THE charming seaside town of Grange-over-Sands has been attracting holidaymakers for 175 years.

Located on the north side of Morecambe Bay in Cumbria, Grange-over-Sands benefits from its own microclimate, making it slightly warmer than other nearby tourist destinations.

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Grange-over-Sands has this microclimate to thank for its moniker as the “Lakeland Riviera”.

The seaside town was a fashionable seaside resort town in the 19th century thanks to its pleasant temperatures and the arrival of the railroad in the 1850s.

Steeped in charm with promenade walks, lush gardens and sweeping views over Morecambe Bay, Grange-over-Sands is an ideal autumn break for Brits.

One of the main attractions in the town is its Ornamental Gardens, which has been affectionately nicknamed the “Duck Pond” by locals.

Constructed on an area of marshland that was cut off from the shore when the railway was built in the 1800s, the pond is fed by a stream that gives the pond a constant flow of water, meaning it never runs dry.

The pond also has a fountain and several paths and benches surround the pond.

Another popular attraction in the English town is the Promenade Walk – a level walkway along the edge of Morecambe Bay.

A playground is located on the southern end of the promenade equipped with swings, a slide and a climbing frame.

Despite being set on the coast, Grange-over-Sands doesn’t technically have a beach.

However, it is home to a saltmarsh that’s part of nearby Morecambe Bay.

There are plenty of other things to do just outside Grange-over-Sands like a visit to Holker Hall and Garden – an award-winning stately home with beautiful gardens, woodland walks and a deer park.

Cartmel Village is known for its famous sticky toffee pudding and it’s also a short drive away from Grange-over-Sands.

Other neighbouring attractions include The Lakeland Motor Museum, Yewbarrow House Garden and Sizergh Castle and Garden.

For visitors who want to stay overnight there’s The Commodore Inn – a pub and restaurant with six en-suite rooms.

There are several restaurants in Grange-over-Sands like Thyme Out Coffee House & Restaurant, The Estuary Bistro and the Akhi indian restaurant.

Grange-over-Sands is a 35-minute drive from Morecambe, and it’s a 26-minute drive from Kendal.

Direct trains operate from Grange-over-Sands to Manchester Airport and Lancaster.

While you’re there….

If you’re paying a visit to Grange-Over-Sands, it’s also worth checking out the charming town of Ambleside, which features England‘s best restaurant – The Old Stamp House.

At the AA‘s 2023 Hospitality Awards, the Lake District dining room was named England’s Restaurant of the Year and got a 3 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence.

Ambleside’s dining options may be fancy, but its outdoors are rugged and adventurous.

Included in that are the two waterfalls, Stock Ghyll Force and Rydal Falls.

The former is just a short walk from the town centre, where it drops 70ft into a plunge pool before continuing on its journey downstream into Lake Windermere.

The lake is the largest in England and is surrounded by mountain peaks and villages, with Ambleside sitting to the north.

For those who aren’t so keen on getting wet, the likes of Wray Castle offer dry options.

The National Trust-owned gothic revival castle sits on the shores of Lake Windermere and has turrets, towers, informal grounds and miles of lakeshore paths.

The Trust say it offers church-like interiors and panoramic Lake District views. 

It also played an important part in UK literary history, as it’s where Beatrix Potter holidayed in the Lakes for the first time as a child.

A UK city has recently been praised for having the friendliest people in the country.

And an amazing train route offers some of the best views in the UK.

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DOCTORS have urged passengers to pick up a simple £2.99 item to avoid pain during flights.

Many flyers can experience sinus pain when on a flight – caused by changes in pressure.

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This is caused aerosinusitis and, unlike “aeroplane ear“, which can be solved by popping your ears, it doesn’t have an easy fix.

However, doctors say that simple congestion relief medicine can do the trick – which can be picked up for as little as £2.99.

Dr Richard Lebowitz, an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor at NYU Langone Medical Center, told the Thrillist website: “The sinuses are air-filled spaces – that is, empty spaces – in the bones of your face, and they have little openings in them, so they can equalize pressure.

“They’re normally just always open, but they can get blocked from swelling or inflammation of the sinus lining.”

Dr Richard explained that this could cause intense pain for flyers.

He said:  “The sinus needs to equalize pressure, too. But there’s no way for it to do it, so it just keeps getting worse and worse over the course of that descent. It can be really excruciating at times.”

Moving on to the simple treatment, Dr Richard said: “You can try to reduce the swelling of the membranes that can block the opening, so that would mean using the same things you’d use if you have this problem with your ears – Rin and Sudafed.”

He added that in extreme cases, doctors may prescribe oral steroids for inflammation – and in even more extreme cases, a surgical procedure can be undertaken.

He said: “It’s very easy to fix the problem if you’re someone who has this regularly and flies a lot or professionally.

“You have to open up those sinus drainage halfway surgically. Once you do that, the problem goes away.”

Aerosinusitis can be extremely uncomfortable for some passengers.

Erica Klauber, 39, recalled experiencing severe pain and even fearing she was having an aneurysm while on a business trip in 2013.

She said:  “I remember looking at the guy next to me.

“I was like, ‘Should I reach out and tell him? Do I have the faculties to tell him that this is it?’”

However Dr Richard reassured travellers that as painful as may feel, aerosinusitis is “not really a big deal”, adding: “Once the pain has resolved, the problem is resolved.”

He added that while many patients fear their heads might explode, “that isn’t a real thing. Your sinus cannot explode or implode. It just hurts a lot.”

THE Italian island of Giglio is home to wide sandy beaches and hidden coves, and it remains largely untouched by hordes of holidaymakers.

Set in the Tyrrhenian Sea, Giglio is just one of the seven major islands that form part of the Tuscan Archipelago.

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The string of seven islands, which include the more commonly known Elba, were said to have been formed by the scattered pearls of the goddess Venus’s necklace.

Covering just nine square miles, Giglio is home to just 1,100 residents.

While this number swells somewhat in the summer months, the Italian island remains largely untouched by British holidaymakers.

Home to the island’s ferry port, Giglio Porto is the main town on the island.

The harbour is backed by a string colourful houses where the majority of the island’s residents live.

From Giglio Porto, day-trippers can rent a small motorboat, which means they can explore hidden coves that aren’t reachable from land.

There are also several scuba dive centres located in Giglio Potro where scuba divers can hire equipment and book onto underwater tours, to explore shipwrecks, sea caves and coral walls in the waters surrounding Giglio Porto.

Other towns on the island include Giglio Castello and Giglio Campese.

Located on the top of a hill, Giglio Castello is an ancient medieval village that’s home to formidable city walls and winding cobblestone streets.

Meanwhile, Giglio Campese is home to Giglio Campese Beach, the largest beach on the island.

The dark red sand is the most tourist-focused spot on the island, with visitors able to rent out sunloungers and parasols.

Other beaches on the island include Cannelle Beach, which has fine white sand and crystal-clear waters and Caldane Beach, one of the smallest beaches on the island.

Visitors can reach Giglio on a direct ferry service from Porto Santo Stefano on the Tuscan mainland.

Ferry journeys take roughly one hour with tickets starting from £11 per person.

And there are plenty of other secluded spots in Italy only locals seem to know about, including Ponza.

Ponza

Ponza is part of the Pontine archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea, and it is home to beaches that rival Capri — but for a fraction of the price.

One of the more rustic Italian islands, with its untouched natural landscapes, hidden coves and sea caves.

To get there, you can hop on a train from Rome’s main station, Termini, to the port city of Anzio. The journey takes just over an hour and costs around £5.

Meanwhile, here are the 100 best beaches in the world to visit in 2024 – and four from the UK have made the cut.

And one tiny UK town has been compared to a stunning Italian island.

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ARUNDEL is an historic market town in West Sussex that’s home to an 950-year-old castle, riverside pubs and independent shops and boutiques.

And while we know that the fictional town in the Disney movie Frozen was inspired by the Austrian town of Hallstatt.. we’re going to go out on a limb and say there are an awful lot of similarities with this southern English location.

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For starters, Arendelle – the town in Frozen – sunds an awful lot like Arundel.

Secondly, the big focal point of Arundel is the imposing castle, much like in Frozen, where the castle is the home of the princesses Elsa and Anna.

Built by Roger de Montgomery in 1067, Arundel Castle is the historic home of the Duke of Norfolk, with it being occupied by that family line for more than 850 years

The castle is currently home to Edward William Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk and his wife Francesca Herbet.

Despite being a family home of the Duke of Norfolk, Arundel Castle has been the backdrop for huge blockbuster films like 2017’s Wonder Woman, starring Gal Gadot.

Helen Mirren also filmed the Madness of King George alongside Nigel Hawthorne in Arundel Castle.

Arundel Castle is open to the public, with the historic building being named the Historic Park & Garden of the Year in 2024.

Visitors can explore rooms like the Regency Library, the Baron’s Hall, the Drawing Room and several Victorian and Edwardian bedrooms.

There are also plenty of buildings located within the grounds of the castle, including Fitzalan Chapel, a Gatehouse and a Chapel.

Events also take place at Arundel Castle throughout the year like the Household Cavalry Exhibition, which showcases twelve large-scale portraits of the Household Cavalry by the photographic artist Ripley

Jousting shows and walking tours will take place throughout the castle in October.

Entry tickets to Arundel Castle cost £29 for a full-paying adult and £12 for children, with family tickets coming in at £70.

You can also get an excellent view of the castle if you choose to take the train to the town’s station, Arundel Castle.

The Arun Valley railway line runs right past the foot of the grounds.

There are plenty of other tourist attractions in the historic market, including Arundel Cathedral.

The Gothic cathedral is free to visit, with one of its most beautiful features considered to be the rose window that sits directly behind the organ gallery.

Arundel Town Centre is packed with independent shops like Kim’s Bookshop, Lavender House, and the Tea and Biscuit Club.

Another attraction is Arundel Lido, which has two outdoor swimming pools.

While the pools are heated from April to September, they become cold water swimming spots throughout the winter when the heat is turned off in the colder months.

Because Arundel is backed by the South Downs National Park, walking routes and hiking trails are another popular pastime in the area.

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One of those is the five-kilometre walk around Swanbourne Lake, which takes visitors past Hiorne Tower and back into Arundel Town Centre.

There’s also Arundel Park Walk that stretches for nine kilometres passing places like Monarch’s Way, the village of South Stoke and the River Arun.

Arundel isn’t short on pubs, with The Black Rabbit Pub highly-rated.

The riverside boozer offers views across the Wetlands towards Arundel Castle and serves a range of traditional grub like Sunday Roasts.

Other pubs in Arundel include the Lamb Inn, the Red Lion and the Kings Arms.

Holidaymakers can book to stay overnight at the Norfolk Arms Hotel, a Georgian Coaching Inn was built over 200 years ago by the 10th Duke of Norfolk.

Stays start from £70 per person per room, based on two people sharing a room.

Arundel is an hour’s drive from Brighton.

Earlier this month, we revealed our favourite towns and villages to visit across the UK.

Another tiny village in the UK has been compared to a retro 1940s film set.

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