The Cotswold Hills run in a large swathe through south central England, chiefly in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, but also parts of Somerset, Wiltshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.
Although within close proximity to London, the county of Surrey is blessed with green open spaces, including the North Downs, the Weald and the Surrey Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The Shropshire market town of Shrewsbury, lying on the River Severn, was an important centre of the wool trade in medieval England and its prosperity continued up until the Industrial Revolution, with a wealth of ancient and historical buildings still standing in the town centre.
In this comprehensively illustrated guide, Harpenden History Tour takes the reader on a nostalgic journey around this quintessential country village in days gone by, coupled with a useful location map showing the various places of historical interest, highlighting the many changes that have taken place over the last 100 years.
Shrewsbury, Shropshire's county town, has been an important trading and administrative centre since medieval times because of its position on the River Severn close to the Welsh border.
Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and at the mouth of the River Exe, Exmouth is one of the largest seaside towns in Devon and is regarded as the county's oldest holiday resort.
Sussex is a mostly rural county, with rolling hills in the South Downs National Park, comprising ancient farmland of patchwork fields with sheep grazing the hillside.
Lying 7 miles south-east of Manchester, the town of Stockport can trace its history back to the foundation of a castle in the area in the late twelfth century and the granting of a borough charter around 1220.
The towns and villages west of Birmingham, around Dudley, Wolverhampton, Sandwell and Wallsall, became known as the Black Country during the Industrial Revolution due to the intense industrialisation of the area, particularly coal mining and ironworking.
The Somerset town of Bridgwater was an important port on the River Parrett in the Middle Ages, linked inland during the Industrial Revolution with the construction of the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal.
From its heyday in the nineteenth century as a major centre of wire making, textiles, chemical production and brewing through to its Second World War role as the largest US Army Air Force base in Europe and subsequent reinvention as a new town in the late 1960s, Warrington is now the largest town in Cheshire, with a proud heritage and distinctive identity.
Over the last few years Bristol has received many accolades such as the UK's 'happiest city', 'most desirable location to live', 'kindest and most selfless people', and 'most artistic city'.
The medieval Suffolk market town of Bungay on the River Waveney was dominated by its castle, owned by the Bigod family, the Earls of Norfolk, and its Benedictine priory.
Warwickshire is a county steeped in the supernatural, as befits the county of Shakespeare and the many ghosts and spirits that he conjured up in his works.
Unlike many other small villages in the UK, Lesmahagow has many claims to fame because of its location and geological heritage and due to many of its sometime residents having taken up influential roles in the history of the nation.
For many the vibrant seaside village of Mumbles is the gateway to the beautiful Gower Peninsula, and both have fascinating history and fine scenery to offer.
The Gloucestershire town of Cirencester has a rich and diverse history dating back to Roman times when, known as Corinium, it was the second largest settlement outside London.
The seaside town of Bournemouth was founded as a watering place in the early nineteenth century in an area of barren land on the south coast known for smuggling.
Whitehaven was just a fishing village on the Cumbrian coast until the port was developed by the Lowther family in the seventeenth century to export coal from the Cumberland coalfield.
The town of Arundel in West Sussex is overlooked by Arundel Castle and the Roman Catholic cathedral, which was built through the support of the Duke of Norfolk, but the history of Arundel is built on much more than the castle and the dukes and earls.
Crowds of visitors flock to Whitby to explore the ancient abbey, walk the narrow streets, pass Captain Cook's home and see the replica of his ship Endeavour, but the history of Whitby is much richer, as revealed in this tour of its significant, interesting and unusual buildings.
