BUCKINGHAMSHIRE’S Hambleden Valley is one of England’s true hidden gems. Bypassed by through traffic, it is a lovely spot to explore on foot or bicycle if you keep to the path beside the Hamble Brook.

If we had to choose our “special place”, Andy and I would always choose Exmoor National Park. It’s a place we often escape to. Straddling the Somerset/Devon border, Exmoor’s coastline is littered with

6 20.6km / 12.8 miles / 7-7.5 hours Ascent 1122m/3680ft

We love the Yorkshire Dales, but in summer it can get quite crowded, with walkers off on adventures up the peaks and the less energetic strolling around the picturesque market towns and villages. In a

AS hotel names go, this one’s a little unusual. Across Church Street, where I’m standing in the Welsh Border town of Chirk, is the Hand Hotel. Parts of it date back to 1610, during the reign of James

4 38.9km / 24.2 miles / 12-14 hours Ascent 2927m/9603ft