Say the word Essex and people tend to picture nightclubs, fake tan and reality TV. Which is, frankly, a little unfair. The real Essex is …
Essex is where England is not quite what you expect
England
South Yorkshire, built on coal, shaped by steel, with straight talk and a warm welcome
In South Yorkshire, you find a corner of England that has long been built on solid ground, quite literally. This is a county of steel, …
Nottinghamshire is where England gets a bit legendary
Nottinghamshire is one of those counties where history and myth have become thoroughly tangled. This is Robin Hood country, where men in green tights still …
Bath and the art of soaking in history
There are towns where you feel the centuries in the cobblestones, and then there is Bath, where history practically runs a hot tap and invites …
Suffolk, where the fields roll on and the sea never hurries
Tucked into the east, where the North Sea gently brushes the coastline and the skies seem unusually generous, you find Suffolk. It is not a …
Cheshire, Romans, royals and rather good cheese
Tucked in the northwest, somewhere between the peaks of Derbyshire and the plains of Merseyside, you find Cheshire. It is a county of country houses, …
Fog on the Tyne and fire in the belly
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city that never quite does what you expect. One moment you’re standing by Roman ruins, the next you’re peering up …
County Durham is where England mixes grandeur with grit
County Durham sits quietly in England’s northeast, somewhere close to the wilds of Northumberland and the bustle of Tyne and Wear. It is a county …
Surrey is where England politely mixes countryside with commuter comfort
Just south of London, Surrey offers a version of England where the countryside feels particularly well looked after. The hedgerows are neatly trimmed, the villages …
Lincolnshire: Big Skies, Bigger Surprises
If you head out into the east of England and keep going, eventually the hills run out, the roads get long and straight, and you …