Britain Travel Articles

• Holidays down on the farm
  Farmhouse holidays in Britain are growing in popularity and there is a long-term trend of farms diversifying into tourism.
• Steps to good value Britain
  On every step of a holiday in Britain it is possible to obtain excellent value-for-money. Whether it’s accommodation, visiting attractions, travelling around or going to the theatre, there are all sorts of deals available to those in the know.
• Great British walks
  Britain’s National Trails are the grand-daddies of long distance paths. This year there is a new one, following a rugged frontier of the Roman Empire; while another – around the coastline of South West England – is marking its 25th anniversary.
• On the Dylan Thomas Trail
  Guided walks, an arts festival and a sea cruise are among the events planned this year in Wales to mark the 50th anniversary of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas’s death.
• Capital savings: staying in London for less
  London is one of the world’s most exciting cities – but is it possible to find reasonably priced accommodation there? Once you start delving you soon find that there are all sorts of good-value options, including bed and breakfasts, budget hotels, apartments, hostels and university residences.
• Key story ideas and events
  A listing of key story ideas and events in Britain for 2003 and beyond
• Johnny English – Britain's craziest secret agent
  Britain has always had something of a reputation as home to the world’s favourite secret agents and now their popularity in books and films is to be increased this year in the new action comedy from Universal Pictures - “Johnny English”
• Six of the best: which city for ‘Capital of Culture’?
  Six UK cities have been short-listed for the most coveted prize in Europe: the title European Capital of Culture 2008. Though that year seems a long way off (the first European capital will be in Ireland in 2005 and the final UK nomination for 2008 announced by the British Prime Minister this May) the finalists are all surprisingly good destinations for culture vultures right now.
• In the footsteps of John Wesley, 300 years on
  The thought of trekking 250,000 miles around Britain on horseback is something likely to deter even the most enthusiastic traveller. Add to this task the preaching of 40,000 sermons – mostly in the open-air – often confronting angry protesters as you go, and it’s not a job for the faint-hearted.
• 2003 – A big year in Britain
  From the opening of John Lennon’s home to an exhibition marking 400 years since Queen Elizabeth I; plus festivals and sporting tournaments galore. 2003 is an event-packed year in Britain, as our month by month round-up of highlights proves.
• A new era for spas in the UK
  Britain’s most ambitious spa in nearly two hundred years opens in the historic city of Bath at the end of February. A combination of a new state-of-the-art spa designed by Nicholas Grimshaw and two restored 18th century buildings will contain thermal pools, steam, massage and treatment rooms and offer bathing in natural spring water flowing at a temperature of 47 degrees centigrade.
• Drink to 1000 years of beer and pubs
  Cheers! England’s beer capital is marking 1,000 years of brewing tradition this year. Though no one can put an exact date on the opening of the country’s first pub, it is thought they have been around for just as long, starting when almost every household offered home-brewed ale to weary and thirsty pilgrims and other travellers.
• Lazy weekend on the Thames
  With more than 2,000 miles of navigable rivers and canals, seeing Britain by boat is a viable alternative for visitors who want to do something a little unusual. Now is the time to go, as the waterways are enjoying a £2 billion rejuvenation and revival that includes new marinas, boat-lifts – even new routes. The canals (of which more later) are one option, but I decided on a lazy weekend on England’s ‘royal river’, the Thames.
• Event marks 400 years since Queen Elizabeth I
  The Queen is dead……. A courtier bends over the still figure stretched out beneath rich coverlets. He takes from her finger a ring of mother of pearl, ruby and diamond that he must carry north: by this token only is James VI of Scotland confirmed to succeed to the throne of England.
• Happy Birthday James Bond
  Forty years after the first James Bond film, Dr. No, the 20th 007 movie, Die Another Day, starring Pierce Brosnan, is due for release in November. In March, 2003 it will be 50 years since the book that introduced us to Bond, Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, was published.
• Scotland: New attractions in legendary landscapes
  Visitors to Scotland will notice some changes this year. There are some new features in the landscape that are likely to become 'must see' attractions. They include the world's first rotating boat lift; Scotland's first national park; the UK's highest mountain railway; and a 73-mile footpath through the heart of the Highlands.
• New attractions in England's maritime South-West
  A great seafaring tradition of adventurers, explorers, pirates and smugglers; Cornwall and Devon's maritime appeal continues to grow, with some major new attractions opening this year. A National Maritime Museum; a centre devoted to the Pilgrim Fathers and Europe's biggest marine aquarium are the latest additions to this region.
• Great Britain, Great Golf
  Few sporting events are as keenly anticipated as the Ryder Cup. This year it is back in Britain (late September) near Birmingham in the Heart of England. The event's return to the UK will inspire golfers everywhere to come and play in the game's birthplace.
• Walking Britain
  New trails to trek around Britain
• Experience Britain's cities
  Experiences to be had in cities around Britain
• Exploring Hidden Britain
  Getting off the beaten track around Britain
• Bargain Britain
  'Affordable Britain' by Louise Wood
• Pedalling round the gardens of Kent
  Article on recent cycling trip in Kent
• Bristol and Bath - a tale of two cities
  More about two of the cities featured in our 'UK City Culture' Campaign