What To Book Around The UK This Spring
Paul Winch-Furness
THE PLACE FOR A DIGITAL DETOX:
Unplugged
Unplugged opened its first digital detox cabin in Essex a few years ago, created specifically for busy city workers and those looking for a total escape. It now has cabins in Hertfordshire, Hampshire, Sussex and the New Forest. Guests can book in for a tech-free, three-night detox where you’ll hand over your devices to enjoy the peaceful surroundings. Eco-friendly cabins have everything you need for a comfortable stay, including hot showers, a kitchenette with a kettle and gas hob, a small living area with an indoor wood burner, and outdoor space with a fire pit and chairs. Perfect for couples who need to switch off, you’ll also be given a welcome box with an old-school Nokia (in case of emergencies), a compass and a lockbox to store your phone; an Instax camera with film; a cassette player with music; and boardgames for evening entertainment. We recommend checking in during the daytime to transport your food and belongings to the cabin in the trolley, before picking up a pair of wellies.
Various sites
Visit Unplugged.Rest
THE SEASIDE HOTEL:
The Nici, Bournemouth
This newly refurbished hotel is set on Bournemouth’s West Cliff with beautiful coastal views. Elevating the town’s hotel offering, there are 80 light and bright rooms with tropical accents and pops of green, from classic doubles and family rooms to luxury suites with separate living areas. There’s a heated outdoor pool, a spa which is set to open later this month, and an all-day restaurant and bar. Other impressive facilities include a cinema and activity centre with kayaks and paddleboards to borrow. Guests can also book yoga classes on Sundays and – when the weather warms up – a croquet lawn and outdoor ping-pong table. Make a beeline for the pool area with its sun loungers and cabanas.
West Hill Road, Bournemouth, BH2 5EJ
Visit TheNici.com
THE RESTAURANT:
Furna, Brighton
Chef Dave Mothersill has opened his first solo project in Brighton. Furna will showcase the best of Sussex produce with a regularly rotated tasting menu. Atmospheric interiors feature furniture made from reclaimed wood found in Brighton. There’s counter seating overlooking the open kitchen as well as a private dining room at the back of the restaurant, and a wine cellar with an extensive selection of world and low-intervention wines. The current tasting menu features dishes like mushroom agnolotti with black garlic, parmesan and truffle; Cornish monkfish with smoked eel and celeriac; salt aged deer with beetroot and bone marrow; and mirin meringue with quince and creme fraiche.
6 New Road, Brighton, BN1 1UF
Visit FurnaRestaurant.co.uk
pasco.photography
THE COMMUNITY HUB:
Birch, Selsdon
On the outskirts of London, Birch in Cheshunt is the hotel that calls itself a community, giving city dwellers the chance to relax with creative workshops, meditations, and special tasting menus. This spring, it’s opening an outpost in Selsdon, 30 minutes from central London. Set in 200 acres of land, the new property is a 19th-century gothic-style mansion with neutral interiors and fun pops of colours. There will be 181 bedrooms – from small rooms for solo travellers to larger suites for families and groups – as well as a lido, wellness space, two restaurants, three bars, a co-working hub, activity studios and several communal spaces. There’s also an outdoor play area for children and a kids’ club for arts and crafts, superhero training and pyjama parties. You can also sign up to Birch’s membership programme which includes discounts on stays and private room hire, access to its central London club, and priority booking for ticketed events.
126 Addington Road, South Croydon, CR2 8YA
Visit BirchCommunity.com
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD SPOT:
Tipo, Edinburgh
Chef Stuart Ralston has opened his third Edinburgh restaurant. Joining the excellent Noto and Aizle, Tipo will serve traditional Italian pasta dishes alongside charcuterie snacks, small sharing plates and larger meat and fish dishes with seasonal sides. Menu highlights include octopus carpaccio with pickled veg, seabass crudo with orange and mint, rigatoni with vodka sauce, linguini with crab and chilli, and ribeye steak with herby sauce. Leave room for desserts like warm chocolate cake with cherry soft serve, and lemon tart with pistachio. There’s also a range of cocktails and bottles from family-owned Italian wineries.
110 Hanover Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1DR
Visit TipoEdinburgh.com
THE OUTDOOR EXHIBITION:
Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield
Wakefield’s Yorkshire Sculpture Park has an exciting line-up of exhibitions over the next few months. As well as its long-running Damien Hirst and Robert Indiana displays, there’s a new exhibition in the YSP centre by Simon Palmer, one of Britain's leading watercolour artists. It celebrates the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales around Wensleydale where he has lived and worked for the last 40 years. There’s also an exhibition by Leonardo Drew which has been specially commissioned for the park’s chapel. The large-scale piece of art has been made with blackened plywood for dramatic effect. Tickets cost £9.
Wakefield, WF4 4LG; until October 2023
Visit YSP.org.uk
Anthony Devlin/ GettyImages for Daniel Arsham
THE LAKESIDE HOTEL:
The White House, Lake District
Just a five-minute walk from Windermere’s lakeshore, this cosy new hotel occupies a 19th-century whitewashed building. Guests can stay in one of 12 bedrooms or the one-bed self-catered cottage which has a freestanding bath and a private garden with hot tub and sun loungers. All the rooms have chic interiors – some with restored beams and oak panelling, others with crittall doors and patio views. The hotel doesn’t have a restaurant or bar, but the area is increasingly known for its excellent food scene. Accommodation in the Lake District is on the pricey side, but this hotel offers value for money if you want to explore a beautiful part of the country – rooms start from £150 per night.
Robinson Place, Bowness-on-Windermere, Lake District, LA23 3DQ
Visit WhiteHouseWindermere.com
THE CAFÉ:
JAQ at The Provenist, Bath
Premium homeware store Neptune has opened a restaurant and café at its Bath branch, headed up by chef Jaq Brewer. With a field-to-fork ethos, the vegetarian menu features Middle Eastern and North African-inspired dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. Brunch dishes include smashed broad beans with crumbled feta, chilli and fresh herbs on toast; Turkish eggs with creme fraiche; and fluffy pancakes with peach compote. Alongside coffee and freshly made pastries, all-day dishes include beetroot, hummus and artichoke salad; courgette and pea risotto; and fennel and kale tart with cauliflower couscous. Diners can sit outside on the terrace or in the chic dining room. Over the coming months, there will be supper clubs, Sunday jazz brunches and ‘lunch and listening’ sessions with other chefs.
One Tram Yard, Walcot Street, Bath, BA1 5BD
Visit @JaqAtTheProvenist
THE COUNTRY ESTATE:
Middleton Lodge
We love Middleton Lodge near the Yorkshire Dales, so we were excited to visit the estate’s second fine-dining restaurant. Headed up by head chef Jake Jones (of L’Enclume fame), guests at newly reopened Forge can experience an inventive tasting menu featuring dishes like trout with preserved blackcurrant and toasted quinoa; Cornish cod with English sparkling wine and leeks in bone marrow; and caramelised apple and thyme tart. There’s also a vegetarian menu – both are served with paired wines. Elsewhere on the estate, guests can head to the relaxed all-day Coach House for excellent dishes made with local produce, or relax in one of the treatment rooms. For accommodation, there are chic rooms in the main house, self-catered cottages or shepherd huts – some with glorious copper baths. In the coming months, guests will also be able to relax at the hotel’s Forest Spa.
Kneeton Lane, Middleton Tyas, Yorkshire, DL10 6NJ
Visit MiddletonLodge.co.uk
THE PUB WITH ROOMS:
Hort's Townhouse, Bristol
Bristol has gained a stylish new pub in the form of Hort's Townhouse. Set in a Grade-II listed building on Broad Street, there’s a glamorous bar and dining room downstairs, as well as 19 boutique rooms above the pub. Diners can enjoy hearty pub classics made with seasonal and local produce: think plaice with brown shrimp, new potatoes and samphire; and lamb chops with broad beans and asparagus; as well as Sunday roasts with all the trimmings. Rooms upstairs are cosy with high ceilings, plush furnishings and scallop-detailed furniture. Every room has a comfy Hypnos bed, a rainfall shower and some are even dog friendly.
49 Broad Street, Bristol, BS1 2EP
THE FOODIE HOT SPOT:
The Suffolk, Suffolk
George Pell created a bit of a buzz in Aldeburgh when he took his Soho restaurant L’Escargot to the Suffolk town for a summer pop-up last year. Now, Pell’s permanent outpost in Aldeburgh has opened six boutique rooms above the restaurant. Designer Kate Fulford is behind the interiors, which are inspired by the Suffolk coastline and feature botanical wallpaper, nautical colour schemes and restored furniture from a local antiques house. As well as doubles for couples, there are spacious suites on the top floor for families – children aged four and over are welcome. Guests will also have access to the first-floor pantry stocked with local produce, including gin and chocolate, while four legged friends (two of the rooms are dog friendly) can enjoy homemade treats. Come the morning, guests can tuck into a full English or brunch dishes in the restaurant.
152 High Street, Aldeburgh, Suffolk, IP15 5AQ
Visit The-Suffolk.co.uk
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