"Enjoying life in the South West"

The South West of England offers a diverse and inspiring range of opportunities outside of work too. Here are just some of the life-enhancing things to do and places to see. 
 
For lovers of: 
 
The arts: plays at the Bristol Old Vic and on the cliffs at Minack, Cornwall, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the art and artists of the Newlyn and St Ives schools, and enjoy west end shows on tour at shows at the Royal Theatre in Plymouth. 
 
Sports: the World Surfing Championship for professionals and the Surfing Academy for learners at Newquay, hard-fought matches at Bath Rugby Club, yachting at St Mawes, cycling to Eden. 
 
Landscape: climb up to the White Horse and the Cerne Abbas Giant, marvel at Stonehenge, take a boat round Durdle Door, stroll Chesil Beach, snorkel at Kimmeridge, fall in love with - or at - Lulworth Cove, hunt for fossils at Lyme Regis 
 
 
 
Click to hear Tamiko Hutchinson from Intel talk about the South West's landscapes, family focus and work/life balance as a benefit to productivity. 
 
 
Shopping: bag the bargains at Street Shopping Village, indulge your taste buds at Poundberry Farmers' Market, Dorchester, explore the boutiques of Bath, Bristol and Bournemouth or visit the new shopping centers of Plymouth and Exeter. 
 
Gardens: The awesome Eden. The magically reclaimed Lost Gardens of Heligan. The sub-tropical flora and fauna of Tresco. The Palladian grandeur at the National Trust's Stourhead. Dyrham Park's classic Arts & Crafts style. Westonbirt Arboretum. 
 
History: the Fox Talbot Museum and abbey in lovely Lacock, Sir Walter Raleigh's castle at Sherborne, Montacute House in Montacute, one of England's finest Elizabethan houses and, of course, drink the waters at the Roman Baths at Bath. 
 
Wildlife: spot seals on Lundy, see and hear dolphins at the Lizard, Durlston, where there's a hydrophone so you can listen in, keep your fingers crossed to see wild otters in the Sid and Otter rivers in Devon, the River Tamar and the Camel river in Cornwall. Take a trek up Dunkery Beacon, Exmoor's highest place, and spot red deer. 
 
Walking: The South West has 3 National Trails - the Cotswold Way, the Ridgeway and the South West Coast Path which runs 630 miles from Studland in Dorset around Lands End in Cornwall to Minehead in Somerset. Long distance paths include the Two Moors Way and the Tarka Trail in Devon, and in Wiltshire, the White Horse Trail.  
 
Food & Drink: From farmhouse Cheddar to Somerset cider, and from Cornish pasties to Devonshire ice-cream, the South West was recently voted top British location for its regional produce. 
 
 
For more ideas and information about what to do and see and where to stay, visit www.visitsouthwest.com