BA bumper bargain
BRITISH Airways has kicked off its January sale.
It has discounts on flights and destinations around the world, with bargain breaks for under £100.
There are great deals on two-night breaks to Europe, including Barcelona, Prague, Berlin and Nice from £99, including hotel and flights, with checked luggage.
Visit ba.com from now until January 30.
NOW Christmas is done, you need something to look forward to. A short refresher with bracing walks then snuggling up by a roaring fire should do it. And country cottages are at their cheapest at this time of year.
Westward ho! Hartland, North Devon
Devon’s Atlantic coast is a tough taskmaster in winter so you will want a stone-walled cottage like Puffin’s Nest. This snug little conversion on a farm is perfect for two and its wood-burner heats the small space quickly.
Dogs are welcome and will love the South West Coastal path, particularly at dramatic Hartland Point. Nearby Bideford has a lot of charm and there are characterful pubs hidden away in the narrow lanes of adjacent Appledore, once a fishing village on the Torridge Estuary.
A three-night stay costs from £306. See caninecottages.co.uk.
Water logs Ennerdale, Lake District
The village of Kirkland is in beautiful Ennerdale on the quiet western side of the Lake District. Ennerdale Water is one of the largest of the lakes and where Bill Clinton proposed to Hillary.
Kirkland’s Hillcrest Cottage is a terraced house with beams and inglenooks and rural views over the village to the fields beyond, plus no fewer than two wood-burning stoves, one in the living room and one in the conservatory.
If the weather is foul, head for nearby Cockermouth and Wordsworth House, where the poet was born. There are also antiques galore and independent shops and cafes.
Hillcrest Cottage sleeps two-three. Four-night breaks from £305. See sallyscottages.co.uk.
Rabbit heaven Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire
Not far up the valley of the River Nidd from Harrogate, Pateley Bridge is rammed in summer but quiet around now. Greenhow Hill to the west attracts snow, and Wath to the north has a brilliant pub – the Sportsman’s Arms. Head further up to the phenomenon much loved by film directors, How Stean Gorge, where the river has carved into the rock.
Just outside Pateley, Rabbit Hole is a converted farm granary for two people, with a wood-burner in the living area. Three nights costs from £341. See sykescottages.co.uk.
Double stoves Reepham, Norfolk
Reepham is a market town with Georgian properties lining its central square, full of independent shops and great places to eat, and surrounded by beautiful countryside.
The town is unique in once having had three churches in one churchyard, of which two still remain. It is an ideal area for walking and cycling, with Marriott’s Way on the outskirts.
With two wood-burning stoves and a hot tub, Old Oaks Cottage is a great protector against easterly wind. The sitting room has oak beams and stove number one, while stove number two is in the kitchen and the hot tub out in the courtyard. It sleeps three, from £401 for three nights. See norfolkcottages.co.uk.
Harbour view Mousehole, Cornwall
The charming village of Mousehole, its slate rooftops huddling together around the corner from Penzance on the southern tip of Cornwall, was originally a fishing village, and its little harbour is still busy with boats in summer.
There is a lively community here in winter, too, thanks to its resident artists, many of whom have decamped southwards from the gallery mecca that is St Ives.
For walkers there are coastal paths in all directions and Land’s End is a short drive away.
Marracks Cottage is an end-of-terrace granite property with exposed stone walls and views of the harbour. It sleeps four and three nights cost from £296. See aspects-holidays.co.uk.
The picture-postcard village of Winchcomb lies just to the northwest of one of the Cotswolds’ most outstanding natural features.
Cleeve Hill is a massive upland brow with