A Quick Tour of the South West of England

The South West of England offers one of the most diverse range of visitor attractions, natural beauty and accommodation in the UK, ideal for all interests and activities.

There are historical cities like Bath, with its Roman architecture and heritage, Bristol with it’s trading and shipping heritage, and Bournemouth and Poole which are more traditional seaside resorts.

Friendly County towns like Exeter, Truro and Gloucester, where you can see hillsides and farmland from the town centre – always a reassuring sign that you are never far away from the fresh air of the countryside.

Dorchester, the County town of Dorest, and the surroundign area is where the Thomas Hardy lived, wrote and based many of his works - here you can really see his works come to life.

Inland, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire have some of the prettiest countryside, including areas like The Costwold, with its rolling English hills and the New Forest, which is well known for its unspoilt beauty.

The Somerset levels offers some amazing countryside, with features like Glastonbury Tor rising, often out of the mist, from the lowlands.

And if it is wild scenery you like, then Exmoor, Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor are renowned for spectacular walking through some of the wildest scenery in the UK. An alternative way to experience them is also on horseback, with many local stables providing tours of the moors on horseback. Or for something a little more unusual, you can go "hawking" on the moors – hunting with a hawk on your arm.

But take care when visiting some of these Moorland areas – the weather can close in quickly.

The mild Cornwall climate, which benefits from the "North Atlantic Drift", creates a great environment for garden lovers. Cornwall has some of the nicest gardens in the region, including Lanydrock and Heligan, and of course the world-renown Eden Project.

The South West of England is most well know for its lengthy coastline – hundreds of miles of coat path, where you can walk from North Somerset, south to the southern most point of England, then turn the corner to walk east along the south coasts of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset all the way to the Hampshire border.

This route takes you through seaside resorts, across some of the most stunning cliff tops with Atlantic views, through charming traditional fishing villages, and resort towns like Westward Ho ! (the only town in the UK with an exclamation mark as a part of it’s name !) or Torquay.

Along the way there may also be the chance to surf some of the best beaches in the UK, like Croyde or Newquay. Every summer the miles of sandy beaches are packed with surfers, especially for the annual championships that are held in Newquay each year. Or for the braver surfer, the Winter months usually deliver some fabulous surf – but it is a little colder !

Depending on your budget or preferred style of accommodation, there are always places to stay. Cliff top campsites and youth hostels, farmhouse Bed & Breakfast, self catering cottages and some top quality hotels. A site like StaySouthWest.com can help you search out a range of places to stay across the region, to plan you tour.