The Mini Break

Top Tips For A Luxury Weekend In The Cotswolds

Pictured: The boot room at Ellenborough Park

The countryside is the perfect place to relax and unwind. Going from the speed of light to as slow as a bumbling tracker’s pace can be just the thing to unwind from a hectic week in the city. So grab your wellies and Barbours and head to the picturesque countryside. read more

20% Off At The Inn At Cranborne, Dorset

Call 01725 551 249 and quote Country Calling when booking.

Loving this exclusive discount from our new find, The Inn At Cranborne. They are offering a whopping 20% off all rooms for guests staying during April and May. Click here to read our review of a recent stay at The Inn.

To book: Call  01725 551 249 or email  info@theinnatcranborne.co.uk and quote Country Calling to receive your 20% discount.

The Inn at Cranborne : Eat, Drink, Lodge (in Uber Comfort)

**Stop press – the Inn At Cranborne are offering an exclusive discount of 20% off to Country Calling readers staying during April and May – quote Country Calling when booking.**

Beyond excited by our latest discovery – the Inn at Cranborne, a classic pub but with a cool and boutique-y twist.

This is my perfect kind of place for a mini-break, somewhere to retreat for a quiet guinness and a perfectly cooked steak, knowing that a great night’s sleep in one of the uber-luxe bedrooms lies ahead. read more

St Moritz Hotel: the Ultimate Retreat?

Beach huts at St Moritz by Chris Potter

Leaving the St Moritz Hotel on a cold, rain-lashed February morning was even harder than I’d anticipated.

The day before this art-deco inspired hotel which overlooks the Camel Estuary on the North Cornwall coast had shone out, a beacon of warmth and quiet luxury. read more

Oyster Hunting in North Cornwall

The only way to banish the January, end of party blues is to plan a mini-break and we’ve found the perfect one - oyster hunting and a weekend of pampering in North Cornwall.

The Bedruthan Steps, a beautiful spa hotel set on cliffs overlooking Mawgan Porth beach and with spectacular views across the Atlantic, is running a weekend break in March and October for oyster fanatics. read more

Hotel du Vin Poole: The Perfect Retreat

Before we had children we were real Hotel du Vin junkies turning up to Tunbridge Wells, Winchester, Bristol or Birmingham in a heartbeat or at least whenever we were lucky enough to score a last minute reservation.

Friday night would roll around and invariably one of us would say – ‘Shall we see if we can get into the Hotel du Vin?’ read more

Lime Wood Hotel: A Step Back In Time (With Very Modern Prices)

Lime Wood Hotel is set outside affluent Lyndhurst in the middle of the beautiful New Forest. This is a fantastic, natural advantage for this very zeitgeist country house hotel.

We drive past grazing ponies and turn up a long drive, with the house at the top of a rise. So far, so good.  read more

Perfect Location? Well Of Course….Kirstie Allsopp’s Devon Holiday Home…

When it comes to finding the best place for a beach holiday in the South West, Kirstie Allsopp’s stylish Devon home pretty much nails it..

You’d expect Kirstie Allsopp’s holiday house to be pretty close to perfect and, of course, it is. Meadowgate was a battered old farmhouse a short, winding hobble from Welcome Mouth Bay in North Devon and it had stood empty for 38 years before Kirstie swooped in and turned it into a Channel 4 makeover show. read more

Slow Down At Updown

Updown Cottage on Gold Hill, even the address of this magical holiday house sounds just right. Situated at the top of Shaftesbury’s Gold Hill, the steep cobbled lane of Hovis advert fame, with glorious, properly panoramic views over the Blackmore Vale, well let’s just say it’s a breathtaking spot. read more

Barnsley House Heaven

For our next hotel review, we’ve visited a place of serious indulgence that you really won’t want to leave…

Barnsley House, near Cirencester in the Cotswolds, has the feel of a stylish country home: think sumptuous velvet sofas in deep contrasting colours, crackling fires, but given a modern twist.  This hauntingly beautiful 17th-century manor has a chill-out spa, its own cinema, tennis court, helipad and even its own Village Pub. With gardens that are famed for their beauty and have inspired countless gardeners, it must be the perfect place for a romantic getaway you’d think, except I went with my sister in law… read more