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

AS you travel around, have you ever stopped to think about how most of the landscapes we see have been shaped by man? Recently, I have become increasingly fascinated by the lines and patterns created

In and around the Howardian Hills, chefs are crafting dishes that sing of this county’s rich larder, with ingredients like zesty spruce tips and salted rhubarb adding pizazz to locally sourced fish, meat and game

BEDFORDSHIRE

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

From a milliner inspired by topiary to a model-turned-ecological gardener and a couple who swapped jobs in telecommunications for growing vegetables, Sir David Beckham’s rural heroes tell Julie Harding why craft and the countryside are key