Cottage escapes
NOW is the perfect time to plan the first cottage break of the year. Slip off to the glittering coastline or into fresh, green countryside to recharge batteries, dine out (or, of course, in) and rediscover Britain in all its spring finery.
NORTH Norfolk, known for its big skies and vast, sandy beaches, is invitingly warm, but not too busy in spring.
Coastal paths are in full bloom — and it's a joy to amble across the salt flats at bird reserves to see flycatchers, warblers, shearwaters and kittiwakes, or book a seal trip to see the colony of common and grey seals that bask lazily at the water's edge at Blakeney Point. At crab shacks and the many good pub restaurants, sample local seafood — mussels, crab, oysters, lobster, and samphire picked from the marshes.
Walk from sublime Holkham beach towards the colourful beach huts at Wells-next-the-Sea. Or visit stately homes — Holkham, Houghton and Blickling halls, each magnificent.
The flint villages provide a plentiful supply of self-catering cottages. Try Keys Holidays at Sheringham, Norfolk Country Cottages or Norfolk Hideaways for a characterful property from which to explore.
A SPRING cottage break in Pembrokeshire is another good antidote to a long winter.
Migrating birds, including puffins, return home from their epic journeys to the islands and cliffs, so a boat trip can be especially rewarding.
And Lonely Planet has named the Pembrokeshire Coast Path as one of the best long-distance trails in the world. Coastal Cottages of Pembrokeshire has a huge choice of properties, from the quaint and quirky to the downright fabulous, all offering a friendly welcome.
WHITBY, with its cliff- top abbey and pretty harbour, has a wealth of beautiful period cottages where you can live like a local, available through Whitby Holiday Cottages.