Best Spring Breaks For English Tourism Week
The spring equinox (Tuesday 20 March) marks a time to celebrate woodlands bursting with daffodils, fields filled with adorable animals and long, warm, country walks. To celebrate, take advantage of the offerings for English Tourism Week (17-25 March), where a wide variety of local and national events, discounts and special offers are being made available. See below for a round-up of new season openings and offers across the country, for the perfect spring break in England.
FLOURISHING FLOWERS
Take in Wordsworth’s Daffodils with Sharrow Bay’s spring offer, Lake District
Walk in the footsteps of Romantic poet William Wordsworth this spring and gaze out across the ‘host of golden daffodils,’ adorning the banks of the very lake which inspired Daffodils - one of Britain’s best-loved poems. The original country house hotel and the inventor of sticky toffee pudding, Sharrow Bay sits right on the shores of Ullswater in an unrivalled lakeside setting and offers some of the Lake District’s most spectacular views of the famed spring landscapes. Situated within the newly-appointed World Heritage site, the hotel is the ideal starting point for a range of walks to admire the awakening Lake District scenery.
New event: See Dazzling Daffodils at Hever Castle, Kent
21-25 March
See 14,000 daffodils bloom in the grounds at Anne Boleyn’s childhood home at this new event. Master grower Johnny Walkers of Walkers’ Bulbs, and winner of 35 RHS gold medals, will be onsite giving talks and tours and sharing his encyclopedic knowledge of bulbs accrued over a lifetime growing daffodils.
STAY AT: One Warwick Park, Tunbridge Wells
From its origins as a brewery and school house, this harmonious and unified building brings a luxury guest experience to the historic spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells.
REJUVINATING BREAKS
Stay on England's most northerly commercial vineyard Farfield Farm, York
17-25 March
Relax and stay at this small family run business producing award winning wines in a farmhouse on an idyllic six-acre vineyard. Set on south facing slopes at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds, the setting is rural and peaceful yet only six miles from the market town of Malton with regular food markets and food festivals. Castle Howard is nearby, as is the North York Moors Railway, plus for some city life it’s also a short drive from York.
Enjoy 2 nights for the price of 1 in March at Chewton Glen, Hampshire
1-28 March (subject to availability)
With only 50 rooms available at this rate, celebrate spring with 130 acres to explore including a nine-hole golf course, a plush croquet lawn and indoor and outdoor tennis courts. Subject to availability until 28th March 2018, only 50 rooms available on a first come, first served basis.
Langdale Hotel offers a Brimstone Spa Break from 23 March, Lake District
23 March – 4 November
Set quietly on the Langdale Estate in the secluded Langdale Valley, Langdale Hotel offers chic rooms, nature walks right from the doorstep and an ultra-stylish dining experience, as well as Brimstone Spa, which includes a Himalayan Salt Steam, Finnish Sauna, Ice Fountain, Herbal Sauna, Mineral Salt Steam and Laconium as well as a relaxation pool which spans from indoors to outdoors. The Spa Break is available from the 23rd of March until the 4th of November and includes a night’s stay in a Lakeland Signature Roomy Room complete with lavish breakfast, a 55-minute treatment for each guest and a Spa Deli Lunch, as well as spa access throughout the stay.
ADORABLE ANIMALS
Spot wildlife at Chatsworth House during their season opening, Bakewell, Derbyshire
24 March
2018 will see Chatsworth House and Garden presented in its full glory following the culmination of the 10-year long restoration project. Come to the season opening on 24 March, and view the exhibition of the largest restoration and conservation project ever undertaken at Chatsworth.
The park is home to red and fallow deer, sheep, cattle and many wild animals. The grass you walk on is a crop grazed by sheep, cattle and deer; the river provides fish and the woods game and timber.
STAY AT: The Devonshire Arms, Beeley
This traditional country Inn is located on the Chatsworth Estate and has fourteen hotel bedrooms owned by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. It’s a short walk from Chatsworth House and blends its idyllic village setting with contemporary comfort.
Beautiful British gardens open for lambs and spring bulbs at Kentwell Hall, Suffolk
17-29 March
Standing within the most extensive moat in the county and over 25 acres of gardens and ground, Kentwell Hall is Suffolk’s hidden gem and one of England’s finest Tudor houses. Kentwell’s gardens will be beautiful with the grounds covered in daffodils and the spring bulbs and fruit blossom all flowering, with new-born lambs in the Tudor Stables. Kentwell has extended the Story Book Adventure Trail to encourage more children to get outdoors and now includes 19 stories and characters; from the enormous ‘Crunching Munching Caterpillar’ to the magnificent ‘Gorilla who wanted to Grow Up’.
STAY AT: The Black Lion, Long Melford
The Black Lion has 10 bedrooms including snug, luxury, grand luxury and family rooms. Chestnuts interior design team has cleverly combined The Black Lion’s traditional and antique style with a luxurious and warm feel.
SPRING WALKS
Book onto a walking holiday, Somerset
18-25 March
Choose from five night guided walking holidays in Bath, the Cotswolds, Exmoor, Somerset and Wiltshire, with Bath West Walks. Each holiday will enable you to come into contact with nature, wildlife and local heritage. Among the places you can visit are Avebury, Bourton on the Water, Lorna Doone Valley and the National Trust's Stourhead. Mention English Tourism Week to obtain your 10% discount.
Freshen up with a Spring Nature Trail, Blickling Estate, Norfolk
29 March – 15 April
Help the kids let off some steam by taking them to a 55-acre playground in the heart of the Norfolk countryside. The team at the Blickling Estate have organised a series trails so that families can brush away the cobwebs and get active during the Easter holidays. Learn about nature, marvel at the first buds of spring and see if you can spot any birds building their nests. You can also enjoy sow-and-grow sessions in the walled garden and a family-friendly cycle trail.
STAY AT: Bucks Arms, Blickling
This traditional 17th century pub and former coaching inn offers fantastic views of the surrounding Blickling Hall Estate.
For more information on English Tourism Week, go to: