This green land, this sceptred isle, this crucible of empire and pioneer of parliamentary democracy, is the most eccentric, extraordinary and downright intriguing place on Earth.

Travel here is a breeze. Although the locals may grumble (in fact, it's a national pastime), whichever way you get around, in this compact country you're never far from the next town, the next pub, the next restaurant, the next national park or the next castle. The choice is endless.

A journey through England is a journey through history, even if you just take a cab in London, its capital city. But not history that's dull and dusty - history you can feel and re-live. You can lay your hands on the ancient megaliths of a 5,000-year-old stone circle, or walk the battlements of a medieval fortress. Visit the sites of the legend of King Arthur, the sonnets of Shakespeare and the palaces of monarchs – past and present. Then, come and admire 21st-century architecture in Manchester, or explore the space-age domes of Cornwall's Eden Project.

England's most appealing feature is the aura of deep-rooted history that emanates from almost every corner of the land. There's a sense that its towns and villages, castles and cathedrals have grown organically over many centuries, to create calming and comfortable landscapes. Which sounds almost somewhat bourgeois. 

England is a place that encourages leisurely contemplation from a thousand-year-old bridge, taking in the view at the top of a not-too-tiring hill or ensconced in the corner of a stone-floored country pub with a well-earned pint in hand.