WANT to skip the staycation crowds? Take a trip to these rural beauty spots this summer.
From spending the night stargazing in the Isle of Sheppey to camping with flocks of sheep in Upsticks, Malvern, here is our Lifestyle Editor Catherine Bennion-Pedley's guide.
Elmley Nature Reserve, Isle of Sheppey, Kent
THE PAD As you drift off to sleep to a chorus of marsh frogs, there’s no question this is a pretty remarkable place.
Hares hop past the floor-to-ceiling windows of your high-spec shepherd’s hut, so you can watch nature unfolding from your bed with steaming cups of coffee and hearty breakfast sarnies delivered to your door, £8.50 per person.
We fell in love with The Damson Hut with its rain shower, outdoor bath and sheltered setting among the fruit trees.
Although there is room for a travel cot, plus a kids’ hammock, it’s the perfect pad for two.
Flavoursome hot dinners, such as lamb tagine and chocolate brownies, can also be dropped off, £22 for two courses, and a fire pit completes the picture.
EXPLORE Elmley is England’s only national nature reserve where you can sleep over, so head down the track to try bird watching from the hides – the furthest is a 3.5-mile walk away.
Forgot your swimmers? Try naturist spot Shellness beach in Leysdown, 25 minutes drive away. Or head straight to nearby hamlet, Harty, where the Ferry House Inn serves up beautiful afternoon tea and delights such as pheasant wellington. Three courses cost £30 (Theferryhouseinn.co.uk).
REFUEL In Faversham, 30 minutes drive away, you’ll find Shepherd Neame, Britain’s oldest brewery.
Sadly, tours in the historic building are on pause due to coronavirus, but the gift shop is open (Shepherdneame.co.uk/brewery), plus there’s fab micropub Furlongs Ale House nearby for a hops fix.
Pretty Abbey Street leads down to Standard Quay, where you can haggle in the antiques shops and dig into Papà Bianco’s Courgetto pizza topped with homemade pesto and pine nuts, £8, while catching the sun by the creek (Standardquay.co.uk).
DON'T MISS Food emporium Macknade, just outside Faversham, is pretty special, with an array of local fresh produce, plus incredible Italian treats and even ceramics. Pick up Kent wine and Kentish Pip’s Wild Summer Cider to enjoy back by the fire (Macknade.com).
FYI No bath products are allowed in Elmley’s outside tubs and the hut’s fridges are small. The larger huts are surprisingly spacious and start from £115 a night. There is also a farmhouse for groups to rent (Elmleynaturereserve.co.uk).
Upsticks, Malvern, Worcestershire
THE PAD Tucked away in the paddock of a family farm, you’ll find three safari lodges complete with woodburner and six beds, including a cool loft that kids will love.
Wood-fired hot tubs sit outside, private bathrooms with fluffy towels are a boardwalk away, and so is a horse-box pantry packed with piles of goodies, from local meat and chutneys to bottles of bubbly.
There’s even a little pond and a fab den at the end of the field. The breakfast and barbecue hampers, from £35 (think thick-sliced bacon and marinated lamb reared on site) are superb. Then toast marshmallows on the huge fire pit as the sun sets.
EXPLORE In Eastnor village, a 10-minute drive away, you’ll find a castle with beautiful lake, woodland and a great adventure playground. Entry costs from £8.50 (Eastnorcastle.com).
While there, pop by Eastnor Pottery, which is run by the loveliest couple, Jonand Sarah. Their help might be less hands-on post-Covid, but they’re brilliant teachers and it’s fantastic fun. Classes cost from £30 per person for 1 1/2 hours (Eastnorpottery.co.uk).
The cobbled market town of Ledbury, five minutes further out, has gorgeous lifestyle shops, including Scandi heaven Hus & Hem, which is filled with incredible design gifts (Husandhem.co.uk), and the deliciously scented Tusk, selling clothes, homeware and pretty jewellery (Tuskcollection.com).
REFUEL Grab freshly baked goat’s cheese and pepper quiche, £3.75 a slice, and perfectly dressed salads from Ceci Paolo’s deli, plus an insanely good jumbo sausage roll, £2.50, at Gurney’s Family Butchers, both on Ledbury’s high street.
Or hire mountain bikes for the day from Upsticks, £5 for kids and £20 for adults, to explore the Malvern Hills.
Cycle 30 minutes down country lanes to Clive’s Fruit Farm in Upton-upon-Severn, where you can pick your own from its acres of orchards and stock up on local treats for a picnic (Clivesfruitfarm.co.uk).
Plus, The Farmers Arms is a short walk from the lodges.
DON'T MISS Wander through magical Puzzlewood, with its canyons of rock formations, secret caves and Hobbit-like wooden bridges.
It’s super-cool – even for big kids – and both Doctor Who and Star Wars have been filmed here. Entry costs £7 for adults, £6 for kids over two (Puzzlewood.net).
Ten minutes up the road is the three-hour-long Sculpture Trail in the incredible Forest of Dean. Entry is free (Wyedeantourism.co.uk/sculptrail).
FYI You have to leave your tent to use the bathroom, but we think the brilliant price reflects that. #Upsticks is perfect for families or groups of up to 18.
Stays for up to six people in a lodge cost from £135 a night, including a private hot tub and generous welcome hamper (Upsticksglamping.co.uk).
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