This is our shortlist for new places we plan to visit during 2026. Hopefully we will get to tick off all of these and more during the year……
Haddon Hall & Bakewell, Derbyshire
We’ve spent a bit of time in the Peak District towards the back end of last year and enjoyed a few walks so we definitely plan to do more of those. I have visited Chatsworth House several times but never made it to nearby Haddon Hall. The House is over 900 years old and boasts fabulous collections of tapestry and furniture. There is a deer park and the recently redesigned Elizabethan Walled Garden to explore. The restaurant serves excellent quality locally sourced produce – with several gluten free options.
The house is open from the end of March and is near enough to Bakewell that you could also spend some time there and try the famous Bakewell Tarts at the original Bakewell Pudding shop. They don’t have a gluten free option as they stick strictly to the original recipe but the Bakewell Tart Shop and Coffee House down the road does have gluten free and vegan options.
Hidden London Underground Tour
The Secrets of the London Underground television show is based on these tours which I only recently discovered when looking into visiting the London Transport Museum. They aren’t cheap at £45 per person but you do get a discounted ticket to the London Transport Museum with your ticket which you can use anytime within a month of your tour. We have the Dover Street Tour booked for the beginning of February so look out for my blog on that. Dover Street was built in 1906 and is known today as Green Park. Visitors can expect to hear about the role the station played in World War Two, see original signing and artwork and access areas usually out of bounds to the public.
Royal Museums, Greenwich (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
The Royal Museums Greenwich website offers a day pass ticket which includes entry to The Cutty Sark and the Royal Observatory. The National Maritime Museum and the Queen’s House (designed by Christopher Wren for Queen Mary) are free to enter. The Royal Observatory is the home of Green and the home of Greenwich mean time. Unfortunately the Peter Harrison Planetarium is closed for the next couple of years for improvement, so we’ll have to come back another time for that. This location offers some of the best views in London. The Cutty Sark is situated on bank of the Thames in a specially made dry dock which allows for exploration of the underside of the ship as well as walking its decks. Built in 1869 the Cutty Sark was one of the last of its kind to be built.
Castell Coch, Glamorgan
Located in Forest Fawr, Castell Coch is just a 25 minute drive outside of Cardiff, or easily accessible by train and bus. The name translates as ‘Red Castle”. It was designed in the Gothic Revival style by William Burges who also revamped the mansion houses at Cardiff Castle for the Third Marquess of Bute. At that time the Marquess was on of the richest men in the world and he certainly spared no expense when designing Castell Coch’s sumptuous interiors. Prior to that it was used as a hunting lodge. There are some good walking trails between the castle and nearby Taffs Well.
Black Country Living Museum
Another that has been on my list for a while mainly because I love going in all the real shops and houses. Some the buildings here have been translocated from their original sites and rebuilt brick by brick at the museum site. The attraction has become increasingly popular since being used as a filming location for the BBC series Peaky Blinders. The attraction itself tells the story of the lives of Black Country residents during the industrial revolution from the mid-19th to mid 20th Century and beyond. Partially set around the canal, there is also a working tram that transports visitors from one part of the museum to another.
Whitby Abbey and surrounding areas
We have a week long trip planned for May this year, so we hope for good weather! We will be staying the centre of Whitby where we plan to visit the infamous Whitby Abbey – well known for being the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Nearby towns that we also plan to visit include Robin Hood’s Bay, Scarborough and Filey. All Trails has some great walks for all abilities in this area. A short train ride from Whitby takes you to Goathland, the village in the North York Moors National Park where the itv show Heartbeat was filmed. A 40 minute drive takes you to Flamingoland theme park. This area really does offer something for all the family.
Crich Tramway Village & Matlock Bath
This is located near to the towns of Matlock and Matlock Bath, which are worth spending some time in. Matlock Bath is a pretty town with quaint shops and pubs and some decent fish and chips. Take in the views from the Giddy Edge above the town if you dare! The nearby Heights of Abraham cable car offers another viewpoint of the. Derwent Valley The Tramway Village itself is home to the National Tramway Museum and has fully operational vintage trams operating throughout the attraction from multiple stops including the opportunity to see some stunning views of the Amber Valley. There is a period street with real buildings including a fully operational public house (the Red Lion) and the facade of the Derby Assembly rooms which was rescued and refurbished after a fire. There is also a large photographic collection.
The Eastenders Museum at Borehamwood
This is a temporary exhibition commemorating 40 years of the bbc serial drama. I am a huge Eastenders fan and I was absolutely gutted that they knocked down the old set without giving fans a chance to visit, so this may be the closest I get! There are props and costumes from the show and information on famous scenes and episodes. You can even take a selfie in the Queen VIc. The exhibition is free to enter and runs until May 2026. It is located upstairs in the Elstree and Borehamwood Museum.
Sherwood Observatory, Nottinghamshire
This is a fairly local attraction for us that opened last year. It offers a range of immersive planetarium shows in its purpose built venue. Great for school and groups and suitable for all ages. Shows last from 25 to 45 minutes with shorter shows having time for a presenter Q&A session after the show. Visitors can also view the exhibition and regular open evenings offer the chance to see the stars and planets in the night sky.
Monsal Trail, Peak District
This popular walking route covers 8.5 miles following part of the old Manchester to London railway line. There are stunning viewpoints along the way including Headstone Viaduct and the now disused Miller’s Dale Station – the busiest station on the route back in the late 19th Century. The route runs between the two Derbyshire towns of Buxton and Bakewell. As the route is linear rather than circular many people opt to park at Bakewell and get the bus to Buxton to then walk back to your car (or vice versa). There are cycle hire shops at each end too so cycling one or both ways is also an option.
Cologne City Break
We will be visiting Cologne for a week towards the end of April. The original plan was to use Cologne as a base for a couple of nights to visit nearby Phantasialand however we decided to spend longer in the city once we researched what the region has to offer. As well as the Rhine views and stunning cathedral Cologne has a decent selection of museum and parks to explore, and of course, numerous castles. The towns of Bonn and Dusseldorf are a short train ride away and the area has a lot of walking opportunities. We also hope to visit Aachen, home of the landmark where the three countries of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands all share a border. We think the gluten free food might be more challenging after being spoilt for choice in Krakow and Budapest over the last couple of years but we will do our best to seek out some good options and report back.
Merlin Attractions
I bought the Merlin Essentials Pass for £79 in the Black Friday sale. It will pay for itself after three Alton Towers visits which we definitely do every year. We also plan to to Thorpe Park and Warwick Castle this time. The restriction dates aren’t too bad, mostly weekends during the school holidays which we would usually avoid anyway. I have seen several people recommending that if there are several of you, get one gold pass that covers the parking and then the rest of the family use the essentials to get the other savings. If you have a couple of days to spare then Thorpe and Legoland can be done over a weekend as they are only a 20-ish minute drive apart.
compass and coaster 
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