Timeless beauty in a tranquil idyll

“I still chase women, but only downhill.” One of my favourite Bob Hope jokes (told when he was 70). The hilarious Road to... films, in which he starred with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, were requir

Michelle Hather falls for the chocolate-box allure of Alfriston, on the edge of the scenic South Downs

It’s the busiest time of year for Britain’s beautiful places. Yet as these locations prove, you can find silence, sensational scenery and space to breathe.

Built on the wealth of the wool industry, picture-perfect Lavenham in Suffolk is lined with colourful timbered buildings and has a close-knit community at its heart

The Victorians confused these Shropshire hills with the Alps. How? Why? Trail dons its lederhosen, downs a glühwein and reaches for the Stretton Skyline to find out.

Sandwiched between west Dorset’s rolling hills and the rugged drama of the Jurassic Coast, Bridport is well placed for a scenic getaway. Beyond its obvious natural charms, the town has plenty more to