JMW Turner didn’t just paint landscapes, he lit them on fire. Not literally, of course, though he was fond of a dramatic blaze or two. …
JMW Turner, the man who painted with light
Warwick Castle, A Thousand Years of Power and Pageantry
Warwick Castle is one of the finest and most complete medieval castles in England. Set on a bend in the River Avon, this towering fortress …
Why Hull deserves a second look
Hull is the sort of place that gets described with a smirk or a shrug. People think they know it, or think they don’t want …
Dorset A Jurassic Jaunt Through Cream Tea Country
Down in the southwest, where the cliffs get tall and the lanes get narrow, you find Dorset. It is a county that seems to have …
William Wilberforce, The Relentless Reformer
William Wilberforce was the unlikely powerhouse behind one of Britain’s greatest moral victories – the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. A politician, philanthropist and …
Somerset is where England feels slightly older and slightly odder
In the west of England, where the hills begin to rumple up and the apple trees grow with suspicious enthusiasm, you find Somerset. It is …
Derbyshire is where England gets pleasantly hilly
Right in the middle of England, Derbyshire rises gently into the sort of landscape that makes you want to take long walks and then immediately …
Nottingham – rebels, royals and Robin Hood
Nottingham is one of those places that arrives with its own myth. Say the name and up pops Robin Hood in his little green hat, …
Norfolk is where England stretches out and takes its time
Out in the east, where the land flattens and the sky seems to go on forever, you find Norfolk. It is a county that never …
Manchester has always liked to do things its own way
The first time you arrive in Manchester, it can feel a bit like standing at a party where everyone else is already halfway through a …