatile region. The northeastern tip of Oman is about 1,500 miles from Sana, the capital of Yemen. Salalah, nearer to Yemen in the south, is about 900 miles from the mouth of the Red Sea, a body of water in which attacks on cargo ships have been reported. (The U.S. State Department currently advises “increased caution” for travelers and Britain says “ travel advice for Oman could change at short notice .”)

And old-world charm lingers across Oman, especially high on Jabal Akhdar (loosely translated as “green mountain” in Arabic), one of the highest peaks in the Hajar range, 70 miles southwest of the capital, Muscat. Although these mostly limestone mountains are typically barren and beige, lush green farms inspired the name. (Imagine the rice terraces of Bali on the sides of bone-dry rocky canyons.) Snowfall in winter and the mist from clouds captured in the high peaks create precipitation, and the country’s intricate “aflaj” irrigation systems, thought to date to antiquity , maximize the impact of water in this forbidding landscape.

Local growers sell their garden bounty to residents as well as to resorts, including the Alila Jabal Akhdar , which says most of the food on its menu is grown on the property or purchased from terrace farmers.

At the Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar , perched atop a plateau at 6,500 feet above sea level, hikes or bike rides in the mountains and valleys are offered on organized tours. At an overlook called Diana’s Point, where Diana, Princess of Wales, once stood to stargaze, you can hear the Muslim call to prayer echoing from two villages several times a day.

Both resorts, with rooms starting around $500 to $600, offer guided walks to 400-year-old abandoned villages with breathtaking views across the emptiness of the rolling canyons.

Although I flew on a commercial airline to Oman, visitors on a bigger budget than mine have the option of paragliding in. The Six Senses Zighy Bay offers the option of a birdlike arrival from a nearby mountaintop on the last leg of a two-hour drive from Dubai International Airport.

Nestled among the canyons flanked by the turquoise waters that define Oman’s narrow, northernmost tip off the Strait of Hormuz, this resort has come to define Omani isolation in the most exclusive way, with rooms starting at about $1,500. (It’s known as a celebrity honeymoon getaway spot, including for Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra in 2018, and Lindsay Lohan spent part of her pregnancy there last year.)

Farther south, the virtually undeveloped Arabian Sea coastline attracts a big European crowd in winter, and in the summer Gulf residents flee the searing heat for the monsoons that drape this coastline in mist. The climate allows for miles of coconut palm trees and banana trees that serve as a sort of tropical backdrop to the never-crowded beaches.

Salalah, the main city on the southeastern tip of Oman, is home to several resorts, but its crown jewel is the Anantara Al Baleed with its sprawling beach and private villas with plunge pools, which will set you back about $650 a night. Regular rooms start at about $350 to $375. (About an hour’s drive east of Salalah, the Alila hotel group, a Hyatt luxury brand, has opened its second property in Oman , on the isolated Hinu Bay).

A visit to the Anantara Al Baleed in December offered a study in tourism meets local color. Four camels frolicked in the surf one day to the delight of a few of us splashing about in the water. Two days later, dozens of fishermen casting handmade nets caught thousands of sardines, hauling them on their backs from the unforgiving waves and onto trucks. The resort is adjacent to the Museum of the Frankincense Land, which offers a fascinating peek into the history of this coveted aromatic resin that was once as prized as gold.

Most trips to Oman, including mine, start in Muscat, which has its charms despite Dubai-like traffic and urban sprawl. My two-day stop included attending a performance at the Royal Opera House Muscat, which was a complete revelation to this lifelong opera fan. Tours of the venue are also available for about $7.50. Built in 2011, its layers of white stone and marble arabesque arches evoke a grand Middle Eastern citadel. In my black jeans, blazer and tie, I felt a bit frumpy rubbing elbows with perfectly coiffed men in traditional dishdashas (the white gownlike formal attire) and massars (the colorful embroidered cloth headdresses).

Even more opulent is the city’s lavish Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque with its 8.5-ton crystal chandelier and expansive carpet said to have taken four years to weave by hand. The mosque opened to all in 2001 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the sultan’s reign.

But I wanted to get out of the city and into the nature I had heard so much about. I booked a car and driver (for about $120) to take me three hours into the wild landscape the next day. It was like being transported to mountains on the moon, but in a luxurious four-wheel-drive vehicle on smoothly paved roads. My driver, Saud, navigated the meandering coastal highway past azure shorelines with massive rock formations jutting like islands out of the sea, eventually turning right for the steep road into the rugged Jabal Akhdar.

Saud told me that in his youth, he and his grandfather had traveled on camelback from their terrace gardens to Muscat twice a year to sell fruit, vegetables, garlic and roses. Theirs was a two-day journey, and along the way they snacked on pomegranate seeds. Now, some 50 years later, Saud drives tourists who want to hike across the empty canyons of his youth and enjoy the foods from these gardens in the sky.

That evening at dinner, my salad was sprinkled with pomegranate seeds. In the warmth of the cozy dining room of the Alila Jabal Akhdar, I thought of Saud and our drive to a slice of paradise. I’ll probably never paraglide into Oman, but I did feel like I had arrived on the wings of something fine.

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