The Cotswolds (Slow Travel)
The Cotswolds (Slow Travel)

Author: Caroline Mills

Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides

Published: 2024-03-18

Total Pages: 359

ISBN-13: 1804692662

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In this new, thoroughly updated third edition of Bradt’s The Cotswolds, part of Bradt’s distinctive ‘Slow Travel’ series of guides to UK regions, local resident and experienced travel writer Caroline Mills shares her favourite places in a region that remains as popular as ever. Drawing on more than 50 years’ living in the Cotswolds, and combining engaging first-person narrative with authoritative advice, Mills slows readers down and helps them delve deeply into a range of regions: the Cotswolds National Landscape Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB); the Cotswold escarpment, hills and valleys; the Wiltshire Cotswolds and the area known as the Four Shires; three Cotswold 'gateways' (Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath and Oxford); the lesser-known 'hidden' fringes of the Cotswolds, including the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, which follow much of the youthful Thames Valley, and the Cotswold Way National Trail. The Cotswolds’ rich manmade heritage includes Oxford University (the world’s oldest); many famous castles and country houses (including Blenheim Palace and Sudeley Castle), well-known abbeys such as Prinknash; and estates including Westonbirt Arboretum and Highgrove (the private home of King Charles III and the Queen Consort). Roman history is covered too, notably in Bath and Cirencester, together with the Fosse Way, one of the UK’s most important Roman roads. The guide adds colour through interviews with local residents who bring character to the region; activities to try with children; handpicked places to eat, drink and stay (from glamping and country-house hotels to B&Bs on working farms); coverage of the Arts & Crafts movement; numerous options for car-free travel; and quirky events such Gloucestershire’s annual cheese-rolling competition and Tetbury’s Woolsack Races. With a harmonious combination of quintessentially English villages, charming provincial market towns, appealing countryside and a wealth of local food-and-drink producers,the Cotswolds is an all-year-round destination, whether for a day trip, a quiet weekend away or a multi-week holiday. Whether your interests comprise formal gardens or crafts, historic buildings or horseriding, walking or gastronomy, Bradt’s Cotswolds (Slow Travel) is your perfect guide to facilitate in-depth exploration and intense enjoyment.

North York Moors & Yorkshire Wolds (Slow Travel)
North York Moors & Yorkshire Wolds (Slow Travel)

Author: Mike Bagshaw

Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides

Published: 2023-01-18

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 1804691399

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Yorkshire resident, outdoors enthusiast and travel writer Mike Bagshaw has thoroughly updated this new third edition of Bradt’s North York Moors & Yorkshire Wolds, part of Bradt’s award-winning series of Slow travel series of guides to UK regions. It remains the only standalone guide to this region of contrasts. Walkers, cyclists, wildlife-lovers, families, foodies and culture vultures will find everything they need to plan and enjoy time here. From magnificent cliffs and beaches along Yorkshire’s Heritage Coast and rolling hills in the North York Moors (one of the original nine National Parks of England and Wales) to the Wolds’ tranquil chalk grasslands, this region offers remarkable variety. Nestled at its heart is York, probably Britain’s best-preserved medieval city, with its stunning Minster, northern Europe’s largest Gothic cathedral. The region is increasingly popular for outdoors pursuits, which feature strongly in this guide. The Tour de Yorkshire cycle race has helped establish the region as a cycling Mecca. Walkers can explore along ten long-distance footpaths. Sandy beaches, rocky coves, stunning woodlands and heather-clad moors make the destination ideal for families keen to immerse children in nature. Whitby has become a nationally acclaimed centre for whale- and dolphin-watching tours, while wildlife-lovers can also delight in otters and adders, or gawp at ‘seabird skyscrapers’ at Bempton Cliffs, including England’s only breeding colony of gannets, Europe’s largest seabird). This culturally resonant region harbours treats as diverse as steam train journeys across remote moorland (as featured in the Harry Potter and Mission Impossible films), local food and drink (from seafood, meats and cheeses to independent breweries and gastropubs), the Georgian opulence of Castle Howard (of Brideshead Revisited fame), the Goth Weekend festival at Whitby (where Count Dracula made landfall in Bram Stoker’s novel), Britain’s oldest seaside resort (Scarborough), the country’s tallest standing stone (Rudston) and even the purported burial site of Beowulf (Boulby Cliffs). With coverage of places not featured in other guidebooks and extensive practical detail conveyed in an informative yet laidback style, plus an emphasis on car-free travel, Bradt’s North York Moors & Yorkshire Wolds is the optimal guide to this fascinating region.

The Cotswold Way Companion
The Cotswold Way Companion

Author: Cotswold Voluntary Wardens

Publisher: Cotswold Way Association

Published: 2022-05-10

Total Pages: 279

ISBN-13: 1739841603

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The book will help you to get the most out of walking the Cotswold Way - perhaps the best loved of the UK's sixteen designated national trails. It’s special for two reasons: it focuses on the Cotswold Way's natural environment and its archaeology and history; and it’s the work of people with great knowledge and experience of the trail: members of the Cotswold Way Association (CWA), the charity set up in 2016 to promote its conservation and protection, and Cotswold Voluntary Wardens who patrol the trail and lead walks on it. Proceeds from the book, available as paperback and eBook, will go towards the trail’s upkeep and improvement. Chapter 1 spells out the book’s aims and illustrates the types of trail improvement the Cotswold Way Association funds. Chapter 2 introduces you to the Cotswolds that are the trail's setting - in particular, their geology, grasslands and woodland, distinctive settlement pattern of small towns and villages, vernacular architecture and historical monuments - ranging from Neolithic barrows and Iron-age hill forts to Roman villas, medieval castles, manor houses and ‘wool’ churches, along with several notable towers and beacons. Chapters 3-12 deal with the typically ten mile or so long stages of the annual Cotswold Way walks that Cotswold Voluntary Wardens lead. Each one draws attention to the stage's main points of interest and beauty, highlighting a major theme such as outstanding flora and fauna or grand estates or impact of the wool trade and cloth making.

Yorkshire Dales (Slow Travel)
Yorkshire Dales (Slow Travel)

Author: Mike Bagshaw

Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides

Published: 2024-07-10

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 1804692166

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This new, thoroughly updated third edition of Yorkshire Dales (Slow Travel), part of Bradt’s series of distinctive ‘Slow’ travel guides to local UK regions, remains the most comprehensive guide to the area and covers the whole of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty plus nearby ‘Slow’ and historic towns and villages. The Yorkshire Dales could have been invented for modern travel. The region’s cinematic caves, valleys, waterfalls and limestone geology are famous round the world. Within a short walk are filmset-perfect traditional pubs and cafés where you are as likely to chat to shepherds as celebrities. The Dales have never been places to hurry. In the new travel world where ‘Slow’, ‘sustainable’ and ‘local’ are many people’s watchwords, this remarkable English region offers much to savour at leisure – like one of its renowned artisan cheeses or beers. Written and updated by two Yorkshire residents and outdoors enthusiasts, Bradt’s Yorkshire Dales complements well-known honeypots (Aysgarth Falls, Malham, Grassington) with off-piste gems that you’ll have to yourself, whether wild swimming spots, hidden caves, Dark Skies sites or traditional stone villages. With hundreds of square kilometres of open-access land to explore, the Dales are one of the UK’s premier hillwalking destinations, hosting much-loved routes such as the Pennine Way, Three Peaks, Dales Way and the recently upgraded Coast to Coast. The Dales have also become known as one of England’s finest places for cycling, whether for family trips, e-bikers or hardcore road racers, prompting hopes that the Tour de Yorkshire will return. Drop in to the Tan Hill Inn, Britain’s highest pub, where sheep regularly warm themselves by the roaring fire; journey into the depths of Gaping Gill, one of Britain’s largest underground chambers; visit book-loving Sedbergh, where even the bus stops have bookshelves; or take a scenic rail trip on the famous Settle–Carlisle line, crossing the country’s longest railway viaduct. History buffs will love medieval castles including Skipton and Richmond, while wildlife-watchers will enjoy the birds of sparkling rivers and limestone-pavement flora. Bradt’s Yorkshire Dales (Slow Travel) is the perfect companion for a successful trip.

Slow Travel: The Chilterns & the Thames Valley
Slow Travel: The Chilterns & the Thames Valley

Author: Helen Matthews

Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 1784776130

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This new title from Bradt forms part of its distinctive 'Slow Travel' series and is the only title available to cover the Chilterns and Thames Valley in depth. The Chilterns and the Thames Valley do not correspond to the specific boundaries of one county or region, old or new. Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire all have a share. Divided into six easily manageable sections, Bradt's The Chilterns and Thames Valley lifts the lid on what makes this area so distinctive. Chalk grasslands, beech woods, streams and wooded valleys provide a perfect landscape for walking and are easily accessible from London. About half of the area has been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - the closest such area to London. Rare plants such as fleawort and numerous orchid varieties, and birds including red kites, lapwings and skylark flourish. The Thames Valley follows the route of one of the world's most famous rivers. You can find key sites of monarchical and parliamentary power such as Windsor Castle and Chequers, the location of Magna Carta's sealing at Runnymede and the birthplaces of men and women who have led dissent down the ages. A host of well-loved authors has lived and written here, depicting Paradise, defining our childhoods and painting timeless images of England and its people. Eminent chefs own restaurants with national and sometimes international reputations. In short, the Chilterns and the Thames Valley together represent a wonderfully paradoxical mixture of world-famous tourist sites and lesser-known attractions full of quirkiness and character, which will repay the visitor's interest and attention many times over. From Windsor Castle to Whipsnade Zoo, Britain's oldest road - The Ridgeway - to National Trust properties such as Cliveden and Waddesdon Manor, the Henley Regatta to the Grand Union Canal, Bradt's The Chilterns and Thames Valley is the perfect companion.

South Devon & Dartmoor (Slow Travel)
South Devon & Dartmoor (Slow Travel)

Author: Hilary Bradt

Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides

Published: 2024-03-08

Total Pages: 348

ISBN-13: 180469262X

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This new, thoroughly updated third edition of South Devon and Dartmoor is part of Bradt’s distinctive ‘Slow Travel’ series of guides to UK regions, offering in-depth exploration of one of England’s most popular areas. Written by resident experts Hilary Bradt, the late Janice Booth, and Gill and Alistair Campbell, it remains the essential companion to discovering not just the obvious and well-known sites, but also for getting off the beaten track and understanding what makes this gorgeous part of the country tick. Much of the information in Bradt’s South Devon and Dartmoor has appeared in no other guidebook (apart from previous editions of this book) as the authors uncover the lesser-known charms of the region, as well as different aspects of the more popular places (from the English Riviera and South Hams to Salcombe and Dartmoor), together with colourful characters from the past, folk history and literary links from Agatha Christie to Arthur Conan Doyle. The guide has a special emphasis on car-free travel: walking (this edition features a revised selection of routes, including ‘miles without stiles’ – accessible Dartmoor walks), cycling and river boats, as well as local buses (including the new Dartmoor Explorer service) and trains. This edition has a stronger emphasis on local food (both in markets and when eating out), while the authors have updated their hand-picked suggestions for places to eat and drink, and for accommodation (from idyllically located campsites to boutique B&Bs, via caravans, treehouses and haunted coaching inns). Colourful and witty writing, along with the authors’ enthusiasm for their subject, makes the guide a pleasure to read. With Bradt’s South Devon and Dartmoor, discover the region’s award-winning gin distillery and new whisky distillery; learn what really goes on at a wassail gathering; find out what you should do if you're harassed by pixies on Dartmoor; and discover unique local events like the annual Orange Race held in Totnes. Also included are entertaining and informative stories about historical characters and folklore, while small and historic village churches, with their idiosyncratic saints and intriguing carvings, are described in loving detail.

Slow Travel Shropshire
Slow Travel Shropshire

Author: Marie Kreft

Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides

Published: 2016-02-16

Total Pages: 279

ISBN-13: 178477006X

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Slow Shropshire Travel Guide - Insider advice and holiday tips on everything from the best local pubs and markets to Shrewsbury highlights and county walking routes. Also featuring UNESCO-listed Ironbridge Gorge, Offa's Dyke, Severn Valley, Shropshire Hills, Ludlow, Welsh Marches, castles and historical sites, and US connections with the University of Minnesota, the Caldecott Medal, and Yale University.

Norfolk (Slow Travel)
Norfolk (Slow Travel)

Author: Laurence Mitchell

Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides

Published: 2014-03-01

Total Pages: 275

ISBN-13: 1841625515

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Slow Norfolk, although selective, includes the whole of Norfolk from Great Yarmouth and the Broads to the east to the Fens of the far west, from the iconic North Norfolk coast to the Breckland region to the south. The Norfolk landscape is far more variable than many imagine and not quite as flat as it is usually reputed to be. The North Norfolk coast, considered to be one of the most beautiful stretches in England, is also a hugely important habitat for wildlife especially migrating birds. The interior of the county tends to be more overlooked yet also much to offer, especially in terms of landscape, historic monuments and characterful market towns. The county has a rich mix of architectural variety, with numerous country houses, medieval churches, Roman forts and Norman castles. The county capital Norwich is an important centre for art and culture, with its acclaimed Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts and the annual, highly rated Norwich and Norfolk Festival.

North Devon & Exmoor (Slow Travel)
North Devon & Exmoor (Slow Travel)

Author: Hilary Bradt

Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides

Published: 2015-03-13

Total Pages: 230

ISBN-13: 1841628654

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Slow North Devon and Exmoor - Expert local tips and holiday advice featuring the best cream teas and pubs, cycling, walking and hiking routes and natural history. Also includes tips on sustainable tourism, local food and unusual accommodation, Exmoor National Park, wildlife and birdwatching, Barnstaple, Braunton, Ilfracombe and North Devon Coast.

Deception in the Cotswolds
Deception in the Cotswolds

Author: Rebecca Tope

Publisher: Allison & Busby

Published: 2011-04-11

Total Pages: 269

ISBN-13: 0749010355

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In the wake of a series of unfortunate experiences in the Cotswolds, Thea Osborne, accompanied by her spaniel Hepzibah, is perhaps over-optimistic about the English summertime and the possibilities of her latest house-sitting assignment in the secluded village of Cranham. Despite the ease with which Thea's new job begins, looking after Harriet Young's reptiles, she soon finds a dark side to the characters she encounters. From the elderly Donny Davis to the enigmatic figure of Edwina, it soon becomes clear Harriet's beloved geckoes are not the only cold-blooded creatures at large in Cranham...