Incoming: we’ve got a whole host of UK staycation recommendations because, in case you missed the memo, exploring your home turf is 2020’s most sought-after adventure. In this episode, we find out which self-catering homes our editors are booking now, including humble bothies, honey-coloured Cotswold cabins and an avant-garde architectural gem in the South Downs.
Join our travel editors as they lift the lid on some of their favourite UK self-catering stays, from twee Cotswolds cottages to Pembrokeshire houseboats. No longer just a crash pad for laying your head, this is the kind of accommodation at the forefront of the staycation stampede. Expect design-driven bothies in the Highlands, the South Downs’ most swanky stately homes and Norfolk cottages that have been given extensive makeovers.
We’ll also be joined by one half of the dynamic duo behind the award-winning Brownber Hall, arguably the plushest pad in the country. After upping sticks and moving from Hackney to Cumbria, Peter and Amanda Jaques-Walker opened Brownber Hall to rave reviews. Then the pandemic hit and they pivoted from running a boutique hotel to a self-catering bolthole. Peter shares their journey with us, his top Lake District picks – including a secluded wild-swimming spot – and introduces their new property, Brownber House.
We’d love to know where you’re going next and how you think the travel landscape might change as lockdown restrictions ease. Send your voice notes to fleur@suitcasemag.com or drop us a DM on Instagram @indiadowley and @fleur_rm. For a daily dose of travel inspiration, check in with us at suitcasemag.com.
Links and notes from the episode
Peter Jaques-Walkers top Lake District tips:
Pendragon Castle with its River Eden swimming spot next door
The Black Swan for grub
Black Bull for Japan-meets-Cumbria food
The bothy India waxed lyrical about?
Inverlonan, Argyll and Bute, Scotland
Fleur’s glamping pick:
Glen Dye, Kincardineshire, Scotland
The glass-fronted homes hidden in the Scottish Highlands:
That dreamy Pembrokeshire houseboat…
Pembrokeshire Houseboat, Kip Hideaways
The most elaborate folly with Notebook-worthy boating lake:
The Walled Gardens, Bath
Fleur’s heading to this Cotswolds barn with her family in tow:
… and India to this Pinterest-worthy darling in Norfolk:
The showstopper of the episode:
Cadence, Petworth, West Sussex
Our pick of self-catering booking platforms:
Canopy & Stars for treehouses, airstreams and other quirky accommodation
Airbnb Plus (obvs)
Living Architecture for Grand Design-worthy properties
Fish & Pips for all-out countryside party mansions