THE UK’S TOP TEN HIDDEN TREASURES REVEALED!
www.premierinn.com/hidden-treasures
Premier Inn teams up with award-winning location manager, Tom Howard, to share ten of the most picturesque – and lesser-known – UK destinations
As the UK continues to sizzle in the sun, it’s the perfect time to take a well-earned staycation but with so many amazing attractions and beauty spots to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start. Premier Inn has teamed up with award-winning British movie location expert, Tom Howard, to inspire UK staycationers to take a look at what he believes are some of the country’s most exciting ‘Hidden Treasures’.
Tom has notched up years of expertise in the world of film and TV, on movies and shows like The Night Manager and A Monster Calls, so he knows just how to locate the most breath-taking and beautiful parts of the British Isles. Exclusively for Premier Inn, Tom has opened up his professional notebooks to create a list of ten less well-known locations that he believes are perfect for a 2018 summer staycation. Tom’s list includes a whole host of activities – including some extremely Instagrammable hotspots – and he’s even added details of the nearest Premier Inn!
Commenting on his choices Tom said, “The primary duty of a location manager is to discover places to film which are interesting, unique and not often in the public eye. From a castle on a hill in the middle of Scotland to a heritage railway in eastern Lancashire, the United Kingdom is full of treasures that are off the beaten track. I’m privileged to have a job that sees me scouring the entire UK looking for places that will delight movie goers and TV viewers and it’s wonderful to have hand-picked a few of my favourites for Premier Inn. These really wonderful destinations may not be the first place that travellers think of but, trust me, they are well worth a visit.”
With over 750 hotels across the UK and Ireland, Premier Inn is a great place to start seeking out even more Hidden Treasures this summer. Try Tom’s Top Ten Hidden Treasures for starters:
1. Tilbury Fort Premier Inn Location: Thurrock East
Tilbury Fort is one of the most amazing military forts in the UK. Situated in a very industrial area of Kent it is one of my favourite locations in the UK. Built on the site of an Elizabethan fort the current construction dates from the 17th Century. This English Heritage site also offers free entry for up to six children accompanied by an adult member (under 19 years and within the family group).
2. Leighton House Premier Inn Location: London Kensington/Olympia
The perfect location for an Edwardian story, it holds some of the best Arabesque interiors from a time when wealthy travellers explored and were inspired by the Middle East. Leighton House hosts family activities every month, exploring an array of themes and presenting diverse activities for parents and children alike.
3. Freshwater West Beach Premier Inn Location: Haverford West
Freshwater Beach is not only one of England and Wales’ best beaches also a regular haunt of the movie world with Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows famously using it as the back drop for Dobby’s Shell Cottage. Although the cottage was taken down after filming you can still walk in the footsteps of Harry, Hermione and Ron.
4. Charlestown Harbour Premier Inn Location: St Austell
To the south of St Austell is a tiny period harbour, Charlestown. An unspoilt, purpose-built harbour originating from the Georgian period built between 1791 and 1801, it’s also a prime location for historic television series, Poldark.
5. Aysgarth Falls Premier Inn Location: Catterick Garrison
Visit the superb waterfalls on the River Ure. The National Park Centre here also encompasses lovely walks in the surrounding woods or to the picturesque villages of Carperby or Aysgarth. Next to the Centre is the Coppice Café which serves a great selection of drinks and meals largely made with locally-sourced ingredients.
6. Lavenham Premier Inn Location: Bury St. Edmunds
Lavenham is a jewel of a medieval village located in the heart of Suffolk and is the perfect location for a long weekend, offering a wide selection of places to eat, drink and explore.
7. Lincoln Cathedral Premier Inn Location: Lincoln
Lincoln Cathedral is an example of architecture at its finest with The Da Vinci Code and The Young Victoria using this iconic building as a stand-in for Westminster Abbey. The Cathedral has its very own hidden treasures with fossils embedded in the huge slabs of limestone.
8. Dunnottar Castle Premier Inn Location: Aberdeen South
One of the most amazing positioned castles in Scotland! A medieval fortress on a rocky headland, the rock the Castle sits upon was forced to the surface 440 million years ago during the Silurian period and has been of great strategic importance over the centuries.
9. East Lancashire Railway Premier Inn Location: Manchester Bury
The East Lancashire Railway is a 20km heritage railway line in North West England which runs between Heywood in Greater Manchester and Rawtenstall in Lancashire. Featured in the 2017 movie A Monster Calls, the railway offers a day out for everyone in the family.
10. Castle Ward Premier Inn Location: Lisburn
The location of Castle Ward is well-known and loved by Game of Thrones fans. This National Trust site makes the perfect spot for a family day out with activities and maps to find the spots in the estate which have been used in this monumental series.
To discover more great places to start a staycation this summer, visit www.premierinn.com/hidden-treasures
