Sense of freedom
Awaken body and soul with these staycation trips, says Sarah Marshall
One of the key Covid symptoms is loss of taste and smell, but lockdown has arguably deadened all our senses, by detaching us from the outside world.
So, as we unfurl from our sofas and prepare to venture outside, it’s no surprise sensory experiences are likely to direct travel plans.
According to a poll by tourist board Visit England, the experiences Brits are most looking forward to include eating fish and chips, listening to the jingle of an ice-cream van and smelling the waft of sea air.
From coast to countryside, the UK is a sonic, visual and tactile wonderland.
Here are a few more of the visceral experiences we’re eager to enjoy this summer.
Smell of sea air
So salty it can make your nostrils sting, the scent of the sea is an instant ticket to a refreshing break. Some of the most invigorating coastal trails can be found in Northumberland, including a seven-mile barefoot walk at low tide across the causeway to the tidal Holy Island of Lindisfarne.
Crabtree & Crabtree, who have holiday cottages in the region, bring the journey to life with a guide regaling tales of local legends. The walk is best enjoyed between now and September, when grey seals gather on the exposed sandbanks. Prices from £25 per person for a private walk. Visit crabtreeandcrabtree.com.
Alternatively, you can inhale fresh maritime air by walking a section of the England Coast Path, a new National Trail that hopes to have all stretches approved and works under way this year.
Once completed, it will be the longest coastal walking route in the world at 2,700 miles.
Taste of coast and country
Foraging forges a connection with nature, allowing us to literally savour our immediate environments. As an island, the UK offers up a bounty of goods from coast and countryside.
In Dorset, Fore/ Adventure offers a half-day Coastal Foraging Course, based on the beach in Studland. Search for sea vegetables, seaweed, crabs and cockles, and learn how to prepare wild foods. From £50 per person.
For something more decadent, head to Mersea Island in Essex, where oysters have been grown in creeks since Roman times. Lady Grace Boat Trips offer a two-hour Picnic Trip along Salcott Creek, where you’ll hear curlews calling and find egrets wading along the shoreline. Pre-order a picnic platter from the West Mersea Oyster Bar. From £100 per trip (up to six people).
Both excursions can be booked through englandscoast.com/en.
Sound of birds in flight
From the soothing symphony of a dawn chorus to the furious flapping of flocks cruising across the sky, birds are an inspiring soundtrack to our daily lives. Filled with salt marshes, sand dunes and twisty tidal creeks, North Norfolk is a paradise for birders and walkers; trips to RSPB Snettisham Nature
Reserve are particularly recommended when red knots beat their wings above the mud flats.
Inntravel has introduced a new self-guided short break to Snettisham and Holkham, following the Norfolk Coast Path from Old Hunstanton to Thornham, and inland to Burnham Market via windmills and wildflowers.
A four-night B&B trip costs from £580 per person (two sharing). Visit inntravel.co.uk.
Or head to the ancient woodlands of Castle Eden Dene in Durham, an example of the “wildwood” that once covered most of Britain. It’s home to a variety of birds, including the common swift, greylag goose and goldcrest, along with more than 450 species of plants, and mammals such as roe deer and fox.
‘‘ Oils emitted by trees to protect them from insects induce a sense of calm
Touch of a tree
The art of forest bathing first became popular in Japan during the 1980s, and has since spread its restorative roots worldwide. Along with the joy of simply being surrounded by ancient oaks or pleasing pines, there is a science to the trend: trees emit oils used to naturally protect them from insects or other invaders, which induce a sense of calm.
North London’s closest glamping escape, Home Farm Glamping in Elstree, has partnered with charity The Wilderness Foundation to offer truly therapeutic sessions in 150 acres of wild woodlands and historic parklands.
Their first session, An Introduction to Forest Bathing at Home Farm Glamping, will be held on May 13 and costs £15 per person. Visit homefarmglamping.com/whats-on.