United Kingdom
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A Guide to Exploring Bath and the Jane Austen Centre
After a leisurely breakfast our day began with a visit to the Bath World Heritage Centre on York Street. The centre is free to visit and features interactive exhibits and displays. UNESCO added Bath as a cultural site to its World Heritage list in 1987 and from reading an information board we learnt that it had…
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A Guide to Bath’s Hidden Gems and Lesser-Known Attractions
After sleeping soundly in our lovely room at the Hotel Indigo Bath we popped downstairs to start the day by tucking into a delicious buffet breakfast in the attractive Elder restaurant. Ready to go after a couple of cappuccinos we ventured south east of the town to visit the American Museum and Gardens (standard adult admission £14.50,…
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Exploring Cheddar Gorge and Wells, Somerset: A Perfect Day Trip
We began our four day break centred around Bath by visiting Wells in Somerset which lies 22 miles to the south west of the city. I’d long wanted to visit Wells, as it’s England’s smallest city, nestled on the edge of the Mendip Hills with its roots dating back to Roman times. The name of…
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The Fleece Hotel, Cirencester Review
Hotel Review Overview: The Fleece is a 5 star, grade II listed coaching inn set in the heart of the Cotswolds. The property’s history stretches as far back as 1651. Following defeat at the Battle of Worcester in the same year, King Charles II is believed to have used the building as a hiding place…
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Luxury Glamping at Gisburne Park, Lancashire Review
Overview: The Ribble Valley is an idyllic part of the north of England located in north east Lancashire and covering 212 sq. miles of the Forest of Bowland, an area of deep valleys and peat moorland. It’s an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty but despite booming tourism with ever increasing numbers of visitors, it’s still…
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The Great Yorkshire Show 2022
The Great Yorkshire Show (GYS) was back with a bang this year with all 140,000 tickets selling out in advance of the 2022 show. The 163rd show took place between 12-15 July in Harrogate, North Yorkshire with fine weather and mostly sunny conditions each day. The show is England’s premier agricultural event organised by the…
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Leonardo Hotel Chester Review
Hotel Review Location: The Leonardo is a recently opened hotel located within Chester’s historic Roman walls. It’s just a 15 minute walk from the railway station which has frequent connections between London, Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds. It’s also just 10 miles (17 km) from Liverpool John Lennon airport for guests arriving from overseas. Arrival and check-in: We…
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Hotel Indigo, Stratford-upon-Avon Review
Hotel Review Location: The charming medieval town of Stratford-upon-Avon famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare is located in rural Warwickshire. The town is approximately 100 miles north west of London with rail services from Marylebone Station. If arriving by car, Stratford lies close to the motorway network being five miles from Junction 5…
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Stratford-upon-Avon and the British Motor Museum: The Perfect Culture & Cars Day Trip
After a wonderful night’s sleep in our gorgeous room at the Hotel Indigo we popped downstairs to discover what was in store for us at breakfast. This takes place in the light and airy Feasting Room where we found a huge refectory table laid out with a vast array of cold breakfast options. We helped ourselves…
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How to Spend the Perfect Weekend in Stratford-upon-Avon
We set off bright and early to make the most of our short break in the charming medieval market town of Stratford-upon-Avon, famous for the English poet and playwright William Shakespeare. The town is located in rural Warwickshire, approximately 100 miles north west of London. Our first stop was at the village of Shottery, home…
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Cotswold House Hotel, Chipping Campden Review
Hotel Review Overview Cotswold House Hotel is a luxury hotel and spa in a charming Grade II listed regency townhouse in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire featuring 28 individually styled bedrooms and suites. Location: The hotel is situated in the centre of the charming market town just 16 miles from Cheltenham and within two miles of the…
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Afternoon Tea at The Devonshire Arms, Bolton Abbey: A Quintessential Yorkshire Experience
When an invitation dropped into my inbox inviting me for afternoon tea at the Devonshire Arms Hotel I couldn’t have been happier as it’s such a beautiful country house hotel. It’s located on the Yorkshire estate of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire in Bolton Abbey lying in a tranquil setting along the banks of the…
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The Cow at Dalbury Lees, Ashbourne, Derbyshire Review
Hotel Review Location: The Cow at Dalbury Lees is a luxury boutique inn nestled along a leafy lane in the rural and tranquil Derbyshire countryside. Although tucked away, it’s only six miles from Derby and the M1 motorway making it easily accessible from most parts of the country. Arrival and check-in: The country inn has…
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The Percy Arms, Chilworth near Guildford, Surrey Review
Hotel Review Location: The Surrey Hills is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) with its hills stretching across a quarter of the county from the chalk North Downs running from Farnham in the west to Oxted in the east. We’d arranged accommodation at The Percy Arms in Chilworth, a village three miles south of…
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The Willows Luxury B & B, Limavady, Northern Ireland Review
Hotel Review Location: The Willows comprise a luxury B & B and self catering studios set in three acres of gardens, five minutes drive from the small town of Limavady on Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coastal Route. The walled city of Derry is 40 minutes away whilst City of Derry airport a mere 20 minute drive,…
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Top Things to Do in Chester: Visit Chester Cathedral and Chester Zoo
We’d arranged to take a tour of Chester Cathedral but as this wasn’t scheduled to begin until 11.00 a.m. there was time for a short walk after breakfast. Just along Pepper Street from the Leonardo hotel lies the Roman Gardens which we’d viewed from the city walls but not yet explored. The gardens were established…
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Experience Chester with a Walking Tour and Scenic River Cruise
We drew back the curtains to another bright and sunny spring morning and after enjoying a delicious breakfast in the Leonardo Hotel’s restaurant we were soon ready for a day of sightseeing. We’d arranged to take a city walking tour with Chester Tours (£10), which run at 10.30 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. each day from outside the…
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A Weekend in Chester: Top Things to See and Do
After enjoying weekends in the historic centres of York and Lincoln we decided to turn our attention to Chester. Located in the north west of England the M53 motorway links the city to the main road network with a frequent rail service connecting to major cities. We opted to travel by train and leaving home…
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The Cavendish Hotel, Baslow Review
Hotel Review Location: The Cavendish Hotel is located on the scenic Chatsworth Estate owned by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, in the picturesque village of Baslow, Derbyshire. The hotel is easily accessible by car being just 16 miles from the M1 motorway and a 40 minute drive from Sheffield. The nearest rail station is…
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Exploring Spitalfields Market and Shoreditch: London’s Trendy Hotspots
Our day started with a visit to Spitalfields Market and on the way there we stopped to take a look at one of the 13 cast iron statues marking the boundaries of the City of London. The dragon symbol is thought to have been derived from the legend of St. George. Moving on we soon…
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A Guide to Visiting Churchill War Rooms and HMS Belfast in London
We began the day with a visit to the Churchill War Rooms hidden behind the streets of Westminster just a stone’s throw from 10 Downing Street. The War Rooms are now part of the Imperial War Museum with standard admission £25. (Nearest underground stations, St. James’ Park and Westminster). This was the underground headquarters where the…
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One Day in London: St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower of London & The Shard
What fun, a weekend in London spending time being tourists in our own capital city and having an opportunity to visit some of the world’s most iconic sights. We arrived into London Waterloo the previous evening giving us three full days to explore. After tucking into a hearty breakfast in the opulent Hamilton Hall, the…
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Belmore Court and Motel, Enniskillen Review
Hotel Review Location: Located in the island town of Enniskillen in Northern Ireland’s Fermanagh Lakelands, Belmore Court is well positioned just a 10 minute walk from the town centre. The scenic town is nestled between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne and dominated by its castle. Enniskillen is conveniently accessible from both Northern…
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Exploring Surrey: Highlights of Guildford and Shere
After another blissful night’s sleep we tucked into hearty breakfasts downstairs in the Percy Arm’s cosy restaurant. As the inn has South African owners included on the menu are some interesting dishes. My husband was tempted to sample the S.A. breakfast which comprised two fried eggs, bacon, Boerewors farmers sausage, polenta, chakalaka spicy bean relish…
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