My sneaky way to find the UK’s best hidden gems and empty beaches away from the crowds – and it won’t cost you a penny
Wandering through a woodland carpeted with vibrant bluebells with not another person in sight, I could have been miles away from
civilisation.
Instead I was only a short walk away from an activity centre and
historic house.
But I’d never even have known where to start my bluebell basking if it hadn’t been for an app that’s helping folk find their way off the beaten track.
The what3words app guided me effortlessly to the start point of the
Ulverscroft bluebell walk, simply by putting in the three words that
pinpoint the location.
Each 3m square has a unique address made up of three words, in this case satin.boldest.postcard.
I’ve spent many hours wandering the Ulverscroft estate in Leicestershire before, but it is a huge area of land, split across two sites, so it’s easy to get confused about where to go once you’re off the road.
I first found out about this free app when I started wild swimming
during lockdown in 2020.
If you need help at a swimspot in the middle of nowhere, how would you tell the emergency services where to come?
That’s when I installed what3words on my phone.
I’ve only had to use it in an emergency once, when I came across a car that had hit a tree on a country lane one Christmas.
Although I knew which village we were near, I didn’t know the road name or even how far away from the village we were, so what3words helped get the ambulance and police on site a lot quicker on that occasion.
Thankfully the injured driver made a full recovery.
It can also be used if you break down while driving and aren’t sure
where exactly you are, as lots of recovery services work with
what3words.
Now the weather is warming up, more people will be meeting friends at countryside spots off the beaten track and if they don’t have a street address, it can be hard to coordinate where to rendezvous.
I was recently meeting a friend at Vindolanda near Hadrian’s Wall in
Northumberland.
She ended up at one car park and I was at another as we thought we were talking about the same place.
Sun Travel's favourite UK hidden gems
These lesser-known spots are among the best in the UK according to Sun Travel's experts
Bedgebury National Pinetum, Bedgebury
“A truly magical place, just over an hour’s drive from London, in the leafy High Weald, I first visited the Pinetum as a teenager and have
been coming back regularly ever since.
“The Grade II listed landscape is home to the largest collection of conifers in the world.
Planted purposefully since 1925, as part of a collaboration between Kew Gardens and the Forestry Commission, they are spaced out in such a way that dappled sunlight reaches the ground wherever you walk.” – Caroline McGuire, Travel Editor
Palm Bay, Margate – Kara Godfrey, Deputy Travel Editor
“I was lucky enough to live in Margate for almost two years, and during that time learnt all about the local spots to avoid the crowds.
“One of those was Palm Bay, a tiny beach the tourists always seem to forget about in favour of the main sands.
“Tucked into the cliffs, it has the biggest sea lido in Europe, and a long stretch of sand.” – Kara Godfrey, Deputy Travel Editor
Alnwick Brewery Taproom, Alnwick
“Alnwick is home to plenty of tourist attractions, including its castle, its gardens, its treehouse and one of Europe’s biggest second-hand bookshops, Barter Books.
“However, just outside of the town is a lesser-known spot where visitors can enjoy a local tipple, surrounded by the stunning Northumberland countryside.
“Along a quiet road between Alnwick and Lesbury is the Alnwick Brewery Taproom, a place where visitors can not only see how the local beers are brewed, but also sample them.
“Locally-made rum and gin are on the menu too, as is mead, made on the nearby island of Lindisfarne.
“Its beer garden is the perfect place to spend a warm summer’s evening, while local restaurants and food companies take turns serving their food to guests on Friday evenings.” – Ryan Gray, Travel Reporter
Secret rooftop garden, Birmingham
“The city centre library is the biggest in the UK, and has ten levels housing books, archives, photographs, workspaces, studios, and theatres.
“While most visitors head into the library to borrow a book or take a stroll among the shelves, you’d be silly to miss the secret garden.
“The rooftop garden can be accessed via the seventh level of the library.
“There you’ll find views of the city’s skyline as well as colourful flowers and several spots to sit and read.
“And to make a visit even better, the library is completely free to enter.” – Hope Brotherton, Travel Reporter
If we’d checked what3words before we set off, we could have avoided the mix-up as it would have been obvious that we weren’t talking about the same place.
It’s also great for giving friends and family your location if you’re
on a busy beach or at a crowded festival.
Lots of tourist offices now use the app to direct visitors to
well-known vistas.
One example is the famous plughole at Ladybower Reservoir in the Peak District.
Using gift.relations.surface will take you to the spot where you can view it.
It’s also useful to pinpoint where a landmark once stood but is no
longer visible.
Sycamore Gap on Hadrian’s Wall no longer has its famous tree but people still want to visit to pay tribute to it. Use elders.note.carbonate to take you to its stump.
Another spot that’s tucked away down a walking track is the Anchor
Church at Ingleby in Derbyshire, where visitors like to explore the
old hermit hole looking out across the water.
The whole point of being a hermit is to get away from it all so this secluded spot is deliberately hard to find, which is where what3words comes in.
If you stumble across an unexpected spot while out and about on your travels, you can use what3words to note its location so you can easily return to it.
That’s what we did when we ended up staying near Ebchester Boathouse in County Durham, which was perfect for paddling
and swimming as it is fairly shallow and slow-flowing.
And the app can come in handy even if you’re heading somewhere you know well, if your normal access point is off limits because of
roadworks or because a new car park has been created to help the flow of visitors.
That happened to us when we last visited Shuttleworth in
Bedfordshire, which had changed the entry point to the estate.
All in all, what3words has been a gamechanger for me when it comes to getting out and about off the beaten track.
Whether it’s a bustling beach, a fun festival or an isolated spot away from it all, it’s a brilliant way to get your bearings.
Meanwhile, this free food app saves me a fortune on family holidays.
And this little-known flight checker finds cheap fares.