Oundle revealed as UK's fourth hottest off-the-beaten-track tourist destination

Lonely Planet says people looking for a different type of break this year should head to the pretty East Northants town
By Kate Cronin
Published 25th Mar 2021, 14:11 GMT
Updated 25th Mar 2021, 16:04 GMT
The town's boarding school is nearly 500 years old and is one of the largest in the country. One of its finest buildings is the Chapel of St Anthony, which was consecrated in 1923.The town's boarding school is nearly 500 years old and is one of the largest in the country. One of its finest buildings is the Chapel of St Anthony, which was consecrated in 1923.
The town's boarding school is nearly 500 years old and is one of the largest in the country. One of its finest buildings is the Chapel of St Anthony, which was consecrated in 1923.

A new list of unrecognised UK tourist destinations features Oundle as one of the top-ten UK places to visit this year.

The East Northamptonshire town is fourth in a list of ten hidden holiday hotspots alongside Portmeirion in Wales and Tresco Abbey Gardens on the Isles of Scilly.

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As lockdown eases, most people will be choosing a holiday on UK shores this year, but recent research shows only one in three will try to avoid tourist hotspots and look for alternatives.

The town's parish church has the tallest spire in Northamptonshire at 210 feet-highThe town's parish church has the tallest spire in Northamptonshire at 210 feet-high
The town's parish church has the tallest spire in Northamptonshire at 210 feet-high

With social distancing and the avoidance of crowds high on people's wish lists for holidays this year, renowned travel guide Lonely Planet and Sony Mobile came up with the list to provide some 2021 travel inspiration and captured images of each town on a smartphone.

Tom Hall, Vice President of Experience at Lonely Planet, said: "London has always dominated tourism in the UK, and for good reason, but the entire country is overflowing with historic sites and natural wonders. The pandemic caused us all to pause and re-evaluate how we travel, and I think now is the perfect time to update that bucket list with some of these under-the-radar places you might have overlooked in the past."

Here's the full top ten

1) Craigievar Castle, Alford, Scotland

Oundle's octagonal war memorial in the heart of the town lists the names of the 68 men killed in World War II and the 27 killed in World War IIOundle's octagonal war memorial in the heart of the town lists the names of the 68 men killed in World War II and the 27 killed in World War II
Oundle's octagonal war memorial in the heart of the town lists the names of the 68 men killed in World War II and the 27 killed in World War II

2) Portmeirion, Wales

3) Tresco Abbey Gardens, Isles of Scilly

4) Oundle, Northamptonshire, England

5) Benmore Botanic Garden, Strath Eachaig, Scotland

6) Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) from the quieter Rhyd Ddu Path, Wales

7) Howtown & Martindale, Cumbria, England

8) Lincolnshire Wolds

9) Holkham Beach, Norfolk, England

10) Marshwood Vale, Dorset

Related topics:Lonely Planet