Drive and Stroll

01/09/2026

Are you planning a trip to England next year?
Spring (March to May) is a truly wonderful time of the year to explore, and now is the perfect time to plan your Drive and Stroll tour.

We are open for 2027 bookings!

Spring starts slowly in South West England and builds to a cresendo. The beautiful white snowdrops are the first blooms to make an appearance in February and March and these are followed by daffodils. Then it's the turn of the woodland flowers, bluebells and wild garlic and of course we mustn't forget delicate and romantic blossoms.

England becomes a riot of colour during spring.

We offer a variety of tours well suited to spring including ' Garden's Delight ' featuring world renowned Stourhead Gardens and impressive Iford Manor Gardens. You can also choose ' Heart of the Cotswolds' or our ' Story of The Cotswolds'.

A custom tour is another option.

Discover more on our website
www.driveandstroll.co.uk
Or get in touch, we'd love to hear from you
[email protected]

21/08/2026

Yesterday Drive and Stroll went along to the Shaftesbury and Gillingham Agricultural Show in Dorset.

A sizeable area of land had been turned over to the show, which was a sea of white marquees, metal animal pens and stands.

I heartily recommend an agricultural show if you love the English countryside and its traditions!

We saw sheep and cattle handling and judging, heavy horse displays including plaiting the horses tails. Also goats, rabbits, chickens and ducks, goats, pigs, gun dog demonstrations, vegetable growing classes, crafts and photography and demonstrations of country skills including sheep shearing and animal handling. There was also music, stands and food and drink, tractors and steam engines!

I grew up on farms and worked for a few years at Bath City Farm, so it was especially interesting and nostalgic for me, but even if you didn't grow up on a farm, it was a fascinating insight into English country life and farming traditions.

The sheep handling was particularly interesting. The farmer who spoke was 79 (you would never have guessed that) and clearly loved what he did. Still sheep shearing! He had traveled the world doing it and competed for England.

Wool has recently been in the mainstream news for having increased in value by 70% but as the farmer said, 70% of nothing, still isn't much. If we all bought wool products such as socks it would help the wool industry enormously.

The produce tent had some impressive looking jumbo sized veg as well as some delicious looking cakes! And I smiled at the ferret racing and greatly enjoyed the gun dog demonstrations. Such well trained dogs.

It was an inspiring and interesting morning and at £17 for the day, great value. As I have said, I greatly recommend an agricultural show if you are in the South West of England on your holiday or vacation. We can help by letting you know if there is one during your visit.

Alison Howell

19/08/2026

If you have ever wondered what goes on at a British Agricultural Show, tomorrow is your opportunity to find out!

Alison and David from Drive and Stroll along with Emma from our sister company Foot Trails, will be going along to the Gillingham and Shaftesbury Agricultural Showground in Dorset to find out!

We'll be taking pictures as we enjoy the heavy horses, gun dog displays, livestock including cattle and sheep being judged. There will also be music, country crafts, food, drink and farming.

Look out for our special feature on the show on Friday with pictures, here on Facebook!

Our region, South West England has a large farming and agricultural industry and we are looking forward to helping to share its activities. In addition I grew up on farms in the West Country so I'm feeling pretty excited about the show.

Alison

13/08/2026

It's been a wonderfully busy few months for Drive and Stroll in South West England.

We have privately guided guests at Stonehenge and in the Cotswolds.

Some of these tours have been custom made for our guests including a Stonehenge inner circle experience (be sure to book ahead for this!) and we have some exciting tours coming up in September and October on the Dorset Jurassic Coast.

It's never too early to plan your Drive and Stroll tour. We are now open and taking bookings for 2027.

To find out more visit our website at www.driveandstroll.co.uk
Or email Alison at [email protected]

Image: Guests enjoy an experience at Wiltshire's Wardour Castle

06/08/2026

More than a tour company, let Drive & Stroll plan your next South West England adventure!

Discover stunning villages, historic market towns, wonderful countryside and delicious food and drink on one of our five star rated tours.

With an experienced and knowledgeable friendly driver guide at the wheel you can sit back and relax. Your driver guide will drive you on England's twisty roads and take you to a joyful mixture of well known icons and hidden gems.

Either choose one of our popular hand curated tours or allow us to create a custom made tour just for you.

Short, enjoyable strolls will enable you to get out the vehicle, stretch your legs and get up close with the scenes and history that surrounds you.

There's more information on our website
www.driveandstroll.co.uk

02/08/2026

Spotlight on....... Wardour Castle in Wiltshire

Both the stunning county of Wiltshire and Wardour Castle are little known but certainly well worth visiting. You won't be disappointed.

Wiltshire is famous for landmarks like Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral, but not many make it to Wardour Castle.

Built in the 14th century, the castle has a rare hexagonal design and is in fact the only remaining hexagonal castle in England. It was designed for luxury and as a status symbol but saw interesting times during the English Civil War.

I've always loved the site of Wardour. Whilst it is a ruin, it is possible to go inside and explore many of the rooms including the great banqueting hall, kitchen, its masters bedroom and even the toilets!

I also think that the site of the castle has a wonderful presence and atmosphere.

If you feel intrigued by Wiltshire and its stunning castle, why not try our Castle, Old England and Medieval Villages day tour.

https://driveandstroll.co.uk/tour/a-castle-old-england-and-medieval-villages/

Wonderfully peaceful and crowd free, it lies well off the typical tourist trails in the area and offers some stunningly beautiful vistas and villages. There are some fantastic stories to discover and lunch is at a 14th century country pub with delicious food.

31/07/2026

Did you know we offer custom made tours?

At Drive and Stroll we've put 24 years of local knowledge and exploring into our tours.
But did you know that the depth and breadth of our local knowledge exceeds the tours we feature on our website www.driveandstroll.co.uk

Get in touch if you have a particular request in mind.
Perhaps you are staying somewhere in Wiltshire, Somerset or The Cotswolds and would like a tour nearby to get the most from the area.
Perhaps you have particular wishes in mind or places you hope to see.

We'll listen to your wishes, add our local knowledge and create a custom made tour just for you.

To find out more email [email protected]

28/07/2026

Exploring during an English autumn (fall) is a real treat.

At Drive and Stroll we offer you our tours at this spectacular time of year, from September to mid November.

Enjoy golden sunshine, rich coloured leaves and tree colour, warming delicious meals and cosy country inns with a log fire.

Drive and Stroll offers scenic drives with short enjoyable strolls. Discover country lanes, beautiful villages and charming market towns.

For more information about our tours visit www.driveandstroll.co.uk

Alternatively email us at [email protected]

27/07/2026

The Cotswolds - Without the crowds?

The Cotswolds. One of our most popular tours.
Search online and you'll find a list of place names and villages that are firmly on the tourist trails, super busy and crowded, and in our humble opinion, not necessarily the best experience of the Cotswolds at all.

That's why at Drive and Stroll we feature some of its classic icons in our tours, but also like to use our extensive local knowledge to drive and stroll with you off the beaten path. Here the area's hidden gems are to be found. The places you won't find in guidebooks and online. Often these villages and places are more interesting and historic and also crowd free.

We have three options for you.

1) If time is short and you have one day available, choose ' Heart of the Cotswolds'. With the classic Stow on the Wold and Slaughters there's also plenty of hidden gems off the beaten path.

2) If you have a little longer, ' Story of The Cotswolds' is a two day and one night experience that gives you longer to linger and further to explore. It includes a wonderful stay in a handpicked country inn overnight.

3) If you have an idea of where you'd like to go our custom made tours could be perfect for you. Tell us what you'd like to experience and we'll create a tour for you.

You can find out more on our website
www.driveandstroll.co.uk
Or simply email us at [email protected]

21/07/2026

Congratulations to Foot Trails our sister company, who offer award winning self-guided walking holidays throughout South West England.

The team has created a stunning new 2 minute film - A Day in the Life of a Foot Trail.

You can watch it here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fUeBWB2IhE

Our latest film shows you what you can expect from a Foot Trail hik...