Hampshire

Hampshire and the Isle of Wight – rolling chalk hills, ancient forest and great maritime history. Hampshire is dominated by the South Downs and Winchester, the county town and former capital of England. The magnificent Winchester Cathedral houses novelist Jane Austen’s grave. Her home, at Chawton, is nearby. Drop down to the valley of the River Test, to Broadlands, Hampshire’s Georgian architectural gem. Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India, lived here. For many, Hampshire means the New Forest. Despite its [...]

Hampshire2021-06-23T12:48:25+00:00

Gwynedd

County in north west Wales incorporating the spectacular Lleyn Peninsula and Cambrian coast as well as further inland the dramatic landscapes of Snowdonia National Park – Snowdon, the highest mountain in England and Wales. Bangor – lively city and university town – Penrhyn – a 19th century castle in stunning surroundings. Caernarfon – historic town boasting a magnificent castle overlooking the Menai Strait towards Anglesey. Blaenau Ffestiniog – historic mining town, now popular among outdoor enthusiasts – Bounce Below is an underground [...]

Gwynedd2021-06-23T12:49:38+00:00

Gwent

Gwent is the largest and most densely populated county in the UK. Usk is located on the River Usk, which is spanned by an arched stone bridge at the western entrance to the town. Usk Castle, above the town overlooks, the ancient crossing point. Tredegar House is one of the most significant Restoration houses in Britain. Raglan was once a market town, held a regular court and three coaching inns. And it’s dominated by one of the largest castles in Wales, [...]

Gwent2021-06-23T12:50:06+00:00

Gloucestershire

The Cotswolds and Bourton-on-the-Water, Moreton-in-Marsh, Stow-on-the-Water, Chipping Campden and the ‘capital of the Cotswolds’, Cirencester. The magnificent Gloucester Cathedral; Severnside Tewkesbury; Slimbridge’s Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust; Westonbirt Arboretum; the ancient Forest of Dean and its wild boar and deer; Berkeley Castle…and view the River Wye and the falcons from Symonds Yat Rock.

Gloucestershire2021-06-23T12:50:34+00:00

Flintshire

Flint Castle – built in the 13th century by King Edward I. The ancient town of Holywell (named after the Holy Well of St.Winefride’s) and the nearby ruins of Basingwerk Abbey. Hawarden – with its two castles, one of them home to former prime minister, William Gladstone. It houses St. Deiniol’s Library with Gladstone’s collection of 32,000 books. The market town of Mold – a base for mountain walking in the Clwydian Range.    

Flintshire2021-06-23T12:51:01+00:00

Essex

Ancient forest, historic rivers and a great heritage Let’s start in Colchester – the oldest recorded town in Britain. Its fascinating story is told in the town’s award-winning Castle Museum, housed in the Norman keep. There is also the world-renowned Colchester Zoo. Epping Forest was a favourite royal hunting ground – Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge still stands in the 6,000 acres. Hatfield Forest was another royal hunting haunt, now a wildlife reserve. When Audley End was built in 1614, it was [...]

Essex2021-06-23T12:51:32+00:00

Dumfries & Galloway

Stunning coastline and ancient woodlands. The Galloway Forest Park – the largest in Britain and an International Dark Sky Park. Learn of the life and times of Scottish hero, Robert the Bruce. Caerlaverock Castle – a medieval fortress. Moat Brae – the inspiration for J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan and recently opened as the National Centre for Children’s Literature and Storytelling. Explore Dumfries, Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbright, Wigtown and Moffat.  

Dumfries & Galloway2021-06-23T12:51:58+00:00

Dorset

A county of beauty, inspiration and super-history. Wallow in Thomas Hardy Country. Around Dorchester – Dorset’s county town – are the rolling hills of the Wessex countryside, that inspired Hardy’s powerful and vibrant novels and poetry. Much of Dorset’s coastline is known as the Jurassic Coast – England’s only natural World Heritage Site. It has given up many important fossil finds and has unique landforms including the stunning Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door. A fascinating area overlooked by the ruins of [...]

Dorset2021-06-23T12:52:30+00:00

Devon

Lush pastures in a latticework of flower-decked lanes; stunning beaches set in a rugged coastline. All kept guard over by the lowering Dartmoor – bleak and isolated at its heart, with its ten tors standing defiantly against the elements, Devon’s national park is surrounded by thatched villages nestling in valleys alongside streams and waterfalls. Visit the Museum of Dartmoor Life, at Okehampton. Exeter is Devon’s vibrant county town, dominated by the twin towers of its gloriously ornate cathedral. Then southwest to [...]

Devon2021-06-23T12:53:05+00:00

Derbyshire

Dales, peaks, moors, caves and stately homes. Derbyshire is home to Britain’s first national park – The Peak District. To the north is Dark Peak – heatherclad moorland. To the south is White Peak – gently rolling hills. Edale is the scenic start of the 250-mile Pennine Way, which takes in Kinder Scout – the highest point in the park. The stunning, natural beauty of Dovedale is a foil to nearby Cromford, where the Industrial Revolution met the countryside. To the Derbyshire [...]

Derbyshire2021-06-23T12:53:30+00:00

Denbighshire

Beautiful county in north-east Wales – rolling hills and moorland and ancient historical sites – medieval ruins of Castell Dinas Bran. The magnificent Pontcysyllte aqueduct in Wrexham – the largest aqueduct in Britain standing 126 ft tall and 1000 ft long. Bustling towns – Llangollen, a popular tourist destination – take a picturesque 7 mile trip on the Llangollen Steam Railway up the River Dee to the village of Carrog. Prestatyn, originally a Roman settlement, is great for walking with easy [...]

Denbighshire2021-06-29T10:42:56+00:00

Cumbria

The Lake District – England’s highest peaks, deepest valleys and longest lakes and Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter; Elizabethan Levens Hall and its topiary; the architectural puzzle of Dalemain; Eden Valley and Ravenglass and Eskdale railways; the Sea to Sea Cycle Route; St Bees Head Nature Reserve; Solway Aviation Museum…and the World’s Biggest Liar Competition.

Cumbria2021-06-23T12:52:40+00:00

County Durham

The ecclesiastical and academic wonderland of Durham with its magnificent cathedral and Norman fortress; Barnard Castle and its amazing French-style chateau housing the Bowes Museum; Newcastle upon Tyne – its bridges, including the Tyne and Gateshead Millennium, The Sage Gateshead, The Baltic, St Nicholas Cathedral and The Castle; step back into the 17th and 18th centuries at Beamish Open Air Museum; the first permanent working railway – the Stockton and Darlington; the Pennine Way with the River Tees dropping spectacularly at [...]

County Durham2021-06-29T10:44:14+00:00

Cornwall

  With its granite-fanged coast breaking the North Atlantic rollers, pointing the way to an ancient land of mystery and legend, wild terrain and exotic gardens. See Land’s End – England’s most westerly point – and the most southerly point, the awesome Lizard Peninsula. On the way, Penzance and the iconic St Michael’s Mount – England’s answer to Brittany’s Mont-St-Michel. To Cornwall’s great gardens. The Lost Gardens of Heligan – ‘the garden restoration of the century’ and Trebah, Trelissik, Trengwainton and [...]

Cornwall2021-06-23T12:52:48+00:00

Cheshire

The dramatic wooded slopes of Alderley Edge; the Chester Rows of the county town with its city walls and Roman amphitheatre; Quarry Bank Mill brings the Industrial Revolution to life; the estate and gardens of Tatton Park; The Museum of the Railway Age; ancient Maiden Castle; the wildlife treasure house of Delamere Forest; the wooded Dunge Valley Gardens high in the Pennines…and Cuckooland – fairground organs and cuckoo clocks.

Cheshire2021-06-23T12:53:03+00:00

Ceredigion

Cardiganshire – Considered one of the least spoilt places in Britain with its superb combination of coast and countryside. Dolphin-watching boat trips on Cardigan Bay. The picturesque seaside town of Aberaeron, with its Regency-style buildings. The university town of Aberystwyth. Take a steam train from there, on the Vale of Rheidol Railway, to Devils Bridge with its unique waterfall set in the heart of the Cambrian Mountains.

Ceredigion2021-06-23T12:53:06+00:00

Carmarthenshire

Stunning landscapes stretching from Carmarthen Bay north to the Cambrian Mountains. Llandeilo – known as ‘the cool capital of Carmarthenshire’ nestles in the beautiful Twyi Valley. Carreg Cennen Castle – panoramic views from a dramatic cliff-top location. The National Botanic Garden of Wales – with the world’s largest single-span glasshouse. The Heart of Wales Railway – a great way to enjoy the countryside from Swansea to Shrewsbury. Laugharne – home and inspiration to the writer, Dylan Thomas.

Carmarthenshire2021-06-23T12:53:09+00:00

Conwy

  Conwy Town- steeped in history, this world heritage site, boasts a thirteenth century castle and walls, picturesque harbour and suspension bridge as well as the smallest house in Great Britain! Llandudno – Victorian seaside resort with outstanding traditional pier, the longest in Wales – take the cable-car or tramway to the top of the Great Orme, a massive span of limestone headland rising dramatically out of the sea – look out for the wild Kashmir goats.

Conwy2021-06-23T12:52:50+00:00

Cambridgeshire

Cambridge has been an important settlement since before Roman times. In the 11th century, religious orders and a breakaway group of Oxford scholars established Cambridge University. Its jewel is King’s College. Founded in 1441 by Henry VI, it features a stunning fan vaulted ceiling and a Rubens altarpiece. A good place to view some of the colleges and the bridges is from the Cam, aboard one of the famous punts. The Fitzwilliam Museum has a world-renowned collection of antiquities and fine [...]

Cambridgeshire2021-06-23T12:53:13+00:00

Buckinghamshire

The stunning landscaped gardens of Stowe; the great art collections of Waddesdon Manor; the Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery; Bletchley Park – the codebreakers’ home, Station X; Chenies Manor House; the gardens and woodlands of Cliveden; John Milton’s Cottage with rare editions of his work; the beautiful Burnham Beeches…and Olney Pancake Race.

Buckinghamshire2021-06-23T12:55:33+00:00
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