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STAYCATION UK

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Images >> Top half Cedar Valley, Hampshire Bottom half - Romney Marsh Shepherds Huts (RMSH)

It’s not surprising that after a challenging twelve months, many people are desperate to escape to the outdoors and experience the world around them again. With some opting to remain on UK shores, staycations will remain a popular choice for many, and with so many exciting venues, events and areas of the UK to explore, we thought we’d celebrate the staycation in style with some hidden favourites and gems that should be on your shortlist.

Over the last few years, there’s been a noticeable rise in repurposing cabins and shepherd huts into chic places to stay. With two new cabins opening this spring, the Cedar Valley, Hampshire, provides a stylish collection of glamping escapes in the heart of the Meon Valley, Hampshire. The Woodland Kabin and Cedars Kabin make the most of two secluded spots on the edge of woodland with far-reaching views across the valley. Each has been finished with a contemporary luxury feel with rustic charm at its core. Built using environmentally conscious design and local materials, the bespoke accommodation is sustainable and fitting with the landscape. The interiors exude rustic charm, with the reclaimed timber cladding, and retro-chic with the exposed pendant lightbulbs in the open-plan kitchens and en-suite bathrooms, luxury soft furnishings and linen bedding. The en-suite bathrooms have a stylish waterfall shower, and the kitchen is fully equipped for self-catered holidays.

West Meon is a Hampshire village that dates back to the Iron and Bronze Ages. Roman villas and Meonwara tribe remains have been discovered locally. Its beautiful surroundings are perfect for a base to explore the local landscape, and The Meon Valley Trail is a popular route for walkers and cyclists. Wine connoisseurs can take in a tipple or two at the Hattingley Valley Wines vineyard, famed for its range of English sparkling wines. If you’re a lover of all things steam, then The Mid Hants Railway Watercress Line is nearby and will give you an alternative view of the surrounding countryside. Cedar Valley, Hampshire from £150 per night

Those looking for a unique pad set with a rural and pastoral setting, then shepherds huts are the perfect way of embracing outdoor life. Romney Marsh Shepherds Huts (RMSH) are set on a family farm near Aldington on the Romney Marsh, a sparsely populated wetland area in Kent that’s designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Owned by the Boulden family, who have lived and farmed on the Marsh since 1882 and have over 130 years’ experience of the area, the huts were launched in 2018 as a way to diversify the farm’s business and build on the success of the family’s successful brand Romney Marsh Wools which is also run from the farm and has just won the ‘National Best Rural Creative or Artisan Business Award’ at The Rural Business Awards 2020/21. The company uses the fleeces and lanolin from the family’s flock of sheep to create artisan Best of British homewares, clothing and toiletries with samples of the products available for guests to use while staying in the huts.

The two traditional shepherds’ huts - Rumwold and Lookerer - were specially commissioned by the family and bespoke built by local craftsman Julian from Elham Valley Shepherds Huts using original 1900’s plans. Designed as rural retreats incorporating a touch of luxury, the cosy huts are the perfect romantic hideaway for couple’s post lockdown and come fully equipped with a double bed, kitchen including electric hob and outdoor fire pit, a built-in toilet and shower room. Visitors looking to try out something new can add on a diverse range of experiences to their stay, including a Marsh Jeep Safari, needle felting, photography sessions, art tutor classes with RMSH’s >>

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Artist in Residence Steve Thomson and wine tours of Kent’s vineyards. As a guide, for travel in August 2021, a three-night stay in the Lookerer Hut is priced from £433 based on two adults sharing (£216.50 per person). There’s a minimum two-night stay per booking. Bookings go through Kent and Sussex Cottages kentandsussexcottages.co.uk and search ‘Lookerer’

The ability to adapt to provide outdoor dining areas has seen some amazing transformations, including The Duncombe Arms, Staffordshire, who have added a brand new indoor/outdoor pergola featuring a retractable roof, fitted heaters and capacity for 28 whatever the weather. Guests will be able to enjoy both lunch and dinner in the new structure, which has been furnished in keeping with the cosy country pub. The Duncombe Arms will also be launching The Old Barn, a small cottage separated by just a few metres to the pub. The Old Barn is available to rent following its complete renovation. The cottage will sleep six people over three rooms with a kitchen and living area and is perfect for families or groups of friends who want to have a private getaway but with a delightful pub with excellent food quite literally on the doorstep. Walnut House, the original accommodation, which is home to ten en-suite rooms and was opened in 2019, will be available for guests to check into from 17th May. Located on the edge of the Peak District and not far from the Pennines, its location is perfect for those looking for a touch of inspiration. Its landscape has been the muse of many writers, musicians and artists. For those looking for a touch of adrenaline, the nearby Carsington Reservoir offers water sports, including sailing, windsurfing and kayaking. If that doesn’t tick the energy wish list, Alton Towers is just three miles away. The Duncombe Arms Staffordshire Rooms start from £170 per night / per room duncombearms.co.uk

If messing about on the river is your ideal way to spend your time, then how about re-discovering the Thames with Le Boat? Le Boat has been providing inland water boating holidays for over 50 years and offers trippers a wealth of experience, expertise and memories.

Le Boat has a fleet of large self-drive cruisers, allowing entire families to stay on board and to explore their chosen region. The self-drive Benson Return river cruise allows holidaymakers to explore the western section of the River Thames. Here moorings are easy to find, and the distance between locks is greater than at the river’s eastern end, which means more cruising.

Staying on Le Boat craft means that guests have their own private bubble, with no need to worry about social distancing. The dreaming spires and universities of Oxford are a six-hour cruise to the west of Benson or head east, and in six hours, boaters can be in Henley-on-Thames, the home of British rowing. Perfect for those seeking an affordable staycation and with no previous experience necessary,

Le Boat’s Thames holidays can be whatever guests want them to be, from a full-on action-packed adventure to a slow-paced, relaxing chance to unwind. A seven-night self-catered cruise on the River Thames in 2021, starting and finishing at Le Boat’s base at Benson, onboard the Capri sleeping up to three, is priced from £789 per boat / £263 pp. Transport to and

from the base is not included. leboat.co.uk

If you’re looking for a more relaxed, secluded experience, then YTL Hotel’s Monkey Island Estate in Bray offers guests a choice of charming period accommodation in six beautiful standalone Private Residences.

Just 40 minutes from London, these private countryside escapes are the ideal option for private staycations with family and friends. The residences blend classic style and the warmth of a period home with contemporary and luxury comfort, each with its own intriguing history and story to tell, having played host to names such as composer Edward Elgar, Formula One racing legend, Sir Stirling Moss and Sylvia Anderson, the creator of Thunderbirds.

Guests staying in the residences can enjoy the freedom, space and privacy of staying with loved ones, whilst taking advantage of the hospitality and services of the hotel, just a stone’s throw away.

Monkey Island Estate lies between Bray Rock and Boulter’s Lock. There are mooring points available for guests, as well as a landing stage for smaller boats. Helicopter landing on the island itself is available with prior notice. White Waltham is the nearest airfield for private places (6-miles away). Nightly rates are from the following prices and are subject to length of stay, and a minimum three-night stay is required at all residences over summer weekends: Sundial Cottage from £1,250; Brook House from £1,500; Long White Cloud from £1,400; Bray House from £1,250; Dormer Cottage from £400 and Lavender House from £1,000. Monkeyislandestate.co.uk

The New Forest has long provided a draw for families and couples looking to connect again with the outdoors. In the wildly romantic New Forest national park sits Lime Wood, a former hunting lodge and now a country house hotel where the high end meets homely. Herb House has a rooftop garden for outdoor yoga, Raw & Cured restaurant serving healthy delicious food, an outdoor hot pool, a hydrotherapy pool, sauna and steam room where you can unwind before Sarah Chapman facials and Bamford massages. Luke Holder and Angela Hartnett are at the helm of the restaurant bringing a bit of La Dolce Vita to stays with home-style Italian food where provenance and sharing is everything.

Lime Wood will be offering stays in the self-contained garden suites, Forest Cottages, Lake Cabin or Forest Cabin. The main hotel and its bedrooms, restaurant, Courtyard bar and lounges will reopen on the 17th May at the earliest, but a real bonus is that the Herb House spa, its treatment rooms and most of its facilities will be open for guests to enjoy some much-needed downtime. The gardens and Forest are also yours to explore, and you’ll be able to tuck into some delicious food and enjoy a night or two away from home.

The Forest Hideaways at Lime Wood are set apart from the hotel with private terraces, roll-top baths and four-poster beds. For the ultimate romantic hideaway, the Lake Cabin sits overlooking the water with an outside bathtub and log burning stove. Rooms from £396 per night limewoodhotel.co.uk >>

The worry of keeping the whole family entertained is often high on the list and with multi-generational travel tipped to gather momentum,

Luxury Family Hotels have added a number of exciting pop-ups at its hotels this year to make sure everyone has a well-deserved post lockdown break. From the planned reopening of the hotels on Monday 17th May, a series of engaging and fun pop-ups will start to appear at a number of the hotels in the Luxury Family Hotels collection.

Their Moonfleet Manor is sited on the Jurassic Coast, Dorset making it perfect for budding fossil collectors. The hotel has seen a refurbishment to its lounges, restaurant, cinema and communal areas in keeping with its seaside location. Taking advantage of Moonfleet’s wonderful views overlooking Chesil Beach and the Fleet Lagoon, the hotel is launching a popup pizzeria in the hotel’s garden by the children’s play area. Opening May Half Term (28th May), this will serve freshly made pizza using local Dorset ingredients as well as those just picked from the hotel’s own kitchen garden.

As well as a choice of mouth-watering foods, local beers and ales will also be served as well as local ice-creams from awardwinning luxury Dorset ice-cream maker Purbeck, including the hugely popular Dig-A-Saurus. July will see the launch of Moonfleet Manor’s first Tennis Academy, offering complimentary and supervised tennis coaching sessions for children aged six to 15-years-old. This will run from the 10th July till the 5th September 2021. For those wanting to brush up their skills with some personal tuition can book private lessons priced at £45 per 45-minute session. Rooms from £189 per night on a B&B basis. Luxury Family Hotels other sites include the historic Ickworth Estate, which has partnered partnering with Perrier-Jouët and will open its first-ever Perrier-Jouët Cocktail Bar in its beautiful walled garden in July. With relaxed seating, it is set to provide the perfect spot to enjoy a Champagne cocktail while the children play safely on the many outdoor games located in the walled garden.

Open from noon until 10 pm daily, the bar will also feature a number of live music sessions at the weekends. Lunch, afternoon tea and a small plates menu will also be available to guests to enjoy. Rooms from £199 per night on a B&B basis. Luxuryfamilyhotels.co.uk

If you’re looking to plan a trip to Scotland, then VisitScotland has put together their five tips to make sure you get the most of exploring this fabulous holiday spot. Scotland itself offers so many options, ranging from sandy white beaches to beautiful cityscapes. When planning a staycation, there are a few things you can do to ensure it is extra-special and make the most out of your staycation.

Plan ahead – To avoid disappointment, visitors should get the most out of where they are going by doing their research and booking ahead where possible. Particularly important given the events of the past year is that visitors make sure they know before they go – this includes checking with accommodation and transport providers and attractions regarding their Covid safe measures. Check the relevant websites and the local destination website to ensure you are aware of all rules, restrictions and safety procedures relating to Covid-19.

Try out the trend of slow travel – Not only is it an eco-friendly way to visit, but it gives visitors the chance to really experience their chosen destination in depth. Select one or two regions and really look into the options there; check out local eateries and boutiques, family-run guesthouses and B&Bs and discover the local walks and wildlife to experience some of the wellness that connection to nature brings. When visitors really take the time to get to know the area, they will find that Scotland is such a special place to be.

Consider your destination choice – While rural self-catering is booming, Scotland’s culture-rich cities are seeing less demand than usual. Scotland’s cities not only offer fascinating historical and cultural attractions, as well as top quality dining but are also bursting with green spaces, a perfect way to enjoy the benefits of being outdoors but also experience the wonders of city life. Set a budget – It can be easy to over-indulge when on holiday or staycation but try to stick to a pre-planned budget. Scotland has experiences to suit all budgets, and Visitscotland.com is a great place to look for ideas and inspiration about what works best for individual budgets.

Choose to give back – have a feel-good holiday in Scotland. Tours like Invisible Cities in Edinburgh and Glasgow train people who have experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides of their own city. Guests at Torrisdale Castle are invited to plant a tree to offset their carbon footprint during their stay, and gin fans can enjoy Kintyre Gin, which is produced on the estate, instils powered by the estate’s hydro-electric scheme. If visitors prefer just to relax during their stay, then it’s easy for visitors to support local businesses by shopping and eating at locally owned restaurants and boutiques.

VisitScotland.com has a dedicated page with advice on visiting, along with the latest in events and travel, so it’s worth checking these out before embarking on any highland flings.

Five tips to make the most out of a staycation from VisitScotland, who are exhibitors at the second online edition of Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show: Destinations presents Travel 2021 which is online from Wednesday 5th May until Sunday 16th May (access to live content from 7th – 9th May).

Following a three-year restoration, the family-run rural estate of Newhall Mains on Scotland’s Black Isle peninsula launches a collection of affordable-luxury cottages and sumptuous suites, each individually available. The elegant 18th-century former farm buildings are the only luxury holiday rental accommodation in the UK to have a private airfield, ideal for those who prefer to give public transport a miss. Situated close to the North Coast 500, Scotland’s answer to Route 66, and half an hour from Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, it is the perfect base from which to discover Cromarty Firth, Britain’s best location for viewing bottlenose dolphins.

While ‘Mains’ is an old Scottish word for the traditional agricultural buildings of a farm, Euan Ramsay, who runs and manages the family business, has ensured that Newhall Mains is geared to today’s traveller, with underfloor heating, a luxury food delivery service, Tesla charging points, fully equipped kitchens, a massive fire pit, and beautiful interiors with every home-fromhome comfort. Fringed by the Moray and Cromarty Firths, this is an area of the Highlands that feels more Lowland in character.

Discover the powerful Falls of Shin, one of the best places to see salmon leaping upstream. Moray Firth abounds with bottlenose dolphins, and these can be viewed from a custom-built wildlife watching boat or directly from Chanonry Point, where the tiderace gap is just half a mile wide. In winter, huge numbers of wildfowl and waders congregate to feed in nearby Udale Bay. Look out for skeins of pink-footed geese making their way up north while, from late September to March, over 10,000 geese

pass through, often assembling in Newhall Mains’ own fields.

Within a 45-minute drive of Newhall Mains are some of the best malt whisky distilleries where guests can learn about the intricacies of its production, from the Angel’s Share to the Quaich. For golfers, there are several great courses within easy reach, including Dornoch, the championship course, rated 13th in the world, which is one of the country’s classic links courses.

A low-season stay at Newhall Mains newhall-mains.com costs from £95 per night in a double suite, rising to £250 per night in the three-bedroom cottage. Cottage guests all receive a welcome hamper. Continental breakfast costs £15pp, and there’s an à la carte option too. Free cancellations are available up to 48 hours before arrival. newhall-mains.com

If that’s fired your appetite for exploring the UK further, then do keep your eyes peeled for our Autumn/Winter issue, where we will focus on Wales, and Ireland escapes.

Above and opposite Images Newhall Mains

THE PHEASANT INN, HUNGERFORD

Renowned country pub to open three new bedrooms and refurbished restaurant

The Pheasant Inn, near Hungerford, has also undergone a refurbishment with a new restaurant area and three new en-suite bedrooms, both designed by Isabella Worsley LTD.

In keeping with the existing pub area, the restaurant maintains the informality and character on which the Pheasant’s reputation has been built. With a palette of earthy greens and warm reds, the restaurant area includes reclaimed tables and leather banquettes, giving a welcoming feel. Supporting the interiors, an eclectic collection of drawings/painting and photographs hang in the space; a nod to the area’s strong racing ties. The restaurant will continue to serve its excellent food which shows off the best produce from the local area in outstanding seasonal dishes.

The Pheasant is the ideal destination for a weekend away as it is just an hour from London and surrounded by beautiful countryside to explore, as well as the perfect stop off destination for those heading to the West Country.

Rooms from £110 per night thepheasant-inn.co.uk

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