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Carl Honoré is a man after our own heart. In his book 'In Praise of Slowness', he comments on the frantic pace of life which is now so prevalent in the Western World. The speed-obsessed society we live in doesn't do much for our health, nor our quality of life. Interestingly, he even argues that it is detrimental to our productivity levels - despite the assumptions we may make otherwise.

Notably though, there is a backlash to this perpetual 'fast-forward' state of play we seem to be stuck in - the slow movement. He defines this as "a cultural revolution against the notion that faster is always better. The slow philosophy is not about doing everything at a snail’s pace. It’s about seeking to do everything at the right speed. Savoring the hours and minutes rather than just counting them."

Cycling tours inspired by the concept of slow travel

Here at The Carter Company, we are all about slow travel. Our European biking vacations and UK walking tours are very much inspired by the idea that if you take the time to slow down, you start to engage with the world around you with a fresh perspective. Suddenly you start to notice the subtle smells that perfume the countryside air, you spot the rare flowers you might otherwise miss, you hear the call of the sparrowhawks circling high above. The beauty is in the details! Our itineraries go easy on distance and stick to flat terrain, so that you can focus on enjoying the process itself of travelling, rather than it being just a means to an end - which it so often is these days. This also means we factor in plenty of time to allow you to stop and sample local produce; to sit on the grass and taking a moment to feel the earth beneath you. Choosing to travel with this mindset is often a big eye-opener. Many of our customers report back to us at the end of their walking tours or cycling holidays that they discovered hidden gems they would never have encountered otherwise; that they met and got to know real locals who shared their top tips for the best things to see and do in the area; that they were leaving feeling like they had got to know the real, authentic Britain or Europe, not the one that the busloads of tourists encounter.

The Carter Company team invite you to take Carl Honoré's lead, and "embrace your inner tortoise". You'll be joining a growing army. His TED talk entitled 'In Praise of Slowness has already been viewed by 1,138,382 people. His book is published in 30 languages and has been a bestseller in many countries.

For more information on easy cycling holidays in the UK and gentle biking vacations in Europe - a speciality of ours - check out our page dedicated to the theme of cycling for softies.

Broughton Castle is a stunning manor house with a fantastic moat near Banbury in Oxfordshire. Set in parkland and an absolutely delightful walled garden (see the photo above we took just the other day), it is built of the rich local Hornton stone, which gives it that quintessentially English - and more particularly Oxfordshire - feel to it.

In his book 'The Pattern of English Building', Alec Clifton-Taylor describes this stone as special inasmuch as "deep brown, tawny yellow, greenish and greyish-blue tints can be combined within a single block.” You can only imagine how incredible all these colours are combined with the amazing array of flowers and other flora which have been planted there.

Inside, Broughton offers a rare blend of incredible history and contemporary relevance... just ask your tour guide about the recent film productions that have taken place! We visited at the weekend and apparently Daniel Day Lewis had been shooting there only the day before. Famous films shot there in the past have included, to name a few, the recent Jane Eyre production, Shakespeare in Love (1998) and The Madness of King George (1994).

But the house has been inhabited since 1306, when it was built. Possibly its most famous moment in history is its role as a stronghold of opposition to Charles I. During the Battle of Edgehill in 1642 it was besieged and damaged. Amazingly though, the Castle has belonged to the same family since 1447 - the Fiennes. The 21st Lord and Lady Saye & Sele are the current residents.

We're not the only ones who think it's a fantastic house which is well worth a visit; Broughton was selected by Simon Jenkins as 1 of only 20 houses to be awarded 5* in his book 'England’s Thousand Best Houses'.

Our insider tip: check out the wallpaper hand-painted from China in about 1800 in The King's Chamber, where James I stayed in 1604 and Edward VII also spent the night in 1901.

Visit Broughton Castle on a tailor-made Oxford walking tour

Here at The Carter Company we specialise in bespoke itineraries. So whilst none of our tours currently pass right alongside Broughton Castle, we think it's such a gem that we'd recommend anyone who fancies visiting it for half a day to combine it with an Oxfordshire walking holiday tailor-made by us. As usual, we can also adapt one of our existing trips to include a visit to this wonderful historic house on request. Just ask!

Visit The Cirencester Hare Trail

The Cirencester Hare Trail is a sculpture trail of forty 5ft fantasy hares and over thirty life-sized hares, which are on display in and around Cirencester until September 2014. The hares are decorated by schools, celebrities, community groups and local businesses, adding a fun dash of colour to this lovely corner of England and some added interest for those treasure-hunt fanatics out there!

Why hares you say? Well, they have a special resonance in Cirencester. A hare mosaic was discovered in 1971 just below the road surface during archaeological excavations in Beeches Road close to the River Churn. It has now become the symbol of the award winning Corinium Museum where the original mosaic is housed.

At the start of October, the hares will all be sold at auction to spend their days as joyful pieces of art in offices, home and gardens. The hope is that some will remain in public spaces as well for everyone to enjoy. The money made from these sales will be used to help raise the £50,000 needed by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust to begin to develop the Green Hare Churn Walkway around the River Churn in Cirencester. This new nature trail will involve schools and community groups and will have lasting benefits for residents and visitors alike.

The 'Hare Trail Map' on the official website of the Cirencester Hare Trail is easily accessible from any PC or smart phone, and offers the locations of all the hares currently on display at any one time - ideal if you're looking for a ready-made treasure hunt and a great family activity for a sunny day this summer. The website also has a 'Breaking News' section, which gives details of the newest additions to the sculpture trail and is the best place to keep up to date with all the latest happenings (plus any surprise events going on, and we know there are a few planned!)

Cycling tours that take in the Cirencester Hare Trail

We know for a fact (we've seen them with our own eyes when out and about with our customers) that there are a number of hares directly on the routes of some of our biking vacations. One features just outside The Fleece Hotel in Cirencester - which customers of 'The Grand Tour', one of our most popular luxury cycling holidays in The Cotswolds, stay in. The market town of Bibury also boasts its own hare, which you can spot (if you have keen eyes) at the entrance to Trout Farm from the front door of the hotel we use here, The Swan.

Walking holidays in The Cotswolds

Or if you're not mad keen about hopping on a bike, why not check out the colourful sculptures on the trail and combine with a walking tour of The Cotswolds? We have a number of Cotswold self-guided walking tours as well as organizing bespoke, tailor-made walking vacations in the Cotswolds on request. Drop us a line if you're interested and we'd be happy to tell you more.

We all know (even if we don't like to admit it), that really, all the stuff we get to buy for our favourite hobbies is just as fun (possibly more fun?!) than actually doing the hobby. This is especially true when it comes to cycling. Bicycle culture has its fair share of accessories and its own set of aesthetics. Of course, within the cycling-mad subsection of society there are a number of distinct groups, from the fixie-riding urban hipster to the amateur road racer, from the teenage BMX fanatic to the mountain biking junkie. They may all have different sensibilities, different 'looks' and different types of bike, but they all share a love of bicycle accessories, gadgets, paraphernalia, add-ons and any other stuff they can get their hands on.

There are a number of retail outlets, institutions, cafes, lifestyle websites, cycling blogs and artistic projects that have sprung up in response to this demand for all things cycling. Now, it's true that our biking vacations in the UK and Europe cycling tours tend to be on the gentle side, offering routes that go easy on distance and gradients so you can enjoy what's around you (instead of that big hill up ahead). However, just because we're all about fair-weather, relaxed cycling holidays, and our customers may not be 'serious cyclists', this doesn't mean we (and you!) can't still enjoy indulging in a spot of accessory shopping and partake in bicycle culture. Cycling is a democratic mode of transport, so anyone should be able to join in and get their hands in some bike stuff - even if it's just for a weekend cycling break.

Shops to visit before embarking on your bicycle adventures

1. look mum no hands!
   This is an awesome cafe and shop which serves incredible coffee and tasty, reasonably-priced snacks and sells lots of trendy bikes and cycling accessories. In fact, it feels more like a London bicycle cultural and social hub than anything else - the labels 'cafe' and 'shop' really don't do it justice. It's always buzzing with people and they often host events here too, like book launches for bike-related publications such as - a good read by the way! It's generally a brilliant place to go and tap into London cycle circles.

2. Cycling books.com
   A wonderful idea if we ever saw one. Your one-stop shop for all things written about bicycle adventures, cycling tours and generally anything else even vaguely cycling-related. Some examples of what's on the bookshelf here.... Jack Thurston's 'Lost Lanes' - a Carter Company favourite and a beautifully presented book about backroads bike tours in England, and Paul F Pinsky's 'Biking Through The Hoods', billed as an engaging exploration of urban America. There's also some more niche tomes you can discover here, like 'Stamp Collecting For The Cyclist' by Ronald F Sudbury. Written in 1981, it's an illustrated catalogue of stamps issued between 1887 and 1979 that feature bicycles. Very specific!

3. Cycle Chic
   This online shop is all about helping you to cycle in style. What more could you want? There's also a great blog, limited edition products exclusive to CycleChic and loads of helpful insider tips on how to choose the right accessories for you. As well as recreational cycle wear, which is perfect for commuters and those fixie-riding fixies, the site now also sells a sporty range for those who see their biking vacations and cycling holidays as a chance to get fit. In other words, if this is you, we would recommend our more challenging UK cycling tours. Brands like Chapeau are stocked, which are founded on the philosophy that bike-related stuff' should be good enough to live on display, garnering a sense of interest from the un-initiated - not bewilderment and sometimes repulsion! Its official, cycling is now cool and we can all start being a bit more proud of our sport!' We couldn't agree more!

Stuff to get before going on a cycling tour or biking vacation

1. Panniers
   Panniers are all-round heroes. If you're heading out on a bicycle vacation, they hold your packed lunch, your padlock, your binoculars and the kitchen sink. We love them. Travel in style with a bright-coloured option like these Basil Bloom panniers from Rose Bikes.

2. Trouser straps
   If you're out enjoying a gentle cycling tour around the UK you don't need to don a full-blown lycra suit, but you don't want your trousers getting caught in the chain ring either. There's a solution to this... trouser straps! The coolest and most understated have to be the leather ones made by Brooks. They come in a variety of colours too.

3. Trotify
   We're getting slightly weird and wacky now but this is just wonderful. The website for this bike accessory (also see photo above) greets you with the question: 'Hey bike lovers, why the long face? Lacking some horsepower?' If the answer is yes, the solution is Trotify. Positioned as the world's leading 'bike-horse hybridiser', this is a wooden device that sits on your front wheel and makes your bike clop like a horse. What more could you want? See it in action here. We think customers on all our UK biking vacations and European cycling tours should have one. Available on request!

If you're even thinking about visiting the South Downs in East Sussex, then we would strongly recommend heading for The Seven Sisters, a famous stretch of prominent undulations of the chalk cliffs that tower above the English Channel, between the towns of Seaford and Eastbourne. This stretch of coast is (rightly) very well known - it is absolutely stunning.

A little bit further along, between Eastbourne and Birling Gap, you will come across Beachy Head. The cliff at Beachy Head is the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain, rising to 530 feet (162 metres) at its highest point above sea level. The chalk of the cliffs was formed over a period of 30 million years when a warm sub tropical sea covered the area, between 95 to 65 million years ago.

Beachy Head is an area of outstanding natural beauty and is considered to be one of the most beautiful locations in the entire UK. Due to the dangerous rocks off the headland campaigns for a lighthouse date back to 1691 when petitions were raised due to sailors losing their lives. Eventually it was agreed that a lighthouse could be built on the peak known as Belle Tout, from where the lighthouse was to take its name.

Belle Tout B&B - a must-visit for walkers

Housed in a former lighthouse, the Belle Tout B&B is our insider tip for anyone visiting this area. Built in 1832 and decommissioned in 1902, the lighthouse is now a tea-shop and B&B, part-destroyed during the second world war and lovingly rebuilt in the 50s. It is owned by the BBC, who often use it as a filming location, for such programmes of The Life and Loves of a She Devil. Dramatically, the lighthouse was recently moved due to erosion of the cliff upon which it stands. It has now been beautifully restored and renovated. You can read more about the history of Belle Tout in more detail on the B&B website.

With 360 degree views of the English Channel, beautiful landscape, countryside and the enigmatic Seven Sisters, Belle Tout is a remarkable place to stay. It's a really charming English experience... they even have themed rooms such as 'The Captains Cabin', 'Old England' and 'Keepers Loft'.

During the day time, we advise you pull on your walking boots and set out on a hike. There are fantastic walking routes in every direction. The Carter Company offers tailor-made walking holidays in this area. Both guided walks along the South Downs and self-guided walks in this Seven Sisters area are available. You can also download free maps of walking routes from the official Beachy Head website.

Beachy Head is also home to a wonderfully quintessential English pub - The Tiger Inn. Here you can expect fine food, great ales and a warm welcome in this very idyllic country pub. There are also rooms you can stay in here if you don't like heights!