Bookings are expected to soar when an end to lockdown is confirmed
How lucky we are to be surrounded by sea. Even in the dimmest days of lockdown, when we can scarcely venture beyond our own four walls, the seaside has always been ‘there’. For a huge swathe of the population, ‘there’ is the South Coast – around 300 miles of it stretching from Dover in Kent to Lyme Regis on the Devon-Dorset border and accessible not only by car but by train, ferry and even bicycle. The region is packed with show-stopping views and walking routes that include the South Downs Way, the Jurassic Coast, and a loop around the Isle of Wight.
10 beautiful cottages to book for your summer staycation Isabella Mackay
Nights on the Amalfi Coast sipping Aperol might have to exist solely on our camera rolls this year, but beach trips and luxury minibreaks (hopefully) won’t have to.
Just because foreign holidays are looking unlikely (unless you can afford two weeks in a quarantine hotel), that doesn’t mean we can’t start dreaming of that escapist summer break. According to UK staycation site Independent Cottages, bookings for self-catered holidays are already coming in thick and fast’ for summer 2021.
Don’t be the one to miss out: from clifftop cottages with private hot-tubs to quaint wooden lodges nestled in national parks, here are 10 luxury UK cottages to book now.
Thanks to the lockdown huge numbers of people have been descending on beauty spots in Sussex every time the sun comes out. I know the authorities would rather we were all tucked up at home and most us are most of the time. But if you surveyed those who have had an hour or two in the countryside, I’m sure most would say they felt far better because of it. The trouble is that too many people are going to these places which makes keeping their distance hard to observe. At Devil’s Dyke the car parks are full to overflowing and there are traffic problems on the access road.
Matt Hannah will be taking on the 100-mile South Downs Way trail barefoot in aid of Mountbatten A BRIGHTON based philanthropist, who recently relocated from his Isle of Wight roots, is putting his raw flesh to the test to raise funds for Newport s Mountbatten. In 2019, Matt Hannah completed a 67-mile walk around the circumference of the Island without shoes in aid of car crash victim Becky Wall s rehabilitation. This year his soles, limbs and joints will brave a 100-mile trek along the footpaths and bridleways of South Downs Way to raise money for independent charity Mountbatten, which provides end of life care and bereavement support to anyone living on the Island.
A STUNNINGLY serene picture of walkers on a sunny winter’s day is the winner of the South Downs National Park’s Annual Photo Competition. “Chanctonbury Ring” by Tim Kahane took the top spot in the popular photography contest, which attracted over 400 entries, a record-breaking number for the competition. The theme for this year was “My Tranquil Haven” and judges agreed that Tim’s peaceful photograph met the brief perfectly, capturing a moment of serenity amid the uncertainty of 2020. Meanwhile, the competition also included a separate category for best wildlife image – with first place going to an extraordinary photograph of a hare sprinting across a snowy field in the South Downs.