Last spring, my husband, John, and I took a last-minute trip to England to see his Nana before she passed away. This year, we returned to celebrate her life and enjoyed more time with his extended family. We even stayed with John’s cousins to spend as much time with them as possible.

Here’s a look at what we did in England, including a few adventures, pub visits, and what we ate.

Spring Lakes Watersports & Leisure Centre in Long Eaton, Nottingham, UK

Spring Lakes offers various water activities, including two inflatable obstacle courses—which is what we hesitantly signed up to do, despite temperatures in the 60s (Fahrenheit). Renting a wet suit was a must for me and most of us who braved the chill. Grippy socks also helped keep our feet warm and maneuver without slipping.

In addition to the cooler temps, the sky also looked stormy. And as soon as we reached the water’s edge for a safety briefing, it down poured. Not a promising start to an experience that already had us questioning our sanity. But, the rain quit as quickly as it began, and our 60 minutes out on the water remained rain-free and even a bit sunny at the end.

Admittedly, the water wasn’t as cold as I expected either, though I’m sure the wet suit helped. Overall, we enjoyed the Spring Lakes aqua park far more than we expected on that cool Saturday afternoon.

Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, UK

Black Country refers to the English region that had a massive impact on the Industrial Revolution—specifically for coal mining and steel manufacturing.

Not your typical museum, the Black Country Living Museum is an outdoor experience, complete with an interactive town, carnival, canal, and coal mine. While we didn’t have time for the mine, we browsed replicas of homes and shops, rode the carousel, played carnival games for real prizes, went to school, ate old timey sweets, and grabbed a drink at the “local” pub. We also popped into an old car shop for a look at several well-preserved vintage automobiles, racecars, and motorcycles.

If you’re looking for a family-friendly, something-for-everyone activity, the Black Country Living Museum was an engaging way to spend a few hours outside, at our own pace.

Pubs and Places to Eat Near Nottingham and Loughborough, UK

Generous Briton in Costock, Loughborough, UK

On our first night, we stopped at the Generous Briton for a drink. A local spot, it felt cozy and casual—with live entertainment activities posted, like weekly bingo.

The Bullshead East Leake, Loughborough, UK

I was awed the moment we walked in. Stunning faux flowers, foliage, and twinkling lights hang from the ceiling near the entrance to the Bullshead. The bar area and overall decor have a more upscale feel—with traditional and modern aesthetics blended together. And, the menu is fairly large with options that fit a variety of dietary needs, like my own dairy intolerance.

Packe Arms, Hoton, UK

We ate dinner at the Packe Arms on our last night. The decor here is more on the traditional side and seating is sectioned off into rooms.

I ordered the vegan cottage pie—and no, I’m not a vegan; I have a severe dairy intolerance and vegan options are always a safe bet on any menu. This vegan cottage pie wasn’t just a safe bet, it was delicious! I’d order it even if I didn’t have to worry about dairy. Everyone in our party of six loved what they ordered, too!

The Bricklayers Arms, Thornton, Coalville, UK

My husband’s family gathered here after his Nana’s memorial service. The front of the building is charming—especially with flowers blooming in the window boxes. I ended up being the last on inside because I had to whip out my phone and capture the aesthetic.

We started inside with drinks and outside food catered in, but eventually made our way to the beer garden behind the pub. The garden area features picnic tables, a covered seating area, playground, and access to a path around the Thornton reservoir.

Antlers Bistro at Manor Farm Park & Woodlands, East Leake, Loughborough, UK

Sunday morning before church, we walked to Antlers Bistro for breakfast. The bistro is a family-friendly, farm-to-table restaurant located on the Manor Farm Park & Woodlands complex along with animal activities and other play options for kids. But, you don’t need to buy a park ticket to eat at the restaurant. It’s open to the public every day.

I opted for the vegan English breakfast and, for being vegan, it was honestly better than I expected. I’m still not sold on baked beans before noon, but when in Britain.

Day Trip to Talacre, Wales and Chester, UK

For our last full day in the UK, John and I decided to visit Wales, since we’d never been and we could drive there and back in a day and still have time for sightseeing. However, because of the time constraints, our options were rather limited. After considering a few Welsh destinations, we settled on Talacre for its closer proximity and location on the coast. A walk on Talacre Beach with a view of the lighthouse sounded perfect.

The Point Bar & Restaurant, Talacre, Wales, UK

Our first stop was lunch in Talacre. John’s dad and his wife joined us on the road trip, and we ended up eating at The Point Bar & Restaurant because the menu looked decent and we could park there, with close proximity to the beach and the rest of the town.

The Point is quite the eclectic spot, featuring a bar built with colorful, wooden doors, random mismatched tables and seating, and unexpected vintage touches.

Food-wise, one of the chefs personally assured me that anything on the menu could be made-to-order dairy free—except the mushrooms, pre-cooked in butter. I ordered the egg bap and it hit the spot. My travel mates raved about the paninis

What’s a bap? Common in the UK and Ireland, a bap is a soft, round bread roll, split down the middle to create a sandwich bun.

Talacre Beach

Talacre Beach isn’t far from The Point, so we headed there on foot, eager to see the sea. Unfortunately, just as crossed the boardwalk and set foot on the sand, the clouds decided to downpour on us. Even with raincoats—we came prepared—the heavy rain had us ready to turn around. After snapping a few photos, we did just that.

Talacre Shopping

Back in town, we browsed the flea market shops along the main strip and found a few souvenirs. Then, the rain stopped. But the sky still looked iffy and we didn’t feel like chancing it at the beach again.

Clwyd Bakeries, Talacre, Wales, UK

On the way back to our car, we popped into Clwyd Bakeries for dessert. Sadly, the bakery doesn’t offer dairy free options, so I couldn’t partake. But John and his family highly recommend the brownies!

Is Talacre Worth Visiting?

In my honest opinion, it’s worth a few hours—though I wouldn’t go there for the food or shopping. For me, the true draw of Talacre is the beach. I just wish the rain hadn’t ruined our time there because I have a feeling we would have walked the shoreline for a ways past the lighthouse and even explored the coastal path. It just wasn’t meant to be on this excursion.

Chester, UK

On the return trip, John’s dad suggested we make a stop in Chester, a historic, walled city dating back to the Roman era (79 AD).

After a bit of shopping, we walked a portion of the walls for a unique vantage point of the city. We even spotted an old Roman amphitheater!

Overall, Chester is a charming city with rich history, plenty of Tudor-inspired architecture, and a pretty riverfront area that John’s dad recalled visiting on school trips as a kid.

And that’s a wrap on the recap of our trip.

Staying with John’s family gave us a true local experience, including church, grocery shopping, and even helping at the stable where John’s cousin keeps her horse!

While I love a good adventure, my favorite parts of this trip were the quality time spent with family. But, I also believe there is something for everyone who decides to visit this part of the Midlands in the heart of the UK.

If you ever find yourself planning a trip to the area, I hope you found this helpful!