Those who recognise the view of Godrevy Lighthouse from our front cover won’t be surprised to hear our focus this edition is North Cornwall. We love to get the first scoop on exciting UK travel news here at British Travel Journal, so the launch of Una St Ives made it to the top of our travel agenda, as did one of our all-time favourite hotels, The Headland, Newquay – with the launch of their luxurious £10 million Aqua Club swimming and spa sanctuary.
While in Cornwall's beautiful Carbis Bay we had the pleasure of meeting renowned British chef Adam Handling at his latest restaurant, Ugly Butterfly and chatted to him about cooking and his passion for zero-waste. Whether you want to go glamping, have a house to yourself or discover the latest hotels this summer, we tell you where to look in our Travel News and suggest ten incredible summer staycation ideas in our Unique Luxury Breaks. From new gardening, cycling and surf-school experiences to food, drink and vineyard tours we are spoilt for choice this year!
Attractions UK BEACHES
Attractions UK BEACHES Surf Wood for Good Been to the beach and seen a discarded broken bodyboard? More than 16,000 polystyrene bodyboards are left on UK beaches each year, releasing myriad micro polystyrene balls into the coastal ecosystem, according to Keep Britain Tidy. Jamie Johnstone from Dick Pearce Bellyboards felt compelled to act after seeing the sheer volume of snapped boards at his local beach. He came up with a brilliant solution in the form of the Surf Wood for Good campaign. Through it, wooden boards can be hired free of charge in 24 locations around the UK coast, allowing everyone to enjoy sustainable surf and seaside fun. ◆ dickpearce.com CHESHIRE Jodrell Bank Launch your own digital Sputnik, experience a meteor show or try ‘driving’ a radio telescope at the interactive exhibition in the observatory’s First Light Pavilion, which opens on 4 June. The 76-metre grass-topped dome mirrors the shape and scale of the Lovell Telescope and will also feature planetarium-style shows. ◆ jodrellbank.net SUSSEX AND YORKSHIRE Duck and puffin trails Follow an art trail of 30 five-foot rubber duck sculptures along the Sussex coast from Hastings to Bexhill from June. Each has been painted by a local artist and will host a wellbeing activity. In Yorkshire, look out for giant puffins from July, with 40 sculptures placed along the coast. ◆ followthatduck.co.uk / puffinsgalore.co.uk 20 BritishTravelJournal.com
WEST SUFFOLK Racing at Newmarket Go behind the scenes at the races before taking your seat in the private enclosure during the Champions Lawn Race Day Experience, with dates throughout the summer, for £65pp. Pay an extra £10pp for the tour, evening racing and a top-name concert. discovernewmarket.co.uk CORNWALL Cliffside Saunas Sweat it out this summer in a sauna with a view, looking out over beautiful Watergate Bay. You can hire the Canadian cedarwood cabin for your group of up to ten people or join a communal session. Either way, there is a range of complimentary essential oils to enhance the experience, a freshwater rainfall shower outside to cool down afterwards and even cold-water immersion if you’re feeling brave. A series of workshops are also planned, dealing with breathwork, hot and cold immersion and holistic health. From £20pp for an 8am communal session or £95 for an hour’s private hire. ◆ sauna-society.com CORNWALL Colwith Farm Distillery Done your share of gin distilleries and want something different? Then try a plough-to-bottle vodka school, using Cornish potatoes. The two-hour class (£79pp) looks at the history and origins of vodka and then lets you try your hand at blending botanicals to your own taste and filling your own 70cl bottle. ◆ colwithfarmdistillery.co.uk BritishTravelJournal.com 21
