15 Best Things to Do in Macclesfield (Cheshire, England)
On the western moors of the Peak District, Macclesfield is a market town that became the world’s largest producer of finished silk in the 19th century. In 1832 there were …
Alex Bird
Hi, I'm Alex, a travel writer based in London, I love writing about travel as much as traveling itself. I’m a scrappy researcher, and a hoarder of info, whether it's trivial or mind-blowing. I get a lot of joy doing justice to worthwhile places, and I’m always excited to share the stories behind them.
I have a real affection for Tarragona in Catalonia, from the golden sandy beaches to the mountains. I love Hamburg and its harbour and many waterways, especially in spring. And I'll always be drawn to the rolling countryside in the south of England, especially Wiltshire. I'll go anywhere with a great art museum, and ruins, ancient or medieval.
15 Best Things to Do in Swanage (Dorset, England)
On Dorset’s Isle of Purbeck, Swanage is a seaside town that will have people of all ages under its spell. Here you’re at the eastern gateway to the Jurassic Coast, …
15 Best Things to Do in Hunstanton (Norfolk, England)
Blessed with one of the few west-facing beaches on England’s east coast, Hunstanton is a picture perfect Victorian seaside resort built from nothing in the middle of the 19th century. …
15 Best Things to Do in Grimsby (Lincolnshire, England)
In the 1950s Grimsby was the largest fishing port in the world. This came after more than a century of constant expansion, leaving the town’s docks with giant monuments like …
15 Best Things to Do in Bolton (Greater Manchester, England)
A town with industry in its veins, Bolton began producing textiles when Flemish weavers brought the trade with them in the 1300s. In the 18th century two local men, Richard …
15 Best Things to Do in Alnwick (Northumberland, England)
The North of England’s most powerful baronial family, the Dukes of Northumberland (Percy) have ruled the land around Alnwick for more than seven centuries. Their descendants still reside at the …
15 Best Things to Do in Folkestone (Kent, England)
Where Kent’s North Downs tumble into the English Channel, Folkestone is a seaside town that reached its zenith in the Edwardian period just before the First World War. With masses …
15 Best Things to Do in Grantham (Lincolnshire, England)
Up there with the UK’s best towns for quality of life, Grantham in southwest Lincolnshire is most famous for producing a colossal historical figure. Sir Isaac Newton was born not …
15 Best Things to Do in Dorchester (Dorset, England)
In the 19th and early 20th century Dorset’s county town was intertwined with the life of Thomas Hardy, one of England’s greatest writers. His two houses are both looked after …
15 Best Things to Do in Stevenage (Hertfordshire, England)
The Second World War left the UK in desperate need of new housing, and this need gave rise to the 29 settlements known as New Towns. Stevenage in north Hertfordshire …