Ah, the sweet smell of spring is finally here. Flowers are beginning to bloom, the sun has started to shine and there is hope on the horizon for a great British summer!
I’m sure you’ll agree that spending so many months at home has only made our adventurous, curious hearts grow fonder with a passion for travel and exploration.
I will appreciate my upcoming travel trips so much more, and it has only made my job as travel Editor, and the content in our latest issue, seem even more special than usual!
Lockdown might have put a stop to many things, but it certainly hasn’t stopped the travel industry preparing to ensure a super fun and warm welcome once it is safe for visitors to return. From new hotels and luxury spas, exciting holiday resorts full of adventure and off-grid activities, luxury boutique stays in acres of unspoilt countryside and coastline, brand new attractions to immersive one-of-a-kind experiences – it seems there has perhaps never been a better time to explore the British Isles!
With so much ‘British staycation’ wanderlust flying about we couldn’t resist compiling our Ultimate British Bucket List. Deep in the West Dorset countryside we Meet the Makers behind the world’s only vodka made from cows’ milk. We uncover 10 of the most wonderful places to visit in Yorkshire and discover that there’s much more than just Cheddar Cheese and ancient apple orchards to Somerset’s epicurean offering in The Rise of Food and Drink. In search of beautiful destinations where social distancing is made easy, you won’t find better than a remote Sea Garden Cottage on the white sandy shores of Tresco island, a luxury family stay in the heart of Suffolk’s rolling countryside at The Ickworth or a whisky tour around the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, Islay - the Lord of the Isles.
Wherever, and whenever, you next plan to take a holiday in the British Isles, we hope British Travel Journal continues to deliver as your indispensable travel magazine, and wish you a safe and seamless journey full of wonderful memories.
IMAGES LEFT: THE
IMAGES LEFT: THE CONSERVATORY; VINTAGE WINE RECOMMENDED BY AN EXPERT SOMMELIER; HEDGEROW BAKEWELL TART, VANILLA ICE CREAM, TOASTED MARZIPAN AND SOUR CHERRY woodland. If you’re lucky you might see deer as you glide through Stoney Hill and Lownde Wood. Pass the Round House to your left, a mini cottage resembling a folky version of the rotunda before heading over Fairy Lake bridge. From here you can choose to turn left along the River Linnet back towards The Walled Garden, or pick up another trail - Lady Hervey’s Walk which takes you through Fontainebleau Grove and Adkins Wood then back to the hotel entrance. As a guest staying at the hotel you are welcomed to explore the estate and discover the house both by day, (with free access to the Ickworth National Trust site), and, as night falls, with exclusive after-hours access to the wonderful Italianate Gardens (from 6pm until 9pm) via a gate behind the house. Spend your time in this magnificent landscape gently strolling the neat pathways, lined with à manicured hedges, lush lawns, beautiful borders and towering cypress trees. Walking in the footsteps of aristocratic ladies and gentlemen, who in the gardens’ heyday, would spend their leisure time here playing croquet or promenading on the raised terrace, will leave you feeling invigorated. And as Lady Mary MacRae, granddaughter of the 4th Marquess remarked, wandering through the blossomed trees in the gardens in spring is "like walking through lace". The children will enjoy playing ‘find the giraffe sculptures’, and if they still have energy left to burn, there’s a slide and swing in the fairy garden, cars, trampolines, sandpit, scooters and scavenger hunts. We opted for the indoor heated swimming pool, which is well stocked with floats, foam noodles, and everything else your little ones might need. And this is certainly what sets Luxury Family Hotels apart from other great British hotels, being family-focused is at the heart of ‘everything’ they do. Their attention to detail is unsurpassed. From every item of baby equipment you could possibly need, including cots, nappy bins and bottle warmers, fresh morning and evening milk delivered to your room, free childcare each day, to collecting your children and entertaining them with a Sunday morning breakfast club, so that you can enjoy a lie-in. When dinner time comes, there’s a baby-monitoring system available in the room - the option for an earlier Children’s High Tea, ‘Younger Ones’ menus, together with ‘mocktails’, and a chef on hand to provide puréed food. 54 BritishTravelJournal.com
Older children will love making friends in the Games Room, watching the latest blockbusters in the cinema room (daily at 6pm) or challenging themselves to a game of tennis. As this is a hotel that makes couple time easy, be sure to book yourself a table for two at Frederick’s - the hotel’s two rosette fine dining restaurant. Spend a romantic evening for two dining by candlelight, sipping vintages recommended by an expert sommelier, sampling cuisine based on seasonal ingredients from local and artisan suppliers. The À la carte menu is every bit as sensational as the setting, overlooking the Italianate Gardens, including tandoori spiced scallops, truffle and parmesan chips, King oysters, Shakshuka and decadent desserts - the Hedgerow Bakewell tart with vanilla ice cream, toasted marzipan and sour cherry was divine! Another highlight of our stay was our bedroom ‘Grand Tour’ - decorated exquisitely in period style, IMAGES ABOVE: WELCOMING GUESTS TO THE ICKWORTH; FREDERICK’S - THE HOTEL’S TWO ROSETTE FINE DINING RESTAURANT; THE LOUNGE; GRAND TOUR PERIOD-STYLE BATHROOM OVERLOOKING THE ITALIANATE GARDENS complete with an 8ft bed and views (also overlooking the Italianate Gardens), we felt like the Lord and Lady of the manor! The hotel boasts 27 family suites and interconnecting bedrooms, or for something more private book The Lodge - the former Dower House set on the estate just half a mile from the main hotel, with eight further apartments and three double rooms set amongst four acres of gardens. Rooms from £199 per night B&B, +44 (0)208 0765555 luxuryfamilyhotels.co.uk BritishTravelJournal.com 55
