JB Smith goes searching for solitude in the forested folds of the Rhinogs – and finds himself falling under the spell of Eryri/Snowdonia’s quieter side

7 11.3km / 7 miles / 4.5 hours Ascent 680m/2231ft

Wrapped in the wild and timeless beauty of North West Wales, its landscape forged by the elemental forces of ice, wind and rain, is an oasis of calm and order. It is the beautiful and unique garden of

We arrive at the top of High Cup Nick in the North Pennines. “It’s like the world starts just over there,” comments my friend Mark. He’s pointing down the U-shaped chasm of High Cup Gill, beyond whose

Purple punctuates the planting: here an acer, verbena and some pinky-purple crinum, or swamp lily, stand out

When we visited Beddgelert last June, we left home in shorts and T-shirts following a heatwave across the UK. The sun was shining, and we were confident it would stay warm for the week ahead. So imagi