Rolling hills, dry stone walls, sheep with strong local confidence, market towns with excellent bakeries, and the pleasing sense that your blood pressure has quietly …
Classic countryside escapes to recharge your batteries
10 of the best seaside escapes in the UK
Salt air, long views, fish and chips eaten slightly too early, and the deeply reassuring sight of the sea doing what it has always done. …
Berkshire towns and the art of looking more composed than the rest of England
Berkshire is one of those counties that can seem almost suspiciously polished at first glance. There are castles, racecourses, riverside promenades, antique shops, market squares, …
Quirky countryside cottages for spring breaks in the UK
From fairytale hideaways in Shropshire to woodland bothies in Scotland, these quirky countryside cottages are the sort of places that make spring feel especially worth …
Belfast City Hall, the great stone stage at the centre of Belfast
Belfast City Hall is one of those buildings that seems to steady the city around it. Grand without being stuffy, ornate without tipping into absurdity, …
10 of the best easy weekend city breaks in the UK
There comes a moment in adult life when you realise that a weekend city break is one of Britain’s great civilised inventions. You leave on …
Rhapsody in bluebells – 20 of the best bluebell walks in Britain.
For a few brief weeks each spring, parts of Britain stop behaving like ordinary woodland and turn into something closer to enchantment. Old woods glow …
15 scenic rail journeys in the UK that make staring out of the window feel like a perfectly respectable holiday plan
There are some forms of travel that encourage purpose. Get in, get there, move along. Rail travel at its best does the opposite. It gives …
Autumn towns to bookmark for atmospheric UK breaks
Autumn is the season when British towns begin quietly outperforming themselves. Market squares look richer, churchyards turn golden, rivers acquire a thoughtful air, and old …
Festive city breaks for winter weekends with character
Winter city breaks can go one of two ways. They can become a blur of overcrowded markets, damp gloves, and the sort of decorative reindeer …