British aristocracy flocked here in Victorian times, but artist Fabien Gauthier is inspired more by its medieval buildings and the remnants of the swinging 1970sA specialist in trompe l’oeil art and frescoes ancient and modern, Fabien Gauthier has live…
10 of the best island adventures around Britain
From Anglesey to Jersey, escape from everyday life and find dramatic landscapes with a trip over the water from a new book on island baggingEnjoy the last of the season’s warmer waters with a swim from the golden sands of Kynance Cove around the jumble…
A great walk to a great pub: the Green Dragon, Yorkshire Dales
A four-hour stroll on the fells followed by a pint, a bite and a place to rest your head – with a waterfall out the backStart Green Dragon pub HardrawDistance 9½ milesTime 3-4 hoursTotal ascent 490 metresDifficulty moderateAn important truth was establ…
Get spirited away on a gin-making adventure in North Yorkshire
The village of Ripley, with its castle and walled gardens, proves the perfect setting for learning to make personalised gin‘It’s about to happen, I promise!” says Rob Crossley, the “Professor”, as he uses asbestos fingers to gingerly tip-tap his way al…
Eccentric poets, exotic flora and wild seas: a car-free break on the Llŷn peninsula
There’s much to delight in this part of north-west Wales, including dazzling scenery you’ll see from the slow train on the wayLlywelyn the Great built the huge gatehouse of Criccieth Castle on the coast of north-west Wales in the 13th century. Owain Gl…
20 of the best autumn escapes around the UK
These breaks revel in the glorious change of season, and take in everything from foraging and festivals to stargazing and glampingThe traditional harvest jamboree is given a modern twist in Blenheim Palace’s walled garden this year, with an autumn fest…
Dorset with a hint of Finland: sustainable tourism on a weekend break
An eco housing development built on disused quarries offers visitors the chance to explore woods and heath, and enjoy lake activities“Adders … Keep to the path.”Now there’s a sign to grab attention on a carefree saunter in the Dorset countryside. I stu…
Volcanoes, gelato and canals: Italy’s great small cities chosen by readers
Baroque architecture, clifftop views and culture without the crowds feature in your pick of Italy’s lesser-known treasures A little piece of my soul was left in Polignano a Mare, a beautiful slice of real Italian life in Puglia. Pretty houses perchin…
Magical and empty places: a wildlife safari holiday in Scotland
Wester Ross in the Highlands is host to rare birds, mystical loch islands and soaring peaks. Now, sustainable tourism is helping more of us enjoy itI’m standing on one of the most magical and unusual spots in the Highlands, on an island in the middle o…
California in Norfolk: British destinations that sound like foreign holidays
Fancy a trip to Moscow, or maybe Melbourne? For British travellers our picks offer the exotic, without the actual overseas bitThis charming Georgian market town owes its name to the Victorian prime minister William Lamb (2nd Viscount Melbourne) rather …