Countryside
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The Coach and Horses, Bolton-by-Bowland, Lancashire Review
Location: The Coach and Horses is a delightful AA five star country inn located in the picturesque village of Bolton-by-Bowland in the Ribble Valley. This scenic part of east Lancashire is centred around the prosperous market town of Clitheroe six miles away and is easily accessible from the M6 motorway with Lancaster being 18 miles…
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The British Asparagus Festival, Vale of Evesham
Asparagus is a highly regarded vegetable grown in the Vale of Evesham and celebrated in style with an annual festival. This part of rural Worcestershire benefits from perfect growing conditions with asparagus being widely available from late April to late June. Getting there: The Vale of Evesham is located in Worcestershire, West Midlands 14 miles…
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Exploring The Vale of Evesham Blossom Trail: A Springtime Delight
The Vale of Evesham in rural Worcestershire has been famous for fruit and vegetable growing since medieval times with the delicate blossom from its fruit trees giving stunning displays between mid-March and mid-May. The Blossom Trail stretches for 55 miles with AA yellow signposts marking the way. Japan might have its Sakura but by visiting…
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The Alma Inn, Laneshawbridge, Lancashire Review
Hotel Review Location: The Alma Inn is located in an idyllic moorland setting high above the village of Laneshawbridge on the East Lancashire/ North Yorkshire border. Although seemingly remote, it lies within 5 miles of the M65 motorway and less than an hour from Manchester. The inn is also convenient for exploring North Yorkshire and…
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Falcon Manor, Settle, North Yorkshire Review
Hotel Review Falcon Manor is a beautiful country house hotel dating from 1841 that was constructed for Reverend Swale with money provided by his two grandmothers to befit his status in the local community. Originally known as Ingfield Hall after the field in which it was built, this grand Tudor mansion has changed ownership several times.…
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The Assheton Arms, Downham, Lancashire Review
Restaurant Review The Assheton Arms lies at the foot of Pendle Hill in the picturesque village of Downham near Clitheroe in Lancashire. After a lengthy closure, the pub has just re-opened with new owners, Bowland Inns & Hotels, the parent company behind Bowland Brewery and the James Places’ collection of hotels, inns and restaurants. The…
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The Wensleydale Hotel, Middleham, North Yorkshire Review
Hotel Review Location: The Wensleydale Hotel is located in the delightful small town of Middleham nestled on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It’s just two miles from the bustling market town of Leyburn and 10 miles from Richmond. For those travelling from London or the south, Middleham can be reached by taking…
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Discover the Beauty of Hawes in Wensleydale
Our stay at the Wensleydale Hotel had been lovely and before checking out we enjoyed another of their delicious breakfasts to set us up for the day. We then packed up the car and headed off to explore more of this beautiful part of Yorkshire. Our first stop was at Aysgarth Falls just a 25 minute…
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How to Spend a Perfect Weekend in Wensleydale
We were up bright and early for our road trip to scenic Wensleydale in North Yorkshire. The area is famous for the cheese to which it gives its name but for lots of other interesting things too as we were soon to discover. Our first stop was to the village of Masham (pronounced massham) to…
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Luxury Glamping at Gisburne Park, Lancashire Review
Overview: The Ribble Valley is an idyllic part of the north of England located in north east Lancashire and covering 212 sq. miles of the Forest of Bowland, an area of deep valleys and peat moorland. It’s an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty but despite booming tourism with ever increasing numbers of visitors, it’s still…
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The Great Yorkshire Show 2022
The Great Yorkshire Show (GYS) was back with a bang this year with all 140,000 tickets selling out in advance of the 2022 show. The 163rd show took place between 12-15 July in Harrogate, North Yorkshire with fine weather and mostly sunny conditions each day. The show is England’s premier agricultural event organised by the…
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Exploring Surrey: Highlights of Guildford and Shere
After another blissful night’s sleep we tucked into hearty breakfasts downstairs in the Percy Arm’s cosy restaurant. As the inn has South African owners included on the menu are some interesting dishes. My husband was tempted to sample the S.A. breakfast which comprised two fried eggs, bacon, Boerewors farmers sausage, polenta, chakalaka spicy bean relish…
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How to Spend a Perfect Weekend in the Surrey Hills
Along with 10 National Parks, England is home to 34 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The Surrey Hills is one of them with its hills stretching across a quarter of the county from the chalk North Downs running from Farnham in the west to Oxted in the East. The region is approximately 35 miles…
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Experience the Best of Bakewell and Buxton in the Peak District
The Peak District was the first national park to be created in the United Kingdom back in 1951 and spans 555 square miles of the southern end of the Pennines, mostly in Derbyshire. The park receives more than 10 million visitors each year as it is within an hour’s drive of both Manchester and Sheffield…
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The Gibbon Bridge Hotel, Chipping, Lancashire Review
Location: The Gibbon Bridge Hotel & Restaurant is located on the edge of the charming village of Chipping in the picturesque Forest of Bowland, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty within the Ribble Valley, Lancashire. The hotel is set in 23 acres of beautiful gardens in a secluded position yet is easily accessible to the…
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The Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate: What to Expect at England’s Premier Agricultural Event
After the disappointment of last year’s show having to be cancelled due to the pandemic I was excited to be returning to Harrogate this summer. The Great Yorkshire Show is one of the largest agricultural shows in the country and a wonderful showcase of rural life. Organising an event of this size to make it COVID…
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The Great Yorkshire Show
After enjoying my visit to the Great Yorkshire Show last year I was even more excited to return to Harrogate once again to attend the 161st agricultural show. This three day event is one of the biggest in the English calendar and showcases the best of British farming, food and the countryside plus lots more…