Knaresborough: Yorkshire's Biggest Hidden Gem

Knaresborough is a picturesque little market town in Yorkshire that was built in the gorge of the River Nidd which spills down the river bank while towering above are the ruins of an ancient castle and an iconic viaduct. No other place in Britain has quite captured my imagination as it has and it will always surprise me how very few people seem to have heard of it.

We went on a day trip in 2011, on the bank holiday weekend that celebrated the royal wedding and the royalists that we are decided it was too good a day to be stuck inside watching the lavish ceremony paid for by our hard-earned money so we decided to commemorate the event by visiting a town that was a perfect example of merry England. In the days when it was still easy to just hop on a train and escape for a day, we headed off to Leeds where we changed platforms to take the Harrogate line.

The train crossed the river through the stone viaduct and we followed a warren of cobbled streets and staircases which led us down to the riverside that was littered with pretty cafes, riverside walks and boats for hire.

After a short coffee break, we borrowed a boat and a romantic ride ensued (after a tiny bickering about how to make it move!) under the river gorge, taking turns on the oars. The views of the town rising on the crag from the river was a sight to behold and it was almost with regret that we got off the boat when our time was up.

We took a different path on our way up, following the signs that led us to the Knaresborough Castle, a Norman ruin that includes a 700-year-old King's Tower and modern-day unofficial children's climbing wall (for we have captured a couple of wilful youngsters defying Britain's extreme health and safety regulations). The views along the way are almost too beautiful for words even though it is a familiar sight for those of us who are fans of Paul the Weatherman's segment at 6pm on  BBC Yorkshire.

We explored the medieval ruins and strolled along the castle grounds before heading towards the town centre that was mostly made up of Georgian homes, boutique independent shops and pretty little cafes. We followed the map of the town's tromp l'oeil - an art technique that sets out to 'fool the eye' into seeing a painted picture as something real. This colourful trail features characters and events from the towns long and rich history that goes back as far as 5th Century and were painted on the town's blank windows, a feature of Georgian buildings where the windows were blocked to avoid window taxes.

After picking up the traditional lunch of fish and chips from one of the village shops, we were off to chase our train to Harrogate. But the historic and delightful town of Knaresborough has sprinkled so much stardust that until now it remains my perfect vision of Peter Pan's Neverland. Go and see for yourself - it's an almost English paradise.

Summer Walk in Chatsworth

I'm embarrassed to admit, as much a seasoned traveller I now consider myself, I still take a guilty pleasure in visiting places I have seen in films or television dramas. 

One July midmorning, I imagined myself as Lizzie Bennet (the heavily pregnant version at least) taking a walk on the grounds of Pemberley in my long bright red frock and sandals with soles so thin it felt like I was walking barefoot. 

It was a clear day, still and golden, with blackberries ripe and luscious in the bramble bushes. The air is touched with a lazy fragrance of the hidden flowers underneath the tunnel of green, with trees that spread their forked boughs like a stag's antler above us. Further ahead, the intense blue of the noonday sky burst like jewel in the sun. 

Pemberley (of films and TV dramas) of course is Chatsworth House, the seat of the Duke of Devonshire, set in the heart of the Peak District. Thirty minutes in the car from Sheffield, we didn't have to travel far when we woke up that morning to a sky that cried for a walk in the countryside. 

One of Britain's most visited historic properties, Chatsworth House stands magnificently in the east bank of the Derwent River with a backdrop of wooded, rocky hills rising to heather moorland. It's one of those places whose landscape transforms with the changing of the seasons and every single visit offers a pleasant surprise. 

This particular summer visit was exclusively for the five mile walk around the garden, up the 300 year old Cascade, finding the centre of the maze and strolling around the Emperor Lake with the enormous gravity-fed fountain where the best picture view of the house can be taken. And yes, there were plenty of photos indeed! 

Please Put Money on the Tin

We went to Norfolk for a week last summer, on a final holiday before our baby was due. After a walk along the beach one early morning, we stopped by a local farm to get some free-range eggs for breakfast. It was just off the main road where you turn in to a big open space surrounded by farm houses. 

No one was around but on one of the barns, the eggs were displayed with a sign for self-service. You get your eggs and leave your money in the tin, no questions asked. In most civilised societies, this honour system is rather common. You wouldn't dream of stealing an egg from an honest farmer, especially when you see where the produce have come from, in this case, dozens of chicken running free around the farm. 

When we were getting ready to leave, the owners came out of the house and invited us to look at their garden where they shared stories about the farm. It was an experience I have enjoyed and the meal later on tasted better because I knew where my food came from. 

Bath Christmas Market 2012

It was around this time last year when we set off for Bath, a car journey from the North of England to the South that would take us most of the afternoon to complete. We arrived just before sunset, signed in at our B&B and walked around one of Britain's most popular tourist destinations. 

Winter is not one of my favourite times to go on holiday with less daylight hours and usually bad weather. But snow arrived very late last year and the sky was clear when we arrived, perfect conditions to look around the 150 beautifully decorated wooden chalet-style stalls set in the wonderfully preserved Georgian streets and square surrounding the majestic Bath Abbey. 

Bath's Christmas Market is said to be one of the prettiest in Britain (although I did think the city itself was a bit underwhelming). When what was once a novelty idea of bringing the German traditional markets have turned into a high street cliche in most cities in the country, it has set itself apart by offerring the best that the region can offer from local produce to arts and crafts providing inspiring presents for loved ones at the same time as supporting independent retailers. 

We bought most of our presents from those stalls and made us feel a whole lot better - by supporting the local traders, the very backbone of our economy, to triumph against the destructive forces of big chains and mass produced goods. 

Bath's Christmas market is said to be more magical this year with a winter wonderland theme where visitors can watch the snow falling down the log cabins as they sip their warm drinks. It's definitely worth a trip.