Weekend in the country
region revelled in wealth created by the cloth industry, and the vast church of St Peter and St Paul in the Suffolk town of Clare is testament to immense local prosperity. When the wool industry declined there was no cash left to update the towns, hence the survival of so many extraordinary medieval buildings.
One of the most exquisite is the Ancient House in Clare. Formerly a priest’s residence, it is now the town museum with curios such as tools to test the ripeness of wheat.
Don’t miss Lavenham. With more than 300 listed buildings, it is one of the best-preserved medieval villages in England.
Home to Benedictine monks in the 13th century, Lavenham Priory (01787 247 404/ lavenhampriory.co.uk) is surrounded by three acres of grounds in the centre of the village. Doubles from £120 per night (two sharing), B&B. There’s magic in the heavens above the Galloway Hills of south-west Scotland. Far from the artificial light pollution of our densely populated cities, a stargazing weekend in the UK’s first Dark Sky Park is awe-inspiring. The long dark months from October to March offer maximum opportunity.
Glentrool Visitor Centre, the gateway to the Galloway Hills, has good advice for would-be stargazers, including packing a deckchair so you can gaze upwards without straining your neck, wrapping up warm and taking a torch with a red filter for the dark.
Pick your spot and prepare for the greatest show not on Earth. Experienced hill walkers will relish a jaunt up the Merrick, the highest of 24 named peaks in the Galloway Hills, which offers spectacular views.
Kirroughtree House Hotel (01671 402 141/mcmillan hotels.co.uk) in Newton Stewart offers two-night stargazer breaks from £199pp (two sharing), half board.
Stay:
52 Weekends In The Country by Brigid Benson and Craig Easton (Virgin Books), £20. See 52hq.co.uk HISTORIC: Lavenham in Suffolk is one of the best preserved medieval villages