Weather

When to go

Any visitor to England will soon sympathise with the locals’ obsession with weather, but extremes of hot or cold are rare. The key word is changeable: the weather can be bad one minute, great the next. It wouldn’t be unusual in April, for example, for the morning to be warm enough for T-shirts, lunchtime to be cloudy, a dash of rain and drop in temperature in the afternoon, polished off by a dump of snow in the evening.

Despite apparent randomness, there is a seasonal pattern. Rain falls less often in summer (June to August), and there’s normally more sunshine, although there’ll be cloudy days too. Conversely, winter (November to February) may enjoy fantastic clear spells between bouts of snow, while spring (March to May) or autumn (September to October) can sometimes produce the best weather of the year. There are also variations over distance: southern England might be chilly, while the north enjoys a heat wave. Or vice versa. Be prepared for anything and you won’t get a surprise.

With all that in mind, May to September is undoubtedly the best period to travel in England. July and August are busiest (it’s school holiday time), especially in coastal towns, national parks and historic cities like Oxford, Bath and York. In April and October you take a chance on the weather, but avoid crowds, although some hotels and attractions close mid-October to Easter and tourist offices have limited hours.

For winter visits, London and the big cities are an exception – they’re busy all the time, with such a lot to see the weather is immaterial. Besides, you’re almost as likely to have a damp day in June as you are in January…