A new documentary, Wild Water, celebrates a hardy group of enthusiasts who hike up boglands to swim year-round in a remote mill pond built during the Industrial Revolution Gaddings Dam was built as a mill pond in about 1833, when the Industrial Revolution positioned West Yorkshire and the north of England as the centre of…
New exhibition showcases photographs of real locations inspired by American film director’s whimsical trademark style Think of a Wes Anderson film and the muted greys and browns of a rain-soaked day in London are not the first things that spring to mind. But the UK capital is about to host the first European exhibition of…
Euphoria on a moped in Indonesia, orcas off Argentina and the chance to ranch, surf or simply be the person they always wanted to be are among our readers’ wonderful memories After a 10-year slog at work, my boss agreed to my taking a year-long sabbatical. We used this to revisit south-east Asia – not…
The Tour des Écrins in the Hautes-Alpes is one of Europe’s finest long-distance walks, and offers a chance to reflect on how best to live alongside nature I first learned about the Écrins national park in relation to a specific nature reserve within it. The réserve intégrale du Lauvitel was established in 1995 to “monitor…
One man is trying to revive zero-carbon cargo routes by sailing produce along England’s eastern seaboard – and taking paying passengers along for the thrilling ride The water glitters, rippled by a rising wind, and Victorious glides silently on three huge, maroon sails. We’re the only boat in sight, surrounded by grey sea and vast…
From Orkney to Brighton, independent stores are treasure troves for vinyl hunters and a great way to while away a holiday afternoon I still remember the excitement of buying my first vinyl aged 11, Duane Eddy’s great 1962 single (Dance With the) Guitar Man, and that bug has been with me ever since. There’s nothing…
Scratch beneath the surface of these once well-connected but now overlooked towns and their grand civic buildings and streets reveal a rich seam of history, legend and memory • Where tourists seldom tread, parts 1-11 Ports, rivers, canals, railways, pilgrims’ pathways: these oft-overlooked, deeply engaging towns grew around transport and, as they expanded, created local…
Fancy a seasonal getaway? From cosy inns to restaurants with rooms, we’ve found the best boltholes – all with menus as enticing as the scenery Glenfinnan House Hotel, overlooking Loch Shiel and the Jacobite monument, is one of Scotland’s most celebrated properties. On a clear day, you can see Ben Nevis from here, too. Glenfinnan…
Our tipsters savour the season’s bounty, from orchard tours to pumpkin picking Our family’s favourite place to visit in autumn is Tulleys Pumpkin Farm in West Sussex (its pumpkin festival runs until 31 October). The pumpkin fields are impressive, with an astonishing variety in all colours, shapes and sizes. The kids love exploring and picking…
Pull on your walking boots and immerse yourself in magnificent scenery on these long-distance trails, chosen by our tipsters The best ever walk I’ve been on was actually two weeks of walking, along the GR11 on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees from Candanchú to La Guingueta d’Àneu. We got the train to France, packed…
