This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
Whatever your reasons, you won’t be disappointed as there is so much to see and do in the UK. We are spoilt for choice and whilst the sun is shining nowhere could be more beautiful. I have a few favourites that I want to share with you.
A mutual friend of the CountryWives, Nina, runs a wonderful B&B, Beckfoot Retreat, on Ennerdale Water. It has recently been in the news as Bill Clinton proposed to Hillary at Ennerdale Water many years ago. It is the least populated lake with only a handful of houses near the water’s edge and Nina’s B&B is the only one on this lake. I have been and stayed and had the most restful and peaceful time with unspoilt walks around the lake and uninterrupted views of the Cumbrian countryside. Nina is the most fabulous cook and so you won’t go hungry plus her company is so much fun so you will leave feeling your batteries have been recharged.
I also love to visit historical buildings and recently OH and I stayed at the Luttrell Arms in Dunster, at the foot of a medieval castle. Our dogs could stay with us and we were spoilt for choice with wonderful walks from our bedroom door. I need to go back to do more exploring as our visit was fleeting.
More recently I have booked for OH and I to go to Thornbury Castle Hotel and stay in the room that King Henry VIII brought his new bride, Anne Boleyn, to. It is an extraordinary 16th century castle on the edge of the Cotswolds. The decor tastefully reflects its Tudor history and there is so much to see and do in the area.
However if you prefer self-catering I recently found this cottage, The Old Dairy, through Facebook, in the idyllic village of Stanton, Gloucestershire. Sadly you can only take one small dog and looking at my puppy, Kobi, I only have weeks left of people considering him small! However I have a plan to book this next Spring for our annual ‘Bridge Babes Tour’ which is when I and 3 girlfriends go away, ostensibly to play bridge, but it is more like a few days of ‘girl time’, chats, country walks and much drinking and eating…..and a few rounds of bridge.
On Tuesday I am taking my neighbour’s two boys to Warwick Castle which is only a short ride up the M40. It is their birthday treat and I am really looking forward to it as there are no scary rides. We will clamber around the castle, visit the dungeons, watch some jousting, learn to sword fight, enjoy a hawk display and finish with a viewing of the live stage show, The Horrible Histories.
We are spoilt for choice in this ‘green and pleasant land’ so why not make the most of it, particularly when this year, for whatever reason, the rest of the world is not so appealing.