Things to do in Southwest England
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No 1 Royal Crescent
Superbly restored to the minutest detail of its 1770 magnificence, the grand Palladian town house No 1 Royal Crescent is well worth visiting to see how people lived during Bath's glory days; staff dressed in period costume complete the effect.
The crowning glory of Georgian Bath and the city's most prestigious address, Royal Crescent, is a semicircular terrace of magnificent houses decorated with a continuous façade of Ionic columns. Designed by John Wood the Younger (1728-82) and built between 1767 and 1775, the houses would have originally been rented by the season by wealthy socialites.
A walk along Brock St leads to The Circus, a magnificent circle of 30 houses. Plaq…
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Bath Abbey
King Edgar was crowned in a church in Abbey Courtyard in 973 – though he had ruled since 959 – but the present Bath Abbey was built between 1499 and 1616, making it the last great medieval church raised in England. The nave's wonderful fan vaulting was erected in the 19th century.
Outside, the most striking feature is the west facade, where angels climb up and down stone ladders, commemorating a dream of the founder, Bishop Oliver King. Among those buried here are Sir Isaac Pitman, who devised the Pitman method of shorthand, and Beau Nash.
On the abbey's southern side, the steps lead down to the small Heritage Vaults Museum , which explores the abbey's history and its l…
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Brownsea Island
This small, wooded island in the middle of Poole harbour played a key role in a global movement famous for three-fingered salutes, shorts and toggles – Lord Baden-Powell staged the first ever scout camp here in 1907. Today trails weave through heath and woods, past peacocks, red squirrels, red deer and a wealth of birdlife.
There are free guided walks ; subjects include the wartime island, smugglers and pirates.
Boats run by Brownsea Island Ferries leave from Poole Quay (adult/child return £8.50/5.50) and Sandbanks (adult/child return £5/4). Services operate when the island is open only and the last boat is normally at about 4.30pm.
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Cap'n Jaspers
Unique, quirky and slightly insane, this cabin-kiosk has been delighting bikers, tourists, locals and fishermen for decades with its motorised gadgets and teaspoons attached by chains. The menu is of the burger and bacon butty school – trying to eat a 'half a yard of hot dog' is a Plymouth rite of passage. Try the local crab rolls – the filling could have been caught by the bloke sitting next to you.
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Circus
Inspired by the Roman Colosseum, the Circus is another Georgian masterpiece of Wood the Elder's design. Arranged over three equal terraces, the 30 mansions overlook a garden populated by plane trees; a German bomb fell into the square in 1942 and demolished several houses, although they've since been rebuilt in seamless style. Look out for plaques to Thomas Gainsborough, Clive of India and David Livingstone, all former Circus residents.
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Doom Painting
In St Thomas's Church, the amazing doom painting is above the chancel arch, painted in 1475. It depicts Christ on the day of judgment, sitting astride a rainbow flanked by visions of heaven and hell; on the hell side, look out for two naked kings and a nude bishop, a miser with his moneybags, and a female alehouse owner, the only person allowed to hang on to her clothes.
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Riverstation
The city's original, award-winning riverside restaurant, still renowned for its super-sophisticated modern British cooking. The downstairs cafe rustles up light lunches, coffee and feather-light pastries, while up on the 1st floor it's all effortless elegance and European cuisine.
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Budokan
Pan-Asian food is cooked up at this exciting fusion restaurant, where diners sit at communal tables and indulge in handmade sushi, ho-fun noodles and Malaysian curries. Particularly good is the 'Rapid Refuel' menu available pre-19:00: sushi, side-dish and main, all for a paltry sum.
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Primrose Café
The classic Clifton cafe, as popular for coffee with the Sunday papers as for an evening meal with chums. Pavement tables are dotted around Parisian-style, while the dining room is a cosy grotto of fairy-lights, white linen and church candles. British food with a French accent. A 2-/3-course menu (£15.95/18.95) is available.
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Yukisan
Super-fresh sushi, light tempura and noodles worth mastering chopsticks for.
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Onefishtwofish
Pescatarians would do well to plump for this super seafooderie, with cute little tables crammed in under a barrel-brick roof dotted with twinkly lights. Seafood is shipped in daily: there's always a poisson du jour, but you'll have to order bouillabaisse ahead.
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Café Retro
This place is a poke in the eye for the corporate coffee chains. The paint job's scruffy, the crockery's ancient and none of the furniture matches, but that's all part of the charm: this is a cafe from the old school, and there's nowhere better for a hearty burger, a crumbly cake or a good old mug of tea. Takeaways are on offer from Retro to Go next door.
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Museum of Costume
In the basement is the Museum of Costume, which houses a huge wardrobe of vintage outfits including some lavish 18th-century embroidered waistcoats, a collection of 500 handbags and several whalebone corsets which are, frankly, alarming.
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Papadeli
Everything from goat's-cheese tart and Serrano ham to damson jam and poppy-seed cake is stocked at this gorgeous deli, where the shelves are filled with more cheeses and charcuterie than a Provençal street market.
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Herbies
Cosy and gently groovy, Herbies has been cheerfully feeding Exeter's vegetarians for more than 20 years. It's the place in town to tuck into delicious butterbean and vegetable pie, Moroccan tagine or cashew nut loaf. They're strong on vegan dishes, too.
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Rocotillo's
American-style diner serving gourmet burgers, crispy fries and the best milkshakes in town.
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Sloop Inn
Old Speckled Hen, Doom Bar and Bass ales make this beam-ceilinged boozer a favourite with St Ives' old boys. Settle into a booth seat for the night, or bag a spot on one of the wharfside tables.
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Café Cinnamon Girl
Look no further for lunch than this cute little organic café, locally famous for its bumper-sized sandwiches, homemade soups and trademark roasted veg. The free wi-fi's a bonus.
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Pipe & Slippers
The Pipe is a solid bet for a solid pint and an equally solid meal - Bath Ales behind the bar and Pieminister pies make this ever popular with Bristol's boozer-cruisers.
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Bournemouth Surf School
Bournemouth Surf School operates from the beach just east of Bournemouth Pier and runs surf lessons and half-day bodyboarding sessions.
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Guildhall
Hosts music and theatre, especially during the St Ives September Festival.
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Pig & Fiddle
Fave with the Bath Spa students, especially for big-screen sports and table footie.
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Wells Cathedral
Set in a marvellous medieval close, the Cathedral Church of St Andrew was built in stages between 1180 and 1508. The building incorporates several Gothic styles, but its most famous asset is the wonderful west front, an immense sculpture gallery decorated with more than 300 figures, built in the 13th century and restored to its original splendour in 1986. The facade would once have been painted in vivid colours, but has long since reverted to its original sandy hue. Apart from the figure of Christ, installed in 1985 in the uppermost niche, all the figures are original.
Inside, the most striking feature is the pair of scissor arches that separate the nave from the choir, de…
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