During lockdown, many of us made the pilgrimage back to our family homes – and rediscovered them through fresh eyes. Part guide, part love letter, “Home towns” is a new series in which we celebrate where we’re from. After all, it could…
Asaf Kliger Lea Valley Walk (15.6 miles) The Lea Valley Walk commences at Waltham Abbey in Essex, from where you’ll meander southwards along peaceful towpaths. The route crosses Cornmill Meadows, with its dragonfly sanctuary; past the King George V Reservoir, favoured by…
uring lockdown, many of us made the pilgrimage back to our family homes – and rediscovered them through fresh eyes. Part guide, part love letter, “Home towns” is a new series in which we celebrate where we’re from. After all, it could…
As we’ve seen recently with holidays to Spain, France, Croatia and other European destinations, little at the moment is guaranteed where international travel is concerned. The upside to this peculiar summer is that many British holidaymakers are discovering how much there is…
The August Bank Holiday marks the last hurrah of summer – and the last chance to enjoy a proper long weekend break before the back-to-school mania begins. Although accommodation in the UK is much sought-after this year due to the pandemic, there…
With spas given the go-ahead to reopen their doors, relaxing spa hotel staycations are back on the travel agenda. While the spa experience will look a little different – you can expect increased cleaning frequency, therapists wearing PPE, and to book treatments,…
I seem to have bypassed the “Greek island” phase of my life. Most people I know went after finishing their A-levels to go and get absolutely bent on Kos or Crete. (Me and four friends were the only students to go to…
There’s nothing quite like taking a refreshing dip in cool, calm waters on a hot sunny day. But coronavirus restrictions mean swimming pool spots now have to be pre-booked, with many selling out days in advance. Luckily, there are plenty of wild…
I’m looking across a glittering expanse of inky green waters, smooth as a freshly made bed, beneath a gentle sun that’s tucked behind thin clouds. The water stretches forever on all sides, only curbed by mustard-hued reeds in the shallows that give…
It was the Hamptons of the 1800s, when everyone from Queen Victoria to Karl Marx frolicked in the surf. Today, the Kent coast is at turns incandescently beautiful and desolately down at heel, as full of historic smugglers’ coves and wild swimming…