Belfast is one of those cities that seems to have lived several completely different lives and kept souvenirs from all of them. It was a …
Belfast, or how to build a city out of smoke, ships and stubbornness
Markets
Norwich and the unlikely triumph of a city doing things its own way
With a Norman cathedral, a crooked medieval street plan, a market that has been trading for centuries and a quietly rebellious streak, Norwich is one …
York’s not-so-secret past lives
If Britain were a stage, York would be one of the few cities to keep changing costumes mid-scene. One moment you’re strolling along a Roman …
Leeds, where Victorian confidence meets modern caffeine dependence
Leeds is one of those places that people think they understand until they actually turn up. They imagine a sensible northern city that does its …
East Riding of Yorkshire, where the sky does most of the talking
Tucked into the northeast corner of England, the East Riding of Yorkshire feels like a county in no particular hurry. The land is wide and …
Oxford, the city where even the pubs have academic credentials
There are places with history, and then there is Oxford, where the buildings look as if they have been standing in judgement since the Middle …
Bedfordshire, a gentle county with deer, dukes and the odd lion
Bedfordshire is one of those counties that often sneaks under the radar. Wedged between the busier worlds of London, Cambridge and the Midlands, it sits …
Kent, England’s garden, with lots of surprises
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 …
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 …