Bath, Oxford, the Cotswolds and Somerset: England's glories

IN JULY, MY WIFE AND I WILL HAVE TWO WEEKS IN ENGLAND. WE THOUGHT TWO DAYS IN LONDON, THEN MAYBE TRAIN TO OXFORD BEFORE HIRING A CAR. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE COTSWOLDS AND CORNWALL WITH THREE OR FOUR-DAY STOPS, FINISHING WITH A NIGHT IN WINCHESTER BEFORE AN EARLY FLIGHT FROM HEATHROW. ANY SUGGESTIONS TO FILL IN THE GAPS?

G. HEATH, SUNRISE BEACH

It's going to be busy. Oxford, the Cotswolds and Somerset are some of England's glories, and July is peak season, so be prepared for crowds and heavy traffic.

After the Cotswolds, spend a few nights in Bath (visitbath.co.uk) - it's a lovely city with plenty to keep you entertained without having to drive anywhere, including the Roman Baths, Number One Royal Crescent, the Jane Austen Centre, the Victoria Gallery, Bath Abbey, and Sally Lunn's historic eating house and museum.

The North Cornwall coast has some lovely and highly photogenic villages such as Bocastle and Clovelly, but parking anywhere near them is almost impossible, and the coast road between them is going to be murderously slow in July. One place you might stop along the way is Rick Stein's restaurant in Padstow. Close to the very toe of England, St Ives is a lively leisurely town with a decent beach, which is a rarity in England, and plenty of dining options. This would make a good base for exploring Land's End, Penzance, Sennen Cove, St Michael's Mount and Mousehole. After that you could head west and spend a couple of days at Falmouth, or possibly St Mawes, on the other side of Carrick Roads. To the east of St Mawes is a string of lovely villages - Poscartho, Veryan, Portloe and Mevagissey - all worth a look. From St Mawes to Winchester is about a four-hour drive.