South West Region

The south west of England contains the beautiful counties of Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds, Somerset and Wiltshire, Dorset and the New Forest, and Cornwall and Devon. See the picturesque scenery and open moors of Dartmoor and Exmoor or visit the many beautiful villages filled with thatched cottages and traditional buildings. Alternatively, take a historical tour of the Roman city of Bath or visit the megalithic stone circle at Stonehenge. There are so many places to stay in the area that you'll be spoilt for choice and there are often hotels breaks in devon cornwall dorset somerset & surrey that will provide an excellent base for touring the area.

If you're looking for special and memorable places to visit devon and cornwall are the western most counties in England and offer miles and miles of unspoilt coastline and rural scenery. Two national parks, Dartmoor and Exmoor, show England's environment in its most natural form accompanied by vast expanses of open countryside and wild moorland. There are many small towns and larger cities to visit within the counties of Cornwall and Devon, including Newquay with its beautiful beeches and excellent surfing waves, Penzance (famous for its pirates), St Austell with its famous cornwall bio dome, Exmoor with its beautiful coastline and national park, and Torquay (the birthplace of Agatha Christie). Newquay accommodation is varied and numerous and you'll find many 'surfing' rooms on offer in this area renowned for its surfing and watersports activities.

Bath and Bristol are the first counties you will enter on reaching the South West of England. The cities of Bath and Bristol are famed for their superb architecture and their cultural attractions, including various museums and festivals. A bristol events guide is available from Bristol's tourist information centre. This is a really beautiful area and makes an excellent touring base for the Cotswolds and Wales. Bath is famous for its Roman historical heritage and many of the original buildings and architecture can be seen throughout the city. Bristol's Whinnie the Pooh museum, "Pooh Corner", is a dedication to A A Milne who lived nearby and a great attraction where you can see the little bear's upbringing, and that of his friends Tigger, Christopher Robbins and Piglet, and get maps to guide you on a scenic walk through the 100 acre nearby woods to 'Pooh Sticks' bridge. Devon and Cornwall are extremely popular areas for both national and international visitors because of their outstanding natural beauty and historical attractions. With many historic castles, including Dartmouth Castle and Totness Castle in Devon, and Tintagel Castle, St Mawes Castle and Pendennis Castle in Cornwall, to name but a few, this area is a must for visitors to the South West. Along with the many historical and natural attractions the area is famed for its hot climate and Indian summers so if you're looking for hot places to visit devon is surely your best bet. Take in 1000km of coastal scenery including sandy beaches, rocky coves and headlands, dominating cliffs and clear blue seas. The South West Coastal Path stretches for 986km along the beautiful South West English coast and offers fantastic walking opportunities for both the recreational walker and the more experienced walker. This National Trail is dotted with picturesque villages complete with thatched cottages and miniature fishing ports. If all that wasn't enough, Cornwall is home to the famous 'Eden Project' or cornwall bio dome at St Austell, said to be the eight wonder of the world, where bio-spheres have been erected, one cornwall bio dome containing a huge global garden the size of thirty football pitches, bringing together fruits of the Mediterranean and flowers of south Africa, along with many other wild and natural species of plant life. The cornwall bio dome is a must see when in the area and nearby St Austell makes a great base for a short break cornwall centred. Hotels breaks in devon cornwall dorset somerset & surrey would also be near enough to visit the cornwall bio dome. Dorset and the New Forest area is remarkably only 80 miles from the bustling metropolis of London but couldn't provide a starker contrast to the capital city. Like much of the South West area, Dorset has its own historic castles and beautiful coastlines. The truly unique attraction to Dorset is the New Forest area which contains much stunning scenery and allows for many hours of tranquil walks in stunning countryside. A short break cornwall or devon centred would surely make for a great holiday.

History

If you're looking for historical places to visit devon and the surrounding counties are steeped in history. The pirates of Cornwall and the Elizabethans of Southern England have been commemorated in history through the many museums and visitor learning centres in the region. Museums through the area shown life as it used to be in the different counties and many of the museums hold special exhibitions throughout the year. Museums such as the National Lighthouse Museum in Penzance, the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth and the fabulous Tate Gallery in St Ives are a must when visiting the area. Other places of interest are Earth Station Goonhilly at Helston in Cornwall which is the largest operational satellite station in the world, the Mineral Tramways Discovery Centre in Redruth which is a developing network of trails for walking, cycling and horse riding, and Buckfast Abbey in Devon which is a monk inhabited "medieval and modern" Abbey set within the Dartmoor national park. If you're looking for places to visit devon really must not be missed if for nothing else but Buckfast Abbey.

Walking

There are many walks and trails to follow throughout the region, each offering different delights to both the amateur and more serious walker. If you fancy scenic places to visit devon and the surrounding countryside has miles of unspoilt moorland and coastline. The Camel Trail follows the River Camel to Padstow over an 18 mile route whilst the Exe Valley Way and the Two Moors Way is a 45 mile route through the beautiful Exe Moors Way. Other routes, such as the Tarka Trail, the Saint's Way and the Portreath Tramroad provide miles of wonderful walks and idyllic scenery. The South West Coast Path is the longest of the available walking routes at 613 miles and gives both amateur and experienced walkers the chance to take one of Britain's finest coastal stretches. Hotels breaks in devon cornwall dorset somerset & surrey may also be available throughout the year to provide a peaceful hotel base for your travels.

Family Activities

There's a raft of watersports on offer within the area from sailing to surfing. Newquay is really the place for surfing but there are numerous other beaches along the coast which offer the perfect location for watersports. There are many multi activity holiday weekend breaks in cornwall on offer which should keep you and the kids entertained as well as uk outdoor action adventure sports holidays in cornwall. If this is what you're into then cornwall really is the place to visit and there are many guide books and tourist leaflets available in advance from the tourist information centres which will show you where to go and what to do. Newquay accommodation is plentiful also if you're after a short no-fuss break in Cornwall. Other attractions in the area include Paignton Zoo which invites visitors to take a journey through the world's threatened habitants. This 75 acre park contains hundreds of animals and makes for a great day out for all the family. The Plymouth Dome is another fantastic family attraction showing the voyages and encounters that helped to shape the modern world. Or how about Quaywest, the United Kingdom's only outdoor waterpark with 8 slides, swimming pools and a kids play zone.

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