River Avon travel tips

When the long nights and cold snaps descend, it’s natural to want to do as little as possible. Joggers, box sets and takeaways, rinse and repeat until March. And though hibernating at home with your other half is a solid strategy for surviving the more miserable months of the year, there’s nothing like a bit of spontaneity to keep the spark strong over winter.

More than London at the moment, Bristol seems to encapsulate the contradictions, energy and frustrations of the British nation. This city, which straddles the River Avon, is small (the population was just under 500,000 in 2019) but it punches well above its weight when it comes to politics and art. When a group of activists threw the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol harbour in June 2020, it focussed attention on Britain’s historic role in the slave trade. (Colston, who had endowed schools, almshouses and hospitals in Bristol had, in the 17th century, been instrumental in the transportation of at least 84,000 enslaved people during his involvement with the Royal African Company). Nowhere in Britain voted more fervently to remain in Europe (62 per cent versus 38 per cent voting to leave).

If you’re dreaming of long days soaking up the sun, ice-cold drink in hand, soaking up the scenery, the National Geographic Traveller (UK) team has just the ticket. Here are our 10 favourite pubs in the UK for summer drinking, from a remote beachside boozer to an urban brewery bar.

"Erected by citizens of Bristol as a memorial of one of the most virtuous and wise sons of their city, AD 1895", said a dark plaque decorating an empty plinth in the centre of Bristol, the largest city in south-west England. That "most virtuous and wise son" was Edward Colston, a 17th-Century merchant who oversaw the enslavement of 84,000 Africans, 19,000 of whom are thought to have died en route to the Americas.

Step back in time and enjoy some spectacular British castles and palaces in our pick of the bunch from Make The Most Of Your Time In Britain...