UK Weekend Breaks

WEEKEND HOLIDAY BREAKS in the UK

CULTURE IN CAMBRIDGE

Why go: Besides being a beautifully quaint city, you’ll be walking in the footsteps of intellectual greats including Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Sylvia Plath.

What to see: Familiarise yourself with the city’s long history at St Mary the Great Church and take in views from the tower, or take a Cambridge crash course over a glass of fizz with a guided punting trip along the river Cam. Alternatively, create your own tour as you get lost amongst the cobbled streets, stumbling across boutique shops and charming cafés.

Where to stay: Following an extended refurbishment with Martin Brudnizki at the design reins, The University Arms’ 192 rooms and suites are stylish and modern. Its destination restaurant, Parker’s Tavern, allows diners to overlook the greenery of Parker’s Piece whilst enjoying contemporary twists on British cuisine. Doubles from £150 B&B based on double occupancy. universityarms.com Read our review here.

WANDER RYE’S COBBLED LANES

Why go: With a geographically significant place by the Sussex coast, Rye is rich in history, and undoubtedly secrets. A town small enough to explore car-free, but with enough to occupy a leisurely weekend, you’ll fall in love with the quaint, rolling streets that time seemingly forgot about.

What to see: Amble through the cobbled lanes, picking up findings from boutique shops and enjoying hearty British fare in low-ceilinged pubs. Chapel Down vineyard and Camber Sands are both within 30 minutes’ reach and ideal trips for warm, sunny afternoons.

Where to stay: With foundations dating back almost 900 years, you’ll be hard-pushed to find somewhere with a more intricate history than the Mermaid Inn. Relax where members of the infamous Hawkhurst Gang plotted many centuries ago, and enjoy a property rich in tradition, but with perfectly contemporary service. Standard doubles from £160, B&B, www.mermaidinn.com

WALK THE COTSWOLDS

Why go: It is easy to reach so you can leave work on a Friday and be there in time for a G&T and dinner in a gorgeous village. Honey-coloured stone cottages and pretty high streets provide the backdrop and you need do nothing more than explore boutiques and cafes.

What to see: Feeling energetic? Then walk the Cotswold Way – there are over 100 miles to explore but you can easily pick just a section, with some routes pushchair friendly. Scramble up to Broadway Tower for great views, check out the wildlife at Birdland, or head to Bourton-on-the-Water for its delightful miniature village and the array of wildlife at Birdland. Where to stay: Parts of the Lygon Arms (pictured top) date back to the 1300s and while it retains its history, it has all the modern luxury you could want. It is also family-friendly

Rooms from £132. www.lygonarmshotel.co.uk

ON YOUR DOORSTEP

Merry Harriers, Surrey is a charming 16^th century luxury inn set in the picturesque village of Hambledon in the Surrey Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Full of character and life, the dog-friendly traditional inn offers great food, award-winning local ales and wines, a lovely garden, first-rate accommodation and an element of the unexpected with their herd of nine lovely llamas. It’s the UK’s first inn to offer Llama Treks in the surrounding countryside for a truly different experience. Spring 2019 saw the opening of five new luxury Shepherds Huts, and six dog-friendly Garden Rooms in a converted barn. The new rooms are in addition to four new traditional-style ensuite bedrooms above the local inn and restaurant, which were refurbished in early 2018 having been bought by seasoned hotelier, Peter de Savary, in May 2017. From £125 B&B (Shepherd’s Huts £195). Llama treks from £55.20 per adult, £27.60 per child (aged 8-15). Read our full review here.

www.merryharriers.com