Stress seems an alien concept in this languorous little border town, home to an enchanting medley of renowned breweries, contorted half-timbered buildings, second-hand bookshops and eclectic boutiques that endear it to day-trippers. At the top of High St sits the adorable Georgian town hall and delightfully crooked 16th-century House on Crutches (630007; admission free; 1-5pm [...]
Cradled in a deep valley between the beautiful Long Mynd and the Caradoc Hills, this scenic if restrained little town is the ideal base from which to venture into the glorious surroundings. It also shelters some interesting old buildings, including a 12th-century Norman church most famous for its weather-beaten but still undauntedly exhibitionist sheila-na-gig over [...]
Tumbling picturesquely down the slopes of the gorgeous Malvern Hills, which soar suddenly upwards from the flat plains of Worcestershire, this well-heeled Victorian spa town still seems to exude health and wellbeing courtesy of its lush hill views, wide tree-lined avenues, rosy-cheeked inhabitants, booted hikers and its pure spring waters that bubble up in unexpected [...]
Home to one of the most extraordinary sights in England, the magnificent medieval Mappa Mundi, the dignified cathedral city of Hereford straddles the River Wye plump in the centre of its county. Known largely for its cattle, cider and connections with the composer Elgar, it has a relatively provincial feel but an increasingly youthful energy [...]
An oasis of tranquillity, rural Herefordshire is scattered with quintessentially English villages of black-and-white timbered charm, a cherished sense of community and well-developed appreciation of the quiet life. Though it’s challenging to get around, the effort is rewarded with bucolic landscapes of lush fields, twisting lanes and more than enough leafy orchards to whet your [...]
It can be hard to fully grasp the world-rocking events that took place in this tranquil river gorge as you wind your way through its wooded slopes and sleepy villages. But the Industrial Revolution was dramatically kick-started here in the 18th century. Three generations of the pioneering Darby family set about transforming their industrial processes [...]
This atmospheric little town is a favourite for day-trippers on account of its dense core of crooked black-and-white streets, which zero in on a delightfully leggy gingerbread-style market house.
All those walks in the Shropshire hills may come to naught once you reach the gourmet capital of England’s northwest, Ludlow. This town has the twin attractions of being a crucible of culinary excellence, with more Michelin stars per head than anywhere but Paris, and boasting a rich historical core that fans out from its [...]
A spider’s web of narrow streets flanked by Tudor, Jacobean and Georgian buildings, an arresting timbered guildhall and the enchanting remains of a 12th-century priory make this little town a big hit with visitors. It can also claim to have jump-started the modern Olympics.
Snoozy little Ross-on-Wye, which perches prettily on a red sandstone bluff over a kink in the River Wye, is a placid place to rest before or after exertions in the beautiful countryside that surrounds it. The town sparks to life in mid-August, when the International Festival brings fireworks, raft races, music and street theatre.