If England had a back garden, it would probably look like Kent. Rolling orchards, neat hedgerows, oast houses with their jaunty cowls, and villages that …
Kent – England’s garden, with surprises
Destinations
Exploring Oxfordshire – spires, villages and the art of looking clever
Oxfordshire has long perfected the art of looking effortlessly clever. This is where honey-coloured buildings meet ancient libraries, punts drift under low bridges, and grand …
Northamptonshire, grand houses, quiet towns and one very loud racetrack
Right in the centre of England, Northamptonshire often slips under the radar, happily letting its neighbours attract most of the attention. This suits Northamptonshire perfectly …
Cambridgeshire is where England gets quietly clever
Tucked into the east of England, Cambridgeshire is one of those counties that manages to feel ancient, flat and faintly intellectual all at once. The …
Six Yorkshire towns that are impossible not to love
Yorkshire is large enough to hold whole counties within it, and varied enough to give you a different flavour with every few miles. From coast …
Rolling downs, tidy towns and geese with opinions, West Sussex at its best
Tucked between the South Downs and the sea, West Sussex has the sort of gentle, well-balanced scenery that feels like England operating at its most …
Worcestershire: more than just a sauce
Tucked between the Cotswolds and the Malvern Hills, Worcestershire is one of those counties that does not demand attention but rewards anyone who stops to …
Leicestershire is where England’s past pops up in surprising places
Right in the centre of England, Leicestershire offers a fine mixture of countryside, industry, ancient battles and the occasional surprise king turning up in a …
Shropshire is where England hides some of its best bits
Tucked along the border with Wales, Shropshire is one of those counties that people often forget about, which suits the locals just fine. It is …
Birmingham, the city that built everything and brags about nothing
Birmingham doesn’t always shout about itself. That’s one big reason why I like it so much. While London blares and Manchester struts, Brum gets on …