Leamington Spa conjures up images of genteel ladies taking the waters before devouring a cup of Earl Grey and a crustless cucumber sandwich. While much has changed since it’s thriving spa town days, it’s immaculate gardens and regency streets still retain an air of grandeur. In need of a break over Easter, we set off to explore this Midlands gem.
A desert, post-apocalyptic housing and a nuclear power station: Dungeness is guaranteed to be one of the weirdest places you’ll ever encounter. Described as “the end of the world” due to its remote location and barren stretch of coastline, it’s a mecca for nature lovers, photographers and Londoners seeking the ultimate “out there” holiday home location. After a week submerged under the shadow of sky scrapers, I boldly ventured where few bloggers have gone before.
Ramshackle house in Dungeness
With 2016 marking the 90th anniversary of the first Winnie the Pooh book, I needed no better excuse to head off on a day’s hiking to Ashdown Forest: the inspiration for A.A. Milne’s Hundred Acre Wood. Spurred on by my recent celebrity-inspired hike to the Chilterns, what better way to relieve corporate stress than with a game of pooh sticks and a honey sandwich or two?
Ashdown Forest
What do you dream of doing on holiday? Flopping on the beach, sipping evening cocktails, perhaps a street market or two. Or climbing to the top of a volcano. Gazing across the Caribbean Sea from the lush volcanic summit of St Lucia’s Gros Piton would take some beating. Injecting a dash of adventure into your weekends is the first step to dreaming bigger with your annual leave. Dreaming of St Lucia’s bubbling hot mud baths, I embraced the squelching mud of Surrey’s Box Hill in preparation for my longed-for Caribbean adventure.
Office Breaks Box Hill hike
With only two weeks left to go until my Atlas Mountain trek, I left the stress of the working week behind on a day hike escape to Hampshire. Tramping through the stunning 2000 acre Queen Elizabeth Country Park, the fourteen mile circular walk took me to the highest point in the South Downs to experience exhilarating panoramic views all the way to the Isle of Wight. If you’re looking for a challenging walk with spectacular scenery and sumptuous rural retreats – this day one not to be missed.
Thatched cottage in Hampshire
Following last week’s soothing afternoon at Mayfield Lavender Farm, my English country idyll continued this week with a day trip to the Cotswolds. Located only a ninety minute drive from the capital, the Cotswolds offer enchanting villages immersed in fields of gold where the urban malaise of stress, pollution and over-crowded tubes seem as foreign as a McDonalds drive-through.
Office Breaks Cotswolds village
Jumping on the tube at 7.00am on a Saturday morning, my well-worn commute to St Pancras station has the horrible familiarity of a work morning. With less than two months to go until my Atlas Mountain trek, Saturday morning lie-ins are now a thing of the past as I cram in as many weekend hikes as possible. Avoiding eye contact with my adjacent office, I join my bleary-eyed hiking chums as we’re whisked off to embark on a day on the White Cliffs coastal walk.
Office Breaks Dover to Deal walk
Bracing winds, black skies and acres of oozing mud is the unappetising picture which springs to mind whenever I think about winter walks in the UK. Up until this year, I’ve always been a fair-weather hiker but a desperate desire to escape the concrete metropolis combined with a rapidly expanding post-Christmas girth drove me to desperate measures. Layered up to the nines, I braced myself for the icy blasts of rural Hampshire.
Office Breaks St Catherine’s Hill
As Christmas hurtles towards us, the added pressures of office party preparations, secret santa shopping and the Christmas leave battle can all take their toll on our stress levels. Feeling frazzled, I booked a well-earned trip to the Thermae Bath Spa, the only place in Britain where you can marinate in naturally warm, mineral-rich waters. What better place to seek sanctuary from the tinsel time of year.
Matt Cardy Thermae Bath Spa
With UK bank holidays sparsely spread throughout the working year, it’s a challenge to find a day trip destination that offers both stimulation and relaxation. Royal Tunbridge Wells offers the chance to scale rocks, hike through stunning scenery and enjoy a wallow in the spa all in the space of one day. Located a mere 45 minute train ride from London, it’s the perfect day trip escape from corporate life.
Office Breaks High Rocks Hotel