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.

Discover a fancy spa hotel, a pub’s cosy shepherd’s huts and a glam camping lodge

Strike it lucky and you may see salmon leaping Dinham Weir from CSONS’ riverside terrace. It is a remarkable sight, one of many in this green nook beneath Ludlow Castle. A café-restaurant and takeaway

Keen reader? Try one of these novel getaways…

The stand-alone spa building at the South Lodge hotel, near Horsham, has to be seen to be believed. From the long, window-lined pool that overlooks an outdoor hydrotherapy area to the Botanic restaura

The North Country Rover ticket offers four days’ travel within an eight-day period and covers the north of England from Halifax up to Newcastle and Carlisle (excluding heritage railways). Available at