Race is on for best summer boltholes
HAS there ever been a January when UK cottage bookings have gone quite this crazy? Agencies are reporting massive demand for the season ahead, as the falling pound and other travel niggles are persuading 76 per cent of us to plan a staycation, according to figures from cottages.com.
Dorset, Devon and Cornwall specialist Toad Hall Cottages advises booking now, because those who leave it could find there’s nothing left for the summer.
‘In the past, we have rarely taken more than 100 bookings a day, but this month we have done it almost every day, sometimes by 10am!’ says spokesperson Kate Mault.
Research from cottages.com reveals that a fifth of us are choosing to holiday in areas we went to as children, and one in ten of us will bring a pet along.
Friendly South West
THE South West is considered the friendliest place to holiday in England, the research also reveals.
TV shows, such as Cornish favourites Poldark and Doc Martin, and The Coroner, set around Salcombe in South Devon, continue to have a powerful effect on demand, says cottages.com.
And it’s a brilliant area for active breaks, offering surfing, coasteering, mountain biking and walking along the South West Coast Path, as well as wonderful beaches and a kind climate.
A cosy holiday cottage or lodge is a real home from home from which to launch adventures, with everything you need in a beautiful location.
Without the formality of a hotel, you can set your own schedule and really relax, organising your own meals or taking advantage of the South West’s fantastic food scene.
And all you need to do is pack a few clothes and jump in the car. Areas of South Devon that are booking up fast include Salcombe, with its beautiful beaches, great pubs, restaurants and shops and array of watersports, including thrilling inflatable RIB boat rides with Sea-N-Shore.
March 2017 sees the opening of the Gin School at the hugely popular Salcombe Gin, where you can take charge of a copper mini-still to develop and distil your own bottle of gin.
Hope Cove is popular with families, says Toad Hall Cottages, thanks to its two safe, sandy beaches and family-friendly pub. Thurlestone offers stunning beaches, golf and a gastropub, as well as scenic walking on the South West Coast Path, plus kayaking and paddle-boarding.
In South Cornwall, fishing villages such as Polperro and Fowey always book up early. Think smartly restored fishermen’s cottages with sea views, cobbled streets, art galleries and fantastic pubs and restaurants serving freshly landed fish.
Attractions such as the Eden Project, Lost Gardens of Heligan and Lanhydrock House are also in easy reach. And Dorset’s Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage site, with 185 million years of history portrayed at the brandnew Seaton Jurassic Centre and Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre.
Explore the area from Golden Acre Holiday Bungalows at Eype, which are particularly dog-friendly.
Go fossil-hunting, enjoy unspoiled countryside and coastal paths, cycling on the Buzzard Route, pretty beaches and wonderful restaurants, including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Canteen at Axminster.
Broadchurch, filmed around West Bay, returns for the third and final series in February, if you are looking for inspiration for Valentine’s Day, halfterm, Easter or the summer ahead.
But with staycations proving more popular than ever, now is clearly the time to book, to secure that cosy bolthole with great views and everything you need to hand.