The Berkeley Guides:
Great Britain and Northern Ireland:
The West Country
By Mylah de la Rosa
England's southwestern counties, known collectively as the West Country, are a patchwork quilt of thatched-roof cottages, fishing villages, boggy moorland, and craggy coast. The region possesses a subdued poetry and charm largely unrivaled by the rest of Britain, which explains the flourishing colonies of less-than-starving artists who have sought inspiration here. While historical towns and cities such as elegant Bath and stately Exeter are not to be missed, it's mainly the countryside and coastline--well preserved by the National Trust--that continue to attract tourists each year. Though the trains and motorways do fill up with tourists in the summer months, it's fairly easy to escape the madding crowds, particularly if you choose to eschew touristy hellholes like Land's End in favor of scenic moor and coastal hikes.
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