As the site of one of the most infamous maybe-murders in English history, it’s safe to say I’d been dying to visit Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire for quite some time. Despite being only an hour’s drive from Cardiff, I had, for some inexplicable reason, never been before. So when I had a week off work in May, I was determined to finally put that right. Situated in the charming town of Berkeley, just a stone’s throw from the River Severn, the 12th century castle is one of the oldest buildings in England still inhabited by the same family. The castle…

I first heard about The Wallace Collection years ago when I was writing a secret guide to Marylebone for a magazine I was working on at the time. As part of the feature, I was interviewing locals to find out their favourite spots in the area and one woman I talked to mentioned The Wallace Collection. Intrigued, I decided to check it out the following Saturday and discovered an utterly delightful collection of art, porcelain and furnishings inside a magnificent mansion. The Wallace Collection is a collection of European artworks, furniture and armoury amassed by the 4th Marquess of Hertford…

When I lived in London, I used to try to get out for a long walk most weekends. One of my favourite walks was from Belsize Park to Marylebone or Regent’s Street in central London, via Primrose Hill and Regent’s Park. If I was feeling particularly energetic and had the time, I’d sometimes start the walk in Crouch End, making my way to Highgate Woods, through Highgate village and across Hampstead Heath to Belsize Park before continuing into central London. Short on time this trip and keen to pack in as much as I could, I decided to keep it…

On my second day in London, I headed into town bright and early to start the day with a little touristing. My destination? Westminster. Situated on the banks of the River Thames in the heart of London, the historic district is home to a slew of the capital and the country’s most iconic landmarks, including the eponymous Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Inspired by the previous day’s visit to St Paul’s Cathedral, my first port of call was the magnificent Westminster Abbey. The abbey, which has played host to countless royal weddings, funerals and coronations, dates…

I didn’t have much of a plan when I went to London, I had lots of vague ideas about different places I’d like to visit, but nothing set in stone and I found myself changing my plans on a whim during the trip. One of the places I’d thought about visiting was St Paul’s Cathedral. I’d visited St Paul’s some 10 years earlier and when I lived in London, I was a regular visitor to the café in its crypt. So I was keen to revisit one of the capital’s most iconic landmarks. After spying St Paul’s through a window…