Enjoy The North of England on a budget

In line with our Britain and Ireland on a shoestring competition we are out to prove it is possible to enjoy a short break on a shoestring with Leonardo Hotels.

We have compiled all the fantastic responses from Facebook to share great low-cost ways to enjoy the UK. In the first part of this series we provided the best suggestions on how to enjoy Ireland on a budget. Now, we have gathered all the best ideas from our ‘Britain on a Shoe String’ campaign for destinations in Britain.

We had so many great suggestions that we’ve had to split them up into North and South England and Ireland.

Fun things to do in The North

Stuff to do in Birmingham

Rik: “You can visit Aston Hall Museum for free on the first Saturday of each month.”

John: “Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, a stroll along the canal, cannon Hill Park and the MAC and Moseley Bog.”

XCardiffBirdx: “The Birmingham Nature Centre is value for money! £4 for Adults & £1.50 for kids: a fab day out!”

Bradford & Huddersfield outings

Janine: “Bradford Museum of Film and Photography: amazing museum which is free entrance (You can film yourself doing the news and pretend there’s a whole summer ahead still!)… it will keep children, and adults, amused for hours.”

Peter: “City Park, National Media Museum, Industrial Museum. Howarth + Moor, Bolling Hall, Watching KWVR, Ogden Water (close to) …And there's more! Saltaire Village, Baildon Moors, Shibden Park, St Ives Estate, cycle/walk on the canal.”

Andrew: “Richard Dunns centre for swimming and slides – very cheap!”

Lya: "Go up to Castle Hill in Huddersfield, take a picnic and fly a kite! Hours of fun for kids and grown-ups!”

Derby day out

Mark: “Pickford's House, Derby: beautiful Georgian townhouse and garden! It’s free entry, and only a minutes’ walk from your Leonardo Hotel.

Activities in Leeds

Julie: “Walk along the river Aire to the Royal Armouries Museum which is free to enter.”

Wendy: “The best free family place to visit in Leeds has to be The Armouries.”

Amanda: “Visit Leeds in west Yorkshire. The shopping is fabulous and there are loads of free things to see and do including art galleries, museums, parks and outdoor concerts.”

Things to do in Liverpool

Lynthia: "I love wandering around Sudley House, enjoying the paintings that are on display and soaking up the relaxing atmosphere.

My advice - ask at the desk if Steve is around to take you on a tour.  This man is clearly passionate about the house and its contents and is so knowledgeable about all of the paintings and the artists that produced them.”

Jane: “There are plenty of scenic walks along the banks, ending at the awesome Pier Head. Visit the new museum of Liverpool Life or uncover the Slave Trade and mystery of the Titanic at the Maritime Museum. Just a sailor`s jig away is the Famous Tate gallery ensconced in the Picturesque Albert Dock. Stroll across the city to The Walker art gallery, home to many famous paintings and exhibitions and then pop into Liverpool Museum, all of which are completely free. Further along the Mersey; at Crosby beach, the Iron Men, creations of Antony Gormley, stare out to sea; a work of art like no other...”

Dave: “Two Cathedrals in one day plus John Lennon’s two favourite pubs, Paul McCartney's Fame School down a street called Hope.”

Top Manchester activities

Matthew: “Check out the Manchester Museum - entry is free. The kids will love the dinosaurs, and finding out about the world...”

Graham: “Visit the National Football Museum in Manchester.”

Michelle: “the Mosi (museum of science and industry), and the Manchester police museum. It’s always great for the kids; young and old.”

Ems: “go to John Ryland’s library, awesome building and deceptively amazing inside.”

Things to do in Milton Keynes

Pauline: “Go to Willen Lake Milton Keynes on a lovely day, take a picnic and if you have a family a ball or Frisbee.  There are loads of things to do there if you want to spend some money but a great day also if you want to save your pennies.”

Michelle: “Parks Trust always run free events at Campbell Park, open air cinema & theatre, walks, bike rides, picnics, and fayres.”

Daniel: “Sit on a concrete cow for a photo, walk round one of the lakes, and see all the history at Bletchley Park.”

Days out in Newcastle

Val: “Have your photo taken hugging the iconic Angel of the North who welcomes visitors to the North East with open arms.”

Paula: “visit a food festival.  They hold small specialised festivals and weekends throughout the rest of the year; perfect for food lovers visiting the Newcastle/Gateshead area.”

Jacqui: "Try a quiet weekday for a drive along the coastal route in Northumberland; you'll begin perhaps at Newbiggin by the Sea where you can see the 'Couples' sculpture, continue along to Amble then Warkworth where there is a pleasant riverside walk.  In Alnmouth you may wander round the pleasant village and picnic in the sand dunes.

Continue your journey via Boulmer to Craster, renowned as a fishing village and for its kippers.  Take a walk along the cliff top to the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle then carry on driving to Seahouses and finally to  Bamburgh where the castle offers up a dramatic silhouette and where you may experience the charming Grace Darling museum for free.  There you have it, a fabulously dramatic coastline in Northumberland.”