GBTourGuide's blog

Exploring North Yorkshire

If you’re looking for a weekend break combined with some history, North Yorkshire may not be the first place that you would think of.

However, there is a wealth of history you can tap into on a trip to the North Yorkshire moors. Wild, dark and atmospheric, the moors of Yorkshire are home to some of the most beautiful castles and stately homes in the UK.

Duncombe Park

Duncombe Park, situated near the town of Helmsley, is the family seat of the wonderfully named Baron Feversham. The main house is now sadly closed to the public, but Duncombe has some stunning gardens and parkland which remain open to the public (check website for opening times).

The 35 acres of 18^th century gardens are a wonderful place to explore and visitors are welcome to picnic in the grounds. The gardens house both a Doric and Ionic Temple and also a conservatory. The terraced layout of the gardens allow for spectacular views across the Moors.

The Parklands at Duncombe have been in existence since medieval times but have were only incorporated into the estate in the 18^th century. There are 450 acres of parkland at Duncombe and you can choose to follow a variety of walks through the park, spend time exploring the protected species of hardwood trees in the Nature Reserve, or if you feel like a rest, stop at the Parkland Centre and visit the Tea Room.

Helmsley Castle

 In its 900 year history, Helmsley Castle has played host to a number of historical figures, constructed in medieval times it passed into the hands of Richard III and Henry VII. The castle was converted into a Tudor mansion and besieged during the English Civil War.

In the 1700s, the final occupants of the castle commissioned nearby Duncombe Park (which overlooks the castle) to be built, leaving the castle to fall into ruin. Today the castle is still officially owned by that wonderfully titled Baron Feversham and family, the castle is looked after and maintained by English Heritage.

In summer months there are a number of guided tours at the castle (check website for further details and times) and there is also an exhibition in the mansion house.

Castle Howard

Just outside the boundary of the North Yorkshire National Park, but well worth taking the time to visit if you’re in this part of the UK, stands Castle Howard.

I’m giving my age away here slightly, but I remember this magnificent stately home being used as the location for Brideshead in the 80s TV show, Brideshead Revisited. If you’re not as old as me, then you may have spotted that it was also used in the film remake in 2008.

Taking over 100 years to build, Castle Howard is a truly spectacular building and houses a number of world famous collections of art, sculpture and porcelain. You can view paintings by Reynolds, Gainsborough and Titian and some of the finest porcelain in the world, including pieces from Meissen and Sevres.

Continuing the theme of stunning gardens, the gardens at Castle Howard are truly breath-taking. There are over 1000 acres of grounds at the house which house a myriad of plant and flower species, and there is opportunity to spend your day exploring the walks and paths through the gardens.

For the foodies among you, Castle Howard also has a variety of shops and restaurants on the estate, offering produce from the estate and regional suppliers. Having seen what’s available at the Farm Shop on the estate, I can categorically state that I’d be happy to spend an entire visit just in there!

After all the walking you may do on a trip to North Yorkshire, you will need a restful place to stay and nestled among the drama of the Moors is the stunning property from Q Hotels in Yorkshire, the Aldwark Manor Golf and Spa hotel.  

The hotel is set in grounds over 100 acres of parkland and has 54 individually designed bedrooms, all of which are en-suite. If you have tired feet after exploring the acres of park and gardens in the area, then you can take some me-time and relax and refresh in the on-site spa.  You might need it.

 

 

Bath Time

The spa town of Bath is about 90 minutes outside of London in the county of Somerset and has a historical and cultural identity just waiting to be discovered.

The city may be most famous for its Roman heritage and magnificent Georgian architecture, but there is a wealth of artistic and leisure pursuits whether you’re looking for a relaxing weekend break or something more active.

Things to Do

Roman Baths – The Baths are one of the most popular attractions in the city, receiving over a million visitors a year.  The museum has four areas: the Roman Temple, Roman Bath House, Roman Temple and the gallery which contains objects from Roman Bath (or Aquae Sulis to the Romans!) The museum houses many artefacts from the period, including 130 curse tablets, which would be used to ask the Gods to do harm to others, so watch out…….

Victoria Art Gallery – The gallery was named in commemoration of Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee and houses over 1500 works including art by Thomas Gainsborough and Walter Sickert. There are a number of upcoming exhibitions in 2013, including one highlighting the works of Sir Henry Moore.

Jane Austen Centre – For all those who love the works of Miss Austen (and fans of Mr Darcy!) this permanent exhibit tells the story of her time in Bath and what her experience of the city did for her writing.  Fans of her writing will appreciate the period feel of the museum and the exclusive exhibits on show there.

Places to Stay

There are a variety of hotels in Bath which you could choose on a visit to the city. One of the finest in the area is the Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel. In Bath, you may find yourself doing a lot of walking around the city, so the Macdonald offers the chance to unwind in 5 star luxury. 

Enjoying a day/night out in Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland (even bigger than the capital, Edinburgh) and third largest in the UK. The city of Glasgow sits on the River Clyde, which helped build the city into what it is today!

Glasgow is a great place to shop! You have Buchanan Galleries, the St. Enoch Centre, Princes Square, Buchanan Street, Argyle Street and of course Sauchiehall Street to choose from in the city centre, just a few minutes’ walk away from each other. All the major high street favourites can be found in these shopping areas of Glasgow, from Primark to the House of Fraser.

Where there are shoppers, there are places to eat, and Glasgow is no different. Whether you are looking for fast food such as McDonalds or Pizza Hut, a good old bar lunch or a full blown meal in a restaurant, Glasgow has it covered. If there is a style of food in particular you fancy, chances are you’ll find it Glasgow’s city centre. All of the shopping areas above have an abundance of places to grab a bite to eat. It must be noted that George Square, Bath Street, Merchant City and Glasgow’s West End also offer great dining options.

Glasgow is notorious for its nightlife! You definitely won’t be short of options if you decide to go out for a drink in Glasgow. TGI’s offer great cocktails and is located in the centre amongst the shops on Buchanan Street. If you fancy a Wetherspoons or a bar of that style then George Square is an ideal place. You have All Bar One, The Counting House and Waxy O’Connors all close by. Bath Street and Sauchiehall Street offer a wide variety of bars and clubs such as Firewater, Hummingbird, Moskito and Kushion to name a few. Glasgow’s West End, especially Byers Road and Ashton Lane are popular drinking spots and is always busy throughout the year.

Travelling in and around Glasgow couldn’t be easier. The city is a busy hub of trains, buses, taxis and even underground trains. There is even an airport just outside the city, if you plan on travelling by air.

Glasgow is sorted for hotels, no matter what your budget is. Hotel chains such as Premier Inn offer comfortable accommodation at an affordable price. However, I prefer to go a bit up market when I’m staying in Glasgow. One of my personal favourite Glasgow hotels is the Malmaison Glasgow, a four star boutique hotel with an amazing restaurant just off Blythswood Square, in the city centre. The rooms have been uniquely styled so no room is the same. So if you return again and again, you get a different experience each time (unless you specifically ask for a certain room).

Glasgow is a great city and a great place to spend time. I didn’t even mention all the places of real history and heritage, or any of the great museums in the city. I’ll leave that for another post!

Luxury Hotels in Leeds City Centre

Luxury hotels around Leeds bustling city centre are few and far between. It’s not to say there is not any, I know a few first hand however, I have done some research to weed out the ones I did not know about previously.

My research has found there to be around 11 luxury hotels in Leeds city centre with the furthest away hotel (Village Hotel South Leeds) being located 4.8 miles away from the city centre square. The luxury hotels closest to Leeds city centre square are the....

1. Queens Hotel
   1. Located rite on city square, The Queens Hotel is rated as a 4 star hotel and is probably one the best luxury hotels in Leeds in terms of value for money with room rates being as low as £60 per room per night.
2. Residence 6 Hotel
   1. This hotel is located 0.2 miles from the city centre square and is the only 5 star rated hotel I found in my research. It’s also the costliest at around £120 per room per night. I am pretty sure if you have the extra cash it would be money well spent.  
3. Next up is the Marriot hotel in Leeds
   1.  Another 4 star rated hotel that fits somewhere in between The Queens Hotel in Leeds and Residence 6 hotel in terms of room rates at around £95 per room per night. The hotels is located 0.3 miles away from the city centre square.

The other hotels are as follows......

Hotel		Miles	Star Rating	Room Rates
The Chambers		0.3	4	£99.00
42 The Calls Hotel		0.5	4	£85.00
Entrada Apartments		0.5	4	£75.00
KSpace Court Apartments		0.5	4	£79.00
The Kingston Hotel		0.8	3	£35.00
Roomzzz Leeds Headingley		1.9	4	£99.00
Weetwood Hall		3.2	4	£53.55

I have only been to a couple of the hotels mentioned above and I have had a good experience at them all and have heard good things about the ones I have not been to. I am pretty sure if
you are looking for accommodation and visit any of the luxury hotels above you will have a splendid time.

If you are looking for something a little more budgeted then don’t despair as there are many hotels, Inns, Bed & Breakfasts and Guest Houses offering great accommodation packages at budget prices.

You can find more luxury accommodation in Leeds city centre @ Lodging World. 

Leeds - one of the UKs best loved cities

Leeds is one of the most popular city break destinations in the UK amount UK citizens and international tourists.

Like most big UK cities, Leeds has some great shopping destinations, an abundance of different themed restaurants, cafes, bars and a thriving nightlife.

Leeds has a few bragging rights over its big city rivals and can boast to be the only city outside London to have its own opera house, ballet and repertory theatre.

Unique to Leeds is the Royal Armouries, where visitors can admire the best of British military arms and armour from yesteryear.

Leeds has one of the UKs biggest pedestrianised areas for shopping, with over five miles of shopping streets in total.

Voted as one of top 30 things to do in the UK by Rough Guide to Britain - making Leeds one of the UKs top shopping haunts.

Leeds is world renowned for its Football team Leeds United who play at the 40,000 seater stadium Elland Road.

Headingly Stadium is another popular sporting complex in the city with Leeds Rhinos (rugby league), Yorkshire County Cricket club and Leeds Carnegie (rugby union) all plying their trade here.

The area is also peppered with championship golf courses and some of the best mountain biking trails the UK has to offer.

The Queens City Centre Hotel in Leeds

The Queens hotel in Leeds city centre is the 14th most popular hotel in the city according to Tripadvisor.

Out of 445 guest reviews the hotel is ranked 4 out 5 by customers.

Guest reviews revealed

• 175 reviews rated the hotel as excellent
• 162 guests thought the Leeds hotel was very good
• 53 guests thought the Leeds hotel was average
• 32 reviews rated the hotel as poor
• 23 guests thought the Leeds hotel was terrible

The reviews reveal the hotel is very popular among guests with only a low portion of visitors having a not so good experience.

Tripadvisor shows there are 13 other hotels favoured more by guests who leave reviews on Tripadvisor however, The Queens hotels in Leeds city centre location, 4 star opulence and competitive rates make this hotel a serious contender for any tourist visiting Leeds.

Depending on availability, double or twin rooms can go for as little as £50 per room.

The formal Queens Grill Restaurant is very popular among tourists and locals alike as is the more mellow Queens Bar.The hotels fine dining options in the Queens Grill Restaurant and the Queens bar make the Queens popular with locals as well as tourists.

There are many Leeds conference venues in the city but with 16 meeting rooms and space for over 600 delegates make the Queens hotel in Leeds popular among big businesses.

For city break tourists Leeds is a must visit destination.

The Queens
City Square
Leeds
LS1 1PJ

Great numbers...!

Interesting report in this today's Scotsman newspaper about the tourism and hospitality industry north of the border. The report points out that things like the weak pound make UK destinations all the more desirable for foreign visitors, along with the good weather.

But the figures referenced in the article are nothing short of brilliant:

The Scotsman can reveal that the number of people visiting Scotland from around the UK was up 11 per cent in the first quarter of this year, with the figure for March up a staggering 28 per cent. Other research has found occupancy rates for hot- els in Scotland's three major cities are all up for the first five months of 2010.

So with that in mind, let me suggest ten cities in the UK for your consideration next time you're thinking about a short escape:

Edinburgh (August is a good time)

Glasgow (all year round)

Belfast (NI's biggest city)

Leeds (Yorkshire's metropolis)

Cardiff (capital of Wales, hub of activity)

What are you waiting for...? 

The UK - travel hotspot!

Remarkable Facts About Bradford

• The population of Bradford is currently growing by twice the national average.
• Most of the population of the Bradford Metropolitan area still live within the city boundaries.
• The service-sector of Bradford's workforce makes up more than three quarters of all the jobs.
• Bradford's National Media Museum is the most visited museum outside London.
• Cat's Eyes were invented in Bradford.
• Leeds Bradford Airport is the largest growing airport in the country.
• Bradford hosts three of the UK's largest financial institutions.
• Some of the most historic buildings in Yorkshire are the hotels in Bradford city centre.
• Bradford is the home of Rugby league

Conferences in Scotland

Glasgow is by far the best place in the north for hosting your annual conference. When you look at the options no other place really comes close.

From the huge cross-industry shindigs, to the more cosy, inter-departmental meetings, everything can be accommodated in this remarkable city.

Large

SECC, the Exhibition Centre is the only place to have massive events.

Medium

Teacher Building, nice venue, in the heart of the city

Small

The Westerwood Conference venue in Glasgow, is located just a few miles from the city centre and has recently received the prestigious gold standard award for conference venues. 

There are certainly more out there, but these three were the ones which stuck out.

Ryder Cup 2010 - Wales

For the first time in it's history the Ryder Cup, the Illustrious transatlantic golfing contest is to be held in Wales. To be exact it's to be held in Wales' newest city of Newport.

If you're a massive fan of Golf therefore there can only be one place to be seen this October, and that's the Celtic Manor Golf Course. Just a few miles to the east of the Capital [Cardiff], this small city is sure to be buzzing in the lead up to the tournament and beyond. Why not be a part of it?

But you had better be quick as I'm sure that there will be plenty of people coming from across the pond and they will be booking up all the available rooms as quick as you can say 'fore'.

If you want to keep ahead of the game why not look at the map and think where there are likely to be plenty of rooms available: Right next door is Cardiff, the home of everything Wales, there's plenty of accommodation in Cardiff, and it will not be as affected by the number of visitors to Newport.

If you're looking to be very sly a try looking for some Ryder Cup accommodation in Cardiff to the east of the city, even in the outskirts, so you can be ahead of the traffic in the morning.

Manchester Hotels Drive Recovery

The hospitality industry in Manchester is outstripping the rest of the region when it comes to bringing in the tourists.

Figures recently released by market research company STR Global, show that revenues for per available room [revpar] in the city are 4% higher than for the comparable period a year ago. With room occupancy up by 5.1% to 70% on average, it is clear that Manchester hotels are doing something right, to attract these numbers.

If things keep going like this the hoteliers in Manchester will deserve a pat on the back for helping the whole country on our road to recovery now that the recession is behind us.