This national park was ranked number one in the UK

Photo credit: john finney photography - Getty Images

From Red Online

The pandemic has meant that we’ve all had to look a little bit closer to home when it comes to booking a trip away in 2020, but is that such a bad thing?

Here in the UK, we’re lucky enough to be within driving distance of stunning areas of natural beauty, especially within the borders of our 15 national parks.

From the moorlands of Dartmoor and North Yorkshire to the spectacular summits of the Peak District and, of course, the stunning lakes here in the Lake District, there’s a great mix of national parks to explore in the UK, each with their own unique charms.

And while everyone has their favourites for different reasons, the team at Craig Manor have ranked each of them on a range of factors to determine the number one national park in the UK.

So, if you're on the lookout for somewhere to go for a socially distanced Christmas break, you might want to note this down.

Coming in at number one is the Lake District.

Not only is it the most visited of the national parks, and was recently made a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but the stunning Lake District also came top for three of the factors that we looked at, attractions, walking routes and 'Instagrammability' (it's a word, sort of!), while also scoring highly for outdoor activities and of course, its abundance of beautiful lakes which give it its name.

Photo credit: Michael Roberts

While you might have to put up with the odd rain shower (even in summer), the Lakes are a special destination for all kinds of reasons, whether you want to explore the fells and lakes on one of the famous ‘Wainwright’ walks, or the many indoor visitor attractions such as the World of Beatrix Potter.

And coming in at a close second? The Broads in Norwich

At just 117 square miles, the Broads are definitely the country’s smallest national park, but there’s still plenty squeezed in there to see and do. In fact, with 120 miles of navigable waterways and lakes, the Broads are actually home to more lakes than the Lake District (although each on a much smaller scale).

Photo credit: Phil Bird LRPS CPAGB / 500px

Whether you want to explore this beautiful corner of England by boat or traverse the many riverside paths by foot or cycle, the Broads also benefit from the best weather of all the national parks, with less than half as much annual rainfall as the Lake District.

And the final park in the top three? Snowdonia.

In rugged North Wales, you’ll find the gorgeous peaks of Snowdonia, which actually had the highest average review score of all of the national parks. It also scored highly for excellent walking routes, with Mount Snowdon being the most famous of all, as well as for its lakes.

Photo credit: Alan Novelli

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