Bath

Beautiful Bath – what a splendid sojourn it made for! I really don't holiday enough in the UK. Like many Brits, I've been conditioned to see this as almost oxymoronic. And while our typically miserable weather validates such views, there are truly few countries more delightful when blessed with a burst of blue skies and sunshine. So it was on this August bank holiday when I drove to Bath with mother and brother bear for a little UK getaway.

Now, I won't claim that Bath matches the excitement and exoticness of some of my other travel destinations. Yet that is simply not Britain's style; rather, it is that quietly confident elegance, quintessentially ours, that makes this island so special. The city itself is quite small but beautifully homogenous, characterised by its pleasant green spaces and Georgian architecture. My oft-used expression "perfect for a potter" could not apply more aptly here. We had a wonderful two days walking its streets and nosing into the quaint shops and cafes. I must caveat that Bath has a major university, so perhaps it wouldn't feel quite so peaceful during term time. However, visiting during the summer holidays, as we did, left it quietly reclaimed by the locals. My personal highlight was the Roman Baths. Situated in the city centre, this grand complex is one of the best-preserved Roman sites in the world. I wouldn't say that it provides the most fascinating insight into Roman Britain, but it certainly added a tasteful layer to this historic city – and I like to think that Roman notables back in the day might have retired here for a pleasant weekend away just as I was doing with my family.

What makes Bath a truly wonderful bank holiday destination, however, is that if you're driving from London, it's enticingly easy to pair this with one of the UK's most iconic sites on the way back: Stonehenge. This is probably the most famous prehistoric monument in Europe and a great historical enigma. The approach itself is quite arresting: vistas of this megalithic stone structure sitting squat on the flat Wiltshire plain gave a suitably extraterrestrial quality to the site. How exactly it came into being is unknown, capturing the fascination of both historians and hoobly-wooblys alike – hence why this was an easy sell to my mum. There are near-infinite rabbit holes to go down on this topic if you are so inclined. Personally, I'm not all that interested in its origins or purpose, and would argue that the value is to simply stand before its awesomeness as countless generations have done before you. I noted down a handful of quotes from those who put it better than I could. After several thousand years, Stonehenge has earned the right to simply be.