Tag Archives: autumn

Explore Hertfordshire from your holiday cottage

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Hertfordshire is a county rich in culture, history and character. It’s also only a short drive from London and has dozens of holiday cottages spread throughout. If you’re planning a short break, a weekend away or something longer, here are just a few things in the county that you can do.

St Albans Cathedral

St Albans Cathedral is the oldest continuously used church in England. It’s also a place that holds concerts, special events, special services, Christmas celebrations and more. Set inside the city of St Albans, the Cathedral and city itself are well worth a visit.

Natural History Museum at Tring

The Natural History Museum at Tring might just be the most popular museum you have never heard of. It’s a lovely Victorian building designed to house the collections of Lionel Rothschild, an ardent collector of things. It’s an excellent example of the results of an enquiring mind and is educational as well as entertaining.

Cassiobury Park

Cassiobury Park in Watford is 190 acres of open land that is free to use. It stretches from Watford town centre right out to the edge of town and has sports facilities, trails, woods, the Grand Union Canal and more. The woods nearby are worth a visit too. Not only are they lovely this time of year, they also featured in Star Wars The Phantom Menace.

Ashridge Estate

The Ashridge Estate near Berkhamsted is a National Trust location set in the idyllic Chiltern Hills. It is 5,000 acres of ancient woodland and rolling land with a working estate nestled in the middle. There are miles and miles of walking and cycling trails, as well as woodland, chalk downlands and the estate to explore.

Paradise Wildlife Park

Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxborne is definitely one for all the family. The park is a zoo and attraction that is home to hundreds of animals of all shapes and sizes. It has special events, displays, exhibitions, animal experience days and more. You can even sleep over. If that isn’t worth a visit, we don’t know what is!

De Havilland Aircraft Museum

The De Havilland Aircraft Museum in St Albans is one for the history buffs. Not only is the museum the oldest aircraft museum in the country, it’s also the only one dedicated to that British great, De Havilland. It is home to aircraft from 1923 through to 1983 from propeller to jet and is worth a visit if planes are your thing.

Holidaycottages.net has dozens of fantastic holiday lets spread throughout Hertfordshire. If you’re planning a break in this great county, check them out from the map. These are just some of the many places to visit while you’re enjoying time away, so check them out and let us know how you get on!

Top film locations in Britain you can visit

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Britain is surprisingly popular as a movie location. As a country who loves film as a form of entertainment, this gives us plenty to see when you’re out and about. If you’re planning on using one of our holiday cottages anytime soon, why not visit a film location while you’re there?

You would be amazed at the sheer number of films made on location on our shores. Not those who use the world famous studios at Pinewood or Elstree, but who use our countryside as settings. Here are just a few of them.

The Da Vinci Code

If you were a fan of Tom Hanks in The Da Vinci Code, you might want to visit Lincoln Cathedral. It’s where they filmed the interior shots of Westminster Abbey during the Knights Templar search. The cathedral is a great place to visit in its own right, but now has extra appeal.

James Bond

Being a home grown movie hero, much of James Bond is filmed in the UK. However, if it’s his cars you like, a visit to the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu should definitely be on your to-do list. Located close to the New Forest between Bournemouth and Southampton, this is an amazing place to visit for any reason, but especially as they have a lot of the cars featured in the films on display.

We have lots of holiday cottages in and around the New Forest, so this one is a must!

Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen is a firm favourite, so if you want to see Mr Darcy’s house, visit Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. If you would like to stroll around Meryton Village like the cast in the film, make your way to Stamford in Lincolnshire.

The King's Speech

The King's Speech with Colin Firth was filmed across the country, including Ely Cathedral where scenes from Westminster Abbey were shot. The copy of the Coronation Chair featured in the film is now on display in the cathedral.

Harry Potter

Harry Potter is another home grown character that has filmed at locations across the country. Visit King’s Cross Station in London for Platform 93/4, the Glenfinnan Viaduct to see where Harry and Ron flew in their Ford Anglia and visit Alnwick Castle, the Bodleian Library in Oxford and Durham Cathedral to see three locations that formed Hogwarts.

Holidaycottages.net has holiday rentals near all these locations. If you’re into the movies and want to see where the magic happened, these are just a few of the thousands of locations featured in some of our favourites. All of them are within a short drive of some of our best holiday cottages. Check out the interactive map to find yours!

Great days out in Cambridgeshire

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Given the sheer number of holiday cottages in Cambridgeshire, we thought it only right that it should be next on our county by county where to go list. We have dozens of luxury holiday homes within the county and around Cambridge itself, If you’re staying in one over the next few months, here are a few things you can do while you’re there.

University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge has to be up there at the top of this list as it’s not only a centre of excellent for learning, it’s also beautiful, tranquil and visitors are free to wander around most of it. Walking around this Medieval area is like walking back in time, in a good way.

The River Cam

The River Cam runs through the centre of the city and is another big draw for anyone in the area. You can sit by the river and watch the world go by, enjoy a picnic in the sunshine, a punt in the river or watch rowers practicing in the northern part of the college area.

Imperial War Museum Duxford

The Imperial War Museum Duxford is one of the best museums of its kind anywhere in the world. It’s our premier aviation museum with both indoor and outdoor displays, exhibitions, events, special occasions, helpful staff and more exhibits than you could do justice to in a single day!

Linton Zoo

Linton Zoo in Linton, is more breeding centre than zoo. That means you don’t always get to see the animals, as they might be hiding, breeding or sleeping. But when you do they are much more relaxed and happy. The enclosure can seem a little wild and overgrown, but that’s the intent. To provide as natural a habitat as humanly possible to keep them happy. You still get to see a lot of endangered species whatever time of day you go though!

Anglesey Abbey

Anglesey Abbey in Lode, near Cambridge is a National Trust location with a country house, gardens and watermill. It’s a calm, tranquil place to visit and looks completely different with every changing season. A lot of work goes into keeping the property in excellent condition, making it a great day out for all the family.

The Raptor Foundation

The Raptor Foundation in Woodhurst is a bird of prey sanctuary and hospital. It’s an excellent place to watch birds of prey work, play and relax in 30 acres of land specially designed for them. There are over 300 birds on site at any one time and you can enjoy experience days, twilight flying, photography days and more.

Those are just six of the many great days out in Cambridgeshire. If you’re planning a short break in one of our many holiday cottages in the area, you’re not going to be short of things to do!

UK memorial gardens worth visiting

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With today being Remembrance Day, it’s only right that we honour that by listing the top memorial gardens that we know of. Places of reflection, places to honour the lost and places to remember.

Each has its own character, its own allure and reason to visit, especially on the 11th of November. If you’re enjoying an autumn break in one of our fantastic holiday cottages and are in the area, we encourage you to brave the weather and visit.

National Memorial Arboretum

The National Memorial Arboretum near Alrewas, Staffordshire is our national shrine to the fallen. It is a wonderful place that manages to balance relevance, beauty and memory into a single location. It’s an amazing place to visit at any time of year, but autumn is definitely a highlight.

Tower of London sea of poppies

The Tower of London sea of poppies is an amazing sight and one everyone should visit if they can. The Queen loved it when she visited last month and everyone who has seen it since has said the same. Spending a few minutes there while visiting the capital is well worth your time.

Palace Barracks Memorial Garden

The Palace Barracks Memorial Garden is outside Holywood in Northern Ireland. A quiet corner of the base has been turned into a garden of reflection and remembrance. Given that Northern Ireland has had its own troubles, the garden has a dual purpose, to remember the fallen of all conflicts.

Royal British Legion Remembrance Garden

The Royal British Legion Remembrance Garden in Royal Wooton Basset, Wiltshire is a poignant garden as the town used to be where service personnel were repatriated from Afghanistan. The garden has been created to honour the fallen from all conflicts and it well worth a visit if you’re in one of our holiday cottages in Wiltshire.

Lichfield Garden of Remembrance

The Lichfield Garden of Remembrance is a lovely little garden opened in 1920 to remember the fallen. Located next to Minster Pool within sight of the cathedral, it’s a nice, relaxing place to contemplate and remember. Lovely any time of year, it really comes alive during autumn.

There are hundreds of memorial gardens or remembrance locations across the country. Almost every town and city has one and there are hundreds of others in villages across the country. Each offers the respect due to those who gave their all and made that ultimate sacrifice.

If you’re staying in one of our holiday cottages this week, we suggest making a trip to one of the thousands of remembrance gardens, even for a couple of minutes. It’s the least we can all do.

Would you like a holiday cottage in one of the top ten cities in the world?

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Would you like a holiday cottage in one of the top ten cities in the worldEagle-eyed readers would have noticed last week that Salisbury was voted one of the top ten best cities in the world to visit by Lonely Planet. It was the only British city to be entered into the list and was nominated because it is "quintessentially English."

Holidaycottages.net has a selection of cottages around Salisbury and throughout Hampshire, so if you want to see what all the fuss is about, we can help.

Salisbury beat the likes of Toronto and Vienna to take seventh place in the list. A surprising entry there is no doubt, but a worthy one. The city itself is lovely, the cathedral is impressive and the fact that 2015 is the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta doesn’t hurt either!

The top ten best cities in the world to visit list includes:

1.    Washington, D.C. USA

2.    El Chaltén, Argentina

3.    Milan, Italy

4.    Zermatt, Switzerland

5.    Valletta, Malta

6.    Plovdiv, Bulgaria

7.    Salisbury, United Kingdom

8.    Vienna, Austria

9.    Chennai, India

10. Toronto, Canada

Lonely Planet have this to say about the city.

“For too long travellers have considered Salisbury a short stop on the way to Stonehenge. But 2015 is set to be the year visitors linger in this quintessentially English city, as Salisbury uncorks the champagne for the 800th anniversary of its greatest treasure, the Magna Carta.

As home to the best-preserved original copy, Salisbury Cathedral is the lightning rod for the celebrations. Expect a brand new exhibition alongside an array of talks, evensongs, a flower festival and plenty more.”

A lot is planned for next year’s anniversary, with the cathedral having been granted over £415,000 to put together displays and exhibitions to showcase the Magna Carta.

It isn’t all about that document though. Salisbury has a lot more going for it than just a lovely cathedral and one of the most important documents in British history. It’s also a city in its own right with restaurants, shops, attractions, history, culture, interest and so much more.

It’s also friendly, relaxed, easy to get around and to find parking. Something most other cities struggle with.

If you would like to sample the delights of Salisbury without staying in a boring chain hotel, holidaycottages.net can help. Our selection of quality accommodation set around the city are ideal for exploring Salisbury and Hampshire. Each is fully furnished, ideally located and ready to move in. Perfect for a short city break!

Top Bonfire night displays this November

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Top Bonfire night displays this November

Bonfire night is almost upon us again, so remember, remember this 5th of November!

Fireworks are incredibly expensive, so we think it’s a much better idea to spend a little and go to an organised firework display than spend a lot watching a few fireworks in the garden. It’s even better if you can make a mini break out of it in a holiday cottage!

As we have holiday cottages spread around the country, we thought we would put together five of the most popular Bonfire night displays this week. There’s still time to make a booking, pack a bag and go to any of these.

Midsummer Common, Cambridge (5th Nov)

The annual Midsummer Common Bonfire night display in Cambridge is held on November 5th this year. There is a fair, entertainments, bonfire and all sorts from 6pm, with the fireworks beginning at 5.30pm. It’s free to attend, but all donations are welcome.

Lewes, East Sussex (5th Nov)

Lewes in East Sussex is our next destination for a top Bonfire night display. This is apparently the biggest display in the country, with six organisations collaborating to provide a big event. There will be bonfires, marching bands, burning crosses, parades and fireworks. Festivities begin at 5pm.

Leeds Castle, Kent (8th-9th Nov)

Leeds Castle holds a “Leeds Castle Fireworks 'Go Wild'” event over the weekend which includes displays during the day, a bonfire and fireworks at night and loads more in-between. It’s a good event held in an awesome location. The castle makes an amazing backdrop to the fireworks and will have images projected onto it too. Gates open at 2pm, fireworks begin at 5.30pm.

Glasgow Green Fireworks, Glasgow (5th Nov)

The Glasgow Green Fireworks display in the city is Scotland’s largest. There is a funfair, music, entertainment, the bonfire and more. Being the biggest in the country, it get very busy here, regularly drawing more than 50,000 people. Fireworks begin at 7.30pm.

Penrhos Beach, Holyhead (5th Nov)

The annual event in Holyhead on Anglesey is one of the best fireworks displays in Wales. Voted in the top ten Bonfire displays in 2013, the events has stalls, rides, a huge bonfire and a professional fireworks display. Gates open at 5.45pm and fireworks begin at 7pm.

While it’s November 5th tomorrow, it’s not too late to pack up and find a holiday cottage near one of these displays. We have hundreds of cottages dotted around these locations with many discounts available for late bookings. Use the interactive map on the site and find the perfect holiday cottage from which to enjoy Bonfire night this year!

What to do on your Halloween half term

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What to do on your Halloween half termHalloween is a fun time of year, full of spooky stories and ghostly goings-on. If you’re planning a half term break in one of our holiday cottages, what will you do with your time? How will you embrace Halloween while keeping everyone entertained for an entire week?

Here are some ideas.

English Heritage Halloween half term

English Heritage are running a Halloween half term promotion across many of their properties. They include A Victorian Séance at Audley End House, Creepy Castle at Night at Bolsover Castle, Ghosts and Ghouls at Kenilworth Castle, Ghosts and Ghouls at Pendennis Castle and many more.

Each are child friendly and offers a little something different. All within the safe confines of an English Heritage property.

Isle of Wight Walking Festival

The Isle of Wight Walking Festival is exactly what it says, a walking festival on the Isle of Wight. It runs from 24th to 27th of October and includes a Fossil Hunting Walk, spooky Ghost Walk and an Alpaca Trek among other attractions.

We have a few holiday cottages on the Isle of Wight, so it would be easy to combine the two this half term!

Halloween Pumpkin Trail at the London Aquarium

If you’re in the city this week, why not try the Halloween Pumpkin Trail at the London Aquarium? Running from the 27th October to 2nd November, the attraction will have expertly carved pumpkins throughout the building and on Halloween itself, the Fish Witch will be visiting to share spooky stories of the deep!

Boo at the Zoo

Staying in London for a moment, Boo at the Zoo is being held at the Zoological Society of London between the 29th October to 2nd November. The event includes animal themed talks, displays, feeding and more and includes feeding wolves. Children wearing Halloween costumes could win a prize too.

Halloween Scavenger Trail

The RSPB in Leek are running a Halloween Scavenger Trail between the 29th October to 2nd November at RSPB Coombes and Churnet. The preserve will be temporarily handed over to woodland fairies, naughty goblins and more. Activities are built around finding the secret recipes for a potion to scare the goblins away. Good fun!

Wild Halloween Camp

The Wild Halloween Camp at Painshill Park, Cobham seeks to entertain and educate at the same time. Based outdoors, the activities include den building, woodcraft, treasure hunts, campfires and more. It’s a great way to get the kids outside, meeting new people and learning new skills.

If you’re staying in one of our holiday cottages over the period and were looking for something to do, those are just some of the hundreds of activities happening across the Halloween half term. We hope you enjoy your time with us!

The best places to see autumn in all its glory part 2.

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Lanhydrock

Continuing on from Tuesday’s post, we continue our exploration of the United Kingdom in autumn. It’s a fantastic time of year to be outdoors, weather permitting. The colours, the life and the scenery make it so worthwhile.

So if you’re staying in one of our many holiday cottages dotted around Britain, why not visit one of these locations too?

Batsford Arboretum

Batsford Arboretum near Stow-on the-Wold, Gloucestershire is another fine example of a place to enjoy autumn in all its glory. The cherry and maple woodland and gardens make for a fine day out and the “Autumn Colour Spectacular” is run between early October until mid-November.

Wendover Woods

Wendover Woods near Wendover, Buckinghamshire is another fine woodland well worth a visit. This one sits on the edge of the Chilterns and offers amazing views across Aylesbury Vale. It has ancient woodland, hiking and biking trails, lots of wildlife, an information centre and children’s play area too.

Exbury Gardens

Exbury Gardens in the New Forest, Hampshire is a 200 acre wonderland of garden, woodland and more. Owned by the Rothschilds, this location has award winning Nyassa and Oxydendrum trees and is widely regarded as one of the best places in the country to see them. We have lots of holiday cottages within the New Forest too!

Lanhydrock

Lanhydrockm near Bodmin, Cornwall is a Victorian country house with lovely gardens and woodland. It’s a National Trust property that offers some of the best landscapes in Cornwall and those woodlands really do take some beating in autumn. There are 14 miles of trails within the property too.

Kielder Water And Forest

Kielder Water And Forest in Northumberland is Europe’s largest and most impressive man-made forest and lake. It has also been voted the most tranquil place in England, which makes it worth a visit on its own. Add the woodlands of ash, aspen and oak, autumn colours and fantastic trails and you have a great place to spend time!

Hyde Park

Hyde Park in London may not have the country glory of many of the place on this list, but it’s still a fantastic place to visit in autumn. The 350 acre park has thousands of beech, horse chestnut, oak and more and all turn golden around the same time. With the Lido and Kensington Palace nearby, it makes for a great day out.

Holidaycottages.net has some fantastic holiday rentals near all of these locations that are available year-round. If you feel inspired to enjoy autumn a bit more, check out what’s available near your location of choice. There are some great deals to be had!

The best places to see autumn in all its glory

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The National ArboretumIgnoring the wind and rain for a minute, autumn is a fantastic time of year. It’s nature’s last gasp before hibernating for winter and the last opportunity to show us the beauty of the natural world. That gives us plenty of opportunity to enjoy the final days of life before the big sleep.

So the next two posts are celebrating the very best places in the UK to see autumn in all its glory. Each of these places has one or more holiday cottages within easy reach. If you’re enjoying a holiday this time of year in one of them, you should check one of these locations out!

The National Arboretum

The National Arboretum in Westonbirt, Gloucestershire is a great place to visit any time of year, but autumn especially so. The grounds have been deliberately planted with a range of oaks, Japanese maple, lime, birch and other species to provide a range of colours and textures.

Stourhead Gardens

Stourhead Gardens, near Warminster, Wiltshire is a stunning country estate managed by the National Trust. The landscaped grounds have follies, outbuildings, a temple or two and acres of landscaped grounds. There are also waymarked trails crossing the entire property providing some excellent walks through the forest.

Grizedale Forest

It’s hard to select one forest over the hundreds of others, but Grizedale Forest in Cumbria has to be one of the best. With a wide range of trees, hiking and biking trails, fantastic views of Windermere and Coniston Water and the proximity to the mountains, this forest really does take some beating at any time of year. Autumn makes it especially pretty.

Castell Coch

Castell Coch near Cardiff is a fantastic gothic castle set in lovely beech woodland. With stunning views of the surrounding hills, multi-coloured forest, lots of countryside and the castle itself to walk around, this location has plenty to offer. We have a few holiday cottages nearby too!

Alice Holt Forest

Alice Holt Forest near Farnham, Surrey is another fantastic place to experience autumn in all its glory. The forest once provided oak for the Royal Navy and was also the set for the early scenes in Gladiator. It is covered in hiking and biking trails and covered in all kinds of trees that provide a lovely vista this time of year.

Sheffield Park and Garden

Sheffield Park and Garden, near Haywards Heath in Sussex is an amazing place to visit and spend time. There are dour lakes, a wildlife area, cricket pitch and some villages dotted around the area. It’s an amazing place to enjoy some autumn sunshine.

Holidaycottages.net will be bringing you more fantastic autumn destinations in a couple of days. Join us on Thursday for the concluding post!

3 Simple Reasons You Need To Book Your Autumn And Winter Holiday Cottages Now

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With the school holidays now over and most children having been back at school for at least a week or two, we’re sure there are plenty of you out there who are relieved. Keeping your kids entertained for a weekend can be difficult enough, but for those who have had the full ‘joys’ of the summer holidays with your brood, you deserve a medal!

Most of us at HolidayCottages.net are parents ourselves, so we really do know just how challenging it is to keep the kids entertained during the holidays – and also how expensive.

With the October half term only six weeks away for most (and Christmas less than 100 days away!), if you’re planning on booking one of the many holiday cottages around the country for a family getaway, it’s important you do so now, for three simple reasons.

1. You could save a fortune

Let’s just get straight to the point – if you book any type of holiday as far in advance as you can, you’re almost always going to get the cheapest price possible.

You’ll of course be able to get some cheap last minute deals with most holidays, but there’s a huge risk factor involved. Imagine you waited until the weekend before you wanted to go and it turned out everywhere was fully booked. Then what do you do?

Chances are there’ll be something available somewhere, but nothing that fits in with your budget or suits your needs, which leads us perfectly onto the next two points.

2. You’ll be able to choose exactly where you want to go…

It’s a simple point, but it’s one that a lot of people forget about.

Just like the further in advance you book, the cheaper it will be, if you book at least a month or two before you travel, you’ll be able to choose exactly where you want to go (whether that’s in a rural area away from it all or close to the local attractions) and get your choice of which type of cottage you want to stay in – how about a cottage with a hot tub or swimming pool?

Everyone likes choice. No one wants to put their details and requirements into a website or search engine and find out that there’s only one or two cottages for them to choose from. It’s disheartening having to settle for second best!

We really do try to offer the widest selection of quality holiday cottages we possibly can, but there’s only so many available to offer (and with a particularly small window to book at peak times, the longer you leave it, the more chance there is that everything will have been snapped up).

3. …and when you want to stay

When you’re booking a break with restricted dates – the half term holiday is a perfect example – one of the most frustrating things about booking late is that you can’t often get to stay exactly when you want (or more importantly, need).

Linking back to your choice of cottages and destinations, you might be able to find somewhere that suits your needs, but what if it takes nearly a full day’s worth of driving just to get there? A three night stay could give you just one full day before you have to start thinking about getting ready to drive all the way back home.

Not really a relaxing break with the family, is it?

Sometimes you won’t be able to book holiday cottages in advance, we understand that. You might not know exactly when you can go, for example. You might not even know yet whether it’s a possibility if you do have dates.

But if you have your dates already worked out, the simple fact is, book now and you’ll be able to choose exactly where you stay, when you go and most importantly, all for the cheapest price possible.