Many of us are looking to get away for a few days this summer. The UK has so much to offer if you’re looking for a staycation and you can find plenty of lovely places to lay your weary head, from swish boutique hotels in London to quaint bed and breakfast accommodation in the Scottish Highlands. But if hotels and B&B’s aren’t for you, Karen Hannah from thatlancashirelass.com offers some alternatives…
1 Take to the water in Norfolk
Last year we spent the most enjoyable week on the Norfolk Broads. A far more laid back approach to boating, the broads have no locks to negotiate, meaning you can literally lie back and enjoy the ride (as long as you’re not driving of course).
I hear there’s a pub for every day of the year on the Norfolk Broads, so you’re never far away from a hearty meal or a locally brewed ale. I would recommend a visit to Wroxham, a town on the River Bure and Potter Heigham, where you’ve a great chance of seeing migrating birds including waders, ospreys and spoonbills.
Holidays on the Broads are great for reconnecting too. It’s a wonderful opportunity to sit out on the deck, looking out at the peaceful waters and just talking. In the evenings, a board game brings a quiet evening alive.
2 Go retro in Yorkshire
One of our most memorable weekends away so far has to be the one we spent in a traditional wooden gypsy wagon. Lovingly refurbished and now sited at Golden Hill Farm just outside Whitby in Yorkshire, the children thought it was wonderful to be able to pretend we lived in it and we were going to travel the world… once we acquired a horse, of course!
Perfectly situated on the North York Moors, Golden Hill Farm is the kind of place that offers peace and tranquillity as well as being just a short drive away from the busy seaside towns of Whitby and Saltburn-by-the-Sea. You really do have the best of both worlds here.
With convertible beds and the most basic of facilities, staying in the wagon gave us just a small glimpse into what life on the road is like for travellers in these wagons. The boys were very surprised to learn that people do still live this way, so it was a great learning opportunity for them too.
3 Get back to nature
If full on relaxation is what you’re looking for, you really need to have a look at staying in a cabin in the middle of the woods. We travelled up to Forest Holidays’ Strathyre site in The Trossachs of Scotland earlier this year to spend three blissful days cut off from the real world, enveloped in some of nature’s finest scenery.
When the view from your sitting room is of beautiful mountains and tranquil lakes, it’s quite difficult to remember the stresses of everyday life back home. To really unwind, this is the perfect getaway. That said, you don’t have to do nothing all weekend; there are a whole host of activities on site.
We learned how to start a fire, how to build a shelter and how to collect water suitable for drinking when out in the wild. The children were completely in awe of Jack Black McGregor, the resident forest ranger, as he showed them an array of survival skills before letting them get their hands on his survival equipment from his time in the military.
With so many options for breaks in the UK, you really don’t have to travel too far to be able to have a fantastic holiday at an affordable price.
Discussion1 Comment
What a lovely post, with some great ideas and stunning images! Love the idea of staying in a gypsy caravan – totally retro! 🙂 Sim x