• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • News
  • Fleet
  • Guides & Tips
  • Innovations
  • Special Offers
  • Travel
  • sixt.com

SIXT rent a car Magazine

Travel Tips and News

The 5 Best Towns for Culture and History in the UK

Many visitors to the United Kingdom are absorbed by London’s architecture and epic range of cultural activities. But to never leave the city is to miss out on the spectacular scenery and picturesque small towns in shires across the UK. With an expansive motorway network, you can travel by rental car with ease. We have chosen five of the best small towns in the United Kingdom to visit based on their proximity to areas of natural beauty and their charming and historic architecture.

1. Grasmere, England

William Wordsworth had his home here and described Grasmere as “The loveliest spot that man hath ever found.” Surrounded by the Lake District’s rugged beauty, the town lies on the River Rothay and is dominated by the rocky Helm Crag hill. Grasmere is a hiker’s paradise and there are excellent hikes in almost every direction. It is easy to see why the Lake Poets – a group of poets who lived in the Lake District – Coleridge, Southey and Wordsworth made their home here in the early 19th century. Take a trip to Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum; the cottage remains as it was around 200 years ago.

The Lake District near Grasmere, England
The Lake District in England

2. St. Davids, Pembrokeshire, Wales

Officially not a small town, St. Davids is the UK’s smallest city, achieving city status mostly because of its incredible cathedral. The area surrounding St. Davids is achingly beautiful, with Whitesands Bay and the rugged craggy coastline just a few miles away. The town is on a hill that slopes down to a cathedral. A sight not to be missed, it stands in stark contrast to the equally beautiful ruins of Bishop’s Palace. The town has some great pubs and you can book a huge variety of boat rides to the islands of Pembrokeshire here as well as renting a huge range of watersport equipment.

St. Davids Cathedral
The famous St. David’s Cathedral gives the town in Wales its name

3. Haworth, Yorkshire, England

This picturesque town is centered on its cobblestone hill and perhaps most famous for being the home of the Brontë sisters. Charlotte, Emily, and Anne lived in a house above the town that has now been turned into a museum that offers insight into their lives. They wrote most of their novels here and the moody landscapes conjured in Wuthering Heights can be seen in the upper moorland’s nearby. The town also has some excellent boutiques and vintage shops, achieving Fairtrade Village status in the early 2000s.

4. Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland

This magical fishing town is the capital of the island, easily reachable from the mainland with your rental car via the bridge or ferry. Its location on the east coast of the island just south of the Trotternish Ridge makes it a fantastic base if you intend to take one of the numerous hikes nearby, such as up to the pinnacle of rock known as the Old Man of Storr. The harbor area is stunning and you can find excellent seafood restaurants here. The town center is perched on the cliffs above and is full of excellent pubs and shops. The tourist information center here is a useful stop off to stock up on maps and guides for your vacation on the Isle of Skye.

Portree on the Isle of Skye
Colorful houses along the water in Portree on Scotland’s Isle of Skye

5. St. Ives, Cornwall, England

This fishing village looks quaint but houses one of the most impressive art collections in the United Kingdom in the Tate Gallery, St. Ives. The town’s beauty has been a magnet for modern painters and sculptors with heavyweights like Barbara Hepworth and Patrick Heron making much of their work here. We highly recommend the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden for an in-depth look at this important 20th-century artist. Be sure to sample local ales in St. Ives’ famous Sloop Inn that dates to 1312. The town’s fishing cottages and harbor make for delightful strolls and there are many quirky boutiques, craft shops, and smaller galleries dotted around the town to explore.

St. Ives in Cornwall, England
A beach in St. Ives

 

Related posts:

  1. From Harry Potter To James Bond: Follow Us To 7 Magical Places In Scotland
  2. The 35 Regional Foods to Eat on a US Road Trip  
  3. Driving Tips for the UK
  4. Top 5 Small Towns to Soak in the Culture of Costa Rica

Primary Sidebar

Fleet News

Our SIXT Network remains operating and your safety is our top priority!

SIXT PREMIUMCLEANING STANDARDHYGIENE MEASURESIN OUR … [Read More...] about Our SIXT Network remains operating and your safety is our top priority!

The Best Cars For Long Distance Driving

From packing up the kids for a vacation road trip or looking … [Read More...] about The Best Cars For Long Distance Driving

What Are the Best Electric Cars? 🚗🌿

Electric cars are the choice of environmentally aware … [Read More...] about What Are the Best Electric Cars? 🚗🌿

More Posts from this Category

Follow us on

Tags

arizona atlanta austria bmw cadillac california convertible europe florida ford mustang frankfurt georgia germany israel italy jaguar las vegas los angeles madrid mercedes-benz miami mydriver nevada new station new york one-way route Pennsylvania roadtrip san francisco savannah seattle shuttle SIXT ride Spain Special offers suv switzerland toll roads usa vienna

Footer

Sixt in the USA

  • Los Angeles Airport
  • Miami Airport
  • San Francisco Airport
  • All Sixt US Locations

  • Long-term car rental
  • Monthly car rental
  • Luxury car rental

SIXT WORLDWIDE

Austria Belgium France Germany Italy
Netherlands Spain Switzerland United Kingdom United States

All SIXT Services

  • SIXT rent
  • SIXT share
  • SIXT ride

Follow Us On

Sixt App

Sixt app Android Sixt app iOS
Contact Us Imprint & Privacy Terms & Conditions

Copyright Sixt © 2021. All rights reservered.

  • Home
  • News
  • Fleet
  • Guides & Tips
  • Innovations
  • Special Offers
  • Travel
  • sixt.com
Sixt uses cookies to provide you with the best possible service, to improve and evaluate the content of the website and to promote Sixt products. By continuing to use this website, you agree that cookies may be placed and used on your computer. You can change this under our cookie policy. Find out more.