Monthly Archives: June 2014

Romantic cottages for 2

Romantic cottages for 2

Life is at its best when you’re young and in love. To be wealthy, young and in love tops that and if you are in that happy position then you might have money to spare to fund fantastic romantic cottage breaks away for you and your partner.

Falling in love is natural, a successful romance needs to be orchestrated. You may be lucky and live in a pleasant place with suitable backdrops for romantic interludes but for most urban dwellers a stark brick wall and heavy traffic just doesn’t do it. Take your lover out into the wonderful British countryside, to woodland with grassy knolls, to sand dunes where you can find a private and sheltered spot in a sandy hollow, to the top of a mountain where you can survey the landscape before you.

Go out and about to find the scenery for your romance. The moon and stars shine brighter away from street lights, small country pubs have those private nooks with tables for two and big roaring fires. This is what your romantic escapades should include. Big soft beds, kisses by a log fire, a bottle of wine for two and the gentle glow of candlelight.

romantic cottages for 2
Romantic cottages for 2

There are some divine romantic cottages to rent that sleep just two. There may be a log burner or open fire, a dining table for two, a hot tub on the patio. So take a look at romantic cottages for 2 for memorable breaks. If all goes well and you have a good time, you’ll remember the partner better than the silky smooth Egyptian cotton bedlinen and jacuzzi bath.

Country Cottages In Devon, Family cottage holidays UK, self-catering holidays

Country Cottages in Devon

Cottage holidays near Sidmouth in Devon
Cottage holidays near Sidmouth in Devon

If you carried out a survey and asked people where they had been for a country cottage holiday or where they would choose to go, Devon is likely to come top of the list. There is a good reason why people refer to Devon as glorious; this English county that lies towards the south west , between the outer edges of the Bristol Channel and the Atlantic Ocean in the north and the English Channel in the south, Devon shows off with two seaside coasts, north and south.

Visit the Donkey Sanctuary near Beer during your Devon cottage holiday
Visit the Donkey Sanctuary near Beer during your Devon cottage holiday

From the north to the south coast is divine rolling green countryside and farms galore. Contented black and white cows chew the cud in picture perfect landscapes, wildflowers weave through Devon’s hedgerows and the birds sing exceptionally sweetly (or so it seems on holiday when we have time to listen).

People go to the beaches on the north coast of Devon to surf on the large waves and surfing tuition abounds in Croyde and along the Devon Heritage Coast. Even if you haven’t the nerve to attempt to ride the waves, those surfers make a pretty picture and add greater interest to our holiday snaps.

The Devon south coast and that string of fabulous sand or pebble beaches from Branscombe down to Sidmouth (one of the best), along to Brixham, Dartmouth, Hope Cove and the southern Heritage coast are a magnet for seaside loving families drawn to the sands and a paddle.

Holidaymakers love Devon because it goes out of its way to give them a good time. The rural holiday cottages and farmhouses are magnificent, often set in their own pretty gardens with a barbecue and garden lounging furniture, the modern seaside apartments are a dream and the pine lodges and log cabins just top it all. There is a vast choice of cottage accommodation in Devon so that everyone can find something comfortable and satisfying.

Devon cottages
Devon cottages

There are even unique tree houses, lighthouses, windmills and unusual holiday homes to tempt the sated palate. There are beautiful gardens and parks to explore, every form of visitor attraction or activity that you can possibly imagine. And the weather is milder with more hours of sunshine in Devon. It is definitely a holiday kind county and some people reckon that it is especially pet-friendly to boot.

If you’ve never been to Devon, you’ll have to go. Just search for a country cottage in Devon that will tempt you to stay and go with the flow. Discover a little part of Devon and it will always stay in your heart.

country cottages, Romantic cottages for 2, Rural retreats in Clare Suffolk, self-catering holidays

Romantic rural retreats in Clare, Suffolk

When passion knows no limits, it is good to slip away to a romantic retreat for that private affair and where better than to Suffolk, an English county famous for its beautiful scenery and charming holiday cottages for 2. We suggest staying near the booking a holiday cottage in the village of Clare which is close to most of the popular places to visit on the tourist map, near Constable Country and various notable Suffolk locations.

Clare in Suffolk, the place for a romantic retreat
Clare in Suffolk, the place for a romantic retreat

Mastercraftsmen built many of the cottages and amazing churches of Suffolk. At a time when builders took immense pride in their work, even individual cottages were created with loving care. Visitors often express pleasure and surprise at the heavily beamed, or artistically pargeted reliefs on the outside of cottages in Suffolk. The pargeted designs depict everyday country life in Suffolk: the sowing of grain, harvesting the wheat, horses dragging a plough across a rutted field. Suffolk is a mostly rural county dotted with handsome historic towns and pretty little villages. It dosn’t matter where you wander in Suffolk, the rural scenery is beautiful, the villages charming and towns impressive.

Views during your cottage holiday: golden fields of corn in Suffolk
Views during your cottage holiday: golden fields of corn in Suffolk

The back lanes of Suffolk are ideal for cycling – few cars disturb the general tranquillity. Find an idyllic rural retreat for the two of you, somewhere with its own private garden and luxurious interior and a pleasureable break can be yours. View www.countrycottagesonline.com for stunning rural retreats in Clare, Suffolk.

country cottages, self-catering holidays

Family country cottage breaks

How long is it since you felt the dew on early morning grass or watched the metallic gleam of dragon flies hovering beside a pond?

If the answer is ‘never’ or n’ot for a long time’, then we recommend a rural self-catering holiday.

Nature is for everyone and not a just a topic in primary school. One of the most popular BBC television programmes is ‘Countryfile’ which explores various aspects of the British countryside through the seasons and is followed by thousands. Encounter the countryside personally, not just visually through an electronic box. Take the children for a stay in the country and you will view the countryside through new eyes as you introduce them to plants and animals that they may have never seen before.

country cottage
Country cottage for a magical rural break

You will need somewhere to stay in the country and rural holiday cottages and pine lodges are the most comfortable form of accommodation. There is nothing nicer than having your own spacious holiday home with a front door that you can close when you prefer to rest and be alone.

Out and about in the countryside can be most surprising. How often have you driven down a narrow lane only to be met by an enormous flock of sheep coming directly towards you? All you can do is to sit it out until they pass.

You might be amazed to find herds of shaggy Highland cattle grazing peacefully on the Isle of Wight or of fields of bison and llama in Sussex and herds of deer in lots of locations.

I love to see those fierce country ‘guard dogs’, a flock of geese protecting their patch and beware anyone who comes to close because they will follow and hiss at your heels leaving you feeling quite silly as you gingerly retreat.

Stumbling across fungi can be quite fascinating, there are those that are as large as dinner plates and others that should belong in fairyland. Children love to hear tales of fairies and goblins and circles of mushrooms may just prompt your imagination.

Fungi, a rural treasure
Fungi, a rural treasure
An old village pump in Felsham, rural Suffolk
An old village pump in Felsham, rural Suffolk

On holiday in the country, you will encounter stiles, village greens, some with the old village pump as a momento of the past. Here is your chance to discuss the progress of technology throughout history and discuss how life is so much better now that we have hot and cold running water in our houses.

You and your family might just return from the countryside having had a wonderful time, a lot more educated and grateful that we were born in modern times.

Find a good quality family holiday cottage and appreciate Great Britain.

Scottish country cottages, self-catering holidays

Art, history and remote rural holiday cottages in Scotland

Maiden Stone near Pitcaple, Inverurie
Maiden Stone near Pitcaple, Inverurie, 9th Century

The modern idea of making forest walks more interesting by placing sculptures at intervals along trails is welcome. Take a holiday in Scotland and you’ll discover sculptors and artists of old, ancient Celts who left behind stone engraved circles or solitary standing stones covered in Pictish symbols that cause us to stand and stare and think about their origins. Visit Aberdeenshire in north east Scotland and White Cow Wood or Bennachie for good walking trails and ancient remains. There are various sites with similar mysterious stones in Orkney and dotted all over Scotland.

Any bird watchers would be dumbfounded by the numbers of sea birds that live on the rocks on the Aberdeenshire coast. The air can be a swirl of gulls and guillemots. Rocks offshore have been eroded by centuries of high winds and lashing rain into interesting natural sculptures. Walk the cliff tops to spot puffins with brightly coloured beaks and orange feet peering out of burrows and waddling across the grass with that rolling gait. Nature paints some of the most charming pictures of all.

Scottish seascapes are brilliant. Take the ferry to Skye or one of the islands of the Outer Hebrides. A fine mist creates an eerie world of gloom of some days, on others the sky is blue and the beaches lie pristine and unwalked. Leave a solitary trail of footprints across the sands as you walk by the gently lapping waves. Depending on the time of year, beached jellyfish may litter the sand in transparent lumps with pink or reddish centres. Lazy seals lift their heads to check you out and return to dozing in the sun.

Isle of Skye and remote beaches
Isle of Skye and remote beaches

Fishing used to play a huge part in the Scottish economy before the days of quotas. Old smoking houses may still be operational on the coast. Peer in to see batches of salmon acquiring colour as they cure in rows of pink.

Each small village has a lengthy history and a story to tell. Stop in the local pubs and chat to the locals who would dearly love to regale you with talk about witches, pirates, fishing and infamous inhabitants.

cottages to rent for holidays in the Scottish countryside
Cottages to rent for holidays in the Scottish countryside

There are lots of remote and secluded holiday cottages in rural Scotland that would be a small patch of heaven in a busy world. Go stay and discover another world, seamless with the past, full of colour, characters and mystery, art and history – both old and new.

country cottages, Romantic cottages for 2, self-catering holidays

Last minute romantic cottage holidays

When in love, the world sings a vibrant new song. Hands held, bodies close and spirits entwine. There is nothing to beat that feeling of being in love, the extreme highs and lows, the sighs and longing. Love needs a place to be alone, somewhere tranquil and beautiful to share for a while.

We can recommend some absolutely stunning rural hideaways for 2 in the UK – small romantic cottages where you can lay the foundations of your fondness and regard for each other.

romantic breaks under the stars in the uk
Romantic breaks under the stars in the UK

To walk under stars you need to be away from the bright lights of cities, in country areas without street lights that encourage your lover to instinctively draw close. Search the night skies and realise what miniscule but marvellous and individual creations we are in this enormous picture. Look for holiday cottages and charming rustic log cabins for a few nights break in rural counties such as Northumberland, Cumbria or Yorkshire in the north of England, Suffolk and Norfolk in East Anglia, the Isle of Wight and country areas in south Cornwall. Herefordshire is also pleasantly green with intertwining country lanes that lead to remote and secluded cottages hidden from the world.

Romantic cottage holidays for 2 in Cornwall
Romantic cottage holidays for 2 in Cornwall

Much of Wales and Scotland is rural. Escape to the remote places with woodland and coast, perhaps stay in a cottage by the sea so that you can have romantic walks on the beach in the morning, quiet places where the only company might be a lazy seal or squawking gulls.

Romantic cottage breaks for couples in Scotland
Romantic cottage breaks for couples in Scotland

There are some fabulous cottage retreats around some of the Scottish lochs, stay awhile and watch the sun go down bright red over the water. Go walking in the wooded hills during the day, you’re likely to spot shy deer, plenty of rabbits and find pleasantly mossy clearings in amongst the trees. Take a picnic and enjoy a champagne lunch for two.

Self-catering cottage breaks for couples can be wonderful with a little imagination and forethought. The chance to be alone to express love can be more than an idle notion. There are lots of divine places to stay in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Start saving for that special trip or if you already have the means, someone you love and the desire, then do take a look at www.lastminute-romantic.com.