2022 is just around the corner, and now is the time to plan a trip along the Great West Way between Bristol and London for the coming New Year. Get away from it all and treat yourself this year as you explore a quintessential slice of England. There are plenty of excuses to celebrate in 2022, including a special long Bank Holiday weekend, an array of excellent exhibitions and some exciting period dramas coming to our TV screens.
Here are 22 reasons to take a holiday along the Great West Way in 2022. Please check current travel restrictions and government guidance before you travel.
Celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
Explore the Royal Connections of the Great West Way as her Majesty the Queen becomes the first UK monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee. A four-day Bank Holiday in June will mark the Queen’s 70-year reign, and there will be celebrations and special events throughout the whole of the year. So plan a trip fit for royalty in 2022 with a visit to Windsor Castle – the Queen’s favourite weekend residence - book an overnight stay in a regal suite at one of our luxury hotel options, or plan a day out at Royal Ascot.
Explore Bath’s new World Heritage Centre
There’s a brand-new World Heritage Centre opening in Bath in spring 2022. The new centre will illuminate Bath's history with fascinating interactive exhibits and displays about Bath’s hot springs, Roman remains and Georgian architecture. A perfect excuse to visit the grand and gentile city of Bath as you travel along the Great West Way.
Treat Yourself
We all deserve a little bit of luxury as we step away from 2021 and into 2022. Prioritise your wellbeing and treat yourself with a visit to a sumptuous spa, a fine-dining experience at a Michelin star restaurant, a stay in a luxurious hotel or a wine-tasting experience at one of the Great West Way’s thriving vineyards. Plan a luxury break.
Get Excited for the Return of Bridgerton
Season 2 of Netflix’s extravagant Regency-period drama Bridgerton comes to our screens in 2022. Did you know that much of the show was filmed right here on the Great West Way? Discover all the Bridgerton filming locations along the Great West Way in 2022 and explore the settings of your favourite scenes with a trip to the likes of Hampton Court Palace or the Holburne Museum.
Indulge Your Love for Jane Austen
If Bridgerton wasn’t enough, lovers of period-dramas have even more to look forward to in 2022. This year, a film version of Jane Austen’s Persuasion starring Dakota Johnson is due to air, and there will also be a second series of Sanditon, the lavish serialisation of Jane Austen’s last and unfinished novel. You can explore the landscapes of the beloved novelist’s life and works as you follow in Jane Austen’s footsteps along the Great West Way. Plus, the annual Jane Austen Festival takes place in Bath from 9 to 18 September 2022.
Escape the Everyday
Shake off the mundane and the everyday, and go on an adventure this year! Discover stunning street art as you explore bustling Bristol. Take a swim in a rooftop pool in Bath. See a historic windmill in action. Watch horses thunder past at Newbury Racecourse. Take a boat trip along the Thames, spotting famous landmarks and pretty wildlife. Uncover the mysteries of Wiltshire's dramatic crop circles. Float up, up and away in a hot air balloon, or jump out of a plane with Skydive Netheravon. Let’s make 2022 a thrilling year and Escape the Everyday!
Catch the Events you Missed Last Year
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, many of our favourite annual events had to be cancelled, postponed or curtailed in 2019 and 2021. But don't worry - they're back in 2022 and there’s an exciting calendar of events planned for the coming year! Why not time your visit to coincide with Bristol's Upfest in the spring, Royal Ascot or Henley Royal Regatta in June or Reading Festival in August? Or join a course at Marlborough College Summer School which runs more than 500 different courses in July and August. There will also be plenty of festive fun-filled events in the run up to Christmas 2022.
Explore the World of Stonehenge
There’s a major new exhibition coming to the British Museum in 2022; the World of Stonehenge. Explore the history and mystery of one of England’s most iconic sites, built thousands of years ago on Salisbury Plain, just below where the Great West Way runs today. At the British Museum between 17 February and 17 July you can see hundreds of ancient objects relating to the stone circle, then learn more about its history at Wiltshire Museum before a short detour to see Stonehenge itself.
Enjoy the Sights of Winter and Spring
If you’re keen to avoid the crowds in 2022, why not book a Winter or Spring getaway, before the busy crowds arrive for a summer holiday. The start of the year sees the traditional English landscapes of the Great West Way transform month-by-month as clouds of wintery snowdrops give way to fresh green leaves and brilliant bluebells in the spring. Enjoy the pretty villages and charming market towns before the summer crowds arrive, or head out for countryside walk with not a soul in sight.
Enjoy a Biscuit-Fuelled Break in Reading
In 2022, Reading will be celebrating the 200-year anniversary of its biscuit manufacturing history. In 1822 Thomas Huntley opened his first shop in the town and went on to become one of the world's largest biscuit manufacturers with Huntley & Palmers, earning Reading the nickname of ‘Biscuit Town’ in the process. 2022 will see biscuit focused tours, events and offers come to Reading, so make sure you stop off here as you travel along the Great West Way.
Stay Somewhere Spectacular
Sick of staring at the same four walls? Been working from home too long? In 2022, why not book some stand-out accommodation to relax in as you travel the Great West Way. There are lots of places to stay to pick from, including cute self-catering cottages, luxurious hotels, and great glamping options. For something entirely different and unique why not consider a stay on a narrowboat, a treehouse adventure at Mill Farm Glamping, a retro campervan parked on a Bristol rooftop at Brooks Guesthouse Bristol, or a hotel located on its own private island in the River Thames.
Celebrate 25 years of Harry Potter
The first of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books was published in 1997. And if you’re a lover of this magical world, you can celebrate its 25th anniversary on a trip along the Great West Way. Take a look at the best places to pretend you're Harry Potter and discover some of the filming locations used to bring Harry’s world to life in the film series, from the ancient Abbey in Wiltshire that doubles as a Hogwart's classroom to the woodland setting for the Quidditch World Cup.
Go to see a Show or Performance
If you’ve been missing out on seeing live music or theatre performed, now is the time to book your tickets for 2022. You can catch top-notch performances of all kinds at the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon, Wiltshire Music Centre in pretty Bradford on Avon, the Watermill Theatre near Newbury or Pound Arts Centre in Corsham.
Take to the Open Roads
Expand your horizons in the new year with a road trip. Driving is one of the most convenient and flexible ways to explore the highways and byways of the Great West Way – so get your favourite road trip playlist ready and take to the open roads. You can even hire a beautiful classic car for a day or two from Vintage Classics. Or, if you're travelling by campervan, take a look at Uncover Britain's curated road trips tour guides for all the ideas and inspiration you need to travel the route at your own pace.
Celebrate Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s 60th Birthday
60 years after it was first formed, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust now looks after 40 nature reserves in Wiltshire, many of which are easy to access from the Great West Way. Stop off at the grasslands and lakes at Lower Moor near Cricklade, the wildlife-rich hay meadows at Blakehill Farm Nature Reserve just down the road or the woodland, ponds and wet grasslands at Jones's Mill in the Vale of Pewsey in 2022 to enjoy nature, improve your wellbeing and help Wiltshire Wildlife Trust celebrate their big birthday year.
Get Active in the New Year
If you’re making a New Year’s Resolution to be more active in 2022, a trip along the Great West Way will give you all the opportunities you need. From long walks along the Kennet & Avon Canal to cycle rides in Swinley Forest, or rowing on the River Thames, there is plenty to do to keep you busy and get your heart-racing. For something more unusual, have a go at inland surfing at The Wave, book a tandem bike ride through the centre of Bristol, or have a go at Stand-up Paddleboarding with Original Wild.
Explore the World of Thomas Hardy
Literature lovers will have plenty to please them in 2022 on the Great West Way. Thomas Hardy, the author of Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Jude the Obscure and Far from the Madding Crowd, was born in South West England and set many of his novels here. In 2022, four exhibitions dedicated to his life and work will take place on and near to the Great West Way, in Devizes, Wiltshire, Poole and Dorset. Wiltshire Museum will host "The Ancient Landscape" exploring how Hardy's writing was influenced by Wiltshire's timeless landscapes.
Tick Somewhere Big off your Bucket List
The maritime city of Bristol with its elegant Suspension Bridge. The regal town of Windsor. World Heritage site Blenheim Palace. Fascinating Berkeley Castle and beautiful Bowood. There are plenty of iconic locations to visit along the Great West Way route. Why don’t you make 2022 the year you visit these fascinating and famous locations? Within easy reach of the route you will also find spectacular Salisbury Cathedral, mysterious Stonehenge and stunning National Trust landscapes at Cheddar Gorge.
Celebrate 50 Years of Bristol Harbour Festival
The Bristol Harbour Festival will take place from 15-17 July 2022, celebrating its 50th anniversary. Expect a unique mix of music, maritime fun and markets based around Bristol’s historic and beautiful harbourside with live performances, family entertainment, circus acts, children’s events, street food and market stalls, and hundreds of sailing ships in the harbour.
Travel Green
As we all become more aware of our impact on the planet, many of us are trying to choose more sustainable ways to travel. Make 2022 the year you go on an eco-friendly trip along the Great West Way. You can traverse the entire route by public transport, or even cycle or walk sections. And along the way you will find fine-dining restaurants stocked with sustainable local produce, plastic-free towns, eco-friendly glamping pods, and attractions working towards achieving zero-carbon by planting trees across their land.
Discover the History of Malmesbury’s Witches
In 1672, a witch hunt took place in the Wiltshire town of Malmesbury, with fourteen people accused and arrested as suspected witches. Some were released, others were found guilty and executed. 350 years later in 2022, the town will remember this tragic story with a new multimedia trail about the allegations and hangings.
Catch up with Friends and Family
If you haven’t managed to see enough of your friends and family over the last year or so, plan a reunion on the Great West Way for 2022. Sit down to a leisurely meal in a fine-dining restaurant. Take the kids for a fun day out. Spend a week pootling along together in a canal boat on the Kennet & Avon Canal. Whatever you decide to do during your 2022 Great West Way adventure, make sure you do it surrounded by those you love the most.
© Great West Way 2022.
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