Honeymoons at Wenningdale Escapes

By Isabel Marshall

Where the Lake District, Forest of Bowland and Yorkshire Dales unite, Wenningdale Escapes offers the perfect honeymoon location in The Three Peaks area with stunning scenery and access to a host of outdoor activities.

With luxurious lodges perfectly capturing the surrounding views and posh pods nestled amongst the trees, you can wind down after the whirlwind that a wedding is and enjoy your first few days as Mr & Mrs.

Based at the border of North Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria, it’s easy to access and experience all there is to see and do in the area with fabulous walking routes, cycling, climbing and fishing all on offer close by. And if you’re just wanting to wind down for a few days after wedding madness, then you can do that too.

Located on the edge of the village of High Bentham, newly-weds can enjoy access to a host of local pubs and eateries, all within a safe walk of their luxury lodge or posh pod.

High Bentham itself is steeped in agricultural history. As a traditional market town, there is still a wellsupported and bustling livestock market every week. The surrounding landscape tells the tale of decades of farming heritage and a well worked backdrop. Heading out of the village on to Burnmoor, the moorland has an iconic feature embedded on the North Yorkshire and Lancashire border line.

Big Stone, as its locally known, is the old stone of four stone. The local myth is that the devil dropped the large rock on his way to build Devil’s Bridge in the nearby town of Kirkby Lonsdale. This glacial deposit is the only remaining stone of four originally found in the area. It’s a must visit for any trip to Bentham and affords views across the Yorkshire Dales, Lancashire and on to the Lakeland Fells.

Artfully set amongst the fairways of an 18-hole parkland golf course, the lodges are a golfers haven but the backdrop and location is ideal for anyone. Providing the perfect base for outdoor enthusiasts, each lodge comes ready for muddy walking boots or much-loved golf clubs.

There is an endless list of things to do, regardless of what you are interested in. Whether you are looking for a relaxing mini-moon or an adventure filled trip with your new spouse, there is something on offer for everyone.

You will find yourself surrounded by miles of excellent footpaths suitable for gentle, easy strolls as well as those looking for some challenging routes, such as the Yorkshire Three Peaks. The famous Yorkshire 3 peaks is a 24 mile walking challenge encompassing Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. The challenge aim is to walk all three peaks in under 12 hours, a feat completed by many from far and wide. However, all three peaks offer scenic individual walks so if you didn’t quite fancy taking the test, you can enjoy each route individually and experience the distinct characters of the peaks. With views to the coast and Lakeland fells on clear days, the rewards for the hard climb are there to be reaped.

If walking isn’t your hobby of choice then you can navigate the rural roads on 2 wheels or visit one of the many local hot spots for mountain biking. Fishing is in abundance with popular spots for both fly and coarse fishing within easy reach. Wenningdale Escapes guests have access to fishing on the river Wenning. www.lancmag.com LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 173

The popular dales market towns of Hawes, Kirby Lonsdale, Settle and Ingleton are all within close driving distance, with a host of things to do all year round, whatever the weather, from tourist attractions to craft galleries and specialist shops. Travel by train from the village to Lancaster or Skipton, or experience the magnificent Settle-Carlisle Railway line. The seaside is also within easy reach for a day out on the coast.

High Bentham is a gateway town to the Forest of Bowland, an area of outstanding natural beauty. As a protected area, there is a wealth of beauty and nature only a stone’s throw away. With gritstone fells, deep valleys and peat moorland, this area offers jaw dropping view points and nature hotspots. With five dark sky discovery sites, the area is a star gazers dream. As true dark sky locations become harder to find due to increasing light pollution, these hot spots allow gazers to get lost in a night time world of mythical creatures and mysterious beasts. M Robin Lane High Bentham LA2 7AG E hello@wenningdale.co.uk N 01524 262455 www.wenningdale.co.uk

Hello again and let me introduce myself, my name is Karla McCulloch and I am a trusted travel advisor with 20 years working in retail and business travel sector. I have been running my own travel franchise now for around 18 months and what an 18 months it has been!

Thankfully I have managed to keep myself going throughout the pandemic and we are now beginning to see some real movement back into the world of travel. The past month has really seen a surge in confidence again in booking travel overseas and 2022 is fast becoming the option for everyone to start booking that bucket list vacation. On top of this I am seeing a huge rise in people who just want some clarity and answers to the options which we have to now abide by to permit travel to begin again.

So I am using this month’s article to try and cover the most popular questions I am being asked and hopefully this will help you with your future travel decisions.

So with the recent news that anyone who lives in the UK and has been double vaccinated ( plus 14 days) by the NHS will no longer need to quarantine upon arriving into the UK from 4am on Monday the 19th July 2021. Children under the age of 18 are to be exempt from quarantining on return to England from an amber country. With the recommendation for people not to travel to amber countries will also be removed on this date also it does feel that international travel is again becoming a possibility. Of course the FCDO travel advice must still be checked and adhered to and once the NHS certification system is linked to the EU digital Covid Certification it will allow freer movement within Europe, hopefully this should be for around mid-August. Although there is no need to quarantine after this date for those who have been double-jabbed, they will still ned to take two covid tests. One test will be required for your destination countries entry requirements and one PCR test on or before day two when you are back in the UK. The costs vary for these but would usually add an additional cost of at least £120.00 per person to your holiday however I do have access to discounted rates with a few of our suppliers which would reduce the cost to around £80.00 approximately when booking with myself.

With this news regarding the relaxation of Amber countries I would recommend that you must ensure you have valid travel insurance and ensure that the FCDO advises it is safe to travel as if they do not the insurance will not valid. There are so many more questions and scenarios that I can answer so if you are planning the next dream vacation and would like any help please do not hesitate in contacting me for my help as always happy to guide you through the current situation and ever changing landscape of travel regulations.

KARLA MCCULLOCH TRAVEL COUNSELLOR

N 01617 440025 07515 945781

E karla.mcculloch@

travelcounsellors.com

D tctravelmanagement.co.uk/

karla.mcculloch

F facebook.com/KarMcC06

Why not head to my website; www.tctravelmanagement.co.uk/karla.mcculloch where you will find all the fantastic offers I have available for you. You can also email me: karla.mcculloch@travelcounsellors.com or pick up the phone on 0161 744 0025, where I will be available to help with any questions, help or advice.