please empty your brain below
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Apart from the Isle of Man I have been have visited the places on your list. However I am a lot older than you, and I used to tour a lot by car.
Might I suggest another trip -in the summer-to Cornwall and then over to the Scilly Islands.
John | 05.11.16 - 7:07 a.m. | #
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I might add that I did get out of the car at the places, as in the 1960's and 70's I went all over the Uk looking for original cinema buildings as they were rapidly closing and being demolished from the 1960's onwards.
John | 05.11.16 - 7:11 a.m. | #
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I was going to make a pedantic comment but I've changed my mind. I'll wait and see if someone else makes it.
Great Aunt Annie | 05.11.16 - 7:13 a.m. | #
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Self indulgent? I don't think so. That's a lot of visiting and I have enjoyed your travelogue posts. Some places have been put on my 'still to see' list while others have gone on the 'don't bother-life's too short' list.
If you'll carry on writing the posts,I'll be reading them. 👏👏
Jo W | 05.11.16 - 7:42 a.m. | #
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I've visited most of your places in the East and West Midlands, and Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, through boating. Prior to taking that up, I'd hardly been anywhere.
Sarah | Homepage | 05.11.16 - 7:58 a.m. | #
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The first "major settlement" on the Essex list is Aveley, a "small town" with a population of less than 9,000. The list for Berkshire includes a few small places too, like Eton and Hungerford, but they are almost all well known places with populations easily over 10,000 and usually over 20,000, but for example it misses off Sandhurst, which has a population of over 20,000.
Conclusion: the lists are inconsistent. Mind you, DG has looked at them all, so probably has a better view on their consistency, or lack thereof.
As an alternative, how about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_towns_in_England (and Wales etc) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_the_United_Kingdom
Andrew | 05.11.16 - 8:09 a.m. | #
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Since the 1960s, I've collected the street maps from towns and cities that I've visited. Only usually available in the local area, they have come in handy many times.
Intrigued by today's blog, I counted the 'England and Wales' shelf (Aberystwyth to York), which came to 102. Anything like that on the DG bookshelf?
RayL | 05.11.16 - 8:17 a.m. | #
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As an alternative to Wikipedia's list of 'major settlements', can I recommend going on NOMIS and downloading the population by 'built up areas (including subdivisions)' (you'll need to select all the GORs separately). You can then choose your own population cut off (10,000 or 20,000 might be good). Unfortunately your population cut-off may exclude much of mid Wales, Scotland, etc.
wolf | 05.11.16 - 8:36 a.m. | #
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I wonder if GA Annie's pedantic point is that neither Northern Ireland nor the Isle of Man are in Britain? If so. I'm making it here.
Very impressive list, nevertheless.
Charles | 05.11.16 - 8:38 a.m. | #
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The two counties with "over-comprehensive" Wikipedia lists are Essex and Kent. Some of the rest seemed under-representative, but on the whole I thought their lists weren't bad.
Lancashire, for example, has 39 'Major settlements'. The fact I've only been to four of them is my fault, not Wikipedia's.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 05.11.16 - 8:45 a.m. | #
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Brexit has dampened a lot my appetite for travelling across the UK. As a London-based foreigner I now wonder whether my enthusiasm for rural and provincial England was partly based on a misapprehension. it will be some time before I feel like another walking holiday in Cornwall, I think.
| 05.11.16 - 8:47 a.m. | #
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I suspect that if everyone made such a list, and somehow recorded centrally the total number of places, the distribution would have two peaks.
This is based on the observation that, when looking for somewhere to go for pleasure (a holiday or day out or similar) some people seem particularly attracted to places where they have been before. Others, perhaps of a more adventurous disposition, do the opposite, and much prefer new places.
Malcolm | 05.11.16 - 8:57 a.m. | #
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What you're not seeing in my table is all the places I haven't been. As an example, here's Wikipedia's list for Nottinghamshire.
Arnold, Beeston, Bingham, Calverton, Carlton Cotgrave, Eastwood, Harworth, Hucknall, Kimberley, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Mansfield, Newark, Nottingham, Ollerton, Rainworth, Retford, Ruddington, Stapleford, Southwell, Sutton-in-Ashfield, West Bridgford, Worksop
I can only tick off four of the 22. I wonder how many you've been to.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 05.11.16 - 8:58 a.m. | #
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As an infrequent visitor to the UK, I have only visited the main tourist centres.
But as I am a total urbanite, and I love the major cities of the world, I wouldn't want to visit the Dales or Moors the Highlands.
Michael | 05.11.16 - 9:17 a.m. | #
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Sorry for the foreigner who is living in London. Opposite with me, I have stopped visiting Europe since Brexit. Ashamed to be British now.
Back to topic
I also always buy a local map from all the places I visit, UK and abroad, and now have a draw-full going back many decades.
Apart from chasing around the UK during the 60's and 70's looking for cinemas I also went around nuclear power stations in the 1960's which got me as far north as Dounreay in Scotland, (near John O'Groats), and also over to Isle of Anglesey in Wales for the Wylfar nuclear plant, both now shut down. I also did John O'Groats to Lands End one holiday.
I took a tent with me and camped out during these trips.
I had an Uncle who was Mayor of Southwold so saw a lot of the East coast at that time.
John | 05.11.16 - 9:27 a.m. | #
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very interesting exercise, I'll have to do it myself and see how I score
but my gut feeling is that you're doing very well, far better than most ... there's an incredible number of people who rarely venture beyond the perimeter of their own neighbourhood and are seemingly incurious about what lies on the other side of the hill
by the way I loved the comment "all" when it came to London, I doubt if there's many people who've been to more parts of London than you have
Caz | 05.11.16 - 10:16 a.m. | #
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A pretty extensive list, many times longer than mine.
I'm sure you'll want to visit the compact city of Lancaster. The Castle and Maritime Museum are essential, to appreciate the appalling history of this delightful place.
Bob L-S | 05.11.16 - 10:33 a.m. | #
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I'd say that's an impressive list. My wanderings are much reduced from the past largely due to the cost of travel / poor public transport links. My coverage of the counties bordering London is really very poor. The other big difference is that you cram in lots of places & sights wherever you visit after having done lots of research. I don't do that - I tend to wander and browse to get a feel for a place rather than target specific things.
PC | 05.11.16 - 10:48 a.m. | #
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You are welcome to be self-indulgent. I have been to plenty of other places you appear not to have been and more or less all the places you've listed. I am not, and do not intend to create a list as that's FTFAGOS.
B | 05.11.16 - 10:49 a.m. | #
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Newark is not to be missed. One of my favourite places in the whole country.
Sarah | 05.11.16 - 10:56 a.m. | #
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@Charles at 8.38am: Yes, you're right, although I was thinking only of Northern Ireland. I'd forgotten about the Isle of Man having its own special status.
Great Aunt Annie | 05.11.16 - 11:20 a.m. | #
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I realise this is entirely off-topic, but I think that those of us who are ashamed of our country for its Brexit decision should do all that we can, on foreign visits or otherwise, to explain this to the world. Although it is my experience that other Europeans already understand this quite well, and have a lot of sympathy for those of us who have been so let-down by our fellow-citizens.
Malcolm | 05.11.16 - 11:23 a.m. | #
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That's a big list - me beaten anyway.
I think you'd like Northern Ireland, Belfast is fascinating. The coast is very nice too.
Stornoway is not exactly the main attraction of the Highlands so plenty to see up there yet !
Kevin | 05.11.16 - 12:31 p.m. | #
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What no Mersea in Essex? But perhaps I should keep this lovely place a secret!
Agent Z | 05.11.16 - 1:05 p.m. | #
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No apology required - self-indulge all you like.
Nottinghamshire - I've been to three of your four, plus another two.
I searched your archive for the three places you listed in my home county, and found
1. A wet Easter by the sea nine years ago
2. Changing trains in the late evening four years ago (not sure that really counts!)
3. No mention of the third place whatsoever
Said ceremonial county should really be listed under two regions, but you don't appear to have visited the part in the other region at all (which, in the context of some of your other posts, is surprising)
....and you haven't really visited the Highlands if you only flew from Glasgow to Stornoway (which is in the Outer Hebrides rather than the Highlands) I think you might like Inverness.
timbo | 05.11.16 - 1:08 p.m. | #
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What are the largest places you have not visited yet? Belfast, Cardiff, Derby, Southampton, Salford, Aberdeen, Dundee ... ?
dg writes: All of those, except Salford which I somehow overlooked. Added now, thanks.
Andrew | 05.11.16 - 4:34 p.m. | #
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timbo: DG did make it clear that the visits he is reporting on include childhood ones, which is presumably the explanation for the apparent archive omissions you have detected. I don't think DG was blogging as a child (and probably nor was anyone else at that time).
Malcolm | 05.11.16 - 4:36 p.m. | #
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I could be indignant that you haven't been to my home town of Southampton, but if I'm honest I would struggle to think of a reason why you should.
Michael Churchill | 05.11.16 - 7:18 p.m. | #
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Now, I know you've been to my home village of Sawston, which is listed on the Cambridgeshire page, cause we've spoken about it in the past...
dg writes: Indeed I have. Sawston is in the list of 'Settlements', but alas not in the list of 'Major settlements' further down.
Kirk | 05.11.16 - 7:40 p.m. | #
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I'm fortunate enough to be very well travelled in Blighty and have probably done as many as you. I've done a lot more in Scotland.
I've done 4 of your Notts examples.
I saw Palace draw 0-0 at Notts County once and went on the lash in Nottingham (last port of call Yates Wine Lodge) afterwards. Does that count? If it does, then it's 5!
I must sit down and do the list seriously and see if I'm right or have got it all wrong again!
Chris | 05.11.16 - 8:40 p.m. | #
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Sawston? Blimey. Hi Kirk. I grew up a couple of miles from there. We were so far south in South Cambridgeshire we had an Essex address (Saffron Walden).
Wot, no Horsham? We've got a fine, er, museum and a, um, river. Perhaps it could be combined with a walk from Faygate station. I'd recommend Kilnwood Lane towards the edge of Creepy Crawley then due south and through St Leonard's Forest (I think the dragons are all gone).
Lorenzo | 05.11.16 - 9:37 p.m. | #
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timbo suggests that DG might like Inverness.
And well he might; but if he didn't, I doubt we'd hear about it. DG seems to subscribe to my mother's dictum (only she was referring to people) - if you can't find anything nice to say (about them), then don't say anything at all.
Admittedly DG sometimes acknowledges certain deficiencies - see Jaywick for instance, but about everywhere he reports on, something at least interesting is found.
Malcolm | 05.11.16 - 9:38 p.m. | #
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I've just compiled a similar list using the Wikipedia lists of major settlements, and found the following
- 214 places visited in England, but heavily weighted towards the midlands and west. Most of West Midlands, Shropshire and Worcs visited; good lists for Devon and Cheshire; nowhere in Beds, Rutland or Northumberland. I still haven't set foot anywhere in Norfolk.
- 35 places visited in Wales, 4 in Scotland and 0 in NI.
(NB I'm 39 and live near Birmingham)
Chris P | 06.11.16 - 12:30 a.m. | #
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Oh, sorry DG - I didn't see the list in the template box at the bottom!
Kirk | 06.11.16 - 7:51 a.m. | #
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Inspired by your Random Boroughs series, about 4 years ago I started compiling places to visit in a "Random Counties" theme.
Unfortunately as it would involve visiting many of over several days in order to fully explore each one, I've yet to start pulling them from my jam-jar because, you know, time and money!
Cornish Cockney | 06.11.16 - 10:48 a.m. | #
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DG you have been to the Lowlands of Scotland. They are the Central bit with the Highlands to the north and the Southern Uplands to the south
Mikey | 06.11.16 - 12:00 p.m. | #
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Just what I was about to say, Mikey. The south of Scotland is hardly low, rivalling the Pennines for altitude and terrain (and geologically speaking probably a continuation of them).
But there's not actually that much to see there if you don't like hills. Surprisingly the south is less densely populated than the highlands, with lowly Galashiels being the largest settlement between the central belt and the border. Time for a trip on the Borders Railway perhaps?
Gary | 06.11.16 - 12:59 p.m. | #
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You've scored 100% on Rutland, it seems!
dg writes: Only 50% - still Uppingham to go!
JK | 06.11.16 - 1:05 p.m. | #
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Visiting Paignton and Torquay, but omitting Brixham, is dead dodgy DG!
Ironic Steve | 06.11.16 - 1:13 p.m. | #
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@Gary
"The south of Scotland is hardly low, rivalling the Pennines for altitude and terrain (and geologically speaking probably a continuation of them)."
Not acordfing to the Museum of Scotland's geology section, which only mentions England twice - the first time when Scotland (at the time part of the American landmass) collided with the European landmass - the Southern Uplands being the collision zone. England is only mentioned again with reference to the fact that it is sinking whilst Scotaldn is rising as a result of the loss of the ice caps.
Why can everyone see these lists of major settlements except me?
timbo | 06.11.16 - 4:17 p.m. | #
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Not self indulgant, but certainly interesting. Some of the locations in your list I have visited precisely because of your blog (and enjoyed them, too).
I suspect my list would be longer but there are many places you have been I have not. I can't tick off a single place in Nottinghamshire, for instance. I enjoy your "travel somewhere" posts so I hope we will see more of them.
I certainly agree that people seem reluctant to visit places in the UK. It seems many don't really travel beyond their own town or city most of the year and then go for 2 weeks in Spain or similar and that's about it. A shame really. In fact I remember standing behind a couple waiting for a cash machine in central London once. One was talking about a concert they went to in Alexandara Palace. The other asked where that was an on hearing you had to catch a train, she replied in horror "What? An overground train? My goodness, it must be a long way away".
Jon Combe | 06.11.16 - 4:52 p.m. | #
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Surprised Maidstone is not on the list as the county town of Kent and easy to get to with three stations. The Carriage Museum a must if you ever do go.
Robert | 06.11.16 - 10:57 p.m. | #
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Come to Derby DG! It's got the world's first factory (and a mural commemorating the first major industrial action), the world's longest-lived department store, the world's first train-making facility, and a cup of tea waiting for you whenever you like.
misspiggy | 07.11.16 - 1:08 p.m. | #
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Don't call it the Tees Valley. Nobody calls it the Tees Valley. There isn't even a valley near the River Tees.
If you're doing things by ceremonial county, the stuff north of the Tees is County Durham and the stuff below is North Yorkshire. Come visit, it's beautiful.
Emblem | 07.11.16 - 11:32 p.m. | #
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Is Alford (Lincs) really listed as a major settlement?
timbo | 08.11.16 - 6:01 p.m. | #
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