Don’t waste late summer’s heat!
SUMMER can fly by when we’re busy, leaving us more than a little peeved that we haven’t soaked up our full share of spirit-lifting sunshine.
So before the slide into autumn begins apace, why not arrange a last-minute break to enjoy the remaining warm rays and make the most of the season’s air shows, food festivals and balmy beach strolls?
From a stay in a cottage with a kitchen that would do Prue Leith, presenter of Great British Bake Off, proud, to a hotel with spa, there is every chance to grab a glorious tail-end of summer.
Not forgetting the welcome addedbonus of better availability and lower prices, too.
AS THE season mellows, Cornwall takes on a golden glow and picks up a much more sedate pace. Warm weather tends to linger on a bit longer this far south and September can be a knock-out month, with brilliant sunshine making for warm coastal walks.
Head to Cornwall’s gorgeous gardens for a full picture of what nature can offer at this fruitful time of year.
Foodies can enjoy some of the finest cuisine this side of London, served up with sea views, while history buffs can uncover Poldark-style tin mines, a Tudor fort, an opulent Victorian mansion and more.
Newlyn Fish Festival will celebrate all things fishy on August Bank Holiday Monday, with music, trawler racing, cookery demos and lots of fabulous food. End busy days at the Hannafore Point Hotel & Spa, by the sea at Looe.
THE showstopper on the South Coast is the Bournemouth Air Festival, from August 31 to September 3. Britain’s biggest air festival is an unmissable weekend of wonder, in the air, on land and at sea.
Sit on the sandy beach and watch seamless displays, including the incredible Red Arrows on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Stay at the welcoming Durley Grange Hotel six minutes from the beach, or at The Savoy, one of the Coast & Country Hotels, which has beautiful grounds and views out to sea.
Alternatively, head to Broadchurch territory around West Bay, on Dorset’s spectacular Jurassic Coast.
Pet lovers could stay within walking distance of the iconic sandstone cliffs, at Golden Acre Bungalows, Eype.
Here there is round-the-year access for dog walkers to a beautiful stretch of beach, as well as a dog-friendly bar and pub in the village.
Or whisk your children off to build sandcastles at Weymouth, where the sand is some of the best in the world — not too wet and not too dry.
Drop in on Sandworld’s amazing annual exhibition of sand sculptures, which this year is on the theme of A Life On Earth 2 and stays open until the end of October.