The West Country is many things to many people. For some itâs the bleak moorlands of Bodmin, Dartmoor and Exmoor; for others it is quaint fishing villages and artistsâ colonies, or the gardens for which Cornwall is famous. It is an area steeped in legend â the land of King Arthur, Camelot and the Holy Grail; history here takes on a romantic quality, with facts obscured by time, and fictions embellished with tales of piracy, smuggling and shipwrecks. Yet its rugged coastline â and bright summer weather â have also made it Britainâs most popular holiday destination.
The tour starts at Bath 1 [map] (for more information, click here), then goes 8 miles (13km) east to the former mill town of Bradford-on-Avon 2 [map], which is focused around its picturesque main bridge, and has one of the best Saxon churches in the country â St Laurenceâs, founded in 700.
Polperro, Cornwall.
Lydia Evans/Apa Publications
Bristol to Exeter
After this, go northwest of Bath on the A4 to Bristol 3 [map], a major port since the time of the Phoenicians and in the 18th and 19th centuries an important gateway to the British Empire. Bristol became wealthy on the back of this colonial trade â though itâs important to remember that a significant component of the import-export business model at that time was the slave trade between West Africa and the Americas.
The north coast of Exmoor National Park.
Lydia Evans/Apa Publications
Bristolâs trading port moved several miles downstream from the city (to Avonmouth Docks and Royal Portbury Dock) during the 20th century. The old docks have now been redeveloped, and attractions and museums have moved in. At-Bristol (www.at-bristol.org.uk; daily MonâFri 10amâ5pm, SatâSun and daily in school holidays 10amâ6pm) is an interactive science museum geared to children. Nearby, the Watershed is an arts venue with cinemas, events space and a bar on the Floating Harbour. Further round the dock you can visit the SS Great Britain (www.ssgreatbritain.org; daily 10amâ5.30pm, winter until 4.30pm). Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806â59), the ship represents Bristolâs heyday as a shipbuilding centre, a theme explored further in the associated Dockyard Museum (same hours as ship). Also situated on the dockside is MShed (www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/m-shed; TueâFri 10amâ5pm, SatâSun 10amâ6pm; free). This museum, housed within a 1950s transit shed, charts the history of the city and its people.
Steep cliffs at Porthcurno.
Lydia Evans/Apa Publications
The gateways to the West Country are Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth and Newquay.
By rail Trains leave from London Paddington for all the above destinations. Journey times: about 2 hours to Bath and Bristol; 2 hours 30 minutes to Exeter; 3 hours 30 minutes to Plymouth. For all rail information, tel: 03457-484 950.
By coach National Express coaches from London Victoria are slower, but cheaper. For information, twww.nationalexpress.co.uk.
By car Bath and Bristol are easily accessible from London via the M4, Exeter via the M5, fed from London by the M4, from the north by the M6, Plymouth via the M5/A38.
By air Flybe operate flights to Newquay from London Gatwick and Manchester among other places; www.flybe.com.
Best museum Tate Gallery, St Ives, www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-st-ives.
Walking trails Information on guided walks around Dartmoor, www.dartmoor.gov.uk or www.moorlandguides.co.uk.
Tourist Information Exeter, tel: 01392-665 700; Plymouth, tel: 01752-306 330; Penzance, tel: 01736-335 530; Torquay, tel: 01803-211 211.
In the city centre, uphill from the waterfront, is the Cathedral, founded in 1140 (www.bristol-cathedral.co.uk; MonâFri 8amâ5pm, SatâSun until 3.15pm; donations welcome). From here, Park Street rises to Bristol University, the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery (tel: 0117-922 3571; MonâFri 10amâ5pm, SatâSun until 6pm; free), and Clifton Village, where Brunelâs Suspension Bridge spans the Avon Gorge. Brunel is generally credited as Britainâs greatest civil engineer, and was also responsible for the Great Western Railway, a series of steamships, and numerous bridges and tunnels.
Admission to Goughâs Caves includes entrance to the nearby Coxâs Cave, where the Crystal Quest presents a subterranean battle between good and evil, where mortal heroes battle it out with foul creatures from the underworld. The story is based on ancient beliefs that have inspired Greek epics and Norse sagas, and children usually love it.
From Bristol take the A38 towards Cheddar Gorge 4 [map], at 3 miles (5km) long the biggest gorge in England, carved out of karst limestone by the River Yeo. Goughâs Caves (www.cheddargorge.co.uk; JulyâAug daily 10amâ5pm, SeptâJune 10.30amâ5pm) were discovered by local resident Richard Gough in 1890, and 13 years later the skeleton of the 9,000-year-old Cheddar Man was found here. A walkway leads through a series of stalactite-encrusted chambers. The Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company (www.cheddargorgecheeseco.co.uk; daily from 10am, closing times vary), in the lower gorge, has a viewing gallery where yo...