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Horseback riding vacations in
England
 England is a land of many faces – from the pulsing city life of London to the quaint countryside towns of rural England. A country steeped in tradition, England is home to Neolithic Stonehenge, Shakespeare and proud traditions.
England Culture
England is a country with rich culture and traditions. Fiercely royal, England is dotted with palaces, castles and country estates.
The iconic city of London is a popular tourist destination – bursting at the seams with culture, arts, monuments, shopping and nightlife. The traditional university cities of Oxford and Cambridge are also popular destinations. Stonehenge and Shakespeare’s Stratford upon Avon are similarly rewarding.
In the north of England the industrial cities of Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester are gritty and lively places, and York and Durham have splendid historical treasures.
Those seeking the rural landscapes of Jane Austen or Lord Tennyson should visit the stunning Lake District or the dales of Yorkshire.
England Climate and Weather
England has a somewhat tongue-in-cheek reputation for being rainy, but visitors will soon discover England can be quite pleasant, especially in the spring and summer. Exmoor has a particularly temperate climate – and is generally wetter and milder than the rest of England. January is the coldest month (temperatures dropping to 1 °C). July and August are the warmest months with daily maximums around 21°C – perfect for horse riding!
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Holidays on horseback in England
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Below is a list of our trips in this area with video clips.
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England
Travel restrictions
Travelers are permitted to enter the UK as long as they are not traveling from a red-list country:
Regardless of citizenship, from January 5th 2023, different rules apply to individuals traveling from mainland China to the UK. Check the link below for more information:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19#travel-from-mainland-china
All other travelers to the UK no longer need to take any COVID-19 tests or fill in a passenger locator form when traveling to the UK from abroad. These changes apply whether you are fully vaccinated or not.
As the rules are regularly being updated, please see the UK government’s website for the latest information: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19#if-you-are-fully-vaccinated
Please select the country you are traveling to (England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland) for guidance specific to that country.
Measures taken by the government
Face coverings are no longer required by law. The government suggests that you continue to wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you may come into contact with other people you do not normally meet.
You can consult the following website in order to see remaining COVID restrictions by nation:
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/coronavirus-lockdown-rules-four-nations-uk
Testing
If you are not a part of the National Healthcare System, you will need to seek a private clinic for testing. Testing may cost anywhere from £40 – £500 depending on where you are tested and the type of test you take. COVID-19 tests differ in the amount of time they take to get results (from 45 minutes to 48 hours).
For testing at Heathrow, please visit the Heathrow Airport COVID-19 testing site: https://www.heathrow.com/at-the-airport/fly-safe/covid-19-test
DO NOT travel to Heathrow Airport if you are showing any symptoms of COVID-19 or are feeling unwell.
Some local laboratories are (this is not an exhaustive list of every facility performing COVID tests in the UK): Concepto Clinic, Corona Test Center, Harley Medic International, The London Clinic, The London General Practice, PExpo Diagnostics, Private Coronavirus Tests, The Private Harley Street Clinic & TDL Pathology.
In Scotland, private testing is available at a number of facilities: Edinburgh Airport, Newington Pharmacy, Glasgow Medical Rooms & Hawkes Health.
Emergency number (related to COVID-19) while visiting the country
In Wales call 111 (if available in your area) or 0845 46 47
Source:
US Embassy in the UK https://uk.usembassy.gov/covid-19-coronavirus-information/
Published on January 5th 2023 (checked on April 5th 2023)
For more information please visit our COVID-19 Updates page at https://www.hiddentrails.com/article/covid19update.aspx
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England
At A glance
Capital City: London
Land size: 241,930 sq km
Population: 67,791,400 (2022 est.) United Kingdom
Official languages: English, Welsh (in Wales), Gaelic (in Scotland), Irish (in Northern Ireland) and Cornish (in Cornwall)
Currency: Pound sterling (GBP / £)
UNESCO properties and sites:
- Blenheim Palace
- Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, and St Martin's Church
- City of Bath
- Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape
- Derwent Valley Mills
- Durham Castle and Cathedral
- Frontiers of the Roman Empire
- Ironbridge Gorge
- Jodrell Bank Observatory
- Maritime Greenwich
- Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret’s Church
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- Saltaire
- Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites
- Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey
- The English Lake District
- The Great Spa Towns of Europe
- Tower of London
- Dorset and East Devon Coast
Source: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-kingdom/
England is full of history, picturesque landscapes, and iconic landmarks. Explore the vibrant city of London, with its bustling streets, excellent museums, and historic landmarks like the Tower of London and Buckingham Palace. Discover the charming countryside of the Dartmoor, where rolling hills, quaint villages, and thatched-roof cottages create a picturesque setting for horseback riding adventures. England's historical treasures, natural beauty, and vibrant culture offer a truly unique travel experience.
England is a great horseback riding destination, with its diverse terrains and centuries-old riding culture. Immerse yourself in the warm hospitality of the English people, experiencing their traditions, and sharing equestrian stories. A horseback riding tour through England will allow you to experience the best of England's natural wonders.
Brief History
The United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith in the 19th century, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw two World Wars seriously deplete the UK's strength and the Irish Republic withdraw from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a founding member of NATO and the Commonwealth of Nations, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1998.
The UK was an active member of the EU after its accession in 1973, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union. However, motivated in part by frustration at a remote bureaucracy in Brussels and massive migration into the country, UK citizens on 23 June 2016 voted by 52 to 48 percent to leave the EU. The UK became the first country to depart the EU on 31 January 2020, after prolonged negotiations on EU-UK economic.
Source: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-kingdom/
Cultural Insights
The United Kingdom is a crowded country. People cope with this situation by being reserved and diffident in public, politely ignoring strangers, quietly minding their own business, and marking out and defending their private spaces, homes, and gardens. They expect others to do the same.
Source: https://www.everyculture.com/To-Z/United-Kingdom.html
Transportation
By Air
London Heathrow is the largest airport and is very well connected to central London.
Other major international airports include Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle in the North of England, Birmingham in the Midlands and Bristol in the South West.
Scotland is served by both Edinburgh and Glasgow airports. Cardiff Airport provides international connections for Wales, while Northern Ireland is served by Belfast.
By Rail
You can cross from continental Europe to Britain directly by train. The Channel Tunnel links Britain to the European continent via Eurostar trains (which take passengers) and Eurotunnel trains (which take passengers in their cars) providing a greener alternative to flying.
Eurostar trains link Paris, Lille and Calais in France; Brussels in Belgium; and Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands directly via the Channel Tunnel with London and South East England.
Source: https://www.visitbritain.com/en/plan-your-trip/travelling-britain
Money
You can get British currency in banks, travel agents, post offices and bureaux de change (found on high streets, airports and at major railway stations).
Rates of exchange vary at different bureaux de change so it is always worth shopping around. Travelex have branches throughout Britain, while Marks & Spencer (popular department stores has bureaux de change in over 100 of its stores. Many Post Offices also offer bureaux de change services.
Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own pound sterling notes – they look different but have the same value as English notes. You can use English and Scottish money (apart from the Scottish £1 note) anywhere in the UK, but Northern Irish cash can only be used in Northern Ireland.
Credit, debit and contactless payment cards are widely used throughout Britain. Visa and Mastercard are the most common type, while American Express and Diners Club are only sometimes accepted.
Some small shops, markets and cafes may not accept card payments or may stipulate a minimum spend. Accepted cards are usually displayed in the windows so check first, or ask the owner whether they take card payments, beforehand.
You can withdraw cash from ATM (automatic teller machines) commonly called ‘cash points’ from all over Britain and Northern Ireland. Almost every bank has a cash machine while many more can be found in supermarkets, petrol stations, train stations and high streets. Some charge a small fee for cash withdrawals. You should note that foreign cards will incur a currency exchange fee to withdraw money. Check with your bank for details before you travel.
As a security measure, let your bank know you are travelling overseas.
If you run out of funds, it is possible to have money wired from your country to the nearest British bank. Branches of Travelex and American Express will also do this for you. North American visitors can get cash dispatched through Western Union to a bank or Post Office - you will need your passport as proof of identity.
Source: https://www.visitbritain.com/en/plan-your-trip/useful-information
Health
Dial 999 to reach the police, fire and ambulance departments in an emergency. Along coastal areas, this number will also put you in touch with Britain’s coastguard rescue service, the RNLI.
Pharmacists in Britain are highly trained professionals who can offer advice on minor ailments and well-being as well as dispense medication where necessary.
You can find pharmacies all around Britain and Northern Ireland, including well-known brands including brands like Boots and Lloyds Pharmacy. You can also buy over-the-counter drugs as well as other healthcare and beauty products.
While medical services are widely available, free medical care under the National Health System (NHS) is allowed only for UK residents, certain EU nationals, and some visa holders.
An NHS surcharge is assessed on certain visa applicants at the time of application. Tourists and short-term visitors will not be assessed the surcharge, but will be charged 150 percent of the cost of any medical treatment they receive from the NHS. Unpaid balances of £1,000 or more can result in being barred from return to the United Kingdom.
Carry prescription medication in original packaging, along with your doctor’s prescription. Certain prescriptions available in the United States are classified as narcotics in the United Kingdom and are not available. Traveling with sufficient supplies to last the duration of your trip is recommended.
Source: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/UnitedKingdom.html
https://www.visitbritain.com/en/plan-your-trip/useful-information#time
Electricity
Britain operates on a 230V supply voltage and uses type G plugs.
The Type G electrical plug has three rectangular blades in a triangular pattern and has an incorporated fuse (usually a 3 amps fuse for smaller appliances such as a computer and a 13 amps one for heavy duty appliances such as heaters). British sockets have shutters on the live and neutral contacts so that foreign objects can’t be introduced into them.
Source: https://www.iec.ch/world-plugs
Communication
Time zone in Britain: Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
International country code – 44
Britain and Northern Ireland uses the 900 or 1800 GSM system, so visitors from the United States (where the system is 800 or 1900 MHz band) will need to get a tri or quad-band set. Contact your service provider for more details.
Depending on your network provider, you may be charged for the calls you make and receive, as well as any texts you send and internet you use. It’s perhaps easier and cheaper buy a British SIM card and top it up with credit. This will allow you to use the local mobile networks, though you can only do this if your phone is not locked to a specific network.
Most towns and cities offer some form of public access to the internet, whether that’s hotel WiFi or complimentary internet access at a café. WiFi is often available at libraries, pubs, museums and even during some longer-distance train journeys.
Source: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-kingdom/
https://www.visitbritain.com/en/plan-your-trip/useful-information#time
Entry Requirements
Some entry requirements changed for EU, EEA and Swiss nationals, post Brexit.
Most travelers from the EU, EEA and Switzerland will require a passport to enter Britain and Northern Ireland. Your passport will need to be valid for your entire stay here.
Some, but not all visitors can use an EU, EEA or Swiss national ID to enter Britain and Northern Ireland until at least 31 December 2025. Check gov.uk website for who is eligible.
Travelers from other countries must have a valid passport to enter Britain and Northern Ireland, and it should be valid for the whole duration of your stay.
Most people coming to visit Britain and Northern Ireland will need a visa. Whether you need one or not depends on why you are visiting and your nationality. Most travelers from the EU, EEA and Switzerland won’t require a visa.
You can get more information here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa
Source: https://www.visitbritain.com/en/plan-your-trip/visa-and-immigration-information
Embassies and Consulates
Embassy of the United States of America in London
33 Nine Elms Lane
London SW11 7US
Phone: +44 207 499 9000
High Commission of Canada in London
Canada House, Trafalgar Square
London, SW1Y 5BJ
Phone: +44 207 004 6000
Source: for USA https://www.usembassy.gov/
For Canada: https://travel.gc.ca/assistance/embassies-consulates
UNESCO Sites
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace, near Oxford, stands in a romantic park created by the famous landscape gardener 'Capability' Brown. It was presented by the English nation to John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough, in recognition of his victory in 1704 over French and Bavarian troops. Built between 1705 and 1722 and characterized by an eclectic style and a return to national roots, it is a perfect example of an 18th-century princely dwelling.
Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, and St Martin's Church
Canterbury, in Kent, has been the seat of the spiritual head of the Church of England for nearly five centuries. Canterbury's other important monuments are the modest Church of St Martin, the oldest church in England; the ruins of the Abbey of St Augustine, a reminder of the saint's evangelizing role in the Heptarchy from 597; and Christ Church Cathedral, a breathtaking mixture of Romanesque and Perpendicular Gothic, where Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered in 1170.
City of Bath
Founded by the Romans as a thermal spa, Bath became an important centre of the wool industry in the Middle Ages. In the 18th century, under George III, it developed into an elegant town with neoclassical Palladian buildings, which blend harmoniously with the Roman baths.
Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape
Much of the landscape of Cornwall and West Devon was transformed in the 18th and early 19th centuries as a result of the rapid growth of pioneering copper and tin mining. Its deep underground mines, engine houses, foundries, new towns, smallholdings, ports and harbours, and their ancillary industries together reflect prolific innovation which, in the early 19th century, enabled the region to produce two-thirds of the world’s supply of copper. The substantial remains are a testimony to the contribution Cornwall and West Devon made to the Industrial Revolution in the rest of Britain and to the fundamental influence the area had on the mining world at large. Cornish technology embodied in engines, engine houses and mining equipment was exported around the world. Cornwall and West Devon were the heartland from which mining technology rapidly spread.
Derwent Valley Mills
The Derwent Valley in central England contains a series of 18th- and 19th- century cotton mills and an industrial landscape of high historical and technological interest. The modern factory owes its origins to the mills at Cromford, where Richard Arkwright's inventions were first put into industrial-scale production. The workers' housing associated with this and the other mills remains intact and illustrate the socio-economic development of the area.
Durham Castle and Cathedral
Durham Cathedral was built in the late 11th and early 12th centuries to house the relics of St Cuthbert (evangelizer of Northumbria) and the Venerable Bede. It attests to the importance of the early Benedictine monastic community and is the largest and finest example of Norman architecture in England. The innovative audacity of its vaulting foreshadowed Gothic architecture. Behind the cathedral stands the castle, an ancient Norman fortress which was the residence of the prince-bishops of Durham.
Frontiers of the Roman Empire
The ‘Roman Limes’ represents the border line of the Roman Empire at its greatest extent in the 2nd century AD. It stretched over 5,000 km from the Atlantic coast of northern Britain, through Europe to the Black Sea, and from there to the Red Sea and across North Africa to the Atlantic coast. The remains of the Limes today consist of vestiges of built walls, ditches, forts, fortresses, watchtowers and civilian settlements. Certain elements of the line have been excavated, some reconstructed and a few destroyed. The two sections of the Limes in Germany cover a length of 550 km from the north-west of the country to the Danube in the south-east. The 118-km-long Hadrian’s Wall (UK) was built on the orders of the Emperor Hadrian c. AD 122 at the northernmost limits of the Roman province of Britannia. It is a striking example of the organization of a military zone and illustrates the defensive techniques and geopolitical strategies of ancient Rome. The Antonine Wall, a 60-km long fortification in Scotland was started by Emperor Antonius Pius in 142 AD as a defense against the “barbarians” of the north. It constitutes the northwestern-most portion of the Roman Limes.
Ironbridge Gorge
Ironbridge is known throughout the world as the symbol of the Industrial Revolution. It contains all the elements of progress that contributed to the rapid development of this industrial region in the 18th century, from the mines themselves to the railway lines. Nearby, the blast furnace of Coalbrookdale, built in 1708, is a reminder of the discovery of coke. The bridge at Ironbridge, the world's first bridge constructed of iron, had a considerable influence on developments in the fields of technology and architecture.
Jodrell Bank Observatory
Located in a rural area of northwest England, free from radio interference, Jodrell Bank is one of the world's leading radio astronomy observatories. At the beginning of its use, in 1945, the property housed research on cosmic rays detected by radar echoes. This observatory, which is still in operation, includes several radio telescopes and working buildings, including engineering sheds and the Control Building. Jodrell Bank has had substantial scientific impact in fields such as the study of meteors and the moon, the discovery of quasars, quantum optics, and the tracking of spacecraft. This exceptional technological ensemble illustrates the transition from traditional optical astronomy to radio astronomy (1940s to 1960s), which led to radical changes in the understanding of the universe.
Maritime Greenwich
The ensemble of buildings at Greenwich, an outlying district of London, and the park in which they are set, symbolize English artistic and scientific endeavour in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Queen's House (by Inigo Jones) was the first Palladian building in England, while the complex that was until recently the Royal Naval College was designed by Christopher Wren. The park, laid out on the basis of an original design by André Le Nôtre, contains the Old Royal Observatory, the work of Wren and the scientist Robert Hooke.
Photo by Camille Loiseau
Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret’s Church
Westminster Palace, rebuilt from the year 1840 on the site of important medieval remains, is a fine example of neo-Gothic architecture. The site – which also comprises the small medieval Church of Saint Margaret, built in Perpendicular Gothic style, and Westminster Abbey, where all the sovereigns since the 11th century have been crowned – is of great historic and symbolic significance.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
This historic landscape garden features elements that illustrate significant periods of the art of gardens from the 18th to the 20th centuries. The gardens house botanic collections (conserved plants, living plants and documents) that have been considerably enriched through the centuries. Since their creation in 1759, the gardens have made a significant and uninterrupted contribution to the study of plant diversity and economic botany.
Saltaire
Saltaire, West Yorkshire, is a complete and well-preserved industrial village of the second half of the 19th century. Its textile mills, public buildings and workers' housing are built in a harmonious style of high architectural standards and the urban plan survives intact, giving a vivid impression of Victorian philanthropic paternalism.
Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites
Stonehenge and Avebury, in Wiltshire, are among the most famous groups of megaliths in the world. The two sanctuaries consist of circles of menhirs arranged in a pattern whose astronomical significance is still being explored. These holy places and the nearby Neolithic sites are an incomparable testimony to prehistoric times.
Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey
In the 18th century a designed landscape of exceptional beauty was created around the ruins of the Cistercian Fountains Abbey, in Yorkshire. The spectacular ruins of the 12th century abbey and water mill, the Jacobean mansion of Fountains Hall, the Victorian masterpiece St Mary’s Church and one of the most magnificent Georgian water gardens ever created, make this a landscape of outstanding merit.
The English Lake District
Located in northwest England, the English Lake District is a mountainous area, whose valleys have been modelled by glaciers in the Ice Age and subsequently shaped by an agro-pastoral land-use system characterized by fields enclosed by walls. The combined work of nature and human activity has produced a harmonious landscape in which the mountains are mirrored in the lakes. Grand houses, gardens and parks have been purposely created to enhance the landscape’s beauty. This landscape was greatly appreciated from the 18th century onwards by the Picturesque and later Romantic movements, which celebrated it in paintings, drawings and words. It also inspired an awareness of the importance of beautiful landscapes and triggered early efforts to preserve them.
The Great Spa Towns of Europe
This transnational serial property comprises eleven spa towns, located in seven European countries: Baden bei Wien (Austria); Spa (Belgium); Františkovy Lázně; Karlovy Vary; Mariánské Lázně (Czechia); Vichy (France); Bad Ems; Baden-Baden; Bad Kissingen (Germany); Montecatini Terme (Italy); and City of Bath (United Kingdom). All of these towns developed around natural mineral water springs. They bear witness to the international European spa culture that developed from the early 18th century to the 1930s, leading to the emergence of grand international resorts that impacted urban typology around ensembles of spa buildings such as baths, kurhaus and kursaal (buildings and rooms dedicated to therapy), pump rooms, drinking halls, colonnades and galleries designed to harness the natural mineral water resources and to allow their practical use for bathing and drinking. Related facilities include gardens, assembly rooms, casinos, theatres, hotels and villas, as well as spa-specific support infrastructure. These ensembles are all integrated into an overall urban context that includes a carefully managed recreational and therapeutic environment in a picturesque landscape. Together, these sites embody the significant interchange of human values and developments in medicine, science and balneology.
Photo by Camille Loiseau
Tower of London
The massive White Tower is a typical example of Norman military architecture, whose influence was felt throughout the kingdom. It was built on the Thames by William the Conqueror to protect London and assert his power. The Tower of London – an imposing fortress with many layers of history, which has become one of the symbols of royalty – was built around the White Tower.
Dorset and East Devon Coast
The cliff exposures along the Dorset and East Devon coast provide an almost continuous sequence of rock formations spanning the Mesozoic Era, or some 185 million years of the earth's history. The area's important fossil sites and classic coastal geomorphologic features have contributed to the study of earth sciences for over 300 years.
Source: https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/gb
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List of Tours
![]() England
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