Jane Dunford
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Articles by Jane Dunford
Fine scenery, historic towns and great pubs: a weekend walk on the Shropshire Way
Linley Beeches on Linley Hill in Shropshire. Photograph: Simon Whaley Landscapes/Alamy Few pubs boast a more idyllic setting. As I emerge from the woods after a 15-mile hike, The Bridges, on the banks of the Onny River, in the rolling south Shropshire hills, glistens in the late afternoon sun. Inside it’s all wooden beams, with light streaming through stained glass and huge bunches of homegrown flowers adding splashes of colour.
Fine scenery, historic towns and great pubs: a weekend walk on the Shropshire Way Original
Few pubs boast a more idyllic setting. As I emerge from the woods after a 15-mile hike, The Bridges, on the banks of the Onny River, in the rolling south Shropshire hills, glistens in the late afternoon sun. Inside it's all wooden beams, with light streaming through stained glass and huge bunches of homegrown flowers adding splashes of colour. There's time for a pint before general manager Sam Thompson shows me to my room in the recently converted stables.
I learnt to freedive in remote Indonesia
Rays of sunlight fan through turquoise water as I snorkel among shimmering clouds of silver and yellow fusilier fish. Corals of all shapes and colours decorate the seabed, rainbow-hued parrotfish glide past, bright blue star fish cling to rocks, and right below me a huge green sea turtle starts to surface from the deep. I float above him, swimming slowly, utterly absorbed by the beauty of the underwater world.
'I learnt to freedive in remote Indonesia'
Rays of sunlight fan through turquoise water as I snorkel among shimmering clouds of silver and yellow fusilier fish. Corals of all shapes and colours decorate the seabed, rainbow-hued parrotfish glide past, bright blue star fish cling to rocks, and right below me a huge green sea turtle starts to surface from the deep. I float above him, swimming slowly, utterly absorbed by the beauty of the underwater world.
Five of Europe's best accessible island escapes
Sylt, Germany Connected to the German mainland by a single rail causeway, Sylt is just over three hours from Hamburg by direct train. The largest of the North Frisian islands, it slices through the North Sea and the Wadden Sea, with salt marshes and mudflats to the east and 25 miles of white sands sweeping along the western coast, grassy dunes buffering the bracing winds.
It takes a village – the pioneering tourism project breathing new life into India's mountain communities
Kathdhara village is a riot of colour as the early evening light turns the clouds the rosy hue of Himalayan salt. Bright red chillies lie drying in front of cornflower blue doorways. The pink of a sari and the orange of marigolds pop against a backdrop of verdant terraced fields, where cabbages grow in perfect rows like a picture from a Peter Rabbit book. Just 22 families live in this remote hamlet in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, north-east India.
10 of the best retreats in Europe to soothe mind, body and soul
Jane Dunford Fun and games in Montenegro Playfulness is at the heart of the Art and Play holiday , based on a farm outside the Bay of Kotor. A family-friendly retreat designed to reignite joy and reconnect with the inner child, it's one for solo travellers and couples as well as parents with kids. There are creative sessions on everything from dance to painting, as well as time to enjoy the farm – feeding the animals, collecting eggs or helping harvest vegetables for farm-fresh meals.
History comes alive at a new hotel-museum in the ancient Italian city of Matera
Diners fall silent as the haunting sound of the aulos – a double-piped wind instrument from ancient Greece – echoes through the vaulted breakfast room. The musician, Davide, wears a chiton (tunic), as do the guests; the mosaic floor, decorated vases and flicker of flames from the sconces add to the sense that we’ve stepped back in time.
10 of the best community tourism trips around the world
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From the Gobi to Ghana: 10 of the best community tourism trips around the world
Stay with a herding family in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert Eternal Landscapes offers individual and small-group trips to Mongolia, with a focus on supporting local communities. On the five-day Erdenedalai Explorer trip, guests stay with a herding family in the vast steppes of the “Middle Gobi”, an area often bypassed by travellers heading to the better-known sights of the desert’s southern region. The trip offers a glimpse into local life in a wild landscape.
From the mountains to the Med: a self-guided walk in Provence, France
Behind Cassis beach, the castle-topped cliffs glint red-gold in the late afternoon sun. Couples stroll on the sand, kids play on the carousel, pastel-coloured buildings reflect in the still waters of the old harbour. In the main square, lined by plane trees, a group of elderly men concentrate on a game of petanque. It’s a charming slice of Provençal life, a world away from the Cote D’Azur’s more glitzy hotspots.
How I learned to ‘be more horse’ on a wild Sussex retreat
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How I learned to ‘be more horse’ on a wild Sussex retreat
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How I learned to ‘be more horse’ on a wild Sussex retreat
On a farm in West Sussex, I’m standing next to a handsome piebald Irish cob. Jenny is close to 16 hands, with stocky feathered legs, a flowing mane and gentle demeanour. I’m quite wary of horses, but as I watch her belly expanding slowly as she breathes, and notice her long eyelashes and velvet-soft nose, I feel entranced and completely relaxed.
New scheme to offer campers unprecedented access to wild spaces across Britain
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New scheme to offer campers unprecedented access to wild spaces across Britain
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New scheme to offer campers unprecedented access to wild spaces across Britain
Campers looking for a back-to-nature experience this summer will be able to wild camp on land that was previously off-limits across Britain thanks to an initiative launched by camping booking platform CampWild and the nature recovery charity Rewilding Britain. The partnership will provide outdoor enthusiasts with access to nature restoration projects that have not previously permitted overnight stays – and campers can get involved in conservation and citizen science activities on-site, too.
A frozen, protected wonderland: slow adventure in the less visited French Alps
Huttopia’s wooden chalets at Le Bois.Photograph: Jane Dunford The snow is deep and soft as we pad slowly forward, a muffled crunching the only sound breaking the silence. All around us, the jagged peaks of the Vanoise massif pierce the sky, glinting in the clear morning light. As we walk, Matthieu, my snowshoeing guide, points out fresh tracks – mountain hare, roe deer, fox – and on the mountainside we spy ibex: first a lone male, then a group surveying us from on high.
a brush with the Somerset countryside
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An arty stay in cider land: a brush with the Somerset countryside
Frost tints the landscape silver as we set up our easels in the watery morning sunlight. On the horizon is Burrow Hill, a gentle surge in the pancake-flat Somerset scene. Local artist Frances Watts talks me through how to mix colour palettes and then, with her help, I attempt to capture some of the wintry magic in oils. Interactive I’d come to Kingsbury Episcopi, 20 minutes west of Yeovil, to stay in the new Craftsman’s Cabin, set in its own meadow on the edge of the Somerset Levels and Moors.
How I learned to meditate in Herefordshire
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How I learned to meditate in Herefordshire
There’s an itch on the end of my nose and I want to scratch it. Instead, I focus on slowly breathing in and out, noticing the sensation, but trying not to react. My feet feel numb and my hip is niggling from sitting still. I shift slightly on my cushion and try to concentrate on the air as it enters and leaves my nostrils. It’s day two of a 10-day silent Vipassana meditation course at Dhamma Dipa, a centre in Herefordshire’s Wye Valley.
a family sabbatical in South America
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a family sabbatical in South America
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Eight months off school, but we all learned so much: a family sabbatical in South America
It was on holiday in Italy in 2022, after perhaps a little too much wine, that the decision was made: Mirjam Peternek-McCartney and her husband, Mark, would take a year’s sabbatical – with their (then) 10- and 13-year-old sons, Lukas and David. “We told the kids in the morning and after that we couldn’t back out … They were excited and it all started to feel more real,” says Mirjam, who lives in the Cotswolds and runs a PR company.
driving Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way
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driving Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way
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driving Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way
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‘A journey and an adventure’: driving Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way
The Wild Atlantic Way at Slieve League, County Donegal Photograph: Tourism Ireland On the edge of pretty Mannin Bay there’s a barrel sauna with a convex picture window overlooking the white sand and translucent Atlantic Ocean. It’s the perfect place to warm up after a morning kayaking around the indented shoreline, one that changes dramatically with the rise and fall of the tide.
Ten great ideas for August bank holiday
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Ten great ideas for August bank holiday
Into the Wild, East Sussex There are events for all ages at the Dartmouth regatta in Devon. Photograph: Max Styles Grab one of the remaining tickets for nature and wellbeing festival Into the Wild, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. For three days, the Chiddinglye estate becomes an enchanting playground with world and folk music performed in woodland surroundings (including the bands Folkadelix and Mobius Loop), yoga, dance, theatre and wild crafts.
Think Andalucía is parched and dusty? Not where I’m cycling
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Think Andalucía is parched and dusty? Not where I’m cycling
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Think Andalucía is parched and dusty? Not where I’m cycling
Fuenteheridos, the nearest town to Finca el Moro, in Huelva province. Photograph: Roctrip/Shutterstock The wild flowers are as high as my knees as I cycle through olive groves in the rolling hills of the Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche natural park in south-west Spain. I follow paths shaded by oak canopies, whiz across streams, weave along cobbled lanes in sleepy villages and stop often to gawp at the views.
a tour of her arty Sussex retreat
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In the footsteps of Lee Miller and the surrealists: a tour of her arty Sussex retreat
A mural by Lee Miller’s husband, Roland Penrose, above the dining room fireplace at Farleys. Photograph: Tony Tree /Lee Miller Archives There’s an original Picasso tile – of an abstract face with a yellow nose – roughly cemented into the wall above the Aga in the kitchen of Farleys House in East Sussex. “Patsy [the housekeeper] used to scrub it with Vim,” says Jenny, my guide.
the platform helping wild camping beginners find a pitch
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‘Deep in the woods, 10 minutes from my car’: the platform helping wild camping beginners find a pitch
The CampWild website offers more than 300 spaces across the UK Photograph: CampWild The dawn chorus is loud in the woods as I unzip my tent to peer out at the new day and a sea of bluebells. I make tea and drink it slowly, enjoying the peace. It’s a perfect start to the morning after my first solo wild camp. I had found my slice of the wild via CampWild , a platform that connects campers with UK landowners willing to let people stay.
Restorative in every way: a rewilding retreat in Somerset
Meditation by the lake at 42 Acres near Frome.Photograph: Stephanie Braconnier The honk of the geese as they take off from the lake is comically loud, reeds quiver and the reflection of the clouds on the water is momentarily fractured. A butterfly flits by, landing on my boot. We’re on a guided walk at 42 Acres, a regenerative farm, nature reserve and retreat centre near Frome in Somerset – and the whole place feels vibrantly alive.
wild camping and hiking in the Scottish Highlands
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wild camping and hiking in the Scottish Highlands
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wild camping and hiking in the Scottish Highlands
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We revel in the remoteness: wild camping and hiking in the Scottish Highlands
It’s a relief to lay my rucksack down, plunge hot feet into the cool stream and pause to revel in the fairytale surrounds. Foxgloves stand tall against a cornflower-blue sky, ferns look almost luminous, the water glints in the early summer sunshine. A patch of moss-covered ancient forest provides shade, a cuckoo calls in the distance, mountains layer on the horizon.
Kendal Mountain film festival 2023 celebrates adventure for all
By Jane Dunford, 42 minutes ago Frustration at the lack of plus-size outdoor clothing and a feeling that people her size are unwelcome in the outdoors led Steph Wetherell to launch Every Body Outdoors last year. The Instagram page she set up with four women whom she’d met online clocked up 1,000 followers in its first 24 hours.
a walking tour of north-western Sicily
We've all been there. The barista hands you your coffee and spins their tablet around to show a screen that prompts you to tip 15%, 20%, 30% or 0% on your order. It's an experience that's become commonplace beyond places where it was previously considered normal to tip, and Americans are getting fed up. In fact, 2 in 3 Americans now have a negative view of the entire tipping practice, a recent Bankrate survey found.
a walking tour of north-western Sicily
There’s something immensely satisfying about being able to see the point you’re aiming for on a long hike. Far below Erice, a hilltop town in north-west Sicily, I can make out the arc of Trapani on the coast – my target, three hours away by foot. Paths wind down the hillside, past wild flowers and giant cacti, the city looming ever larger, its buildings a palette of pastel pinks and greys that blend into the surrounding salt flats and ocean.
Coves, cobblestones and pastry shops: a walking tour of north-western Sicily
There’s something immensely satisfying about being able to see the point you’re aiming for on a long hike. Far below Erice, a hilltop town in north-west Sicily, I can make out the arc of Trapani on the coast – my target, three hours away by foot. Paths wind down the hillside, past wild flowers and giant cacti, the city looming ever larger, its buildings a palette of pastel pinks and greys that blend into the surrounding salt flats and ocean.
‘Tourism can offer us hope’: Bosnia and Herzegovina’s staggering scenery and beautiful towns
As our Jeep crests the hill we see them, gathering around a nearby waterhole, drinking, grazing, play-fighting. The vast Kruzi plateau stretches before us, edged by the foothills of Mount Cincar, an untamed landscape of scrub and limestone karst in south-west Bosnia and Herzegovina. “Look, here come more,” says Matej, our safari guide, and sure enough a herd of wild horses gallops past, a whirlwind of manes and clattering hooves.
Sustainable Scotland: the low-carbon road to the Highlands
The sky’s a hazy grey as the sun starts to rise, just visible behind the dense low-hanging cloud. We slide slowly – though not silently – into mirror-smooth Loch Ossian. Reflections of bare-branched trees ripple, a bird of prey hovers on the horizon. It doesn’t get much wilder than this; a full immersion into the elemental Highlands. We’re staying at the Loch Ossian youth hostel at the water’s edge, one of the most remote in the UK.
‘I love the sense of freedom’: an accessible adventure in North Yorkshire
Lisa Marie Presley obituary As the only child of Elvis Presley, Lisa Marie Presley, who has died aged 54, spent her life in the spotlight, much of it reflected from her father. She spent years as fodder for the tabloids, a frenzy fed by four marriages, including one to Michael Jackson at the apex of his notoriety and, later in life, delineated in three albums that first dissected her history, and later drew on her father’s musical roots.
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