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Tag: staycations

Unusual Places to Stay

Written by Anya Cooklin-Lofting on . Posted in Latest, Lifestyle, Travel, Wellbeing.

By Anya Cooklin-Lofting

As the summer descends in rays and frittering hours, I find myself longing for an escape from the daily grind. Instead of quick deskside sandwiches and (increasingly humid) tube journeys, I’m pining for something a world away, for something unusual, where I can be free of the iron grooves of modern life and briefly settle somewhere remote to press pause. This lust for escapism simply hasn’t been quelled by watching Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story on my phone on the District Line. Neither has it been appeased by short walks around the local park or any of the books or podcasts doing their best to offer a taste of different worlds and ways of life. What I really need is a clean break from the everyday cues to the quotidian and the corporate, a step away from busy life into a world defined by quite how different it feels from my own. So, this month, I’m on the hunt for places to stay that will tick that escapism box. And though most of these spots boast great WiFi, it’s your call as to whether you decide to connect.

First up, it’s follies, or as the architects would have it, decorative structures built without practical purpose, often in the form of castles or ruins in miniature. They tend to be set picturesquely against quintessential countryside views; nestled in copses, topping knolls or flanking gates. It wasn’t until I discovered journalist and author, Catriona Gray’s delightful Instagram account dedicated to living in such a building that I realised these places could be habitable, let alone beautifully appointed inside. There are many options should you wish to experience folly life in the UK, even if it’s only a long weekend.

A quintessential example is Grotto Lodge at Highclere Castle (the Sir Charles Barry-designed castle at which Downton Abbey was filmed). The Grotto, which is a strange, stone, circular cottage, has been decorated and restored by Lady Carnarvon, who took on the responsibility of the grand Highclere estate in 2001. Wallpapers by Colefax & Fowler and Robert Kime lend each room a classical feel, and the retention of the original features such as the curved walls and arched windows make the grotto unique and characterful.

Another incredible option includes The Towers at Penrice Castle in Gower, Swansea. The extravagant Gothic folly was built to resemble a ruin but now features delightfully cosy interiors. Or, there’s The Bridge House, a strikingly unusual river-spanning cottage in Ballintuim, Scotland. The home, which is listed on AirBnB, is reminiscent of an Arthur Rackham illustration, all turrets, arches, gables and finials, towering over the rushing River Ardle. 

Next up, the remote, dramatic coastal locations of lighthouses should offer a surefire way to prompt your mind to switch off. Lighthouses, often perched rather majestically atop craggy edifices, provide sweeping views, charming architectural features and a delightful vintage feel (see also: windmills). Coolstays.com has several lighthouse listings, including this lighthouse cottage, Eilean Sionnach Lighthouse Cottage, a four-bedroom home off the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Situated on its own four-acre island, guests can access a private beach, plus a traditional highland pub, bars and restaurants are within walking distance. While Eilean Sionnach boasts the views and remoteness of a lighthouse, it isn’t in the lighthouse exactly. Instead, it sits just behind the rather pretty yellow-topped tower. 

However, Sally Port Cottage in St Mawes, Cornwall, offers the opportunity to stay inside the lighthouse itself. The two-bedroom home also features an observation room with blankets and a wood-effect stove to keep you warm while storm-gazing. Better still, The Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Eden Project are nearby if you did fancy dipping a toe back into reality (ie. interacting with other humans, queuing, etc.), albeit via visits to otherworldly attractions. 

Winterton Lighthouse is also an excellent option for a luxurious, remote, lighthouse getaway with all the curved walls and spiralling staircases you could possibly want. Located on the edge of the pretty village of Winteron-on-Sea, Norfolk, the lighthouse is close to a great pub and a national nature reserve, which is part of the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The lighthouse itself was mentioned in Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe and was used as a lookout during the Second World War. At the top of the tower is the Lantern Room, accessed via an almost vertical staircase, which has wrap-around seating and panoramic views of the Norfolk Countryside and the North Sea.

And finally, for the ultimate in nostalgia-first escapism, seek out cosy treehouses to while away your annual leave allowance. Canopy and Stars, a great website for sourcing unique, creative places to stay in the outdoors, has a range of gorgeous treehouses to choose from. Treetops Treehouse in Devon, for example, is a curious hodge-podge of luxuriously furnished rooms, including a bathroom with a deep rolltop bath, a cosy double bedroom, a living room with a wood-burning stove and a generous deck for watching the sunset over the trees of the local Heywood Forest. 

Another great option is The Treehouse in Herefordshire, which sits amongst a lush canopy on 18 acres of land, which happens to be a local wildlife reserve. It is also a short drive away from Hay-on-Wye, perfect for book lovers, whether you coincide your visit with the Hay Literary Festival or not. Its many bookshops, markets and restaurants make it the ideal location for a relaxed day out. A perfect romantic retreat, The Treehouse is not suitable for children (its sole super king-size bed looks too divine to leave), but fur babies are very much welcome. 

Work Flow…With Kip Hideaways

Written by Amira Hashish on . Posted in Lifestyle, Travel, Wellbeing.

By Amira Hashish

Liz Simpson and Sarah de Vere-Drummond, co-founders of Kip Hideaways, are champions of the UK staycation. The dynamic double act set up their business after working in the boutique travel industry for years and realising that there was a gap in the market for the kind of adventures they had in mind. From beautifully designed tree houses to hidden group getaways, they pride themselves on unearthing those hidden gems. 

Joining Amira Hashish in conversation for the latest Work Flow, Liz offers an insight into what it takes to set up a thriving business, how to juggle work and family life and the future of travel in Britain…

What inspired you to set up Kip Hideaways?

My co-founder Sarah and I had noticed a real gap in the market for a website that only featured small places (two to six people) that were super stylish and great value. They were the sort of places we spent ages looking for when we were going on our own holidays, as they tend to be hidden in a sea of bigger or more inferior properties on giant sites, or were tiny places that didn’t have a web presence. We loved sharing them with our friends and families, and setting it up as a business felt like a natural progression of this.

What do you think people are seeking from UK staycations?

Ease. Whether that’s being able to jump on a train after work on Friday and get to a property in time for dinner, or being able to fill the car with paraphernalia if you’re travelling with kids, or taking your dog, travelling within the UK is much simpler than travelling abroad. 

Also, style. In recent years the UK staycation market has seriously upped its game. Our rentals are as stylish as boutique hotels, which means you get all of the luxe and joy of staying in gorgeous properties, plus the independence of self catering. 

How do you manage your time?

It’s a constant juggle, as we both have young kids. We work in very different ways. I tend to start at 6am and finish around 3pm, weekdays only; my husband takes our daughter to school and I do school pick up and onwards. Sarah is less rigid, working flexibly during the week, and often working in the evenings when her kids are asleep, and also at weekends. We love that we can both work exactly when we like, around our families. It’s a huge bonus of running your own business.

Do you have any advice for those keen to follow in your footsteps and set up their own business?

  1. You’ll probably need to chip away at it at the start. We did bits as and when we could to create and run Kip around freelancing to pay the bills. Initially we worked on Kip for free, and gradually the balance shifted and we were able to start paying ourselves. First one day a week, then two…and so on. Now we’re both full-time on Kip. You have to be determined and ‘make’ that hour or two a day in the early days or it will never get off the ground.
  1. You don’t need to have savings / backers to start your own business, so don’t let that put you off. We started on a real shoestring, creating a really lean business model by necessity, and actually long-term this really helped us grow quickly as we didn’t have overheads. 
  1. Be prepared to work hard. We work longer hours than when we were employed, and of course carry all the stress of running a business. You never really switch off, and the buck always stops with you. But the benefits are enormous; flexible hours, being able to work at home, choosing who we work with, constantly meeting new inspirational people, and of course having enormous pride in what we’ve created, and being able to stay in our properties. We genuinely love being ‘at work’. 

What’s the biggest lesson you have learned along the way?

To constantly adapt. The market shifts thanks to the pandemic have been insane. One minute, things have been quiet, the next absolutely manic, then quiet, then manic again. We’ve had to scale our own time and freelancers’ time up and down accordingly. We’re also constantly looking to improve Kip for our owners and users, and grow it in different ways to keep users engaged and attract new audiences. You can’t sit back on your laurels otherwise you run the risk of flatlining.

Who has been the most influential person as part of your career journey?

Jessy Harrison. We loved the PR work she did for the Artist Residence properties, so brought her on board just to help us launch. She did such an incredible job that we’ve kept her with us ever since! She is full of energy, ideas and enthusiasm, and she, and her team (big nod to Aimee), are an integral part of Kip. 

Tell us about how you source the special places that are part of the collection…

We spend a lot of time researching, on the web, through magazines and newspapers, and via recommendations from people we really trust. We also get a lot of people approaching us asking to come on Kip nowadays, which, if they fit our strict criteria, is a real bonus!

Which areas have proved the most popular?

Suffolk, Sussex and the Kent Coast are huge. Our users are also loving Wales.

How has the travel landscape changed post-pandemic?

I think the pandemic has made people realise that the UK holidays can be amazing – and completely different from those you perhaps remember as a child. The UK offers incredible landscapes, really stylish properties, great value, great food, and an ease of travel. Yes, you can never guarantee the weather, but if the property you’re staying in is gorgeous, you don’t mind spending more time indoors. And on a sunny day, the UK is pure joy. 

What does the future of travel in the UK look like?

We’re predicting really buoyant. Although there is currently a bulge in people going abroad as they’ve been unable to do so for a couple of years, I think this will settle, as people have realised you don’t need to jump on a plane to go somewhere special. Whereas once people might have gone abroad two or three times a year in the past, I think the future will be perhaps one holiday abroad and one in the UK, or more minibreaks in the UK. Especially as everyone now has a dog.

Visit kiphideaways.com. 

The Best Staycations to Get Your Wellbeing Fix in 2022

Written by Anya Cooklin-Lofting on . Posted in Latest, Travel, Wellbeing.

By Anya Cooklin-Lofting

As the ashes of New Year’s fireworks settle and the Christmas ornaments are wrapped in their ancient papers and stored, from the glittery haze of Betwixtmas emerges a singular sensation, a paradoxical cocktail of both gloominess and determination. Yes, it’s still cold, and no, crisps and wine probably aren’t an acceptable mid-afternoon snack, and yet, the sense of a new beginning is enough to lift us from our spiced, mulled slumber with startling enthusiasm. It’s time, once again, to focus on what our bodies and minds truly need over and above the obligatory festive indulgences.

It is well known that gyms experience peak sign-up rates in January and that these first few weeks of the year see us reaching for rice cakes instead of the leftover Christmas cake, but our New Year’s resolutions can often leave us feeling less resolved and more reluctant. Wellbeing isn’t just for January, so why not follow my lead and plot some wellness highlights into 2022 with staycations to help you reset, refresh and recharge? Whether you’re after a fitness kick, a soothing spa weekend or the peace and quiet that distance and space can bring, read on…

Lake District – Walking & Fitness

The Lake District is one of the walking capitals of the world, perfect for getting away from the bustle of the city and reconnecting with the natural world. With a bottle of water and an apple in tow, I have found myself feeling refreshed, active and satisfied, hillside, lakeside and fireside on trips to the storied land of poets, writers and artists. Its bucolic cosiness is unrivalled in the UK, and the rush of following a map and reaching a peak, pit or pitstop on a track unfailingly brings a sense of achievement to my annual leave.

The Lake District’s towns and villages are tucked into crevices between the still bodies of water that lap at their shores and are dotted with tearooms and pubs that crop up exactly when you will them to after a bracing walk through rolling countryside. The choice of walks is almost overwhelming in these parts, but the walk from the Honister Pass to Haystacks, one of A. Wainright’s favourite fells, is one I’ll certainly be revisiting.

Bath – Wellness & Water

Bath is a hugely popular spa town with hot springs that were known to inhabitants as early as 60 AD when the Romans built temples and baths along the River Avon. Since this time, the town has become something of a site of pilgrimage for those seeking the curative properties of water and was cemented as a wellness destination by the Georgians. For a restorative break steeped in heritage and rich in culture, Bath offers a peek behind the veil of history as well as a modern homage to the Romans’ innovation.

The Roman Baths themselves are no longer fit for their original purpose, but visitors are welcome to explore the pools, the hallowed springs from which over a million litres of naturally heated water gushes every day and the remains of saunas and changing rooms. With a sense of the history of the therapeutic, healing waters, visitors to the UNESCO World Heritage site can make the one minute commute to Thermae Bath Spa on Hot Bath Street to take the waters themselves. The modern complex has views across the hodge-podge of the city’s golden, Bath Stone skyline, the perfect reminder that these waters are as rich in history as they are in health-giving minerals.

Isle of Skye – Distance & Solitude

For an enchanting, memorable and restful break, why not look to find peace and quiet on The Isle of Skye, a remote island connected to Scotland’s northwest coast by the Skye Bridge? The rugged landscape is encrusted with Medieval ruins and laden with stories of fairies, giants and Selkies, ‘seal folk’ that shed their skins and turn into humans. The island’s scenic hiking opportunities abound with routes via the Fairy Pools of glass-like water and the Old Man of Storr, an imposing rock formation that serves as a landmark for miles and resembles the face of an old man.

Soothing for the eyes and the mind alike, lucky visitors to the Isle of Skye over the winter months can see the Aurora Borealis Northern Lights. The lights generally appear white to the eye at this latitude but are no less magnificent than imagination might prophesy. The dancing sheets of spectral light are most visible in wide, open areas making evening hikes all the more magical.