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Great Britain has its fair share of Great Writers. Our literary heritage is a particularly rich one, with world-famous legends such as Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy, Dylan Thomas, William Shakespeare, The Bronte sisters, James Herriot, William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter all flying the flag for British literature. There's no better way to celebrate this incredible legacy than with a walking tour of Britain, taking in some our most well-loved writers' houses.

Walking around Britain on our 'In the footsteps of famous writers' tour offers a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in the landscape that was Jane Austen's inspiration for writing, to visit historic houses such as New Place and Nash's House where Shakespeare lived in Stratford-upon-Avon, and to experience up close the places that feature in the works of writers like Lewis Carroll.

Beginning in London and then the gentle hamlets of southern England, this special historic walking tour takes you through charming villages pf the West Country to the stunning and unspoilt coastline of Wales. The route then heads on through the picturesque Cotswolds to Stratford on Avon in the heart of middle England. From here you travel north to the very different scene of the Yorkshire moors and then into the poetic Yorkshire Dales. Enjoy the drama of the absolutely gorgeous Lake District before reaching Scotland and Edinburgh, your final destination.

Our favourite historic writers' houses to visit

Our favourite historic houses which have associations with Great British writers and which you can visit on one of the walking tour are:

1. The 16th Century CHAWTON HOUSE and library where Jane Austen’s brother lived, a house she would often visit. You can take a guided tour of the house and garden, and there's also a chance to explore this pretty village in which it sits, discovering for yourself the details of Jane’s life, family and books. It's also possible to visit JANE AUSTEN'S HOUSE in Chawton, which is now a museum. It was here that she produced all her novels, revising all previous drafts, including Pride and Prejudice, and writing her three later novels, including Emma, in their entirety. 2014 is the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mansfield Park, the first book Jane wrote entirely at Chawton. The museum will be celebrating all year with a range of events and activities.

2. MAX GATE IN DORCHESTER, where Thomas Hardy lived. Hardy actually designed the house himself (he was a formally trained architect) and his brother built it. During the years that he resided at Max Gate, Hardy wrote some of his most well known works, The Mayor of Casterbridge, The Woodlanders, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Jude the Obscure, The Dynasts as well as numerous poems and short stories. Hardy was an intensely private individual who valued his innermost privacy, and there is a fair amount of mystery surrounding his personal life and relationship with his wife Emma, whose sudden death inspired a spate of poetry expressing deep remorse for the distance between them... there has been a lot of speculation, and many visit Max Gate in the hope of gaining some insight into this enigmatic character in English literary history.

3. DYLAN THOMAS' HOUSE IN LAUGHARNE. He famously wrote of his home in Wales: ‘there is nowhere like it anywhere at all...'. It's the 100th anniversary of his birth in 2014 so there are some special events on to commemorate the occasion. Many of the families and landmarks he knew are still there for you discover as you walk through the village down to the sandbanks and estuary. In 1944, Dylan wrote 'Poem in October' about his birthday walk, which you too can walk. In fact, if you plan to do this to coincide with your own special day, then the village will celebrate with you by giving you several free Dylan loved treats – a bag of chips, a pint of beer, a coffee and Welsh cakes and more!

4. DOVE COTTAGE AND RYDAL MOUNT where Wordsworth lived. These historic writer's homes are wonderful to visit as part of a stunning circular walk through the Lake District. Wordsworth thought the Vale of Grasmere was 'the loveliest spot that man hath ever found'. Take in the shores of the mile long Rydal Water where he often sat, his early home at Dove Cottage and Rydal Mount where he spent the last 30 years of his life. The walk also runs through Grasmere village, which is absolutely idyllic with its surroundings of fells, tarns and lakes.

It's hard to whittle it down to 4, but the above are our favourite writers' houses to visit - perfect to combine with a walking tour of England!

Daylesford is an organic farm, market garden, cafe and cookery school. Located near Kingham in the heart of The Cotswolds, with its lush green valleys and rolling hills dotted with sheep, it has become an increasing pull over the years for our customers, who love visiting this area of quintessential England and this very English establishment. And if you're still one of those people that associate England with bad food, think again - we promise you'll be pleasantly surprised! Think risotto of asparagus and new potatoes wild garlic pesto and Parmesan, or beetroot cured salmon with sour cream, Sicilian lemon and pumpernickel bread. Mmmm delicious... our taste buds are watering already!

If you're into food, Daylesford is a pretty inspiring place to visit; the produce in the shop is presented beautifully, and menu in the cafe is full of fresh ideas for making the most of the season's crops. Follow their Instagram for a sneak peek. If you want to go one step further and invest in the organic lifestyle for the long term, we suggest you book a place at their cookery school. There's a wide array of workshops and sessions to choose from, including 'Wild Food & Foraging' (our personal favourite!), 'Artisan Bread Making for Beginners', 'Seasonal Dinner Party', and 'Perfect Puddings', to name but a few.

Shopping in daylesford

Most of the produce you can buy and/or eat at Daylesford is from the farm itself, which is committed to sustainable principles and farming methods that are in harmony with the environment. As they explain: "all our food comes straight from our farm to your fork: our meat and poultry, fruit and vegetables from our market garden, bread from our bakery, and cheese, milk and yoghurt from our creamery." Where they sell other products, they source from artisan suppliers who share their commitment to quality and sustainability.

Cycle or walk to Daylesford Organic Farm with The Carter Company

Many of our bike tours and walking holidays in The Cotswolds pass Daylesford Farm Shop en route. Whether you prefer guided cycling holidays or a self-guided weekend cycling break, we've got something to suit you. Follow this link for cycling breaks or click here for our walking tours in The Cotswolds. Equally, if you're not planning a cycling break to The Cotswolds, but you are in London, you can visit one of their shops in Pimlico or Chelsea for a slice of the Daylesford experience.

In the coming weeks, we will have an exciting announcement to make about a special joint venture between The Carter Company and Daylesford... watch this space for more info!

Here at The Carter Company, planning cycling holidays for families is a speciality of ours. In fact, our connection to cycling breaks with kids runs deep - it was an extended Carter Family cycling trip to Austria - see photo above - many years ago (comprising of 4 adults and 5 children from 9 to 15 years old!) that inspired Wendy, our Director, to found The Carter Company back here in the UK. With dozens of cycling trips with kids in tow under our belt since then, we have learnt a fair few things over the years about how to plan family-friendly cycling holidays.

Tip 1 - Traffic-free cycle routes

Do your research and try to find a trip that uses mainly traffic-free routes. Certain areas in the UK are better for this than others - Dorset, for instance, has miles and miles of disused railway lines that now function as bike paths, which makes it a great choice for a UK cycling holiday with kids. Another thing to check out is the terrain... where possible it's a good idea to avoid steep hills. Little legs get tired quickly and you don't want a tantrum to ensue en route (!)

Tip 2 - Points of interest galore

Cycling all day and only stopping for lunch isn't just tiring; it feels like a bit of a frogmarch, and doesn't allow for those moments when you want to follow your nose and explore all that your surroundings have to offer. We love slow travel by bike here at The Carter Company - it gives our customers the chance to really stop and engage with all there is to see and do wherever they are. So we recommend picking a trip that factors in plenty of spare time (with perhaps in total only 3-4 hours actual cycling time in the day), and choosing an itinerary that has lots of things to see and do along the way - nature reserves, museums, castles & palaces, beaches or lakes to swim in etc.. After all, it's not really about the cycling, it's about the places en route.

Tip 3 - Choose gentle distances

In our experience, it's sometimes quite surprising how far kids can actually cycle (they do have a lot of energy), but there's nothing worse than having to cajole a kid another 10 miles when they've had enough.. so err on the side of caution! Definitely anything more than 25 miles could be too much. We would also recommend asking your tour operator for a local taxi service number just in case they run out of steam.

Tip 4 - Child-friendly bike trips don't necessarily involve the kids cycling!

If your children aren't quite riding a bike all on their own yet, or don't have much stamina, there are a number of options. If you're looking to hire a child-seat, make sure you request one that will fit your child right. They are designed for for kids of 6 months to 5 years, so getting the right size is key. Tagalong bikes are a good option for kids aged around 4-9. Bike Hub have a great article on carrying children on bikes if you want to read about these options in more detail.

Tip 5 - The real secret to success

Ice cream. Make sure that ice-cream features somewhere along the way. It's a surefire way to guarantee success.

Our Top Family Cycling Holidays

For a complete list of The Carter Company's easy, family-friendly cycling holidays for children under 10, over 10s and teenagers, see this dedicated page on our website.

Blenheim Palace is an absolute must-see for anyone visiting Oxford or The Cotswolds. A number of our cycling and walking tours pass this fascinating place en route - including our 'Day in Oxford & Blenheim' cycling trip. This gentle guided tour by bicycle takes in the city of dreaming spires, the surrounding rural Oxford countryside along the Thames river and some charming Cotswold hamlets, before arriving at Blenheim itself. The cycling only takes up half a day, leaving you with the whole afternoon to explore the palace, park and gardens. We will transfer you back to Oxford at the end of the day.

Why is Blenheim a must-see? Well, apart from being a wonderful piece of English heritage (you can't get more quintessentially English than this!), it's an incredibly fine example of Baroque architecture. Ornate details and intricate interiors make the whole experience a feast for the senses; add on top of this grand tapestries, imposing paintings and artisan furniture and you've got quite a palace on your hands! Built in the early 18th century as a gift to the First Duke of Malborough, today Blenhiem is the only 'non-royal' residential palace in Britain - it is still inhabited by the family today. Perhaps the most well-known resident is Winston Churchill, grandson of the 7th Duke, who was born and spent much of his time at Blenheim Palace. The 2,000 acres of Park and Gardens, designed by the famous Capability Brown, are also well worth a visit.

Blenheim Palace Flower Show

The 2014 Blenheim Palace Flower Show runs from June 20th-22nd, and is the perfect excuse to cycle Oxford to Blenheim. This year looks set to be a winner, with celebrity guests including Monty Don and Frances Tophill, a stellar line-up of designers exhibiting Show Gardens (always packed full of inspiring ideas), and of course there will be The Grand Floral Pavilion... last year there were 27 Blenheim Palace Flower Show Gold Medals awarded - will it be more this year?!

Tailor-made Blenheim holidays

Here at The Carter Company we specialise in creating bespoke cycling tours based on specific needs and requirements, so if you have something particular in mind, drop us a line and we'd be happy to assist you! In the past we have organised numerous tailor-made Blenheim holidays, involving a stop off at the palace en route, so we're well equipped to plan a cycling or walking trip that combines a bit of history and culture with some gentle activity.

There are so many brilliant blogs about cycling out there on the internet. As with most things online however, they can be tricky to track down. We thought it would be nice to share with you some of our favourites. It's nice to see that there is a rapidly growing and very vibrant community of bloggers out there flying the flag for all things cycling!

The Carter Company's top cycling blogs

1. IBikeLondon blog These guys are all about promoting and celebrating cycling in London and the rest of the UK. They have a natty range of IBikeLondon products and regular free social events. Their blog is full of photos of their latest themed rides and other bike-related news.

2. CycleChic is a girl after our own heart who likes to have fun on two wheels! She loves beautiful bikes and (genuinely) beautiful clothes you can wear whilst on and off the saddle. She's also launching a book, The Girl's Bicycle Handbook which is out tomorrow (April 3rd)! Her blog is both fun and informative. We like it because it makes cycling feel accessible to everyone, not just the lycra-clad road racers.

3. VeloVogue is a really cool blog that focuses on cycling culture and the way of life cycling inspires. There are lots of fun photos of interesting people on two wheels plus other bits and pieces on cycling culture that provide some real food for thought.

4. Copenhagenize reaffirms once again that the Scandinavians are leading the way when it comes to the revolution of urban travel. 50% of Copenhageners use a bicycle each day - amazing really isn't it? The blog is full of thoughtful comments and articles on the state of urban cycling today, plus many schemes and initiatives happening in Denmark right now. They also have a sister blog 'Copenhagen Cycle Chic' proving how chic those Danes really are!

5. Change Your Life Ride A Bike is about the "small shifts in perspective that can come from bicycle riding, and how these can lead to big changes in how we see the world and how we live in it. Changes in our impact on the earth, or even just noticing how nice it is to have the wind in your hair". We couldn't agree more - travelling on two wheels somehow encourages you to slow down and really engage with what's around you, as well as to be more mindful of your own presence. It's a beautiful thing!

6. Cycle Love, beautifully presented and thoughtfully curated, with a dash of wit thrown in to keep you on your toes, this blog is really a gem of a find and comes very highly recommended by us!

7. Velo-City-Girl is full of great product reviews and recommendations for cycling-friendly apparel. There's also lots of interesting nuggets of info on cycling culture in London and things for the aspiring cyclist to see and do in the capital. A must read for any girls out there who like cycling and fashion.