With spring a-springing and all those blooming beautiful bank holidays and summer breaks right around the corner, we thought we’d share ideas for brilliant bookish days out that can be enjoyed around the British Isles, beginning with England and Wales — stay tuned for next month’s feature on top literary locations to visit in Scotland and Ireland.

From family-friendly fun for all ages, to enjoying close encounters with locations beloved by literary lovies, read on to start planning unforgettable book-based adventures. For more inspiration, read our feature on UK literary landscapes you might just fall in love with. 

1. Dylan Thomas Boathouse, Laugharne

As our Collection of wonderful Welsh writers reveals, Wales sure isn’t short of literary greats, with Dylan Thomas’ writing shed in Laugharne being something of a mecca for book-lovers around the globe. Today the Dylan Thomas Boathouse near his iconic shed houses a gallery and tearoom.

You might want to time your visit to coincide with the Laugharne Weekend, an annual arts and literary festival. That said, Laugharne is a lovely literary location to visit round the year, with lots of literary connections beyond its most famous resident — Kingsley Amis wrote most of his 1986 Booker Prize-winning novel The Old Devils in Laugharne, Margaret Atwood set a short story here, and feminist philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft lived here for a time.

2. Swansea

Dylan Thomas fans will also want to explore his childhood city of Swansea, with the Dylan Thomas Centre in the Maritime Quarter housing permanent exhibitions and special events. You can also tour his family home on Cwmdonkin Drive.

3. Pembrokeshire

With its epic coast, rolling hills and ancient monuments, Pembrokeshire has long been associated with myths and legends of literature. A thousand years ago, this spellbinding region was described as a land of mystery and enchantment by the anonymous author of The Mabinogion.

Pembrokeshire is also home to charming Tenby, which was a popular seaside holiday destination for many esteemed writers, among them George Eliot, Dylan Thomas, Laurie Lee, Beatrix Potter and Roald Dahl (keep reading for more on the latter two).

Meanwhile, Pembrokeshire’s breathtakingly beautiful Freshwater West beach provided the dune-tastic backdrop for Dobby's Shell Cottage in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. 

4. Hay-on-Wye

Though tiny in size, Hay-on-Wye is unbelievably big when it comes to books — it’s known as the town of bookshops, and is home to the world-renowned Hay Festival of Literature and Arts.

Visit in late May to attend the festival, or anytime to browse the town’s many bookshops in beautiful surroundings. One thing’s for certain, you’ll leave with a whopping to-be-read pile.

5. Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, Great Missenden

Home to the marvellous, immersive Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, Dahl’s former house and writing hut in Great Missenden are open to visitors, with an appropriately inventive array of interactive displays and events to be well and truly wowed by, no matter what your age.

Built by Dahl’s handyman friend who inspired none other than the BFG, the brick writing hut is a highlight of any visit, with tools of Dahl’s trade and intriguing personal paraphernalia (including his hipbone) displayed as they were when he wrote here.

6. Beatrix Potter sites, Cumbria

Little literature-lovers and grown-ups alike will find plenty to love about visiting Beatrix Potter’s seventeenth-century Hill Top farmhouse. Packed with the author’s personal possessions (including her boots and hat set out near a fireside chair), this National Trust property oozes English country charm, not least in the higgledy-piggledy cottage garden. Grown-ups in need of guilt-free refreshment will be pleased to hear that the Tower Bank Arms next to the cottage was featured in The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck.

Meanwhile, The World of Beatrix Potter is wonderfully child-centred, with all 23 tales featured in sensory 3D form, along with interactive attractions and a lovely tea room. 

7. Seven Stories, Newcastle

Being the National Centre for Children’s Books, Seven Stories delivers the culturally important task of preserving and celebrating the heritage of Britain’s rich tradition of writing and illustrating for children. 

With an astounding library, an incredible collection of literary artefacts (think early handwritten drafts, creators’ correspondence with editors, and original artwork), and an innovative events programme, visiting Seven Stories makes for a rewarding and inspirational day out — be sure to check their calendar of events if you’re in the Newcastle area.

8. Virginia Woolf’s Monk’s House, Sussex

Now a National Trust property, Monk’s House, a gorgeous sixteenth-century cottage deep in the Sussex Downs, was bought by Virginia Woolf and husband Leonard in 1919. Soon after arriving, Virginia had a wooden tool shed transformed into a writing lodge that served as a workspace for many of her major novels.

Both the house and shed are rich in creative connections, with TS Elliot and EM Forster among the Woolfs’ illustrious guests. Both buildings also display fascinating literary artefacts, among them the complete works of Shakespeare hand-covered by Virginia herself, and artwork by her sister, the painter Vanessa Bell.