NEWCASTLE AND MARDU CIRCULAR Level Easy Elevation gain 217m Length 6.1km (1hr 49min) Description This round-the-hill loop trail from Newcastle leads through peaceful rural landscapes and small village

A good time to visit The Old Rectory in Doynton is as dusk falls on a frosty December evening. Driving in through the gate, you’ll be cheered by the sight of two illuminated Portuguese laurel cylinder

THE word milestone has come to mean a significant event on life’s journey, such as an anniversary. It originally referred to actual stones positioned on roadsides, inscribed with the distances to near

It’s been a long mile, trudging uphill in the rain, across uninspiring fields, past rickety ruins of long-abandoned farm buildings, mud slowly working its way up my waterproof trousers. Sometimes walk

In winter the bones of the formal garden at Owlpen Manor come to life. Highlighted with frost, the dark greens and greys of hedges and topiary take on the patina of an engraving. The manicured parterr

Adding a magical element to any garden on a frosty winter’s day, topiary offers interest all year round, as well as the chance to demonstrate some creative clipping, says Jen Harbrow, senior gardener at the National Trust’s Hinton Ampner in Hampshire