It’s been a true British summer so far - the sun’s been teasing us by skulking behind clouds, reemerging in its full glory just as we’re packing up to go home.

But don’t let the weather dictate your picnic. The trick is the mindset: British stoicism and determination to have a damned good lunch, come rain or shine!

A good location certainly helps, so we sent Lola Borg to do the hard work of researching the Best of British Picnic Spots in this month’s issue, and have posted some of her findings below (see the magazine for the full list).

Word of mouth is crucial when it comes to picnicking though - it’s all about tip-offs and secret picnicking locations. So, we’ve posted some of the Reader’s Digest team’s favourite spots to get the ball rolling.

But do you know somewhere wonderful that we've missed off? Email your recommendations of fairy dells, hidden groves, tarns and castle ruins to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .uk

Neolithic stone circle
Avebury, near Marlborough

A sacred location for druids and the New Age movement, Avebury consists of three Neolithic stone circles with a henge (or ditch) running round them,

In the village of Avebury, there's a small museum and a cafe specialising in vegetarian and gluten-free food.

Dunstanburgh Castle
Craster, Alnwick, Northumberland

 

Located on a beautiful stretch of the Northumberland coastline, Dunstanburgh Castle was painted by Turner many times.

A light picnic is recommended, as it's a two-mile walk from the car park. Alternatively, buy some world-famous Craster smoked kippers or salmon in the seaside town a mile away, then meander along the coastal path. (£4 for adults, £2.40 for children)


Padley Gorge
Longshaw Estate, Peak District, Derbyshire

 
One of the most magical parts of the Peak District, set in beech and sycamore woodlands, Padley Gorge is an idyllic spot for a cool, summery picnic. The gorge is particularly popular with kids, who love paddling in the icy water and scrambling on the stones. If you forget your picnic, you can buy the lot from the Longshaw Estate shop 15 minutes away—the cakes are all home-baked by Sue, and much of the produce comes from their kitchen garden.

Reader's Digest Team: our favourite picnic spots

Guernsey, Ellie Rose, assistant features editor

 

Guernsey is a great place to picnic. It might be a bit of a slog to get there for many of you, but (critically, as far as picnicking goes) the summers are longer and hotter than the rest of Britain.

There are oyster beds and lobster pots scattered round the Guernsey coastline which means plenty of fresh seafood…and the tax laws mean beer and wine are 20 per cent cheaper than on the mainland. Picnicking nirvana.

This is a photo of me and my brother Hugh taken in the garden of my family home, which overlooks St Peter Port  – it was a great day with that classic picnic combination of cake and red wine.

Classic cricket tea, Simon Hemelryk, features editor

My cricket team has, for the last few seasons, had the amazing good fortune to have a captain (Rafe Smallman, pictured) with a wife, Jo, who loves to make food. Her teas are amazing—the best thing about playing. She even made fairy cakes with little icing bats on, once. But she's now had a baby, so we're having to rely on our 30- and 40-something male teammates to do the catering. To a middle-aged club cricketer, convenience-store scotch eggs, sadly, are the height of culinary ambition.

Corgaff (in the Caringorms National Park), Rachel Smith, editorial assistant

Anywhere mountainous in Scotland is an epic place to picnic. It's got that added level of unpredictability about it. You can start walking in a bikini top, and end up in a kagool...or visa versa.

On this particular occasion, I was staying near Strathdon, and was walking with my boyfriend in the hills near the Lecht ski centre (which  are, incidentally, some of the most beautiful hills I've ever come across). Weirdly, we stumbled across two enamel baths buried in the heather (I said that Scotland was unpredictable!)

We ate our cheese and chutney sandwiches in the bathtubs before heading off. Later we found out that the baths were part of a team-bonding, orienteering excercise for a big European bank—good job they didn't turn up while we were having a lie down and eating our lunch!

Readers' favourite picnic spots

Food never tastes better than when you're really and truly hungry, and having climbed several thousand feet of mountain we certainly were!  It was a dricht old day and the midges were out in full force, but despite what my face may suggest we were pretty happy... though slightly embarrassed by the fact that a herd of deer were watching us as we munched on venison sandwiches!

Trisha Self, Lion Wood bluebells

I spent many School holidays playing there making tree dens and walking the dog, and am still enjoying it now.

In the summer, you can sit in the sun, or bask on the soft peat underfoot with hardly a passer by to disturb you. I recommend its natural theraputic feeling of escapism!

In the Autumn its tree leaves start to change colour to orangey browns and limey greens. In Winter the hills create an excellent place to go sledging—snowballing is fantastic too as you don’t have to worry about anyone’s windows getting broken! This is what I call paradise!

Alex Stevenson, aged 15 at Trevone Beach, North Cornwall

Charlie, aged 5-months picnicking in Hyde Park

Here's a photo of me in my favourite place to go for a picnic with my sister—Hyde Park.

Edward Dyson at Henley Royal Regatta, Henley-on-Thames

"Henley—Best picnic spot on the planet."

Louisa Ford at the National Trust Park in Aberfoyle

"My favourite picnic spot is the National Trust park at Aberfolye. The David Marshall lodge has a wild life viewing centre. There is a cafe and toilets, there are picnic tables, wonderful views, great walks, a waterfall and a high, overhead glide for the more daring. The picture I've sent is of some glass sculptures on one of the walks there."

Visit our other Best of British features, and please email any comments or submissions to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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