THE best spring scenes in the UK are London’s Kew Gardens, Hampshire’s New Forest and York’s medieval city walls.
A survey of 2,000 adults revealed the most underrated areas of natural beauty, as 32 percent love discovering hidden gems and sharing them with others when the warmer months begin.
The second largest lake in the Lake District – Ullswater – and London‘s St James’ and Richmond Park also made the top 10 spring locations.
More than a third (34 percent) plan to get out into nature more this year after a long winter, with 44 percent claiming that a change in their mental well-being is the main reason for going outside.
The research was commissioned by London North Eastern Railway (LNER) to launch the third installment of the free downloadable version tourist guide series – presentation of environmentally friendly places to eat, drink and stay York, Dundee And Durham.
Being peaceful (56 percent), providing a beautiful backdrop to clear the mind (42 percent), and making people feel at ease (34 percent) emerged as the reasons the spring scenes scored highly.
David Horne, managing director at LNER, said: “Getting out into nature, whether close to home or further afield, makes us all feel better.
“Our research has shown that your physical and mental well-being can deteriorate if you don’t get outside every day.
“For those looking to explore the UK this spring, our guides feature signature natural hotspots and historic and cultural sites that are working hard to become more environmentally friendly.”
Half of those surveyed (51 percent) notice an improvement in their mood when they’re outside, with the average person taking 14 minutes to feel the positive benefits.
Being less stressed (43 percent) and more anxious (31 percent) and having more time to process thoughts (27 percent) were among the benefits of being in a natural environment.
Top reasons why Brits like to immerse themselves in nature include breathing fresh, cool air (67 percent) and taking a break from screens (45 percent).
Spending quality time with family and friends (45 percent) and spotting animals in their natural habitat (44 percent) were also highlights of being outdoors.
More than a third of those surveyed via OnePoll (38 percent) agree that it is important to conserve and protect natural hotspots and 88 percent are concerned about the impact climate change will have on such spaces.
David Horne added: “Trains are the most sustainable form of transport, so visitors to York, Dundee and Durham can use these free, downloadable guides and be assured that they are also making a positive impact on the environment, as well as creating their own personal well-being while exploring.
“For those who really want to see the environmental impact of their travel on different modes – LNER’s carbon footprint calculator calculates the CO2 emissions per journey and shows what a train journey can make a difference.
“Our Azuma trains, which run electrically on most of our network, could reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 331 kg if half of the planned recreational car and air travel were made by train.”
TOP 10 SPRING SCENES IN THE UK ACCORDING TO BRITISH:
- Kew Gardens, London
- New Forest, Hampshire
- Ullswater Lake, Lake District
- St James’s Park, London
- Richmond Park, London
- The Moors of North York, York
- Greenwich Park, London
- The City Walls of York, York
- York Minster, York
- Castle Howard and Yorkshire Arboretum, York