Lanzarote

IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE THATONE REGION COULD HAVESO MANY CONTRASTS and that ineven the most hectic of cities, the sheer beauty of the west-country can force you to relax.

CORNWALL offers more miles of unspoilt coastline thananywhere else in Britain. It’s vibrant image is the result of a richhistory and culture that still lives and breathes through the sitesand scenery scattered throughout the county such as stonecircles, castles and remains of iron-age villages. Release theartist within you and fall in love with the light and landscape thatthe far end of England’s south-west peninsula has to offer.Cornwall has a wealth of small gallery’s and art cafes to pass thetime away – that’s if you’re not too busy surfing!

DEVON benefits from having two very different coastlines, inthe north you will find dramatic, rugged headlands and surf-washed sands whilst in the south, you can enjoy golden coasts,white pebbled beaches and sheltered bays. There are manyreasons to visit Devon and one of the most popular is to samplethe traditional Devon cream tea or to enjoy a fresh seafoodplatter – Devon is as famous for its culinary delights as it is forits magnificent coastline.

SOMERSET is a land of contrasts, from the 40miles of coastline and the popular seaside resorts ofMinehead and Burnham-on-Sea, to the smallestcity in England, Wells and the legends thatsurround Exmoor and Glastonbury. A haven forexplorers, South Somerset has over 1,100miles of paths and tracks to lose yourself in!

DORSET is home to the World HeritageSite of the Jurassic Coast and its fossils datingback more than 190 million years. With sevenmiles of golden beaches, parks and gardens,Bournemouth is Dorset’s little gem, combiningtraditional splendour with modern facilities. From historicmarket towns such as the County town of Dorchester, to seasidefun, dramatic cliffs and sweeping beaches, West Dorset trulyoffers something for everyone!

BRISTOL’S character and charm of its maritime past stillremains today and is used mainly for leisure and recreation.Bristol will cater for your every need with an array of new andold shopping areas, arts and museums, green spaces andparklife and for the adventurous, you can go rock climbing in theAvon Gorge, paddle through the harbour or mountain bikethrough Ashton Court Estate.

BATH is home to the Thermae Bath Spa, the only place in theUK where you can bathe in natural hot waters. The WorldHeritage Site of Bath is one the most stunning places in Britainwith some of the most famous architectural masterpieces inEurope such as the Roman Baths & Pump Room, RoyalCrescent, Bath Abbey and Pulteney Bridge.

WILTSHIRE unites the districts of Kennet, WestWilts, North Wilts, Salisbury and South Wilts with

the Borough of Swindon. With a population ofnearly 430,000, much of the county isdesignated as an ‘Area of Outstanding NaturalBeauty’. The mystical force that surrounds theworld-famous Stonehenge can sometimesovershadow the sheer beauty of this area.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE is the ideal place tovisit at any time of the year. Covering most of the

Cotswolds, the ancient Forest of Dean and the Vale ofthe River Severn, long summer days can be enjoyed

kayaking or 4x4 racing, or drinking in one of the many livelypubs and in Winter, cosy restaurants with log fires andmagnificent cathedrals are more than welcoming.

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury is one of the most photographed and famous streets in Dorset

Wellknown for

Cheddar cheese,cream teas and cidar,

the South West isEngland’s largest

region

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www.visitsouthwest.co.uk

Did you know?

The northern part ofGloucestershire, near ChippingCampden is as close to theScottish border as it is to the tipof Cornwall.

Bristol is the South West’s largestCity.

The South West region is hometo two National Parks and fourWorld Heritage Sites.

Travelling to the South West by Car

Enter the region from the east viathe M4 and then the M5. Fromthe Midlands and the north, viathe M6. Estimated direct drivingtime from London to Exeter isapproximately 3 hours and 30minutes.

Travelling to the South West by Train

The South West is served by allmajor rail networks and thefastest travel time from Londonto Exeter is just over two hours.

Cornwall – Newquay Beach

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Wiltshire – Stonehenge

Somerset – Wells Cathedral

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Fact fileCORNWALL’S fishing industry still survives inharbours like Newlyn, Mevagissey, Padstow,Falmouth, Looe and Polperro, and many smallerboats still work out of coves such as Port Issac,Cadgwith and Mullion.

DEVON is England’s greenest county and hasbeen declared the number one organic countyaccording to the latest figures from Defra. Devonhas miles of blue flag beaches and the best sand inthe UK for building sandcastles!

SOMERSET is alive with history and legend –walk in the footsteps of King Arthur and KingAlfred, explore Exmoor – home of Lorna Dooneand visit the mysterious Glastonbury Tor.

DORSET’S Poole Harbour is Europe’s largestnatural harbour and is a stunning location for alltypes of watersports. The spectacular and muchphotographed Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove andOld Harry Rocks are also worth seeing.

BRISTOL is famous for Brunel who designedthe Clifton Suspension Bridge, Actor Cary Grantand Sir Humphrey Davy who discovered laughinggas and invented the miners’ safety lamp.

BATH offers its visitors a wealth of qualityattractions, shopping experiences, theatre andrestaurants in traditional yet modern surroundingsand is the perfect base in which to explore thenorth-east of Somerset and the Cotswolds

WILTSHIRE has over 7,500 walking paths andcyclists will love the traffic free country lanes witha series of routes ranging from family friendly off-road routes to the 160 mile, long distance,Wiltshire Cycleway route.

GLOUCESTER has some outstanding historicalbuildings, including Gloucester Cathedral,Tewkesbury Abbey and the stunning Regencybuildings of Cheltenham Spa.

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