Tiny Britain

by Dixe Wills

Praised by BBC Countryfile Magazine for writing `intelligently and amusingly, with evident excitement and imagination', Dixe Wills unleashes his trademark style on the tiniest attractions in Britain. Beautifully presented in full colour throughout, the book uncovers 60 of the country's loveliest and most diminutive places to visit. Be it a castle, cathedral, cinema or pub, a museum, theatre, ferry or football team, these little gems are all united in their lack of size, making many of them so easily overlooked they are known only to locals. Often representing a microcosm of British local history and attitudes, many of these tiny places date from a time when big and brash was frowned upon and small was definitely beautiful. Each entry features information on how to get there using public transport, when best to visit the attraction, a concise round-up of its history and any must-see features.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, History

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Assuming for a moment that we are what we do, I’m an author and freelance non-flying travel journalist. I’ve written a number of genre-bending books and one or two that give librarians fewer dilemmas. My most recent work is Tiny Stations (AA) which is a journey through the penumbric world of Britain’s railway request stops. Prior to Tiny Stations, I penned Tiny Islands (AA) and Tiny Campsites (Punk). Before the mania for all things tiny struck me, I managed to knock out a few non-size-specific books, including The Z-Z of Great Britain, Places to Hide in England, Scotland and Wales, New World Order (Wills Weltordnung in its Bloomsbury Berlin edition) and, under the name Johnson P Johnson, The Armchair Naturalist (all Icon).

I write for the UK newspaper The Guardian, mainly on green travel. You can read my articles here. You might also find me popping up in other newspapers (though not ones owned by Rupert Murdoch or edited by Paul Dacre, you’ll be pleased to learn) and magazines, some of which you’ll find listed here. I host a monthly spoken word night-cum-pub quiz mash up called Stranger than Fiction that you really ought to come along to because it’s great fun and only costs six quid. I also have a cracking Isle of Dogs-based romcom script unjustly gathering dust in a cupboard. Is there no start to my talents?

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a small country we have an awful lot of places to visit, but how do you sort the good from the bad, the quirky and interesting from the dull and tedious. This book is a good place to start. Following on from his other books concentrating on the 'Tiny' parts of Britain this one is all about the attractions that fit the criteria of places to go when you only have half an hour.

There are all sorts of different attractions in here to tempt you to move away from the mainstream, caves, piers, cinemas including one in a caravan, museums in telephone boxes, the cliff side hut of an opium-smoking vicar and the smallest county. There are railways, short ferry crossings and a bus service that if you miss you will have a very long wait for the next one. Some of the best views in the UK can be seen from a small slate bridge in the Lake District and he visits another bridge where a bear of very little brain gave us a game that amuses children and adults alike. Should all this travelling about be too much and you need a break, there are recommendations for some of the smallest pubs in Britain too.

This is another classic quirky and informative travel book by Dixe Wills. It is full of photos of the places that he is recommending to visit with clear instructions on how to find them. There is something in here for everyone, and if you have read and liked any of his other books on Tiny places then this book would be right up your very small street.

[Hilde Helseth]

Reading roulette - Read the third book you see on your Want to Read shelf - It is #3 on the 'want to read' here on GR

[Ronald Schoedel III · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve found lots of fun new additions to my annual summer trips through Britain. Dixe Wills always manages to find the coolest odd places.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sort of thing you’d expect from an AA book. A picture and short description of some places round Britain. Nothing astounding, nothing bad. I do want to go to Stourbridge Junction now though, the tiniest branch line in Europe.