The UK is full of fantastic hidden gems, from castles to cottages, country houses to the childhood homes for our nation’s greats, there is a so much to see on our little island. Finding these wonderful properties may have been difficult if it wasn’t for our National Trust that has been purchasing property and land and maintaining it for everyone to enjoy.

The North West of England is home to some amazing cities, but when you have exhausted the attractions of Liverpool, Manchester and Chester here are some great National Trust properties in the area, that are great for days out and UK weekend breaks for people of all ages.

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Quarry Bank Mill

If the history of the Industrial Revolution rather the music revolution is more for you head to the Quarry Bank Mill and Style Estate where you can see a fully restored cotton mill. Here you can experience how cotton would have been processed into cloth and see the most powerful working waterwheel in Europe. A great day out with children that allows them to really get a feel for how the apprentices would have worked and lived in Style Village, family tours of the village run throughout the summer and the beautiful gardens provide the perfect spot for a picnic during the day.

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Speke Hall, Garden and Estate

If the Industrial Revolution is a little too modern, the lovers of Tudor history should visit Speke Hall just outside Liverpool. This rare Tudor manor house sits on the banks of the River Mersey originally built by the Catholic Norris family it was designed to impress others with its grandeur and even featured a secret priest hole – a most for all Catholic families during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. After some neglect and decay the house was restored to its original glory during the Victorian era and reflects both times in history as you stroll around its buildings and grounds. Speke Hall is also home to a fantastic hedge maze and playground so is a great option when taking children who prefer to play outside.

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Dunham Massey

If the great outdoors is more your thing then head to the stunning Dunham Massey near Altrincham where you’ll find the largest winter garden in Britain. A tour of the garden runs every Monday and Wednesday allowing visitors to see the huge variety of plants and flowers that are bursting with life even at the bleakest time of year, during January thousands of snowdrops are visible throughout the grounds. To continue with the nature theme once you have visited the gardens there is a deer park to explore and children can enjoy feeding the chickens. If you do choose to visit the house during the summer months you won’t be disappointed, there are great outdoor activities on offer including the quintessentially English, croquet on the lawn!

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*The previous was a guest post from Rachel at moneysupermarket.com

The following is a guest post.

Leasehold, freehold, gazumping, stamp duty – buying a property in the UK involves learning a whole new vocabulary. But what do they all mean? And how would you go about buying that Cotswold country cottage or London apartment?

The first big difference in buying property in the UK is how we use real estate agents, or just estate agents as they’re called here. When you want to sell a property, you contact an estate agent (which is a company with lots of different agents rather than just one person) and they advise how much it’s worth and help you market it. Then once they find a buyer, they get 3% commission on the sale price. But if you’re a buyer, it’s up to you to find a property yourself. There are websites like Rightmove which list all the properties for sale across the UK, and give the details of the estate agents handling each one. So if you see one you like, you get in touch with the estate agents and arrange a viewing, and if you want to go ahead you make the offer yourself. So you don’t pay an estate agent in the UK if you’re a buyer as you’re the one doing all the work!

One of the terms you’ll hear in relation to UK property is freehold and leasehold. Every property is either one or the other. If a property is freehold, you own the building in full and if anything goes wrong then it’s up to you to fix it. If it’s leasehold, then you only own the property for a certain amount of time. Once that time is up, the property goes back to the ownership of the freeholder – the owner of the land. So as you’d imagine, the longer the lease the better. Many properties come with 999 year leases, but if it’s lower then it might affect your ability to get a mortgage. Generally leases of around 99 years are ok, but if it’s 60 years or less then most mortgage lenders would refuse to lend against it. There’s usually the option to extend a lease, or even sometime to buy out the freehold, but it’ll cost you, both in time and money. Leaseholds usually affect apartments rather than houses. If your property is a leasehold you’ll have to pay a small amount of ‘ground rent’ to the leaseholder, who’ll be responsible for some of the maintenance of the building.

So once you have chosen your property and made an offer, what next? You need to show that you have the funds you need to pay for it. Back in the early 2000s property boom, you could borrow 100% of the value of the a property – or even more in some cases with mortgages of 110% of the property’s value available. But now mortgage lenders won’t take such a risk and you usually need to have a deposit of at least 5% or 10%, with the better mortgage deals going to those with bigger deposits. As well as the price of the property, there are a few other fees you’ll need to factor in. These include fees for the mortgage arrangement, valuation (to check it’s worth the price you’re paying), survey (to check for building problems), legal fees and searches (to check for things like any any planned building nearby or disputes over land boundaries). You also have to pay stamp duty, a tax on properties above £125,000. It varies from 1% to 4% of the property’s value, with the highest rate payable on the most expensive properties.

Once your offer is accepted, it’s still not legally binding until after a survey has been done and contracts exchanged. That is except in Scotland, where if you accept an offer you have to put it in writing and it’s legally binding. But in the rest of the UK, you don’t put down a deposit and either the buyer and seller can pull out at any time, which can lead to gazumping. This is where a seller accepts an offer, but then accepts a higher offer from someone else. So if you’re the first buyer then you have to offer more or find a new property, even if you’ve already paid out for solicitors and mortgage fees. Gazumping is more common when house prices are on the rise and there are more buyers than sellers. The converse problem of ganzundering can happen when prices are falling and there are more sellers than buyers. This is where a buyer makes an offer that is accepted, but then lowers it just before signing contracts so the seller has to take less money of miss out on the sale.

You can also run into problems if you’re part of a ‘chain’ – a line of people who are buying and selling. Each one needs to be able to sell their property before they can buy, so if one sale falls through then the whole chain can fall apart. So if you’re a first-time buyer or don’t have to sell a house it makes you more attractive to sellers.

But once you are ready to proceed, your solicitor will draw up a contract and set a completion date – the day the deal will be finalised. When this is agreed, contracts can be exchanged and you need to pay a deposit and from here on the sale is legally binding. And finally, on completion day you pay the balance of the money owed, get the keys to the property and can move in to your new home.

-Lucy

Lucy Dodsworth is a UK-based freelance editor and designer (and current house-hunter!) who blogs at On the Luce, sharing travel tales, advice and photos as she tries to combine a love of travel with family, friends, work and life.

Website: www.ontheluce.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ontheluce
Twitter: @lucydodsworth

An Italian chapel, Orkney Islands, Scotland.

Source: flickriver.com via Liz on Pinterest

I find on visits to people’s homes that far too few people even own a teapot. Is it just me, or is that shocking! After all, I don’t drink coffee, yet I do have a coffee maker for those guests, particularly overnight guests, who must have coffee. And if they do own a teapot, nine times out of ten there is something wrong with it, the worst and most common of those things being a dribbly spout.

Does that make me a teapot snob as well as The Resident Tea Snob? I’m sorry, but a dribbly spout is the absolute worst fault a teapot can have. And I know people who have put up with a dribbly spout every day for years. Why? Please, just turn it into a planter (or return it, if it was a recent purchase) and go out and buy a proper teapot.

Years ago I returned a teapot that dribbled and insisted on trying out the one I had chosen to replace it. I wasn’t going to simply buy and return teapots until I got one that didn’t dribble. I filled it with water and tested it right there on the premises. The shop clerk, who had gotten the owner involved when she heard my “strange” request, stuck around for the test. Both women ended up thinking my idea was brilliant! Try it!

Jean at Delightful Repast is a freelance writer who writes mostly about food, tea, weddings and etiquette for numerous publications. Her blog reflects her English culinary heritage. A lifelong tea aficionado, Jean has proposed being The Resident Tea Snob at Smitten by Britain.

(Copyright 2012 Jean at Delightful Repast delightfulrepast.com)

I hope that title got your attention because it isn’t very often that a blogger in the U.S. is able to offer a giveaway to U.K. residents, but Expat Mum is, right now!

Check out her blog for details.

Islay is the southern most island in the Inner Hebrides and the Rubh An Duin Lighthouse sits just outside Port Charlotte on Loch Indaal (a sea loch.)

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There are changes afoot for my favorite city’s skyline and as usual, not everyone is happy about it but you can’t stop progress, as they say. However, what one calls progress another calls an eye-sore. So which is it? You decide.

The Shard building can’t be missed. Really, you can’t miss it. It’s not even finished yet and already it dominates the London skyline and reigns as the tallest building in the European Union. It will be fully completed this June.

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Unbelievably, this is the change I’m most excited about but I may be alone on this one. One might argue that cable cars gliding over the Thames, along with the London Eye, makes the city look too much like an amusement park. (Insert jokes here.)  As more of a traditionalist, I despised the London Eye when it was first revealed but now I can’t imagine the skyline without it. As a London lover, I’m looking forward to the views from an Emirates Airline cable car. They’ll be gliding over the river at Greenwich.

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While the new U.S. Embassy building doesn’t seem tall enough to cause a noticeable change to the skyline, it’s of interest to me because I had business there as an expat living in England. The current building is unremarkable so this new one is a bit of a sight for sore eyes, if you follow me. As an American, I’m glad they kept its height to a modest level when opting for a more modern design. It will be a while before we’ll see it though, with an opening date of 2017.

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You won’t need to wait long for the new Blackfriars station however;  it opens in February. It will be the first station to span across the Thames.  I’m really excited to see this station when we visit in April.

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This new building has to be my least favorite of all the changes coming to London. I think its shape is ugly however there is a  planned seven-story roof garden with a glass ceiling. I like that idea but I’m not sure it’s enough to make me like it overall. The Walkie Talkie, as it’s nicknamed, is replacing another building that existed at 20 Fenchurch Street since 1968.

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There’s the Gherkin, the Shard, the Walkie Talkie and now The Cheese Grater. I love these names don’t you? While I prefer it to the Walkie Talkie building (at least it’s not ugly), the Leadenhall Building’s design still fails to impress me. I would probably pass it by and not give it a second thought. Maybe that’s good?

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Even with all the changes on the way, my favorite modern building in London still remains the Lloyd’s Building for its ingenious design.

(There are even more changes coming. For a full list, visit here.)

The 11th-century Durham Castle is benefitting from a £5-million refurbishment – and now offers holiday accommodation within its ancient walls.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site in north-east England is home to Durham University’s oldest college and its rooms are available to rent for bed and breakfast during the university’s vacation times. There are now 40 single, twin and double ensuite rooms, newly refurbished and decorated to 4-star standard.

The castle is next to the Norman Durham Cathedral on a prominent hilltop overlooking the small medieval city. The present castle began in 1072 as a simple defensive fortress commissioned by William the Conqueror. For centuries, it was the palace of the Bishops of Durham, who added to the buildings and altered them to suit their needs. Since 1840 it has been wholly occupied by University College.

The University of Durham was founded in 1832 by Bishop Van Mildert and the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral. Guided tours of the castle are also available during university vacations.

*The previous was a media release from Visit Britain.

The American infatuation with the United Kingdom is nothing new and every year thousands of American tourists flock to the British Isles to enjoy tea, scones and all that the United Kingdom has to offer. They can find their ride at Heathrow Airport Parking ‘s meet and greet lot and then be off to any number of popular tourist attractions. There are, however, some more off the beaten path places that one can visit.

1. The Grays Antiques Market in Mayfair is definitely off the beaten path, but well worth the visit if one is into antiques, and the building dating back to the nineteenth century is beautiful.

2. St. Katherine Docks is a wonderful place not far from the more often visited The Tower of London. With restaurants, shopping and other events, there is always something going on at the docks. It’s possible to occasionally stumble onto a television or movie filming as well.

3. The strip along Regent’s Canal is another spectacular place to visit with interesting restaurants and shops in East London.

4. There are a variety of airports to choose from when flying into London, and some are busier than others. If one is looking for an off the beaten path sort of airport, then Luton Airport is the perfect choice. It has great Luton Airport parking as well.

5. The Chelsea Psychic Garden is another cool spot that has a fascinating collection of flowers and plants in London.

6. The London Wetland Centre is a definite must see for the active sort. It has over 43 hectares of land to explore with thousands of birds to see.

7. If you are a fan of As Time Goes By, you might stop at the Imperial War Museum that Lionel mentions in an episode. It’s a fascinating museum that is often missed by tourists that run off to the more famous museums like The British Museum.

8. Old Cemeteries always attract visitors who love the history and beauty that can be found. In London, there are seven Victorian cemeteries that are well worth the visit including the famous Highgate Cemetery which draws the most visitors.

9. While visiting Regent’s Canal in East London, Brick Lane is a wonderful area of quirky shops that has a dark history. It was the area where Jack the Ripper committed his atrocious acts against women.

10. Gatwick is another of the London Airports that one can choose to fly into, and a unique spot within easy driving distance from the parking at Gatwick is the Amberley Working Museum.

*The previous was a sponsored post.

From Jack the Ripper to Bloody Mary: there is much to find lurking in the shadows of London. Certainly one of the most popular gory attractions is the London Dungeon in Tooley Street. Toeing the line between comedic and macabre, this attraction recreates a variety of historical events using special effects, rides and even live actors. But beware; it’s not for the faint hearted! Some of the scenes to be found in the London Dungeon include:

The Great Fire of London: Huddle in a small room resembling Pudding Lane bakery (the believed source of the fire), where a film plays featuring the ‘owner’ of the bakery, Thomas Farriner.  Farriner explains what happened between the 2^nd and 5^th of September in 1666, and how, without the existence of fire fighting techniques or firebreaks, the fire spread quickly within the City of London, purportedly killing around 80 000 people and destroying 70 000 homes.

Visit Mrs Lovett’s Pie Shop: Learn about the barber, Sweeney Todd, who murdered his victims by pulling a lever attached to his barber chair, tossing them down a revolving trapdoor into the basement of his shop and breaking their necks. Together with his friend and partner in crime, Mrs Lovett, the demon barber disposed of his victims by baking them into pies to sell to hungry Londoners. True story!

Get to grips with the Ripper: No grisly history is complete without the unsolved mystery of Jack the Ripper, who has piqued the interest of investigators, writers and filmmakers for decades. At the close of the 19^th Century, the East End of Victorian London was overcrowded, filthy, overrun with criminals, poverty and prostitution. Beginning in August 1888 and stretching over 3 months, people panicked when five prostitutes were found murdered and mutilated on the streets at night. Dubbed “Jack the Ripper”, the culprit was never apprehended.

Learn about Mary, Killer Queen: England has a fascinating royal heritage, of which Mary I, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, is just a tiny section. Best known for her restoration of Roman Catholicism in England, Mary had nearly 300 Protestant dissenters burned at the stake during her 5-year reign. Visitors to the London dungeon can watch as Mary punishes non-believers, and sentences them to be burned alive.

At the London Dungeon there’s up to 1000 years of history packed into detailed scenes, live shows and bone-chilling rides. Get to grips with London’s bloody side and get a good dose of history as well – but be prepared for a scary time.

The previous was a sponsored post.