The Rough Guide to England Introduction

Of the two hundred-plus destinations across the world that Rough Guides covers, there is none so fascinating, beautiful and culturally diverse, yet as insular, self-important and irritating, as England. You may share the same language, and you might think you already know the country well (after all, even the world's most remote communities are on first-name terms with its princes, footballers and pop stars). But there's far more to England than its famous buildings, landscapes, history and monuments - more, in truth, than even a 1000-page guidebook can hope to cover in detail. We'll tell you what's worth seeing and why, but we won't pull our punches.

Just a few examples. There are English landmarks that every schoolchild knows - from the Houses of Parliament to Stonehenge - but to reach them you have to endure the country's overcrowded roads and risible public transport system. There are national parks, from the Lake District to Dartmoor, that are the equal in beauty of anything in Europe, yet the English countryside faces crisis on an almost annual basis. And while there are hundreds of atmospheric hotels and celebrated restaurants across the country, you may find yourself served with a sneer instead of a smile.

Should this stop you visiting? Not a chance, for England is also an endlessly surprising country. England may have a notorious taste for nostalgia, but its cities have a restless energy and a talent for reinvention. So for every tourist who wants to stand outside the gates of Buckingham Palace or visit Stratford-upon-Avon, there's another who makes a beeline for the latest show at Tate Modern or the cityscape of downtown Manchester. Contemporary England is a deeply conservative place which at the same time has a richly multi-ethnic culture. Famously, fish and chips gave way some years ago to chicken tikka masala as the country's favourite dish, and while the nation tends to distrust all things European, the English increasingly embrace a continental lifestyle.

Make the most of your time with "The Rough Guide to England", the ultimate companion to this stunning country. The full-colour section introduces England's highlights, from afternoon tea at the Ritz to the beautiful North York Moors and punting on the Cam. Clue-up on all the top sights from the spectacular Tate Modern and the Baltic Centre in Newcastle to the Notting Hill Carnival and the beautiful Dorset coast. The guide takes a detailed look at England's history, literature, politics and cultural life with a brand new section on music and expert background on everything from English beer to Thomas Hardy's Wessex. There's plenty of practical advice for experiencing the great outdoors, from cycling coast to coast, to hiking in the Yorkshire Dales; information on all the best accommodation, transportation and restaurants plus lively reviews of hundreds of shops, bars and clubs. Explore every corner of England with the clearest maps of any guide.

The views expressed in all Rough Guides are based on the experience of the authors. Each guide is written after carrying out in-depth research.

Rough Guides have always appreciated the views of our readers and we encourage people to send us their feedback. Each guide book is subject to review and the readers' comments & updates are taken into account during the review.

The quotes from The Rough Guide to England that have appeared in the press have been very selectively taken from the book, which is in fact extremely enthusiastic about England. We don't think our readers would thank us if we said that everywhere was equally good, or if we didn't try to give more than a superficial overview of the country. Please do take a look at the book, rather than just the newspaper articles and I hope you'll see what I mean.

Best wishes,

Martin Dunford.
Publisher

The views expressed in all Rough Guides are based on the experience of the authors. Each guide is written after carrying out in-depth research.

Rough Guides have always appreciated the views of our readers and we encourage people to send us their feedback. Each guide book is subject to review and the readers' comments & updates are taken into account during the review.

The quotes from The Rough Guide to England that have appeared in the press have been very selectively taken from the book, which is in fact extremely enthusiastic about England. We don't think our readers would thank us if we said that everywhere was equally good, or if we didn't try to give more than a superficial overview of the country. Please do take a look at the book, rather than just the newspaper articles and I hope you'll see what I mean.

Best wishes,

Rough Guides Authors

2008-05-11 Trashy and dismissive guide.

Trendy guide trying to be clever and get some blatant free publicity by unjustifiably damning some beautiful parts of Britain. I suspect the dismissive authors haven't even been to some of these places - the guide reads almost as if the authors have just gone onto Wikipedia! Avoid at all costs.