YORK

From walking the city walls, to the beauty of York Minster and the charm of the tearooms and shops, York is an excellent choice for a weekend away in England, and somewhere I managed to squeeze in a visit to, just before the UK went into lockdown last year.

York has a wide array of hotel, B&B and accommodation options, both in the city centre and further afield. I had personally opted to stay in an AirBNB apartment, a short walk from the centre.

This particular duplex apartment in York had free on-site parking, behind a secure gate, and had a view of the city walls and York Minster. They even have their own instagram - @our_airbnb_in_york.

The space was beautifully furnished in a modern/industrial style, that was completely to my taste.

York is an ideal place if you’ve only got the time to get away overnight. We found that we were able to comfortably see the city in two days.

Things to see in York

If you are looking for inspiration, I’d take a walk along the York City Walls, take a visit to the York Minster, wander The Shambles and if you’re brave enough, visit the Jorvik Viking Centre - a tad overhyped, but something we wanted to check out whilst we were in York.

Where to eat in York

For places to eat, Bettys Tea Room is the most renowned, however, we didn’t end up eating here, instead we opted for breakfast at a lovely cafe called Brew & Brownie (5 Museum St, York YO1 7DT) , where I enjoyed a delicious stack of pancakes, and went for dinner at a lovely restaurant called Ate O'Clock (13A High Ousegate, York YO1 8RZ) which has a cosy courtyard to sit, that even in February, was kept warm, and I can imagine would be equally as lovely on a warm summer's evening.

Snowdonia

The second on my list of UK staycations is Snowdownia. For the walking enthusiasts among us, the challenge of Snowdon is a draw for many. For me, the draw to Snowdonia National Park was to take a helicopter flight over the mountains - a gift that my dad had received for his 50th birthday.

The night before our helicopter flight, we opted to stay in a cosy cabin in Llanrwst. Although remote, the cabin proved to be the excellent remote retreat that I’m sure many would appreciate in 2021 and beyond. The cabin was perfectly furnished for my mum, dad, sister and I, and came with a BBQ too, as well as all the comforts of home including modern shower room,kitchen with oven ,hob, microwave,kettle ,toaster,fridge/freezer.

And Lllanrwst is a convenient 10 minute drive to the Snowdonia National Park train station, meaning that the AirBnB is very close to Snowdonia’s key amenities and attractions, and the enclosed garden area has uninterrupted views over the Snowdonia range. 

Things to do in Snowdonia

• Day Trip to Portmeirion
• Helicopter Trip over Snowdonia

Hay-on-Wye

The next destination is one that book-lovers will adore. Hay-on-Wye, often abbreviated to "Hay" is a small market town and community in the historic county of Brecknockshire in Wales, not far from the England-Wales border.

I visited Hay in 2017, when I’d treated my boyfriend to a trip there, so that he could explore all of the second-hand bookshops in the town, as well as enjoying a nice coffee and cake in one of the many independent cafes.


The town is nestled on the banks of the River Wye and surrounded by the Brecon Beacons National Park, so although its identity is firmly established in books, there’s not a shortage of things to explore if staying in the area. If I were to visit again, I’d definitely alloy for time to explore the abundance of countryside in the area surrounding the village. 

Our trip to Hay-on-Wye was only for the day, however, many opt to visit during the Hay Festival. The Hay Festival of Literature & Arts is an annual literature festival held in Hay-on-Wye, Powys, Wales, for ten days from May to June and is the busiest time to visit, with hotels and B&Bs being fully booked well in advance.

Ludlow

When visiting Hay, we had opted to stay an hour north, in Ludlow in a lovely Annex called Friars Tilt. The annex comes with it’s own outdoor patio space and is close to the centre of Ludlow, which was situated just behind the castle on the Linney and walking distance to the stunning views of the River Teme, Whitcliffe Common and Mortimer forest. It also comes with FREE off street parking - a rare luxury in the centre of Ludlow!

Although perhaps not overly targeted towards tourists, Ludlow is a lovely market town in Shropshire. We took the opportunity to visit one of the independent restaurants there, that were only a 5 minute walk from where we were staying, as well as visiting Ludlow Castle, an unusually complete range of medieval buildings with a varied history of Norman Fortress, Fortified Palace, as well as having the chance to browse the outdoor Ludlow market.

The Cotswolds (& Bath)

I think a mention of a UK staycation would not be complete without a mention of the Cotswolds. The Cotswolds.

‘The Cotswolds’ is a large area to cover, almost 800 square miles and 5 counties, meaning there are plenty of options when it comes to choosing which parts you’d like to see.

One of the delights of visiting the Cotswolds is exploring the different areas, so when I went on a mini-break to Bath last September (just before the restrictions tightened again), I took the opportunity to drive home via the scenic route, and tick off a couple of Cotswolds villages and towns en-route home.

These included Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold, Cirencester, Castle Combe (pretty enough to be a movie set), to name a few.

When it comes to picking a place to stay, this would totally depend on which part of the Cotswolds you are exploring, however, with wanting to explore the city of Bath, as well as the surrounding Cotswold villages, I had opted to stay at the Stanton Manor Hotel in Chippenham, which was an ideal location for being able to explore the Cotswolds, whilst still being driving distance from Bath and Bristol.

The Lake District

Another location that would be a typical tourism hotspot in the UK is the Lake District. I’ve only been to the Lake District on a couple of occasions, and feel that there is plenty more left for me to explore. When I visited the Lakes a couple of years ago, I had a lovely stay and meal at The King's Head Inn in Thirlmere, near Keswick, north of Scafell Pike and Lake Windermere. I only stayed in the lakes for one night, and I found that this wasn’t long enough, so if I were to go back, I’d definitely extend my trip to two nights, to allow more time for big walks and exploring.

Extras

I thought it would be worthwhile sharing some of the other accommodations that I would recommend;

Edinburgh - The only place in Scotland I'd been fortunate to visit, but one I've been to twice and loved for all that the city had to offer. 

Irthlingborough - Ideal for visiting the Rushden Lakes / Northampton. This AirBnB is one that we stayed in when travelling to Northampton for a Christening. It’s set in a Victorian coach house and has a spacious main bedroom with a very comfortable double bed and a second bedroom with a comfy single bed and working space.

Chester - Ideal for if you are doing a day at the races or want to explore the Roman Walls. I wrote a full review of my stay at Roomzzz Chester for those interested.