Dorset's Jurassic Coast. © Andrew Martin
You'll find huge variety in the South and West, from the picture-postcard cathedral cities of Gloucester, Salisbury and Wells to wild Dartmoor and Exmoor, and the sandy beaches of East Cornwall to the rugged coast of Dorset. This is a region of legend, embracing the ancient stone circles at Stonehenge and Avebury and one of King Arthur's fortresses at Tintagel. Then there are the infamous smugglers and wreckers to learn about, and Cornwall's piskies.
History buffs will want to visit the important castles like Launceston and Pendennis. Readers can call at the former homes of Thomas Hardy, and see the towns and landscapes in which his novels are set, follow The French Lieutenant's Woman to Lyme Regis, and discover Daphne du Maurier's Cornwall. Children will love the Tailor of Gloucester's house, which inspired Beatrix Potter... If you're interested in horticulture or ecology, you'll be overwhelmed by the famous 'lost gardens' of Heligan and the amazing Eden Project. For lovers of historic houses there are the wonderfully eccentric Snowshill Manor, and the world-famous Longleat, with its safari park and fabulous mansion. In summer, theatre-lovers can see a play at the unique Minack Outdoor Theatre on the cliffs at Porthcurno.
This is also an area rich in quirky traditions, like the May Bank Holiday cheese-rolling in Gloucestershire and the men of Ottery St Mary in Devon who tie flaming barrels of tar to their backs to mark Guy Fawkes' Day every November!
Suggested Tours
Contact us for bookings or further information
© Chris Bamber
Set on an island joined to Cornwall's dramatic coast by a narrow neck of land and battered on three sides by the mighty Atlantic, the ruined castle of Tintagel must be one of the most romantic places in the world. Remember that it is at the centre of the passionate tragedy of Tristan and Isolt, as well as of Arthurian legend.