Archive For The “UK” Category
Oh, deep joy! A hotel that thinks it’s a home. A house with guest rooms. A place to snuggle by the fire. A spot where kids are welcome. It’s called Lancrigg. This charming hotel is a delightful mix of contemporary art, comfy sofas and friendly conviviality. Wendy and her husband have only been the managers…
The Beech Hill Hotel is located on the eastern bank of Windermere. Its stunning views over the lake change with the seasons. Autumn is a quieter time and perfect for enjoying the rust and golden hues of the mellowing foliage and heather. This hotel can trace its history back to the 1900s. One can still…
The Plough in the hamlet of Lupton was built around 1760 but the welcome to this historic pub is contemporary and artful. There is a horse outside, but this is a rather ghostly plough-horse in metal, giving a nod to its rural location and its stylish interior. The pub has recently undergone extensive renovations to…
The Beaverbrook Estate seems a quintessentially English retreat with a country house hotel, and that would obviously have a quintessentially English dining room and menu. Well, no: although the dining room looks rather English with a hint of cherry blossom, the food on offer at The Dining Room is authentically Japanese. Head Chef Taiji Maruyama…
The Beaverbrook Estate is a one-stop resort for almost everything, and those everythings will be to a very high standard. The House, the more formal hotel, is large and from the outside looks rather imposing, but is in truth stylish and accessible. There is a smaller building on the estate and that’s the Garden House…
This was my first visit to Woodbridge in Suffolk. It’s an English county on the right-hand edge of the map of England and comprises the bottom half of that roundy bit that sticks out into the North Sea. The coastline is a draw, but there are so many reasons to visit this beautiful county, as…
Lavenham is the kind of village that even we who live in Britain don’t expect to find anymore. It’s a chocolate-box beautiful spot – it’s an historic drama-set-worthy location and it’s hard to imagine how it has remained in such original condition. This is the real thing! This is the genuine article. This is almost-lost…
I am well-travelled but I still believe that there are few places better than Britain on balmy summer days, and particularly when one is fanned by soft sea breezes. Aldeburgh is an historic town and tourist destination for visitors who appreciate its expansive Blue Flag shingle beach. Aldeburgh is a traditional coastal town in Suffolk….
The Swan is a striking hotel in an equally striking location. Lavenham is a town the likes of which is often thought extinct. It’s the stuff of historic dramas, with unspoilt houses and shops; a slice of Harry Potter was filmed here. It surrounds the visitor with quaint buildings and photo opportunities by the shed-load….
I have written a book about Indian restaurants but they were all in London. I review Indian restaurants almost every month but I have never reviewed one outside the UK hub of Indian food – our capital city. But here I was in a traditional English seaside town and a long way from home, and…
This is a classic English coastal town. It has a long and wide Blue Flag shingle beach which is dotted with fishing boats and fresh-fish shacks. It’s a draw for those who want to catch some rays and go for a paddle, and also those who would love an early morning summer walk to watch…
OK, I confess, I had never visited Suffolk. I discovered a strikingly beautiful county with coast, pasture, chocolate-box villages and historic towns. I discovered Woodbridge! The Crown Hotel (read my review here) houses its eponymous 2 AA Rosette restaurant, which is recommended in the Michelin Guide. It’s found at the top of The Thoroughfare which…
St Davids will tick so many boxes for those looking for a quiet retreat for a few days. A corner of the UK with natural charm, history, fresh air, good food and quiet – at least outside peak summer popularity. St Davids has its beautiful Cathedral, making this small town technically a city and the…
This striking and high-end hotel seems contemporary but it has a long history which is camouflaged by its light, modern and immaculate presentation. But part of this building has been around for more than a couple of hundred years. Originally known as Felin Wynt, Welsh for windmill, the still-remaining and iconic tower was built in…
Roch Castle (in Welsh: Castell y Garn) is a 12th-century castle, located at the village of Roch near Haverfordwest, in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Yes, we have all visited castles. Britain is peppered with them, indicating our somewhat turbulent history. They tend to offer two main facets – half museum and half ruin. But we were going…
The Beaverbrook Estate is vast. The main house (to be completed as a hotel of distinction later in 2017) is baronial. But there is another hotel which is part of this well-appointed complex and it’s unique. The Garden House is on a more human scale than the main house which was once the home of…
This truly is a ‘garden’ house with the intimate character of a cosy cottage. (Read more about the Garden House here.) It’s part of the Beaverbrook Estate and the smaller of two hotels, the other being the lavish and imposing main house which was once the home of Lord Beaverbrook, one of the most influential…
Marco Pierre White has long been considered the wild child of the culinary scene, although he actually seems like a rather charming character in interview these days. For those who don’t hail from these shores, Marco is a celebrated British chef, restaurateur, and television personality, and was perhaps the first British celebrity chef; he was,…
Windsor is just 23 miles (37 km) from Central London with convenient transport links. It’s not far from Heathrow Airport and many visitors are lucky enough to get an aerial view of Windsor Castle from the plane. It’s a shame that a relatively small number make it out of the capital to come and get…
Luton Hoo is an English country house and estate with easy access to London. But what is a ‘hoo’? The unusual name “Hoo” is a Saxon word meaning the spur of a hill. Luton Hoo is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, but a family called de Hoo lived on the site for four hundred…