England: Cultured, Classic, and Charming: A Guide to Hidden England (The Hidden Gems Series) by Christy Nicholas – Review by Jennifer Gordon

England: Cultured, Classic, and Charming: A Guide to Hidden England by Christy Nicholas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an interesting and informative guide to ‘Hidden England’ which I read from cover to cover. As I live in England I as was pleased to see some of my favourite places mentioned in the book, but I also liked discovering new ones which really are off the ‘well-trodden’ paths. The author obviously knows England well and has done her research as this comes across in the quality of the information included. I love how the author has included English history, local myths, superstitions, as well as information on everything from Gods and Saints to what the best food and drinks to try are. The ‘Plans and Mechanics’ chapter is particularly useful for those travelling to/around England as its full of practicalities including tips and budgeting advice. I particularly found the write ups on geographical marvels and historical sites fascinating and it definitely gave me greater knowledge on places that were both known and not known to me. The narrative is written in a knowledgeable but lighthearted, friendly and easy to read style, and I found the resource section at the end very helpful. I would have found an index at the end helpful in order to refer back to specific places more easily, and although I enjoyed the pictures that were included I felt that more photos would have added to the over all look of the book. Overall this is a guide with a difference and it really does let you discover the hidden gems of the English realm.

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