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.
For just a small county on the North Sea, East Yorkshire changes dramatically as you travel through. In the south is reclaimed moorland, criss-crossed by historic canals that helped to get coal to the docks at Goole and Hull for export. Here on the Humber estuary there’s all the activity that comes with prospering industry. …
In the East of England but with quick connections to London, Bedfordshire is a county that isn’t often associated with tourism. But this isn’t to say that there’s little to see either. There are lots of gigantic and palatial country estates, and several, like Woburn Abbey and Whipsnade, have turned their grounds into award-winning wildlife …
It is no disservice to the rest of Oxfordshire to say that the City of Oxford is the county’s crowning glory. The dignified home of one of the world’s oldest and most famous universities has to be visited at least once in a lifetime. But if you are eager to see more there’s a beautiful …
Without a city to speak of, the County of Suffolk is scattered with rural towns, and many of these are as divine as any you’ll see in England. In the south the idyllic countryside of water meadows and mills by the River Stour was immortalised by the 19th-century painter John Constable. Further west are the …
In the East Midlands, Northamptonshire is a mostly rural county with just two large towns, Northampton and Corby. Everybody else lives in sleepy villages with thatched cottages and country pubs. Just like its neighbour Buckinghamshire, this county is littered with stately homes, more than you could hope to fit into one holiday. In fact, Northamptonshire …
In the West Country, Wiltshire is a county of chalk downs that meet the Cotswold Hills on the boundaries with Somerset and Gloucestershire. As one of the most fertile regions in England there’s abundant farmland in Wiltshire, interspersed with well-looked after towns, and villages prized for their cute thatched cottages. The county’s hilltops are crowned …
Far from the London sprawl, West Sussex is on the south coast where the English Channel shoreline is lined with continuous towns and seaside resorts. Many of these, like Chichester and Arundel are historic and have compelling Roman, Saxon and medieval monuments. Others, like Worthing and Bognor Regis are holiday centres, harnessing the sunny climate …
On the southeast coast, East Sussex is a county that will take you back to England’s very foundation. The decisive Battle of Hastings was fought here, and William the Conqueror built his first fortresses in East Sussex. Amid all this history is Brighton, England’s most progressive city, and a sort of miniature London on the …
It goes without saying that Cambridge overshadows the county around it, and so it should, with one of the world’s great universities, and all of the history and culture that radiates. But there’s still a great deal to sink your teeth into in the rest of Cambridgeshire. It can be hard to imagine now, but …
With no big cities, most of Buckinghamshire’s residents live in beautiful market towns historic centres. In this county you can hardly travel a mile without bumping into a distinguished country estate, and many of these are owned by the National Trust or English Heritage so are open to visitors: Cliveden, Waddesdon Manor, Hughenden Manor, Stowe …