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.
With rustic stone buildings, a lively market place and spring blooms, Helmsley in Ryedale is a quintessential English market town. There’s a rare amount of heritage close by, whether it’s the Medieval ruins of Rievaulx Abbey or Helmsley Castle, or the landscaped terrace and temple follies of Duncombe Park. A holdover from this estate is …
At 260 metres above sea level Hawes is the highest market town in England. The backdrop for Hawes is Wensleydale, the breathtaking valley of the River Ure, well-known for crumbly cow’s milk cheese that is made only in this part of North Yorkshire. Cheese lovers need to head straight to the Wensleydale Creamery, where you …
Opposite Newcastle, Gateshead is a mining and industrial town that has redefined itself early in the 21st century. The Tyne riverside has become a cultural quarter home to Sage Gateshead, a dynamic concert venue, and the capacious Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in a old flour mill. Combine this with the Shipley Art Gallery and …
The market town of Devizes may be small, but packs more than 500 listed buildings. Any visit has to begin with the large, crescent-shaped Market Place, still hosting an outdoor market on Thursdays. You can stand here and look up towards Wadworth’s Victorian tower brewery, and down to the Neoclassical town hall, completed in 1808. …
“Chippy” for short, Chipping Norton is a classic Cotswold market town, with monuments and houses made from the trademark yellowy limestone. The town has long ties to the woollen trade. The striking Church of St Mary is a wool church, reflecting the wealth of Medieval wool merchants whose memorials decorate the church’s north aisle. A …
In the 18th century Daventry, now just off the M1, was a thriving coaching town, but business dried up after the London and Birmingham Railway opened in 1838, bypassing Daventry. Grand Georgian coaching inns like the Dun Cow on Brook Street still contribute to Daventry’s townscape, where there’s also a rare Georgian Church and a …
The well-heeled Georgian town of Buckingham was declared Buckinghamshire’s county town by Alfred the Great as long ago as the 9th century. Buckingham lost that status to Aylesbury in the 16th century, not long before Mary Tudor granted it the right to a weekly market, which still trades on Tuesday and Saturday. Major attractions like …
Views don’t get much more beautiful than Burford, framed by the Cotswolds from the top of the High Street. This handsome street is like a timeline of English architecture, from slanting half-timbered houses to rustic stone cottages and refined Georgian townhouses. Nothing on the High Street is new, and everything has been meticulously preserved for …
After the Industrial Revolution, Bridgwater in the Somerset Levels emerged as a busy inland port, unloading coal from South Wales and exporting the town’s famous bricks and tiles. The West Quay on the River Parrett, as well as Castle Street and King Square, are all lined with flat-fronted Georgian townhouses from that time. Something else …
Folded into the steep Severn Valley, Bridgnorth is a historic market town with High and Low areas on the valley side. The Low Town is by the river, at the foot of a sandstone cliff while the once impenetrable High Town is crested by two churches and the ruins of Bridgnorth Castle. This was laid …