There’s nothing like a weekend in the countryside. If you’re looking for some ideas of things to do, look no further! In this blog post, we will discuss some of our favorite activities that can be enjoyed in rural areas. From hiking and biking to fishing and birdwatching, there’s something for everyone! So pack your bags and get ready for an adventure.
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My Daily Routine in the Countryside
I’m lucky enough to live in the British countryside, so let’s start by giving you a sense of how I spend the country days!
I like to rise with the light. Therefore, I’m usually up at 5 or 6 in the summertime. I make sure I have had a nap while the sun is still waking up and I’m showering, then I head out for my morning routine.
As the day breaks in, so do I break into the day slowly. I spend the first hour or two having a light breakfast, browsing the internet, catching up with some news, and often listening to music or studying.
Sometimes I’ll go for an early morning walk or do some fitness training in virtual reality if feeling motivated. I like to do shadowboxing and other conditioning exercises in VR in the morning.
After breakfast, I settle into my writing routine. I write at least one article daily, which takes me 3 to 4 hours to do correctly. Therefore, I can generally predict how much time I will spend in my office throughout the day.
In the late morning, my partner and I will typically go to our local woodland in the Exmoor national park and do a walk. Walking alongside the river is a tremendous pleasure and privilege living in a rural area like this. Afterward, we usually do light shopping to get fresh groceries, for our house is not adjacent to any stores.
We go to the local village or small town to stock up on groceries and some fresh produce (shopping locally means supporting the local rural community) and then head back home to prepare a meal. This is one of our favorite parts of the day, where we relax and enjoy our work in the morning.
After lunch, I often take a nap. There you go, that’s an honest confession! But, in truth, I’m not ashamed. I recommend this pastime to anyone. These naps are perfect for your health, mind, and creativity.
In the second half of the day, I will generally do research, work on developing my online business, and look for topics associated with my writing. Of course, I also like spending time on social media and blogging platforms. Unfortunately, job opportunities are limited in the countryside. Therefore I feel grateful to have my own business.
At around 5 or 6 p.m., we will start cooking our main course for dinner. After that, we usually have dinner early in the evening, around 7 p.m. Afterward, we sit in to watch a movie or series on Netflix or Amazon Prime or sit down with a book and have some quiet time together.
I believe in the early nights, so I usually head to bed around 10:30. However, knowing that tomorrow will be another full day pleases me.
Relax!
The countryside is a beautiful opportunity to engage in slow living compared to city life.
The ability to slow down and be present with nature is truly profound. You will find that you can spend less time doing busy work when rural living and more time relaxing in the company of nature.
Doing so will significantly increase the energy available for your daily activities.
By adapting yourself to the pace of nature and observing it all around you, you do your body and mind an excellent service, both physically, mentally, and spiritually. When you do this, you will see those little things like birds chirping and the gentle breeze brushing past your skin are genuinely delightful.
The stress melts away, and you can fully find yourself and enjoy your surroundings for a while. The most important thing to remember is that there is no such thing as overdoing this.
You learn to appreciate small things in rural places, whether a flower, a relaxing walk in the countryside, a simple hike through some trees, or other outdoor activities.
True enjoyment comes from slowing down and taking it all in as you go. The more you do this, the more enjoyable life in rural parts becomes for you.
The gentle ambiance of the countryside becomes the music of the day, and you’ll find yourself listening to it actively.
You can also eat better than usual because the food is fresh and you’re not stressed about having it on time, as can the case in city living.
Country Pubs
Going to a country pub at the weekend for lunch or enjoying a quiet pint in the evening is a tremendous pleasure in rural life. There is no better place to relax and unwind after a busy (relatively speaking!) week.
Country pubs are the “people places.” There is no such thing as an over-served pub; everything is done with care and attention given to each individual.
Part of the enjoyment is the continuation of very long traditions. So many of the pubs have a history is going back 100 years or more. And some are very old indeed.
There is an amicable and social spirit in the country pubs. This is because you must be willing to talk to people you do not know to enjoy the authentic atmosphere.
Country Walks
Country walking takes every form, from a 10-minute stroll through the local greenery to full-on hillwalking and even mountain trekking. However, there is something exceptional about walking in greenwood. It has many beautiful aspects, such as the great smell of nature, the fresh air, and exercise.
There is something about a long walk in the countryside that reduces stress levels wonderfully.
I happen to live in the area where the famous poets Samuel Coleridge come up with his friend William Wordsworth. The cottage in which he lived is about 15 minutes from where I live. Looking at the local landscapes, it’s evident why Coleridge spent so much time walking in them.
History is very much part of the area. There are many cottages close to where I live with historical records and maps from the 18th century. These are preserved in a nearby museum which is an absolute treat.
It’s a fantastic mix of woodland, seascapes, hills, and vistas. There are so many things to enjoy and see that you don’t want the time to end.
I always take my iPhone with me, not as a phone or internet device, but as the best portable camera. While walking, I usually document scenes that strike my eye and mind, particularly memorable or beautiful moments.
Sometimes I will take pictures of farms, hedgerows, and cattle. I love capturing these little things as they add another dimension to what you see in your photographs later.
In this way, my photo album becomes my walking diary and map – because every photo is tagged with metadata so that I know the precise location later on. In this way, I can recreate my walks.
The health benefits of countryside walking are huge, of course. Your mood improves, blood pressure and heart rate go down, everything is breathed in, and you are generally better for it. Effectively, there is zero air pollution and significantly reduced respiratory diseases.
A faster walking pace will make you sweat and cause your heart rate to go up. This is good, as it means that you are burning calories while you’re out walking.
Archery
My local archery club shoots next to a local village – a truly wonderful place. It’s on a tiny practice field with an adjacent clubhouse.
I’m a club member and have been practicing archery since I was a teenager. There is something extraordinary about the sport which I cannot easily capture in words.
Once a week, I drive the 10-minutes over to the archery field, and we shoot for a couple of hours.
Although I shot competition archery in the past, nothing too competitive, I shoot now for the sheer enjoyment of the sport and the exercise.
All of this is set within a beautiful little community, and there’s something wonderfully social about it. The club has many friendly people, and we all get on very well together.
Sometimes, in this area, the weather can turn sharply. But that’s all part of the fun!
One of the great pleasures in the countryside is discovering and visiting local beauty spots. For me, it’s part of having a rural lifestyle.
I will often check out an area in virtual reality before we go to visit it.
I like to know about the history of the places we visit and research the locations before we go there.
In the summertime, it’s fun and cheaper to take a picnic with you.
Visit the Coast
Like us, exploring the local beaches and coves is a great way to go if you are lucky enough to live near the coast. Later this summer, we plan to go down to some of the beaches on the North Devon Coast.
Wild swimming is one of the best things you can do in the countryside. But, of course, sea swimming is equally enjoyable. Make sure you check whether the beach is safe to swim in.
And whether there are any riptides or anything like that.
Have a Lazy Day In
Sometimes there is no better way to spend a weekend day in the countryside than to have a lazy day in.
Today, for example, it was raining most of the day, so we relaxed watching a series on Netflix.
I find it very relaxing and meditative to read while the rain beats against the window.
Invite Friends to Drop by or Stay Over
One of the advantages of living in the countryside compared to an urban area is that you have more space for friends and guests.
We enjoy thinking about and planning the visits of friends from other parts of the UK.
It’s fun to think about the various activities we can do when they visit. Including the pubs that we will see!
Gardening
We have a small garden, therefore doing some gardening is a necessity. Once we approach the summer, the grass starts to shoot up. Meaning, out comes the mower!
Although I would not claim to have the greenest fingers in the world, I get stuck in some weeding. Plus, the hedge normally needs a trim!
Around here, we tend to let hedges grow a bit wilder to allow the local wildlife more space.
Foraging
It’s a great pleasure to forage in nature. So, I will gather a few if I spot blackberries along the walks. Usually, after eating several!
Exmoor Ponies
Here in Exmoor, we have the world-famous Exmoor ponies. These are wild horses, reputed to be the oldest breed in the world. So there is some debate about that.
And so, part of the fun is keeping an eye out for them on longer drives. Then, when we see them, we take a few photos and admire their beauty in the landscape.
Appreciate the Season and How It Plays on the Landscape
In the countryside, you get a much closer connection to the seasons. It’s not only the seasons’ direct impact on you, whether cold, rainy, or sun.
It’s how the seasons play on the landscape around you.
Stargazing
We are lucky enough to live in an area of Dark Sky. So when the sky is clear, the stars are visible in the sky.
I bought a spotting scope for archery, birdwatching, and observing the moon when it is clear.
It’s well worth learning about the constellations if you live in a rural setting.
For my money, stargazing reminds me that we are creatures of the Universe, not just of one Planet.
What are the advantages of living in the countryside?
The main advantages of living in a rural region are significantly reduced stress, a strong connection with nature, and an overall very healthy lifestyle.
What kind of people should live in the countryside?
People who know or feel they can enjoy a slower pace while also living a more fulfilling life should live in the countryside. Especially if you don’t need the employment opportunities of the big city.
How has life changed over time in the countryside?
One of the great things about the countryside is that life does not change too much over time. Memories of going up in the British countryside in Lancashire and Somerset more than 40 years ago do not differ too much from the experience of living in the country now.
What do you like about the place where you live?
What I love about the place where we now live is the tremendous variety of nature. And landscapes. We are genuinely privileged to enjoy some of the UK’s most beautiful woodlands, seascapes, and hills. All are on our doorstep.
