The 50 Best Picnic Spots - Romantic

Rhiannon Batten finds the perfect places to lay your blanket this summer

Llanthony Priory

The towering ruins of this ancient priory, which was originally founded by Augustinians in the 12th century, provide the perfect backdrop for a spot of romance, according to Evie Pace. Apicnic here will "bolster your energy for a stomp up the BlackMountains", she says. "You can even reward yourselves with a refreshing beverage at the delightful hotel there upon your return."

Getting there: The priory is seven miles outside Abergavenny, in the Brecon Beacons National Park, with free access.

Visit www.breconbeacons.org

Dunadd Fort

Thought to be the site where the kings of Dalriada were inaugurated, this rocky outcrop is "steeped in history and drama", says Evie. "Come at sunset and stand in the worn footprints of the ancient kings," she advises. Other historic attractions in the surrounding Kilmartin Glen include burial cairns, rock engravings and standing stones.

Getting there: Dunadd is off the A816 north of Lochgilphead, in Argyll, with free access (www.historic-scotland.gov.uk).

For more information visit Kilmartin House Museum (01546 510278; www.kilmartin.org)

Loughrigg Tarn

For more seclusion than the larger lakes in the Lake District offer, try pretty Loughrigg Tarn – but work up an appetite first by climbing to the top of neighbouring Loughrigg Fell.

Getting there: Loughrigg Tarn is around 5m west of Ambleside, outside the village of Elterwater. For more general information contact the Lake District National Park (01539 724555; www.lake-district.gov.uk)

Cobstone Mill

"This is a charming, quintessentially British, location with views across the Buckinghamshire countryside," says Mark Price. Though Cobstone is privately owned, a good location for a picnic is the field to its side, he says. "Take a slow, romantic walk to the top of the ridge, where there is a beautiful location for an intimate dining experience".

Getting there: The windmill is in the hamlet of Ibstone, just off J5 of the M40, and around 12m west of HighWycombe.

Haworth

Five minutes’ walk from the centre of the brooding West Yorkshire village of Haworth – famously the site of the Brönte Parsonage – miles of heather moorland begin. Strike out here on a sunny day and find a rocky outcrop to "enjoy the vibrantly coloured views whilst tucking into a tasty picnic", advises Laurence.

Getting there: Haworth is 10m northwest of Bradford. For more information contact

Visit Bradford (01535 642329; www.visitbradford.com/bronte-country/)

The Long Mynd

Laurence asks, "Is there a better view in England than that from the top of the Long Mynd, in Shropshire?" This mountain is part of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and, "as you tuck into your sandwiches and Shrewsbury biscuits, you can see the towering Wrekin, Wenlock Edge, the Clee Hills and Stretton Hills".

Getting there: The Long Mynd is 10m south of Shrewsbury, off the A49. Church Stretton, with its train station, is the main gateway.

Visit: www.churchstretton.co.uk/visitors/

Fox’s Pulpit

At this remote site, on Firbank Fell in theHowgills, you’re unlikely to be disturbed while picnicking. The "pulpit" – a hulk of rock – gives a little shelter but, for more dramatic scenery, slip around the back of it to Great Knots viewpoint, where the landscape spills out onto a spectacular Dales patchwork of fields and old stone walls.

Getting there: Fox’s Pulpit is outside Sedbergh in Cumbria, with open access.

Hay-on-Wye

Set by the River Wye, with ruined castles, picturesque streets and rolling Brecon Beacons countryside on hand, itwould be hard to find a more romantic setting. "I advise a walk along the river, ideally during late summer," says Mark Price. If you think you might run out of conversation, pick up some poetry from one of the town’s 30 second-hand bookshops and recite to your loved one between bites of pork pie.

Getting there: Hay-on-Wye is around 13mwest of Hereford (01497 820144; www.hay-on-wye.co.uk)