Stand on the secluded sandy beach in Happisburgh and you’ll be looking out across submerged Doggerland, an area that once connected Britain to mainland Europe. Rising sea levels in about 6500 BC reduced it to a series of low-lying islands before flooding the entire region. Fishermen trawling this part of the North Sea – named … Read more
Great British boltholes: Billesley Manor in Warwickshire is a romantic cosy retreat… just as the Bard liked it Billesley Manor near Alcester has had many lives since Shakespeare stayed here The most recent facelift, last year, saw £5.6 million lavished on the 4-star hotel There are 71 rooms that are ‘richly dressed’, with wood panels … Read more
Watcombe hasn’t changed much since Isambard Kingdom Brunel fell in love with it 170 years ago. The little crescent of red sand framing a disc of turquoise sea is still backed by steep cliffs, with patches of rust-coloured rock poking through thick deciduous woods. There are no modern tourist facilities and barely a building in … Read more
Day four and delirium has set in. I see fish in every shadowy corner of the River Findhorn — ghosts holding in the current. The water looks almost like the whisky made here in Scotland’s northeastern county of Moray, but it doesn’t have that dangerous glint. This is slick black tea, tannin-heavy and sickly. Closing … Read more
As of this week, 95 per cent of adults in the Seychelles had been given their first Covid jab. Some 82 per cent have even had their second jab in the country that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge chose for their honeymoon. And with a population of a mere 98,000, the Seychelles seems one … Read more
So many cruise lines are offering short breaks from British ports this summer that a canny traveller can enjoy six voyages with less than a fortnight’s leave from work. By basing their trips around weekends, cruisers can savour the maiden voyages of two gleaming new ships plus four other beauties from other lines while using … Read more
Early morning in the sleepy Cotswolds village of Charlbury is the stuff of Hollywood cliches. The only noises are birds chirping and the distant peal of church bells as a man cycles down the narrow high street singing quietly to himself. Nestled in the Evenlode Valley just seven miles from stately Blenheim Palace, Charlbury has … Read more
When the one per cent are let loose on the world’s most luxurious hotels again, here’s where they’ll be staying. Private jet lifestyle magazine Elite Traveler has drawn up a list of the 100 best hotel suites in the world for 2021 – and jaw-dropping opulence and show-stopping views are the order of the day. … Read more
If you have yet to experience the stunning beauty of Ireland, it is worth moving to the top of your list of holiday destinations as it’s tipped to join the green list of countries we might travel to after May 17. Here you’ll discover a wealth of holiday packages on offer – and better still, … Read more
An ancient church, high on the barren Northumbrian moors, is the surprise last resting place of one of our national heroes as well as the unofficial and ultimately temporary burial place of a best-selling author. Before the latest lockdown, I cycled out there to find out why. I uncovered a bizarre tale involving a 1930s … Read more