I've just had the wonderful opportunity to visit Wiltshire, a rural county in the west of England. It offers some of the most breathtaking scenery in England. Of particular interest was the Kennet & Avon canal which runs through the northern middle of the county. The best way to see this canal and the surrounding countryside is by narrowboat. I took a narrowboat from Bradford on Avon to Pewsey, through the many locks at Caen Hill near Devizes.
The weather was incredibly warm and sunny and the pace of travel - 4mph - was ideal for viewing the green depths of the countryside and stopping at remote inns for lunch or sampling local beers. We moored at some idyllic spots along the canal, where we were close to lush green meadows and countless footpaths to villages and were able to view hedgerow wildlife such as foxes, hares, badgers and pheasants, all obligingly on display. Here is a shot taken of the White Horse of Cherhill Down, which is a day trip from the canal
The 7 days we spent on the narrowboat seemed to go very quickly. After our time on the narrowboat, we spent some time touring the hotels of West Wiltshire, especially the Manor at Castle Combe. As you can see from this picture, it is a quintessentially English country house.
The full travel story of our Wiltshire trip can be read in the 2nd issue of Escapism Travel Magazine. You can purchase Escapism Travel Magazine in newsagents or read it entirely online www.escapism-magazine.com/read.html
