Favourite things: great views

As part of our series of Blue Badge Guide favourites, we asked four guides to tell us the views or perspectives that they love.

It’s the sort of knowledge and, particularly, enthusiasm that you just don’t get from most guidebooks, and it’s the sort of thing that will live long in the memory after your holiday.

“King’s College from The Backs in Cambridge. A meadow full of grazing cows leads to the river and beyond the chapel rises above a formal lawn, on which only college Fellows may walk. Just five minutes from the bustling city centre, it feels as though you are in the middle of the countryside. It is a vista with many layers, appearing timeless but the landscaping is only 200 years old and as man-made as the chapel. I love to show this to visitors. It is a view that says ‘Cambridge’.” Allan Brigham

“Ruskin’s View overlooks the silvery River Lune as it meanders its way through the tranquil valley below the picturesque market town of Kirkby Lonsdale. It was the subject of a watercolour by JMW Turner painted from a sketch he made during a journey on horseback through the north of England. It is the beauty and timelessness of the scene that draw me to this spot whenever I seek peace and space to reflect.” Tess Pike

“From the top of St Paul’s Cathedral. As well as its significance as a place of worship, St Paul’s is a masterpiece of architectural heritage. With adventurous travellers I always head for the stairs and we climb above the main body of the church. The Whispering Gallery is well known, but the two upper viewing platforms less so. No matter how many times I make the ascent, I still find it a novelty. On the way up you can appreciate the engineering and structure of the dome, and once outside you have breathtaking views across the city.” Glyn Jones

“The reflection in the font inside Salisbury Cathedral, which has more than its fair share of unusual stories and details for guides to share with visitors. But its latest permanent addition, William Pye’s ‘Salisbury Font’, is photographed by nearly everyone I take there. Its still surface reflects the cathedral’s beautiful early English Gothic architecture and stained glass windows. Many people take a picture of the fountain, only to find their own reflection is part of the image.” Judi Cross