Ten ways to get some peace and quiet this Bank Holiday

by Tamsin Hemingray in At home on 19.05.08

If you are longing for some peace and quiet this Bank Holiday, there’s a fabulous new way to pin-point exactly which bit of English emptiness you should be heading for. Last week, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) - my favourite Government department - published noise pollution maps for England on their site. There are these cool static maps of the whole country, and these even cooler “interactive” maps which can show you just how noisy your neighbourhood is in minute detail. (A bit like a Google Earth for sound.)

I found myself staring in fascination at these maps for a good chunk of Saturday morning. My initial reaction was, like many other people I suppose, a sense of horror at the way that the noise pervades the country. The Guardian published a clever amalgamation of the road, rail and airplane noise pollution maps in their centre pages on Saturday and it really does make quite a shocking picture. But the longer I stared, the more my eyes were drawn to the large greyed-out swathes of peace and quiet, away from England’s throbbing automotive arteries. Of course, I’ll be busy tending to my flowers on my allotment on Monday (ahem), but I thought it would be useful to save a list of places where quiet is king. And so as not to spoil the experience for others in search of tranquility, I’ve highlighted ways to get to them without the car. After all, what better weekend to pump the tyres and grease the chain on that old bone-shaker in the shed? Or maybe even invest in a lovely new bike….

North west England

You’re pretty much spoilt for choice in the north west of England. If you don’t mind climbing some serious hills on your bike, the Cumbria mountains are the place to be. As soon as you head west off the M6 you’re into grey, quiet territory, according to the sound maps. Grab your bike, hop on a train to Penrith, and you’re laughing. If a gentle amble on foot is more your thing, head into the glorious Shropshire countryside. Anywhere north of Shrewsbury, south of Liverpool and west of Stoke and it’s Salopian stillness.

North east England

Despite the industrial sprawl of Tyneside and Teeside, the north east of England has plenty of peace and quiet away from the roads and airports. Making use of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway gives you the opportunity to enjoy some amazing scenery without taking the car. There are also moors to be explored west of the A1. Grab your bike and hop on a train to Harrogate. Then set your sights on a bit of culture along with your peace and quiet at the Bronte Museum in Haworth.

Central England

Despite the M1, M4, M5, M6 and the M40 all blaring through the midlands, and the nightmare of the Spaghetti Junction in Birmingham, there are still lots of places where you can leave the noise behind. Head to Stratford Upon Avon, Evesham or Cheltenham and then start pedalling, and before you can say “is that Kate Moss over there?”, you’re in the sweet stillness of the Cotswolds. Meanwhile the Wyre Forest in Worcestershire offers you a leafy sanctuary if you’re up for a stroll.

East of England

Norfolk and Suffolk provide an endless coastline to leave the sound of traffic behind. There are also countless green lanes to take the bike down and some of the best country pubs in England. For a bit of faded Victorian glory, give Southwold a try. Or have some quiet fun splashing about on the river in the Norfolk Broads. Both counties are famous for their lack of hills - and therefore perfect for the lazy weekend cyclist.

South west England

Truth is, once you get off the M5 in Exeter, pretty much the whole of Devon and Cornwall are noise-free zones. They are also the home of the best English food ever invented: scones and clotted cream. Fact. So why not park up at one of the stations on Brunel’s amazing coastal trainline to Penzance, let the train take the strain and then hop off anywhere beyond the end of the motorway for a noise-free cream tea?

South east England

So, with the M1, M2, M3, M4, M11, M20, M23, M25, M26, M40, A1 and A3 all blaring out more or less constant car noise, it’s not surprising that finding a quiet corner in the south east is a bit more of a challenge. But, it can be done. For starters, there’s much of Kent, home to the best fairytale-style castle anywhere in the world: Bodiam. The South Downs - walking distance from Winchester, Brighton, and Eastbourne - are equally tranquil on a warm Bank Holiday Monday. Salisbury Plain is famously empty of roads - though the silence of a bike ride in this part of the world might be shattered by artillery fire if you wander into the MOD’s training ground.