Photos of Sunrise or Sunset In The UK & My Favourite Places

There are lots of options for good places in the UK to watch the sunrise or sunset. This includes the countryside of Cornwall or the Cotswolds and some pretty cities like London, York, Carlisle and Chester. The early and late sun in the UK creates some great lighting, hence the name ‘golden hour ‘.

The sun, being low in the sky, changes the appearance of many of the landscapes and cities of the UK. I find the first and last hours of daylight are the best times to take photos in any location.

What time?

The best way to check UK sunrise and sunset times is to ask a search engine or a weather app, which are on most mobile phones these days. Identifying a great day for colourful sunrises or sunsets is trickier. I find days with clear skies or those marked with partial cloud cover often deliver the best views. Apparently, wispy clouds towards the end of the day are the perfect ingredients for a great sunset.

UK Sunset & Sunrise Places & Photos

Places I’ve enjoyed watching the sun come up or go down throughout the UK.

Cornwall

Cornwall has a great reputation as one of the best places to enjoy sunsets and sunrises. I’ve enjoyed many red skies in Cornwall over the years. Polperro is a beautiful place to visit in Cornwall. We enjoyed a wonderful camping adventure here, and the campsite was fantastic for both early and late sun.

Another place in Cornwall with beautiful sunrises was the Tencreek campsite in Looe. These were pretty epic, as was the stargazing at night. Early morning walks from the dog-friendly campsite were pretty special for me. Henry wasn’t so impressed.

Birmingham

Photographs of the city as the sun comes up or goes down are rather nice in Birmingham. It’s challenging to find a brilliant spot, but it’s possible. The city centre and various parks were the best places for me. Another top sunrise spot in the city was the Edgbaston Reservoir.

Carlisle

Carlisle in Cumbria is a splendid place for watching the sunset. Carlisle Castle is a fantastic place to visit, and the grounds outside are especially lovely for a sunset dog walk.

Carlisle Cathedral was also a delightful spot to see the late-evening red skies. We found Carlisle to be a wonderful place, and the sunsets were the icing on the cake.

Worcester

Worcester is a beautiful city on the River Severn in England and is a spectacular place to watch the sunrise. A morning walk on the riverbank is one of the best places to watch the sun come up, especially with the cathedral in view. The views from the bridge in the town are also a good vantage point for the skies above the river. An early morning walk on Fort Royal Hill is also a good option to see the early light.

London

There are loads of places to see red skies in London, the capital of the UK. The sunset above is from a recent visit to the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

The hospital is also a fantastic place for a London sunrise, and the early sun really enhances the features of the historic building and gardens. One of my favourite sunrise photos is here and includes the cannons that face the River Thames in London. I plan more sunrise walks in London, but the clouds seem to have other ideas when I’m passing through.

Another good spot for an early walk is at Tower Bridge near the Tower of London. On my recent visit, I really enjoyed walking along the river as the sun rose.

Stratford-upon-Avon

The River Avon is a great place for a sunrise walk in Stratford-upon-Avon. The skies here are pretty special; parts of the town are great too, and the early sun enhances the picturesque buildings of the historic town. Once the sun is up, there are some top-drawer places to visit.

Gloucester

Gloucester is another UK city where I’ve enjoyed watching various sunsets. The water or the docks are excellent places to watch the late sun because of the area’s features. If you’re lucky, you might get to see a tall ship moored up.

The nearby countryside is also pretty special for sunset dog walks. I’ve seen many on the various hiking trails near the city, including by the River Severn and the Gloucester-Sharpness canal.

Shrewsbury

I visited Shrewsbury in Shropshire a few times and usually arrived early; thus, I got to catch the colourful skies of sunrise. Once the sun is up, there are lots of interesting things to do in Shrewsbury. This includes a nice castle, an abbey and some very pretty gardens.

Leamington Spa

The pretty town of Leamington Spa in Warwickshire was a favourite day-trip destination. On a few visits, we caught the sunset from Jephson Park near the River Avon. There are options for fun things to do in the town, and as a bonus, Leamington Spa is pretty dog-friendly.

The Cotswolds

One of the nicest places to visit for early and late walks is the Cotswolds and its lovely villages in the hills. Painswick is a picturesque town with lots of nice things to see. It is also a great place for walks in the nearby countryside. I caught a lovely sunset in the Painswick churchyard after visiting one of the village pubs. The Cotswold stone and the red skies are a great pairing.

Wotton-under-Edge is another village in which I enjoyed sunrise walks. The hills overlooking the town have some great vantage points as the sun comes up.

Gretna In Scotland

When we visited Gretna Green in Scotland to get married, we enjoyed a lovely dog walk in the Scottish countryside during sunset. The late sun enhanced the countryside and the romantic feel of the home.

York

I found York had some great spots to enjoy sunrise and sunset. The highlight was the views along the riverbanks and around York Minster Cathedral.