Where Tourists Seldom Tread

A thoughtful, incisively written guide to alternative Britain and a tribute to its underappreciated towns, in all their glory.

A perceptive, generous survey of Britain's towns, in all their grit and glory.

Most people in the United Kingdom live and work in towns.

A perceptive, generous survey of Britain's towns, in all their grit and glory.

Most people in the United Kingdom live and work in towns. Only a handful ordinarily qualify as conventional tourist destinations, with most deemed too plain, run down, or unfun to be worthy of a leisure visit; but they have much to offer for the inquisitive traveler.

Travelling from Warrington, Birkenhead and Slough to Paisley, Armagh, Newport and beyond, Chris Moss seeks out Britain's 'unloved' towns. As he encounters the rich stories and spirits of these places, peeling back layers of history and culture, he considers why the hidden pleasures they have to offer have been ignored by most.

Where Tourists Seldom Tread is an invitation to move away from our preferences for major cities and rural idylls, offering a new field guide to the country.