But the English get a rough ride in new travel guide

A nation of “overweight, sex-and-celebrity-obsessed TV addicts” is how the new Rough Guide to England sums up the English.

The 1,000-plus page guide says that attempting a conversation with a stranger “can be seen as tantamount to physical assault”.

“Commuters suffer overpriced, under-funded public transport” says the guide, which complains that “many towns consist of identikit retail zones”. 

According the seventh edition of the guide, “England is a country where accent and vocabulary can stamp a person’s identity like a brand”.

The Rough Guide, intended for tourists visiting the UK as well as local holiday-makers, says: “A tiny aristocracy, who in some cases trace their roots to the Norman Conquest of the eleventh century, still own most of the land.”

But the guide has a soft spot for other facets of the national character, like “animal-loving, tea-drinking, charity donors thriving on irony and Radio 4.”

It claims the country is “a genuine haven for refugees” and praises the “thriving pop culture” and “dynamic fashion, music and arts scenes”.

The book names the country’s top ten beaches and coastal beauty spots:

Rough Guide to England’s Top Beaches

1        Par Beach, St Martin’s, Isles of Scilly. Hugely scenic and usually empty, despite the perfect sands.

2        Porthcurno, West Cornwall. Surrounded by cliffs, with an open-air theatre nearby.    

3        Polzeath, Cornwall. A favourite with surfers, families and fashionable beach bums.     

4        Woolacombe, North Devon. West-facing, a surfer’s delight, but also family friendly.   

5        Blackpool Sands, South Devon. Can get very crowded, but come out of season and you’ll be seduced by this crescent of coarse white sand sheltered by pines.   

6        Studland Bay, Dorset. Three miles of sheltered beach on the Isle of Purbeck, with full facilities in season.        

7        Holkham, Norfolk Beyond the pines and dunes lie three miles of pancake-flat sands.

8        Bamburgh, Northumberland Sky, sea, dunes and acres of sand, with the dramatic backdrop of Bamburgh Castle.         

9        Blackpool, Lancashire England’s biggest resort has its most extensive sands – seven miles of clean beach, plus donkeys, trams and amusements.      

10      Whitby, North Yorkshire Acres of beach, rock pools, lighthouse, piers and prom add up to Yorkshire’s best family beach.

Rough Guide to England’s Top Coastal Beauty Spots

1        Lizard Point, Cornwall. Raging seas surround this rocky promontory.     

2        Zennor Head, Cornwall. Rugged and deserted, with steep walks around.         

3        Hartland Point, Devon. Fantastic slate cliffs give this remote place an otherworldly feel.      

4        Start Point, Devon. This dizzy headland is a haven for raucous birdlife.

5        Lulworth Cove, Dorset. Profoundly peaceful spot amidst high chalk cliffs, though it can get crowded.          

6        The Needles, Isle of Wight. Spectacular pinnacles of rock thrust up from the sea.

7        Blakeney, North Norfolk. Picturesque retreat, with creeks, channels and sand banks to explore.      

8        Robin Hood’s Bay, Yorkshire. Honeycombed cliffs and rocky reefs set the scene here.

9        Holy Island, Northumberland. A castle, priory ruins and abandoned hulks of boats add to the brooding character of this ancient spot.

10      Calf of Man, Isle of Man. Take the boat across to this remote bird sanctuary for its high cliffs and grassy meadows.

Report by Phil Davies