The Cotswolds Slow Travel

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.

The only 'Go Slow' guide to this photogenic Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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; and - new for this edition - the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, which follow much of the youthful Thames Valley, and the Cotswold Way National Trail. The Cotswolds' rich man-made 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 makes the Cotswolds 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.

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.

Slow Cotswolds Travel Guide - Expert local advice and holiday tips on everything from the best pubs, markets and B&Bs to hidden secrets, castles and country houses. Also covering walking routes, guided tours, Highgrove House, American Museum, Bath, Oxford, Wiltshire, Stratford-upon-Avon, Four Shires and Thames Valley and local cuisine.

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.

This new, thoroughly updated edition of Yorkshire Dales, part of Bradt's series of distinctive 'Slow' guides to local UK regions, remains the most comprehensive guide to the area and covers the whole of the recently extended Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty as well as some 'slow' and historic towns and villages just outside the boundaries. Dale by dale, each chapter covers wildlife, folklore, history and local food and drink, and suggests routes to follow to see the best of it all. Walking and cycling are included, as well as all the attractions and advice needed for a memorable visit. Written by an expert who has lived and worked in the area for over 30 years, the guide draws from his personal experiences as an outdoor enthusiast, naturalist and beer connoisseur. The Yorkshire Dales is famous internationally for its caves, scenic rivers, waterfalls and limestone flora but the lives and culture of the Dales folk that live there are just as fascinating. These days the area is also known for the Tour de Yorkshire, now firmly established as a hugely popular annual cycling event. Ease the pace and discover the delights of the north Pennines, where rivers from the limestone uplands have forged the dales that give the region its name. Drop in to the Tan Hill Inn, the highest pub in Britain, where sheep regularly find their way in to warm themselves by the roaring fire; journey into the depths of Gaping Gill, one of the largest underground chambers in Britain; or take a scenic rail trip on the famous Settle-Carlisle line, crossing the longest railway viaduct in the country at Ribblehead en route. The Yorkshire Dales offer hundreds of square miles of open-access land to explore, popular long-distance footpaths including the Pennine Way and Coast to Coast Walk, renowned medieval castles such as Skipton and Richmond, quaint stone villages and an exceptionally rich wildlife particularly associated with clean rivers and limestone-pavement flora. Discover all this and more with Bradt's Slow Travel Yorkshire Dales, the perfect companion for a successful trip.