Top Things to See and Do in England Next Year

What's new and notable for next year across England? Take a look at these events and attractions, courtesy of VisitEngland:

Grand Openings

Several luxury hotels are set to open across the country next year. Heckfield Place plans to open its doors in March 2015. Built in the Georgian period and expanded in Victorian times, the revitalized Heckfield Place manor house hotel sits on a 330 acre working farm and has 60 individually designed bedrooms; a historic walled garden of flowers, herbs and fruit trees; a 65-seat subterranean screening room; cottages offering a variety of health and beauty experiences; and a restaurant with Skye Gyngell at the helm. 

Opening in spring, The Gainsborough Bath Spa will be the only hotel in the United Kingdom to house a natural thermal spa. Created by Champalimaud Design, the rooms and suites at the hotel will be custom-furnished, with period details combined with contemporary forms.
 
Living Architecture has two openings planned, for 2015 and 2016. Spring-time will welcome the Grayson Perry-inspired House for Essex, a unique creation in the North Essex countryside. The house, near Wrabness, will explore the special character and individual qualities of Essex. The second project in South Devon, between the resorts of Salcombe and Hallsands, is Peter Zumthor’s The Secular Retreat and is due to open in 2016. We hear the space is "dedicated to calm, reflection and perspective."
 
Lastly, the luxury global chain The Peninsula has announced plans to open its first ever UK property in Belgravia, London, just steps away from Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace.

Out of Place Art

Kicking off this month, Ai Weiwei at Blenheim Palace is the first major contemporary art exhibition to be presented in the historic building (which dates back to 1704 and was famously the birth place of British Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill in 1874). The launch of the Blenheim Art Foundation – a new program of contemporary art at Blenheim Palace – presents modern art in the palace rooms, as well as in the park and formal gardens. With more than 50 pieces being showcased, it will be the most extensive UK exhibition by the Chinese artist.

Innovative settings for the arts is a theme running throughout 2015 with the Almeida Theatre’s The Fever popping up at The May Fair Hotel’s Amber Suite. The one-man play, written by Wallace Shawn starring Game of Thrones and Outlander actor Tobias Menzies, is a confessional monologue and will be performed in intimate room to an audience of just 28. Performances will run from January 7 until February 7, 2015 and limited tickets will be available via the Almeida Theatre Box Office.

The Amber Suite at the May Fair Hotel

Similarly (and a first for the museum industry), the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich is collaborating with Punchdrunk Enrichment to create Against Captain’s Orders: A Journey into the Uncharted. The exhibit aimed at six- to twelve year-olds (and their families) will take audience members on a theatrical journey through the museum. Visitors will become real life crew members and will be called on to work together to navigate through the exhibition. Tickets are now on sale and the interactive performances will run from March 28 until August 2015. 

Balls and Boats

2015 is set to be a big sporting year for England. Just three years after London 2012 Olympic Games, England will host the world’s third-largest sporting event, the Rugby World Cup, from September 18 to October 31 2015. The tournament spans 10 English destinations across 44 days, giving fans a good excuse to take a road-trip around the country. Team USA and Canada have both qualified for the tournament and are scheduled to play fixtures in Brighton, Leeds, Gloucester, Milton Keynes, Leicester and London.

In a revolutionary move that breaks with 183 years of history, the Women's Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge will achieve equal billing with the more famous men's event in 2015 as the two events are combined. The women’s event, which has previously taken place at Henley-on-Thames, will move to the traditional race location of Tideway on April 11, 2015. 

Artisan England

This year has seen a spate of new artisan openings.  A number of artisanal gin and whisky distilleries as well as boutique vineyards already open their doors to the public; however, oenophiles, whisky connoisseurs and gin enthusiasts will have to wait until next year to enjoy the first fruits of their labor.
 
Visitors to the Holy Vale vineyard on the Isles of Scilly will be able to sample the  chardonnays and pinot noirs in daily tastings from early next year. Described by wine expert Michael Broadbent as ‘one of the most beautiful vineyard sites in the world’, the winery currently offers a guided tour and a seat on the picturesque terrace in the heart of 7,000 vines. The Star Castle Hotel, a former 16th century castle in the shape of a star, offers bed, breakfast and dinner, plus a complimentary tour of the vineyard.
 
The Cotswolds Distillery is one of only five in England producing whiskey, rye, liqueur and gin. While visitors will have to wait until 2017 to sample the whiskey, the gin will be on sale from the end of this month. Located in Stourton, exclusive tours and tasting sessions will be available from October 2014.
 
Housed in a former Victorian farm in the Lake District, The Lakes Distillery – Cumbria’s first whiskey distillery – also produces its own Cumbrian gin made with local botanicals. The Lakes Distillery, near Bassenthwaite, will have a café, restaurant, shop and a visitor center offering supervised distillery tours, which will open in December this year. However, for those who can’t wait, visitors can pop by now for a complimentary tasting of The ONE whiskey.

Green England

In the run up to the tercentenary of the birth of landscape gardener Capability Brown in 2016, England is going ‘green.’ Hampton Court Palace has teamed up with a Chelsea-winning gardener to create the new Magic Garden in summer 2015, an innovative and sensory experience that will also provide the ideal setting for evening events such as plays, concerts and light installations.

Bristol has long been one of the UK’s leading green cities and its eco-credentials have been recognized as the city has been awarded the international accolade of European Green Capital 2015. A lively program of ‘green’ themed events makes Bristol stand apart as an environmentally-focused and sustainable city, including Bristol’s Big Green Week, Festival of Nature, Bristol’s Biggest Bike Ride, Bristol Green Doors and Bristol Cycle Festival. Those looking for an eco-chic getaway should check out The Greenhouse, a temple to all things eco-friendly.
 
For more ideas, visit www.visitengland.com.