If ever there was an event that needed a light at the end of the tunnel, it’s
Christmas - which is why so many people book a holiday straight afterwards.
But they book it – foolishly – for miles away, in July.
So pick up the phone now and snag a little treat. With the fuss out of the way
– and with many prices tumbling in the quietest travelling month enjoy your
January escape.
CANAPES ON EXMOOR
What better way to tackle January head-on than a weekend of blustery walks,
duvet-on-the-sofa snuggling and some stunning – and light – cookery. Week
Cottage is a 17th-century hideaway for two on the edge of Exmoor, complete
with toasty log-burner and a surfeit of rugs and blankets – one of more than
100 West Country bolt holes for couples available from Classic Cottages.
After tramping on the moorland, head a few miles south to Ashwick House,
where the award-garlanded chef Steve Cox creates wondrous, cheerfully dainty
grub from the best of Somerset.
Week Cottage: three nights £197 (01326 555555, www.classic.co.uk).
Ashwick House: mains from £14 (01398 323868, www.ashwickhouse.com)
THE ROAD TO WELLNESS
If the Lake District ever secedes from the United Kingdom, there’s little
doubt that Lucy Nicholson will be the first president. A visionary foodie
entrepreneur, she’s opened a clamorously successful Ambleside restaurant,
plus a bar, delicatessen and catering company – and now her Kendal cookery
school is up and running, offering informal, laid-back courses in precisely
the kind of healthy grub you’ll be craving come the new year. Upcoming
one-day courses to look out for include low-fat meals (Jan 4), fish dinners
(Jan 6, 12, 26, Feb 3, 15, 23) and vegetarian cookery (Jan 13, 22, Feb 24).
When school’s out, head to the Punch Bowl Inn in nearby Crosthwaite, a
stylish restaurant with rooms.
Courses from £100 (015394 32288, www.lucycooks.co.uk).
The Punch Bowl: weekend doubles from £145 until Feb 7, from £160 after; main
courses from £11 (015395 68237, www.the-punchbowl.co.uk)
MONACHYLE OF THE GLEN
Monachyle Mhor is fêted as one of the few hotels in the Highlands that thinks
interior design means slightly more than putting some tartan drapes over the
stag’s head in the hall. This spacious farmhouse, in a stunning location on
the banks of Loch Voil, has the bold, arty feel and relaxed, trendy staff
you might expect in downtown Stockholm, not the heart of the Trossachs. Best
of all, though, all that pristine chic doesn’t preclude bringing in your
muddy boots – there’s plenty of snowy tramping or icy hikes around here. And
once you’ve burnt a few calories, acclaimed head chef and owner Tom Lewis
presides over a magnificent restaurant - including, post-festive
self-deniers might be pleased to note, a wonderful vegetarian menu.
Dinner, bed and breakfast from £187 for a double room; B&B from £95,
available midweek only; dinner £46pp (01877 384622, www.mhor.net)
THE ORIGINAL DIRTY WEEKEND
Wouldn’t it be nice to have some time to yourselves, without worrying about
waking up Auntie Pat in the spare bedroom? Well, Brighton has reclaimed its
crown as the nation’s sauciest city, thanks to such arrivals as Drakes
hotel. This seafront swank-pad’s “super-king-size room” proudly presents the
largest known bed in the city, a group shower, of all things, and a love
hamper (don’t ask). For the final touch, catch some smoky jazz or steamy
burlesque at the decadent new Hanbury Club nearby.
Doubles from £95; giant bed with love hamper, £290 (01273 696934, www.drakesofbrighton.com).
Supper from £20 (01273 605789, www.thehanburyclub.com)
TAKING THE PULLMAN TO BATH
A treat for those nostalgic for a gentler age, but who can only spare a day
from the modern world. The Orient-Express Pullman eases out of Victoria in
time for brunch en route through the Wiltshire Downs to Bath. Once there,
you can either take the guided Roman tours on offer or disappear shopping –
better still, book a sneaky treatment at the city’s new Thermae day spa,
close to the station. Puffed and preened, roll home through the gloaming,
tucking into a fine dinner on the way.
Pullman: £310pp on January 16 (0845 077 2222, www.orient-express.com).
Lunch and a body scrub at Thermae, £75 (0844 888 0844, www.thermaebathspa.com)
THE FRYING PAN OF SPAIN
Languid, elegant Seville is the most reliably balmy city in Europe, and on a
January recharge trip there’s an excellent chance you’ll get enough warmth
to spend all day outdoors – the perfect antidote to Christmas
sofa-slouching. In addition to pavement cafes and orange-grove parks, you’ll
need a roof terrace to soak up the sun, and the beautiful Casa del Maestro
hotel in the Santa Catalina district has the perfect specimen. Sevillanos
also know how to beat the winter blues – with more partying. Visit on
January 5 and the surreal Wise Kings parade floats will celebrate the end of
the holiday season.
Doubles from £67 (00 34 9545 00007, www.lacasadelmaestro.com).
Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flies to
Seville from Stansted, Liverpool and Dublin, from £20
STROLL A WINTER GARDEN
One of Brown’s great Capabilities was creating gardens that still look
stunning without leaves, blossoms or blooms – and Blenheim Palace park is
perhaps the finest example of this knack. On a winter’s day, mist gathers on
the lakes and streams, and the sculpted meadows turn either to crunchy
carpets or, if you’re truly lucky, the best possible setting for a snowball
fight. Nearby Woodstock is a crowded field for bolt-hole hotels, but the
recently renovated Feathers hotel is an excellent post-Christmas option, as
its bistro serves helpfully light meals and there’s a fine spa.
The Feathers: doubles from £165; bistro mains from £9.75; full body massage
£50 (01993 812291, www.feathers.co.uk).
Blenheim Palace park entry £3
COME TO THE CABARET
The all-new Bobin’o club is the high-kicking stiletto up the backside that the
Parisian cabaret scene has needed for decades. A giant renovation has
created a joint that isn’t living on past glories, but is thriving on
offering excellent haute cuisine, a rare dose of service with a smile, and a
40-performer revue. At £80 for dinner and a show you’ll expect a treat - and
you’ll get one. For a convenient stumble from the club, stay in St Germain –
which means you can allow yourself a room at the lovely Hotel Duc de
Saint-Simon.
Bobin’o: £80 dinner and show (00 33-1 43 27 24 24, www.bobino.fr).
Hotel Duc de Saint-Simon: doubles from £158 (01 44 39 20 20,
www.hotelducdesaint simon.com). Eurostar weekend returns (www.eurostar.com)
from £42
THE SPA OF THE YEAR
Asked for her fave pampering treat, our luxury-travel expert, Susan d’Arcy, is
crystal clear – “It would have to be the beautiful Barnsley House spa.” With
the kind of spacious, airy look one associates with tropical resorts, this
Cotswolds design hotel’s new relaxation centre is the place just to hang out
and breathe deep, while the eastern-influenced treatments lean towards
mental recuperation rather than physical perfection. If you can get away
midweek in the new year, the hotel is offering spa days from £89, including
lunch and full body massage, and an overnight spa break from £345 a couple,
for bed, breakfast and a massage.
Doubles from £290, two-hour signature treatment £155 (01285 740000, www.barnsleyhouse.com)
BLOW AWAY THE COBWEBS
Few parts of Britain look their best in midwinter, but the Norfolk coast, all
scudding clouds, swirling birdlife and wide, empty beaches, will be at its
elemental finest just when you’re in greatest need of some brisk, breezy
walking. The Peddars Way path captures the best of the coast, from Holme to
Blakeney, and the clever new CoastHopper bus cuts out the need to retrace a
single step. You’ll need a welcoming place to warm up – and the White Horse
at Blakeney is ideal: a beautiful restaurant with rooms with a seafood
slant; and here’s the kicker – midweek in January and February, all rooms
are half-price.
White Horse: doubles from £100, £50 midweek; mains from £9.95 (01263 740574, www.blakeneywhitehorse.co.uk).
Find the Peddars Way at www.nationaltrail.co.uk.
The CoastHopper bus costs £5 for a day (www.norfolkgreen.co.uk)
