Best of British: top UK baking locations

Foodies all over the nation are delighted at the return of the Great British Bake Off, now gracing our screens every Wednesday evening on BBC1. In celebration –and to recognise our great British baking heritage – holiday home rental website HouseTrip has gathered together the best 'bake-cation' spots across the country for you to visit this summer.

From the famous location of the Hovis Gold Hill advert to the place where Eton mess got its name from, be sure to pay a visit to some of our favourite destinations and sample some of the most mouthwatering desserts and breads.

© Photo: Rex

Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, Dorset is the iconic location of the famous Hovis advert directed by Ridley Scott

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, Dorset - home of the famous Hovis Bread advert

The most iconic

advert of the 1970s and 1980s was filmed on

in

,

, by Oscar-winning director

, thus becoming an important slice of

marketing history. The commercial was voted

's favourite advertisement of all time in

last year, and the stunning location also appeared as the setting for the 1967 film version of

's

.

stands as the highest town in its county, one of the oldest in

, and offers some of the most romantic views of the

countryside. One of the neighbouring towns,

, features in numerous literary works including that of

, and the nearby market town of

also boasts a 16th-century mansion,

, built by

.

© Photo: Rex

The renowned

is said to have arisen after a chef mixed the wrong recipe at the

in the small market town of

in the

, northern

. The tart is made up of shortcrust pastry filled with a sponge cake concoction, a layer of jam and an egg and almond mix which is then topped off with white fondant icing and a red glacier cherry. Several shops in the town claim to sell the original recipe:

,

as well as

. On top of the flurry of domestic tourists, the area also attracts an international crowd to the nearby stately homes of

and

.

also features in

's

as the town

leaves to head to

.

© Photo: Rex

Named after the

town of

, an

is a small, round pastry treat filled with currants, nutmeg and, sometimes, topped with Demerara sugar.

is located in the City of

, Greater

, only 3.7 miles west of

city centre. For sporting enthusiasts who aren't as

-obsessed, the famous

stadium, home to the

football team, as well as

's football grounds, can both be found nearby.

© Photo: Rex

Eton is home to the renowned Eton College as well as a favourite English dessert, Eton mess

Eton, Berkshire - home of the Eton Mess

is a typical favourite dessert of the

, mixing strawberries, meringue and cream, and is traditionally served at

's annual cricket game against

. It was also served in the 1930s in the prestigious boarding school's "sock shop" with either strawberries or bananas and ice-cream or cream – meringue was added later. A recent myth has evolved that

was first created when a meringue dessert was accidentally squashed by a dog en route to a picnic at

, and what was salvaged of the dessert was served as a crushed meringue with strawberries and cream. The towns of

and

offer an eclectic array of traditions, heritage and history along with fun tourist attractions such as

, the

residence of the

, and the

. The infamous

, founded by

in 1440, was also where

,

and

were educated. A similar dessert to

is the

, served throughout the year at

,

.

© Photo: Rex

is a glucose-based, peppermint flavoured sweet treat. It originates from

,

, also known as the

due to its many grey limestone buildings.

is popular among climbers and mountaineers, especially those from the

, as a source of energy. The town of

, as well as being famous for its mint cake and local grey limestone, is also renowned for its production of tobacco. Situated south of the

, and just a few miles from the coast, this market town caters to all visitors' needs. It offers a wealth of history with castles, museums, historical buildings and bridges to explore. It is even rumoured that

's sixth wife,

, was born at

.

© Photo: Rex

The Jurassic Coast stretches 95 miles from East Devon to Dorset

Devon & Dorset - famous for their mouth-watering scones

Contrary to popular opinion, it is thought that

may well have originated in

, with the first known print reference being in 1513, from a

poet. However,

are more widely known as a speciality of

and

and are famously offered in their tea rooms as well as the rest of the

and

, served with jam and clotted cream. They differ to teacakes and other sweet buns in that they are not made with yeast. The counties of

and

are known for their rustic coves, never-ending stretches of sandy beach and rolling countryside full of a variety of wildlife. The

, also known as

, was the first 'natural'

, spanning 95 miles and full of world-renowned fossils of all types.