Summer: Staycation! Where to go on holiday in the UK
From the lakes to the seaside and mountains to the broads, Blighty is where it’s at this summer. Louisa Walters and Brigit Grant suggest stays
If you are planning a UK trip with the family, why not make it educational and grab the fascinating past on offer at Boringdon Hall in Devon.
Just 20 minutes from Plymouth, this stateliest of hotels dates from the Domesday Book, where one of the earliest mentions of it was recorded, The name Boringdon actually means ‘enchanted place on the hill’ in Saxon and it couldn’t be more fitting.
Forty-two sumptuous rooms and suites, two restaurants and manicured grounds and restaurants laden with rosettes in culinary achievement, its award as Sunday Times number one hotel and spa is deserved.
Tinwood Estate in West Sussex (at the foot of the South Downs National Park) produces superb English wines. The estate has three luxurious lodges with views over the vines and has quirky features such as headboards made from bottle corks and stools from barrels. Breakfast is delivered by hamper to the door to be enjoyed on the private terrace and naturally you can book a vineyard tour and wine tasting before retreating to your lodge to sleep off the effects!
The Bower House in Shipston-on-Stour on the edge of the Cotwolds is a superb restaurant with gorgeous rooms. The elegant listed building, stands proud at the centre of the town which has rows of cute cottages,shops and tea rooms.
If it’s a city break you’re after, Cambridge ticks all the boxes. Stay at the University Arms with its Edwardian-style rooms in the heart of the city, overlooking Parker’s Piece. A recent refurb reflects the literary and academic spirit of Cambridge and Parker’s Tavern, the brasserie, combines the feel of a Cambridge college dining hall with Ivy Café décor
and ambience.
Dorset has always been popular but the former 18th century Georgian gentleman’s residence now called The Eastbury gives it extra appeal. Hotelier Peter De Savary always bring a unique vision to properties and here he has utilised Victorian garden potting sheds by turning them into gorgeous bedrooms with en-suite wet rooms and private terraces. The Executive Chef Matthew Street puts a fresh twist on traditional dishes and, as they allow dogs too, the entire family can go.
Foodies heading to the Lake District might be pleased to learn that Michelin-starred Simon Rogan’s team at Henrock have launched a pop-up on the terrace of Linthwaite House. This will run till the hotel opens on 31 July, providing visitors with al fresco dining with stunning views over Windermere and the distant fells, at sunset.
Luxury tour operator Elegant Resorts has just launched exclusive holidays in the United Kingdom and Ireland to meet the growing demand for staycations. The new collection includes not only some of the best hotels in both countries with the likes of Gleneagles, The Merrion and The Newt in Somerset, but also some stunning private estates and castles such as Inverlochy Castle in the Scottish Highlands and Cromlix in Perthshire.
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