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 [...]
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 [...]
One comes to expect certain standards from a Hilton hotel and I’m pleased to say I wasn’t disappointed during my stay. From the moment I walked in with my family we were greeted by a smile from the efficient desk staff and a willingness to help which extended to all employees. Just two miles from [...]
Lake District Hotels, a family-run business, owns a range of hotels covering all needs. If you want to be town-based, there is the Skiddaw in the heart of Keswick. If you want an unbeatable lakeside setting, try the Inn on the Lake situated on the banks of Ullswater. Then there is the Lodore Falls Hotel, [...]
Cycling, indoor and outdoor swimming, listening to jazz bands, watching the kids become engrossed by a magic show, table tennis, exploring adventure trails, spotting an abundance of wildlife – these were just some of the activities we enjoyed during our short break at Kelling Heath Holiday Park on Norfolk’s north coast. The park promotes itself [...]
