From the Anglotopia Podcast: Episode 24

Welcome to the Anglotopia Podcast, the positive corner of the internet where we talk about all things lovely British—history, culture, and travel. Today we’re exploring one of England’s most beautiful regions with someone who knows it intimately: Jules Mitra, founder of In and Beyond Bath.

Jules specializes in guiding tourists around the West Country and England with a particular focus on the areas surrounding Bath. He’s an expert on thoughtful travel and a big proponent of experiencing the wonderful things the West Country has to offer that are more off the beaten path. His company’s tagline captures it perfectly: “Get ready to discover England, the England you’ve always dreamt of.”

That sounds good to us. So grab your cup of tea (Jules is drinking Tetley’s English Breakfast—builder’s tea in those massive 440-bag lockdown boxes that last for months, while we’re enjoying Yorkshire Tea, also bought in six-month supplies) and join us for a conversation about Bath, the Cotswolds, and discovering the England of your imagination.

The In and Beyond Bath Philosophy

Let’s start with the elevator pitch. What makes In and Beyond Bath different from typical tour companies?

The Origin Story:

Jules founded In and Beyond Bath in 2016-2017, drawing on his own extensive travel experience. As someone who’s traveled widely, he made a crucial observation: he’d go for the big, famous attractions, but it was always the small, unexpected experiences that had the most impact—the relationships, the moments he didn’t anticipate.

The Core Mission:

In and Beyond Bath shares the Britain—specifically the England—that Jules loves and reveres: the historical, the cultural, the landscapes, those gems that people imagine when they think of England, when they read the books and watch the TV shows.

But here’s the challenge: the places everyone has heard of are usually very busy and “touristified,” and they often don’t have the magic anymore. Mass tourism has, in some ways, eroded what made these places special.

The Solution:

Jules takes people to the must-see places—sites people definitely want to visit—but then guides them off into the England they’ve always imagined. He shows them places that exemplify English culture and history in meaningful ways, not just pointing out buildings and reciting dates, but explaining why something matters, why it’s relevant, what the story behind it is, and how visitors can connect to it.

It’s about creating intimate, relaxed, meaningful experiences focused on genuine connection rather than ticking boxes on an itinerary.

Who Travels with In and Beyond Bath?

Jules’ core market—about 90%—consists of Americans and Canadians from the North American market. These aren’t casual tourists looking to hit all the major stops as quickly as possible. These are travelers who want to connect with English culture and history more deeply. They want to dive in rather than skim the surface.

This perfectly aligns with what we advocate at Anglotopia: thoughtful travel that goes beyond the typical tourist experience to discover the authentic England.

Small Group Tours: The Intimate Alternative

One of the biggest differences between In and Beyond Bath and typical tours is the experience itself. Let’s walk through what makes these tours distinctive.

Group Size:

Jules keeps his groups small—maximum six people, though he prefers even smaller groups of two to four. Compare this to coach bus tours with 50 people piling on and off at each stop.

The Difference Small Makes:

With small groups, conversations happen naturally. Jules doesn’t need to use a microphone or flag. People can ask questions spontaneously, the group can adapt to interests and energy levels, and everyone can actually interact with each other and the places they’re visiting.

There’s a humanity to small group travel that’s impossible with large coach tours. It’s conversational, relaxed, and flexible.

Vehicle and Comfort:

Jules drives a Mercedes V-Class—a very comfortable seven-seater vehicle. It’s spacious, pleasant, and feels more like traveling with a knowledgeable friend than being on a commercial tour.

Flexible Itineraries:

While Jules plans itineraries carefully, he’s not rigid about following them. If the group is particularly interested in something, they can spend more time there. If something isn’t resonating, they can move on. If someone needs a bathroom break or wants to stop for photos, that’s completely fine.

This flexibility is impossible with large group tours operating on tight schedules.

Pace and Energy:

Jules pays attention to the group’s energy. If people are getting tired, they take a break. If there’s enthusiasm for seeing more, they can extend activities. The tour adapts to the people, not the other way around.

Bath: The Georgian Jewel

Bath is the crown jewel of the West Country and one of England’s most beautiful cities. Let’s explore what makes it special and what visitors should know.

UNESCO World Heritage Status:

Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site—the entire city, not just individual buildings. It’s one of only a handful of entire cities in the world to receive this designation, which speaks to its extraordinary historical and architectural significance.

Georgian Perfection:

Bath is renowned for its Georgian architecture. In the 18th century, Bath became the fashionable place for wealthy English people to take the waters (the city is built around natural hot springs). This led to an extraordinary building boom creating the stunning Georgian terraces, crescents, and circuses that define Bath today.

The architecture follows Palladian principles—symmetrical, proportioned, elegant. Walking through Bath feels like stepping into a Jane Austen novel (because it is—Austen lived in Bath and set parts of her novels there).

The Roman Heritage:

Long before the Georgians, the Romans built a significant settlement in Bath around the natural hot springs, which they considered sacred. The Roman Baths—one of the best-preserved Roman sites in Britain—are still there, remarkably intact after 2,000 years.

You can see the original Roman engineering, the temple, the baths themselves, and even taste the mineral-rich water (though Jules warns it tastes “absolutely awful”—medicinal and unpleasant, definitely not refreshing).

Layered History:

What makes Bath fascinating is how history layers upon history. Roman foundations, medieval developments, Georgian grandeur—all compressed into one beautiful city. You can see 2,000 years of English history in a single day’s walking.

The Challenges of Popularity:

Bath’s beauty and accessibility (it’s very close to London) make it incredibly popular. On busy days, it can feel overrun with tourists. This is where having a local expert like Jules matters—he knows when to visit, where to go to avoid crowds, and how to experience Bath at its best rather than its most touristy.

The Cotswolds: England’s Most Picture-Perfect Countryside

The Cotswolds represent what many people imagine when they think of the English countryside: rolling hills, honey-colored stone villages, thatched cottages, sheep grazing in green fields.

What Are the Cotswolds?

The Cotswolds are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covering about 800 square miles across six counties. The region is defined by its distinctive honey-colored limestone, which comes from the Cotswold Hills and gives all the buildings their warm, golden appearance.

The Villages:

The Cotswolds contain some of England’s most beautiful villages. Places like Castle Combe, Bibury, Bourton-on-the-Water, and countless others look like they’ve stepped out of a storybook.

These aren’t fake or preserved for tourists—they’re real villages where people actually live, work, and have done for centuries. The architecture often dates back to medieval times, with buildings constructed from that distinctive Cotswold stone.

Wool Wealth:

The Cotswolds were once one of England’s wealthiest regions thanks to the wool trade. In medieval times, “Cotswold wool” was prized across Europe. The wealth from wool built the beautiful churches, manor houses, and villages that still stand today.

You can see this history in the grand “wool churches”—churches far more elaborate than you’d expect for small villages, built by wealthy wool merchants to display their success and piety.

Accessible Beauty:

One reason Jules loves the Cotswolds is their accessibility from Bath. In an hour or less, you can be in picture-perfect villages exploring quintessential English countryside.

The Touristy Challenge:

Like Bath, the Cotswolds’ beauty attracts crowds. Places like Bibury and Castle Combe can be overwhelmed with tour buses and visitors. Jules’ expertise comes in knowing the lesser-known villages that are equally beautiful but far less crowded—the hidden gems that deliver the Cotswolds experience without the tourist masses.

Film and Television: Where England Comes to Life on Screen

One fascinating aspect of the Bath and West Country region is its prominence in film and television. This area is where much of “period drama England” comes to life on screen.

Why This Region?

The architecture, the landscapes, the villages—they’re all perfectly preserved and authentically period. When production companies want Georgian England, Regency England, medieval England, or Victorian England, they come to this region because it’s real. They don’t need elaborate sets; they just need to remove modern street furniture and roll cameras.

Major Productions:

The list of films and TV shows shot in and around Bath is staggering:

• Bridgerton (Netflix’s Regency romance hit)
• Pride and Prejudice (multiple adaptations)
• Persuasion (Jane Austen’s novel set partially in Bath)
• The Duchess (Keira Knightley period drama)
• Vanity Fair (multiple adaptations)
• Downton Abbey
• Harry Potter films
• Poldark (Cornwall and West Country settings)
• Wolf Hall (Tudor historical drama)
• Countless other period dramas, historical films, and costume dramas

Specific Locations:

Lacock: This medieval village owned by the National Trust since the 1950s is a filming mecca. The Trust never allowed TV aerials, telegraph poles, or modern intrusions, so the village looks authentically medieval. Productions just cover the tarmac with dirt, add a few props, and have an instant period film set.

Lacock also has historical significance beyond filming—Lacock Abbey is where the negative photographic process was invented by William Henry Fox Talbot in the 1800s.

Bath Locations: The Royal Crescent, Pulteney Bridge, Great Pulteney Street, and numerous other Bath locations appear regularly in period productions.

A Funny Story: The Vanity Fair Lampposts:

Speaking of film productions, Jules shared a delightful story about Great Pulteney Street in Bath. This wide Georgian avenue has been used in numerous films including The Duchess and Vanity Fair.

In the 1970s, Bath installed very utilitarian modern lampposts—big L-shaped posts with halogen bulbs. When they filmed Vanity Fair in the 1990s, these clearly wouldn’t work for a period drama.

So the production company removed them and installed proper cast iron 1700s-style lampposts appropriate to the Georgian period. When filming finished, the crew realized these lampposts were massively heavy (solid cast iron, exactly as they would have been in the 1700s) and difficult to remove.

They asked Bath Council: “Do you mind if we just leave these here?”

Bath Council agreed. So those lampposts that have stood there for 30 years are actually film props that the production company left behind. They’re better than what was there before, so everyone was happy.

The Experience for Visitors:

For fans of period dramas, the West Country offers the thrill of walking in the footsteps of beloved characters. You can stand where Elizabeth Bennet stood, walk the streets Bridgerton’s Daphne walked, visit the locations from Harry Potter.

But Jules emphasizes something important: these aren’t just film sets—they’re real places with real history that existed long before cameras arrived. The films chose these locations because they’re authentically beautiful and historically significant, not the other way around.

Beyond the Tourist Trail: Hidden Gems

Jules’ real expertise shows when talking about places beyond the standard tourist trail. These are the locations that deliver authentic experiences without the crowds.

Why Go Off the Beaten Path?

The most famous places—Bath city center, Bibury, Castle Combe—can be overwhelmed, especially during peak season. The magic that makes them special gets diluted by masses of tourists.

But just nearby are equally beautiful places that few tourists visit. These locations offer the same architectural beauty, the same historical significance, the same stunning landscapes—but with a fraction of the visitors.

What Makes These Places Special:

Jules looks for places that exemplify English culture and history in meaningful ways. It’s not just about pretty buildings—though they’re certainly there. It’s about places with stories, with connections to broader English history, with authentic character.

These might be villages where traditional crafts continue, market towns with weekly markets held in the same spot for 800 years, manor houses with fascinating family histories, churches with medieval wall paintings, or landscapes that inspired poets and painters.

The Local Knowledge Factor:

These hidden gems aren’t typically in guidebooks or on tourist websites. You find them through local knowledge—knowing which village is worth the detour, which pub serves excellent food, which footpath offers the best views, which time of day avoids any crowds.

This is the value of having a guide who lives in the area and loves it deeply. Jules isn’t following a script or standard tour route—he’s sharing places he personally loves and knows intimately.

The Meaningful Travel Approach

Jules emphasizes that his tours aren’t just about seeing things—they’re about understanding why they matter.

Context and Connection:

Instead of just saying “this building was built in 1403 by so-and-so,” Jules explains why it matters. What was happening in England in 1403? Why did someone build this here? How did it fit into the broader story of English history? What happened in this place?

By providing context, places become meaningful rather than just pretty backgrounds for photos.

The Human Element:

History is ultimately about people—their ambitions, struggles, achievements, and failures. Jules tries to connect visitors to the human stories behind the places they visit.

Who lived in this manor house? What was their life like? How did the wool trade affect this village? What challenges did people face? How did this town grow wealthy, or why did it decline?

These human connections make history relatable and memorable.

Thoughtful Pacing:

Meaningful travel requires time to absorb, reflect, and process. Jules doesn’t rush his groups through endless sites. He allows time to sit in a beautiful spot, to wander a village, to have conversations, to let experiences sink in.

This is fundamentally different from coach tours that maximize sites visited per day. Jules maximizes impact and meaning rather than quantity.

Practical Considerations: Making the Most of Your Visit

When to Visit:

Jules recommends visiting during shoulder seasons (April-May or September-October) when possible. The weather is generally good, the countryside is beautiful, and crowds are significantly smaller than in peak summer.

Summer (June-August) is beautiful but very crowded, especially in places like Bath and the popular Cotswolds villages.

How Long to Spend:

For the Bath and Cotswolds region, Jules recommends at least 3-4 days to really experience it properly. You could spend a week and not exhaust the possibilities.

This allows time for Bath itself (which deserves at least a full day), several Cotswolds villages, perhaps a market town or two, and some countryside exploration.

Booking with In and Beyond Bath:

Jules offers various tour options from single-day experiences to multi-day itineraries. His tours are customizable based on interests—whether you’re passionate about architecture, gardens, literature, history, or simply want to experience beautiful England.

The small group size means personalized attention and flexibility to adjust to your interests.

Beyond Bath and the Cotswolds: Jules’ Personal Favorite

We couldn’t resist asking Jules where he personally likes to travel in England outside his home territory. His answer surprised us in the best way.

Ludlow and the Shropshire Hills:

Jules mentioned several places he loves, but particularly highlighted Ludlow and the Shropshire Hills—an area between Birmingham and the Welsh border that most Americans have never heard of.

Why Ludlow?

Ludlow is a medieval market town with a castle where Prince Arthur (Henry VIII’s older brother) was born. The town retains many black-and-white timbered buildings with white walls—classic Tudor architecture.

But Ludlow has also become a mecca for foodies, hosting an amazing annual food festival. The combination of stunning medieval architecture, beautiful countryside, excellent restaurants and pubs, and relative lack of tourists makes it extraordinary.

The Shropshire Hills:

The surrounding Shropshire Hills offer breathtaking beauty—rolling hills, ancient woodlands, quiet villages, excellent walking, and that sense of discovering somewhere special that few tourists know about.

Jules’ Travel Philosophy:

His answer revealed his travel philosophy: he loves places where you can establish a base and explore nearby, where you find a combination of culture, history, nature, and great food. Ludlow checks all those boxes.

He also mentioned Lincoln in the east—another beautiful medieval city with fantastic nearby attractions that remains relatively undiscovered by American tourists.

The England of Your Dreams

Throughout our conversation, Jules kept returning to a central theme: showing visitors the England they’ve dreamed of—the England of books, films, and imagination.

It’s Real:

The good news is that England of thatched cottages, Georgian terraces, medieval villages, rolling green hills, and warm hospitality actually exists. It’s not a fantasy or a Hollywood creation—it’s real, and you can experience it.

It Takes the Right Approach:

But experiencing that dream England requires more than just showing up at the most famous places during peak times. It requires:

• Going beyond the obvious destinations
• Traveling at a thoughtful pace
• Having local expertise to guide you
• Understanding the history and context
• Connecting with places rather than just photographing them
• Being willing to venture off the beaten path

The Value of Expertise:

This is where companies like In and Beyond Bath excel. Jules has spent years exploring the West Country, building relationships, discovering hidden gems, understanding what makes places special. He’s distilled all that knowledge into experiences he can share with visitors.

You could research and plan independently, and many people do successfully. But there’s value in having someone who knows the secret villages, the best times to visit, the stories behind the places, and how to create meaningful experiences.

Final Thoughts

The West Country—particularly Bath and the Cotswolds—offers some of England’s most beautiful and historically significant landscapes and towns. It’s where the England of imagination becomes reality, where you can walk streets that have looked essentially the same for centuries, where history layers upon history in beautiful, livable places.

But like many popular destinations, it requires thoughtful planning to experience it at its best. The most famous places can be overwhelmed, especially during peak season. The magic exists, but sometimes you need to look beyond the obvious to find it.

This is where expert guides like Jules Mitra and companies like In and Beyond Bath prove their value. They offer the local knowledge, the flexibility, the context, and the personal attention that transform a good trip into an extraordinary experience.

For Americans dreaming of the England from books and films—the thatched cottages, the Georgian elegance, the medieval villages, the green rolling hills—it’s all waiting in the West Country. You just need to know where to look and how to experience it meaningfully.

And that’s exactly what Jules and In and Beyond Bath provide.

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To learn more about In and Beyond Bath and book your West Country experience, visit their website (link in show notes). Full disclosure: In and Beyond Bath is not an Anglotopia advertiser—we featured Jules because we know the West Country well and believe in what he’s doing.

For more information about traveling to Bath, the Cotswolds, and the West Country, check out our extensive travel guides on Anglotopia.net.

Thank you to Jules Mitra for being our guest! Have questions about Bath or the West Country? Leave them in the comments or email us at editor@anglotopia.net.

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