The Special Lure of the West Country. Disclosure: Paid feature written in conjunction with Hotels.Com Looking to escape to the country this summer? Head west – to Dorset, Devon and Cornwall for stunning beaches, pretty villages, great pubs and restaurants and amazing walks Where would we recommend starting? Of the three famous coastal counties, Dorset […]
Boutique Hotels in Devon and More
Hotels in Devon and other great places to stay. Planning a trip to the West Country? Devon is one of my personal favourites – a quintessentially English holiday destination with a series of pretty south-coast harbour towns that are dubbed The English Riviera. You’ll find fabulous seafood in Brixham, home to England’s largest fish market. […]
Agatha Christie in Devon – The English Riviera
Exploring Devon and Agatha Christie. Who would you put on a list of English Literary Heroes? There are some obvious contenders – Shakespeare, Chaucer, Jane Austen, Emily Bronte, Byron, Shelley and Wordsworth for instance. How about more recent figures like J K Rowling or Julian Barnes? For whatever reason, despite being the best-selling novelist of […]
Burgh Island Hotel – Devon Art Deco and Decadence
The Great White Palace – Burgh Island Hotel – channel your inner Agatha. What better setting for a murder mystery than an island. Perhaps that was why Burgh Island inspired not one but two of Agatha Christie’s novels (‘Evil Under the Sun’ and ‘ And Then There Were None’). Or was it just because she […]
The Perfect Holiday Retreat – Wild Oak Barn, East Devon
The Devon Spotted Pig and Wild Oak Barn. The Story of The Devon Spotted Pig. Once upon a time in Devon, a holiday home nestled among the rolling hills… Carolyn and Paul Bellinger planted some seeds and took off for a well-earned summer break in Corfu. They returned a few weeks later, to a […]
The Scarlet Hotel – Mawgan Porth – Review
The Scarlet, a modern eco-hotel in Cornwall The Scarlet, a modern, eco, adults-only, hotel is set in a beautiful location on the North Cornish coast overlooking Mawgan Porth. Having read a lot of positive press about the hotel I was intrigued and very keen to visit for an overnight stay. I had been informed that […]
The Headland Hotel Newquay – Review
The Headland Hotel – luxury accommodation in a stunning coastal setting The Headland, built in Victorian times, is perched on the peninsula overlooking Newquay’s famous Fistral Beach. Ideally placed for surfers, walkers or for a relaxing holiday, the hotel is dog-friendly and welcomes families. In addition to rooms within the hotel, there are luxury self-catering […]
A Tale of Two Cities – Bath and Bristol
Go West – Bath and Bristol. #AD – Paid Content Two West Country cities that may just be a few miles apart on the map but which have quite unique personas, Bath and Bristol both have plenty to offer for a visitor looking for a short trip from London. Whether you are touring the […]
Boringdon Hall Hotel and Spa – a Plymouth Sanctuary
Boringdon Hall Hotel Review It must have been Karma. Just as I was putting the final details to my recent trip to Plymouth exploring the Mayflower heritage, an email hit my desk about Boringdon Hall Hotel. What could be better than balancing a trip to the centre of historic Plymouth with one to a historic […]
Tewkesbury Park Hotel – the perfect place to stay, play or be pampered
Gloucestershire luxury resort hotel with something for everyone Tewkesbury Park Hotel sits on a low hill above the River Severn, a white outcrop of buildings, set in a sea of 163 green acres. First impressions are excellent. The heart of the hotel is an 18th-century manor which a recently concluded four-year, £10 million pound renovation has […]