pocari

haha, i think you need to check a map mate! None of the places I recommended are in the north east?

and without being prejudice, heres a list of some of the 'toilet' attractions northumberland has to offer off the top of my head;

lindisfarne - needs no introduction
alnwick castle (where harry potter was filmed) and gardens.
hadrians wall - edge of the roman empire
bamburgh castle -
miles of unspoilt beaches with the cheviot hills as a backdrop.
many roman fortresses in beautiful backdrops for example vindolanda.
crag-side house and gardens one of the first places in the world to have electricity.
Hexham abbey and the tyne valley.

(foot note to op, im not suggesting you go out of your way to see all this on your time budget, I was just saying it was a pity your missing it)

curleytops

Try this: http://www.picturesofengland.com/tripplanning

Lothianlad

No further north than Manchester you say...well that means the bulk of England south of a line from Merseyside in the west and the Humber Estuary in the east and the whole of Wales.

You should be here at the present time as the weather for all of the area south of that line has been absolutely gorgeous for quite some time now...away from the east coast haar and coastal cloud sheet along the east coast it has been completely cloudless, all blue skies and 25C sunshine from dawn to dusk with warm nights thrown in.

I am presently working in Cheltenham, the Gateway to the Cotswolds, and let me tell you the entire Cotswolds area is looking spectacularly, repeat....spectacularly...beautiful right now, its beauty further enhanced by this wonderful summer weather.

It hasn't seen any meaningful rainfall for quite some time now and all the pathways and walkways, not to mention unwatered gardens, are bone dry dusty but the landscape generally is still retaining its lush greenness.

I earnestly suggest a visit to this lovely part of England, and also a visit to gracious and glorious Cheltenham, the Queen of the Cotswolds...beautiful Regency architecture, lovely treelined streets, such as the Promenade, full of great shops and shopping arcades, beautiful parks and gardens and great restaurants and pubs, and good cultural centre all round.

The surrounding countryside is dotted with places of interest...Sudeley Castle, Berkeley Castle, and grand stately homes and abbeys and NT properties and gardens open to the public.

The small towns and villages all over the Cotswolds defy descripton for beauty and style.....Chipping Campden, Stow on the Wold, Bourton on the Water, Tewkesbury, Cirencester (historic Roman remains), Northleach, Burford, Winchcombe, Moreton in Marsh (great street market), Chipping Norton (home to Prime Minister David Cameron, but don't let that put you off...it's home to several other famous or even infamous people as well, but it does have a lovely main street packed with interest and lined with beautiful hanging floral displays.

However, the area is very, very touristy, but that's to be expected...the Cotswolds are simply enchanting so naturally it's touristy.

It's been very warm with all this unbroken sunshine, and this coming weekend we can expect a temperature rise to 30C or more in these 'ere parts.

If you do find your way hereabouts...enjoy, and let's hope this weather lasts for the duration as it really shows rural England at its finest.

I shall be down here in Cheltenham on a fairly regular basis now, and I look forward very much to the Cheltenham Literary Festival come the autumn. Practically every famous name in the world of the Arts generally comes to the Festival every year. My favourite speaker last year was Michael Portillo - he was absolutely brilliant, and I loved his TV series on train journeys following in the Victorian footsteps of George Bradshaw, of Bradshaw's Railway Guide fame.

There is now a really beautiful sunset in the clear sky over Cheltenham.

sile

Wow, this was beautifully written!

Beccarose

Perfect, thank you!

Beccarose

Thank you so much for that nicely written post! Yes, we will definitely be heading that way, and I am really looking forward to it. I don't know a lot about it but Nailsworth was one of the very first places in England that caught my eye and made me want to live there. A bit too small for us but just seeing the countryside and quaintness was enough for me to fall in love. Gloucester has been a consideration for us as well. I am really excited to explore that whole area and even more now after your reply.

We won't be there for a few more weeks but hoping the weather holds out.

Again, thank you for that, very helpful! We will definitely be exploring that area.

Beccarose

Actually, I did find what you said useful and it pretty much reassured us that we are doing the right thing. Our time is limited and as of now we have basically narrowed down our searching to south of Manchester for living specifications. Of course once we are moved we will explore all over but until then we need to use our time wisely. So thank you for the tips.

Beccarose

I of course don't want to discriminate against any areas, and all mentioned sound lovely and well worth a visit, and yes, it is a shame we will be missing it but I hope at some point once our move is final we will get to it all and more.