Simon Heptinstall

6 days ago | dailymail.co.uk | Simon Heptinstall

America boasts the Hamptons and Cape Cod, France has its riviera – and these days the UK has seasides that are every bit as cool. Here are Britain’s 15 classiest coastal spots, with tips on how to stay alongside the millionaires on a budget. SouthSt Ives, CornwallThis Cornish fishing village’s cobbled lanes lead from the harbour to beaches via boutiques selling £100 T-shirts. Star watch: Hollywood actress Thandiwe Newton often returns to her family home.

1 week ago | dailymail.co.uk | Simon Heptinstall

There are few better places to be when the sun comes out than one of our great British unsung institutions – the traditional pub beer garden. During a career as a UK-based travel and motoring writer, I’ve criss-crossed the country on road trips countless times. Often the places I remember most, however, are not the beauty spots or major attractions – they are the leafy pub terraces that combine the perfect pint with a perfect view.

1 month ago | dailymail.co.uk | Simon Heptinstall

A Somerset seaside town is hoping to woo in legions of tourists - by offering them the chance to pose with its answer to the leaning tower of Pisa. The famous Italian landmark - which leans at an gentle angle of 3.9 degrees - attracts more than five million visitors a year. However, the medieval stone church tower of St Andrews in Burnham-on-Sea, which is around the same age as Pisa's tower, leans by an incredible 15 degrees, making it more than four times wonkier.

2 months ago | dailymail.co.uk | Simon Heptinstall

We should treasure our great Sunday roast tradition – it’s one of Britain’s few world-famous gourmet specialities. While its exact origins are unknown, the meal is thought to have started during the reign of King Henry VII in the 15th century, when bodyguards ‘The Yeomen of the Guard’ earned the nickname ‘Beefeaters’ by consuming large quantities of roast beef. The practise then evolved: before leaving for church, women would put the meat and vegetables in the oven to cook.

Dec 3, 2024 | dailymail.co.uk | Simon Heptinstall

It may just be a rocky slab protruding into a pretty lake, but Friars Crag, overlooking Derwentwater at Keswick, in the north of the Lake District, offers one of Britain’s finest views. From here, a panorama of mountains, woods, islands and water opens out, facing the ‘Jaws of Borrowdale’ where the River Derwent flows through a gorge. Over the years it has inspired missionaries, artists such as Turner and Constable, writers and poets including Wordsworth and Coleridge.