Bermondsey Street, Central London

 

Awash with trendy eateries and drinking holes, Bermondsey Street tends to draw a steady flow of  hipsters. It is also a historic thoroughfare connecting the Thames to the area south east of the city. You can cycle down it, but it's worth stopping to soak up the chilled ambiance.

The House Mill, Three Mill Lane, Bromley-by-Bow, East London

 

Built in 1776,  but originally dating from the medieval period, the Grade I-listed House Mill claims to be the world’s largest surviving tidal mill. It sits on an island in the River Lea, opposite the Clock Mill, which was rebuilt in 1817. The House Mill stopped milling in 1941 after the area was bombed during the Second World War, but the Clock Mill continued to operate until 1952.

Queen's Gate, South Kensington, Central London

 

Lined with grand five-storey stucco terraces, Queen’s Gate was developed between 1855 and 1870.

Balham, South London

A major transport hub, the Victorian suburb of Balham has become a magnet for young professionals. Its origins can be traced back to the old coach route out of London to the south and west. But serious development only came with the opening of the railways in 1863, according to Wandsworth Council's official history. Balham's Art Deco tube station was designed by Charles Holden and opened with the extension of the Northern Underground Line in 1926.

Short Walk from Clyro, Radnorshire, Powys, Wales

 

There is a fine walk from the village of Clyro up through Pen-y-lan Wood towards Great Gwernfythen farm, where you can join a country lane back to the village. As you work your way through the trees north west of Clyro, you follow the soothing Clyro Brook for a short stretch. The round trip is only about three kilometres, but there is a fair bit of climbing. Your reward is sweeping views of Hay-on-Wye and the Hay Bluff, on the edge of the Black Mountains.

Barnsbury, Islington, North London

 

Cycling through the back streets of Barnsbury (west of Islington's Upper Street) you'll pass elegant Georgian terraces, inviting pubs and charming squares and gardens.

Cleaver Square, Kennington, South London,

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, the shady gravel of Cleaver Square, overlooked by the Prince of Wales pub, can be a popular place to hang out.

College Yard, Rochester, Kent

The beating heart of historic Rochester, cobbled College Yard is a overlooked by the imposing castle, the stately cathedral and Grade I-listed Chertsey's Gate, which dates from the fifteenth century. It is an ensemble to rival the cathedral quarters in many of Britain's more prestigious cities. Better still, you can enjoy it all with a drink in a pavement cafe-bar  - continental style.