A train to Bridgnorth, then buses and walking boots open up the delights of this rural corner – including a clock that goes backwardsBridgnorth has one of England’s oldest cliff railways, a holiday cottage with a hidden cave and a tower that leans more…
Seeking solace in the hills: why the Malverns are perfect for walking
Sandwiched between Worcester and Hereford, the small yet perfectly formed peaks offer hikes to suit every mood – and fresh spring water gushing through ancient rocksOn the western slope of the Malvern Hills, along the border of Worcestershire and Heref…
Kickstart for bad birdwatchers: joining an expert-led tour on the Thames
Hugh Thomson identifies as a ‘bad birdwatcher’: someone who likes birds, but doesn’t really know much about themOnce or twice a year I’ve been gifted with the sight of a kingfisher flashing past, a mesmeric blur of blue far too exotic to belong in Brit…
Hut parade: cool Scandi cabins on the Kent coast
The Romney Marsh coast is peppered with striking designer huts – and a new complex of cabins makes the perfect base for exploring Dungeness and Camber Sands“That one’s cool,” my son George points out. “The big dusty pink one in the sand dunes?” I say. …
Golden slumbers: 10 glorious woodland retreats for an autumn break
With our forests about to burst into colour, we pick cosy woodland cottages and eco-cabins for making the most of a British autumnGlamping is an understatement for these two spacious, well-equipped forest boltholes: one lodge and one safari tent, surro…
Bristol’s slave trade history laid bare on a Black History Month tour
A year after the statue of slave trader Edward Colston was toppled in Bristol, we join a historic walking tour that ‘helps us understand the present’, as well as more Black History Month events“Important bit of history that,” a warm West Country voice …
Core needs: wellbeing holidays bounce back to tackle ‘pandemic posture’
Wellness tourism continues to grow with demand driven by the ageing boomer generation and health-conscious millennialsAt 8am, six women and one man are saluting the sun in an airy barn in Sussex. They are focused on their breathing, visualising their i…
A county for taste: cycling around Rutland, England’s secret foodie heartland
The smallest county holds astonishing culinary variety: from prize-winning pubs and pastries to an England bowler’s grill school – plus a lovely bit of squirrel‘You can get a good meal for two out of one grey squirrel,” chef James Goss told me as we sa…
Indigenous Amazon singers and sacred cacao … the UK festival that’s wild in a different way
The Medicine weekender specialises in nature and cultural exchange – a rare festival that you leave feeling better than when you arrivedOn a stage in a yurt in the Berkshire countryside, the leader of the Huni Kuin tribe from the Brazilian Amazon is ta…
Family ‘in tears’ after Cornwall hotel booking swapped for Uxbridge
Booking through online travel agents can have pitfalls – such as arriving for a luxury holiday only to find it doesn’t existThe five-star Retallack Resort near Newquay is one of Cornwall’s top watersports centres, where guests are housed in self-cateri…