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Wendy, our brilliant and ever-adventurous founder, recently walked the entire length of the Dales Way. When she returned from the trip, she was positively bouncing off the walls about it. So naturally we needed to write a blog post about it, and share Wendy's pearls of wisdom for anyone thinking of doing a walking holiday along the Dales Way. If you'd like some help planning a trip there, please do get in touch with us.

Here are Wendy's top picks from walking along the Dales Way:

• The unspoilt gorgeous countryside, with sheep-clad hills and the occasional lonely farmhouse dotted here and there. There's barely a modern development along the whole length of the 81 mile walk, from Ilkley all the way to Windermere in the Lake District.

• Mile upon mile of beautifully maintained stone walls defining fields, ownership boundaries and the big views; sometimes serving other uses too... we'll leave you to discover those for yourself(!)

• The village of Dent, a picturesque cobbled village known for its mad knitters in times past and home to current day craftsmen too. Visit the shop on the green, 'Sofie’s Wild Woollens'. Here you can buy garments with hand-felted buttons

• The tea shops! Of course we love tea here at The Carter Company, so it would be amiss of us not to mention these. Standouts were Betty's in Ilkley, the Three Hares in Sedbergh and The Artisan Bakery in the Mill Yard in Staveley, with its award winning Treacle Bread. Delicious.

• Characterful pubs with great atmosphere and food. Favourites were The Dalesman Inn in Sedbergh; the Craven Arms in Appletreewick, which is still lit by gas lamps with divine views across the Wharf valley; and the Red Lion in Burnsall, adjacent to the stunning river bridge there.

If all this has whet your appetite, head over to our Facebook page to check out the full album of photos. Toodle pip!

We recently headed to Bath on a recce mission, scouting out routes, hotels, and of course hidden gems, for some new cycling and walking holidays which we plan to launch next year.

What a lovely city it is. Even if you're not into cycling or walking, we highly recommend Bath as a weekend getaway destination. It's such a charming place to stroll around, with lots of independent shops and cafes, bucketloads of history, impressive architecture, fantastic food, and yet an all-pervading sense of calm and serenity.

Here we share our favourite hidden gems and top tips for a good time in the city:

• Eat at The Circus. They serve seasonal, locally sourced, freshly-cooked food with a British bias, all at a very reasonable price. They get extra points from us for having interesting vegetarian dishes (no mushroom risotto in sight) and for filtering their own water rather than selling the bottled stuff. Eco-friendly and tasty! Featured in The Times as one of 20 secret restaurants that foodies love - it's a must.

• Visit the Royal Crescent. An obvious one but it never fails to stop us in our tracks. It's a truly beautiful sight: 30 terraced houses laid out in a sweeping crescent shape. Designed by the architect John Wood the Younger and built between 1767 and 1774, it is among the greatest examples of Georgian architecture to be found in the United Kingdom and is a Grade I listed building. Although some changes have been made to the various interiors over the years, the Georgian stone façade remains much as it was when it was first built.

• Shop at Found. A wonderfully independent and original 'concept store', Found sells a mixture of womenswear, menswear, accessories, stationery, homeware and jewellery. We loved browsing their wonderfully curated collection of goods, and the staff are really friendly too.

• Take a day trip to Cheddar Gorge. Sadly parts of the place are over-commercialised (tip: do not be cajoled into paying £11 to go into the caves which includes a "free" (non-negotiable) COSTA coffee and cake) but it is still possible to visit and avoid having a overly touristy experience. We recommend the National Trust route, avoiding the Jacob's Ladder ascent. It's Britain's biggest gorge, with the dramatic cliffs rising to 450ft, so there are some spectacular views to be had.

• And... relax at Bath Spa. If you're into spas, then of course your visit wouldn't be complete without a trip to Thermae Bath Spa on Hot Bath Street. It’s the only place in the UK where you can bathe in naturally heated, mineral-rich water. And you can visit the historic Roman baths, where people were doing the same 2,000 years ago.

In our opinion, the best way to arrive in Bath is on foot via the Cotswold Way, or on a cycling holiday that begins in Oxford, travels through the Cotswolds, and finishes up in this magical city. It's one of our most popular routes!

Cycling holidays offer a rare opportunity for genuine cultural immersion. There's something about the pace of cycling, which allows you to see more than you would than if you were walking, and the routes you take on a bike, such as quaint backroads, quiet country lanes, little-used bridleways and tranquil cycle paths, that allow you to circumvent the tourist masses, engage with the details, and experience for yourself the local culture. Great Britain is famously densely packed with interesting things to see and do and an incredibly rich history to discover, which makes it an ideal destination for those wanting an active holiday with some culture thrown into the mix. We've sought out similar regions and routes in Europe to continue this tradition of culturally immersive cycling holidays. We hope those of you who've tried our walking holidays and bike tours abroad agree!

We'd thought it would be helpful to share what we consider to be our best cultural cycling holidays, as we often get asked this question.

1. Oxford and Thames Royal Palaces

This trip offers the chance to follow the Thames, often described as England's liquid history, and visit the historic capital of London, magnificent royal residences (past and present) at Hampton Court and Windsor Castle, as well as Henley, the home of the world-famous regatta, and of course Oxford, the city of dreaming spire, which is positively beaming with culture.

2. The medieval heart of Spain

Customers always return from this tour telling us how pleasantly surprised they were to discover a different side to Spain, away from the overly populated tourist areas. The tour is around the very centre of Spain, north of Madrid. From the World Heritage city of Segovia, which boasts a Roman aqueduct, and numerous medieval villages, hill top towns and castles, discover the little-known treasures that make Spain such a historic and fascinating place.

3. Lake Constance

This is an unusual cycling holiday in that you visit a total of three countries in a single week, as you pedal the circumference of Lake Constance. There's a huge amount of history and cultural traditions to discover along the way: regal churches and castles, pre-historic stilt houses that rank amongst UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, world-famous arts and opera festivals, and even a museum dedicated to Zeppelin airships!

4. Shakespeare country and the Cotswolds

Discover Shakespeare's birthplace and residences in Stratford-upon-Avon, attend a performance at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and visit world-famous gardens, Capability Brown follies, medieval market towns, National Trust museums and the birthplace of Winston Churchill, Blenheim Palace. And we haven't even mentioned Oxford yet!

5. A Highland fling

This gentle cycling tour (yes, gentle, in Scotland - it is possible!) offers up the chance to take in a considerable amount of culture and history en route: traditional Scottish whisky distilleries, Culloden battlefield, Cawdor and Brodie castles, world-pioneering eco villages, plus a whole lot of haggis (if you're into it!)

We hope that gives you a taste of our top cultural cycling trips. If there's a specific destination you're looking at, or you have a particular interest, let us know and we will be able to advise you on the perfect trip for you!

Going on a trip somewhere and spending all your pocket money in cute ice cream parlours is our idea of a perfect day out. Ice cream and holidays obviously go hand in hand, and when you're on a cycling or walking holiday, it feels almost criminal not to stop in every town, village or city you pass through and sample the local fare. After all, you've earned it with all that huffing and puffing! Just watch out for those pesky gulls who love a little nibble of a ice cream as much as we do....

So without further ado, we list our favourite independent ice cream parlours below. They all feature on one (or more!) of our cycling and walking tours.

1. Morelli's Gelato, Broadstairs

We visited Broadstairs last week and fell in love all over again. In addition to featuring on many of our Kent tours, it's also incredibly well situated for those looking for a day trip to the seaside from London. The journey by train from St. Pancras takes around 1h 20mins, so you're there by the time you've read the paper. Morelli's ice cream parlour is a highlight among a number of hidden gems in Broadstairs. Personally we recommend heading to the fantastic family-run Wyatt & Jones restaurant for some Whitstable lobster, taking a stroll around the town - or a splash in the sea if the weather is being kind - before heading to Morelli's. They claim to serve 'The Best Ice Cream in the World!', and very well might have to agree! The Morelli family has been making ice cream for five generations to a trademark recipe which was introduced into the UK in 1907, when Giuseppe Morelli, after emigrating from Italy, started selling it from the back of his bicycle. The Morelli's ice cream parlour was opened on the seafront in Broadstairs, Kent in 1932. This iconic store still proudly serves loyal customers today and represents the very best of the Art Deco parlours from the heyday of British seaside life. Try their nocciola and coffee flavours.

2. Minghella's ice-cream, Isle of Wight

For the past 30 years, Bill has been serving Minghella's ice creams from his old-school van at the top of Brading Down on the Isle of Wight, which affords wonderful views of the chalk grassland down to the sea. Try his stem ginger and borage honey flavour. Perfect for our 'Isles, Coast and the New Forest' cycling holiday.

3. Queens Cafe, Glasgow

This place has a pretty extraordinary retro vibe and gorgeous nostalgic menus to boot. A proper British greasy spoon cafe, but with a difference: they make their own versions of "white" ice-cream – the Scottish cousin to Italy's fior di latte. Well worth it! Visit after completing our epic 'Scotland's Grand Tour cycling holiday. You'll need it after that, trust us.

4. Henley Ice Cream, Henley-in-Arden

This is a local favourite. House in a half-timbered little shop on Henley-in-Arden's high street. You'll find all the classic flavours like vanilla, rum & raisin, and mint choc chip, but also some more unusual choices such as kirsch cherry or lime & ginger. A perfect pit stop for anyone on our 'Thames Path from Source to Henley' walking holiday.

5. Fortnum and Mason's, London

The foodhall at Fortnum's is a mouth-watering foodie mecca. It also happens to feature a retro-style ice cream parlour, with an amazing array of ice creams. Apparently, this was where the Knickerbocker Glory was invented in 1955... which may or may not be true, but with a claim to fame like that, it more than warrants a visit. So does the very kitsch decor and classic American-style OTT sundaes. We hear the 'Ultimate White Chocolate Gold' is a winner: composed of salted caramel and white chocolate ice cream, honeycomb, dark chocolate sauce and gold leaf with baerii caviar. It should be at £35!

If you've never been to the Edinburgh Fringe, then it's high time you thought about going! The largest - and, according to many, the best - arts festival in the world takes place every August in the Scottish capital. This year it runs from the 7th to the 31st. We think it's the perfect way to round off our cultural walking holiday, 'In the footsteps of famous writers'. What better end to a fortnight of literary exploration in the countryside than an arts festival in the city?

Tell me more about the Fringe, you say

Ok, well here are some interesting facts...
- The festival has taken place every year since 1947
- Last year, an estimated 2,183,591 tickets were issued for shows from a whopping 51 countries in 299 venues
- This year's programme features over 3,000 events
- Fringe 2015 shows include cabaret and variety; children's shows; comedy; dance; physical theatre and circus; events; exhibitions; music; musicals and opera; spoken word; and theatre

The Fringe is an unjuried festival with no selection committee, and therefore any type of performance may participate. It has therefore often showcased experimental works that might not be invited to a more conservative arts festival.

It has also spawned many notable original shows and helped establish the careers of many writers and performers. In 1960, Alan Bennett, Dudley Moore, Peter Cook and Jonathan Miller performed at the Royal Lyceum theatre in Beyond the Fringe, introducing a new wave of British satire and heralding a change in attitudes towards politicians and the establishment. Ironically, this show was put together by the Edinburgh International Festival as a rebuff to the emerging Fringe. But its title alone helped publicise "the Fringe", especially when it went on to London's West End and New York's Broadway for the next 12 months!

The perfect Fringe warm-up

So, now we've convinced you that the Edinburgh Fringe is awesome, perhaps you'd be interested in warming up for the festival with our 'In the footsteps of famous writers' walking holiday. You can pick and choose which parts of the tour you want to do, or sign up for the whole lot as detailed in the sample itinerary. We've suggested beginning in London and the gentle hamlets of southern England, and then slowly making your way all the way up the country to reach Edinburgh, where the tour concludes. Along the way, you'll have the chance to discover the landscapes, people and places that inspired some of Britain's greatest literary talents, such as Jane Austen (Hampshire), Thomas Hardy (Dorchester), Tolkien, CS Lewis & Lewis Carroll (Oxford), Shakespeare (Stratford), the Bronte sisters (Yorkshire), Beatrix Potter & Wordsworth (Lake District) and Dylan Thomas (Laugharne, Wales). It's the perfect warm-up for the Edinburgh Fringe!