England, a country of patchwork landscapes: from the rugged coastlines and golden beaches of Devon and Cornwall, to the craggy mountains of the Peak District, the ancient forests riddled with folklore to the picturesque Lake District, great cities and centuries-old villages of heart-warming charm. Woven into its fabric lies a rich-veined ‘Englishness’, earthed in a heritage of stone circles, Arthurian legend, Shakespeare, the triumphalist ego of a crumbling aristocracy, and the cocky independence of an island nation.
Vibrant, multicultural and contradictory, contemporary England is a place of extremes, yet at times, fiercely united. From the essential glories of London, Stratford, Gloucester and York, to the quirky delights of Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester, England’s cities are lively, buzzing places, where a love of nostalgia strains against a spirit of inventiveness.
Enjoy the unrivalled beauty of the Cotswolds and the Dales, but travel the byways of Northumberland, and church-laden Lincolnshire too. With time to spare, escape the tourist trails and wander over peaceful countryside, savour ‘real’ ale at a country pub, visit a traditional town market, or sample England’s ‘new-wave’ wines and a cosmopolitan cuisine that rivals any in the world.