Although Madeira, save Funchal during the rush-hour, is an oasis of calm and tranquillity, there is a little spot on the southern coastline which is, believe it or not, even more peaceful and relaxing – and that’s Faja dos Padres. It’s no wonder that this place is so tranquil because it can only be reached [...]
After staying at English Lakes’ sister hotel, Low Wood Bay, an incredibly child-friendly place just up the road, Waterhead had a lot to live up to, I thought, as I arrived with my wife and two kids, aged five and eleven. Just a short stroll from Ambleside, my favourite town in the Lake District, the [...]
Madeira has been attracting British holidaymakers for decades and it’s easy to see why. Take the weather: after one of the UK’s worst summers on record, I was in need of some reliable sunshine – and I got that during my few days on the island, dubbed the “Floating Garden in the Atlantic”, thanks to [...]
Bristol Zoo, which opened in the 1830s, will always have a special place in my memories thanks to the popular ’60s children’s TV programme, Animal Magic. It was here that the late Johnny Morris, dressed as a zoo keeper, filmed many of the scenes for the long-running series. Situated within minutes of Brunel’s famous Clifton [...]
I’ve visited many castles over the years but somehow Warwick Castle, which sits alongside the River Avon within 64 acres of rolling landscaped grounds, slipped through the net. Thankfully, I rectified the matter a week ago when I packed the car and headed up the M5 and M40 with my wife and two children (ages [...]
You’ll be hard pressed to find a better setting for a wildlife park in the UK. The Lake District Wildlife Park, just ten minutes from Keswick, has a backdrop of mountains, including the impressive western side of Skiddaw, the fourth highest peak in England. The air of peace and tranquillity emanating from these high peaks [...]
Over the years, I’ve visited countless hotels and inns and it’s a real pleasure to discover somewhere which scores top marks on all fronts. Well, I found one of those rarities in the shape of The Plough Inn at Lupton, situated on the A65 between the small market town of Kirkby Lonsdale and Kendal. It’s [...]
The Coniston Hotel and Country Estate sits amid 1,400 acres of luscious Yorkshire countryside. Privately owned by the Bannister family, the centrepiece of its rural setting is the 24-acre lake, which can be seen from most of the hotel’s 70-plus bedrooms. This grand estate, situated alongside the busy A65, is not only a perfect spot [...]
If you fancy a rail holiday with a difference, then book your seat for a Cornish adventure you’ll never forget by contacting Lizzy and Dave Stroud, self-proclaimed rail enthusiasts who live in a converted railway station in St Germans, Cornwall. The Strouds have acquired nine railways carriages over the years and converted three, with more to [...]
Lying submerged up to your neck in a tub of hot sand seems a bizarre way to start a holiday on the sunny isle of Porto Santo, but as sweat trickled from every pore, the benefits of my spa treatment kicked in. Research shows that the island’s golden sand contains therapeutic properties. Rich in minerals, [...]
