Travel expert reveals the UK’s best staycation venues that rival trips abroad
Demand for holidays in the UK has been rising significantly over the course of the past few weeks, as Brits increasingly come to realise there’s actually a hell of a lot more to our homeland than we previously thought.
We should be on holiday right now. That’s what we keep telling everyone.
But, here we are.
Instead of striding into the airport at the crack of dawn, ordering a pint in the terminal (a rare isolated setting where it’s actually acceptable to sip lager at 7am) and leaving our stresses on the runway as we climb in the the clouds, we’re sat at home – staring longingly at our calendars, imagining what could have been.
As a nation, we spend a great portion of waking life looking to get out of the country – so being told to sit tight on our own island has been causing more than a touch of cabin fever.
It wasn’t until last week that we finally got some sweet relief.
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The Foreign Office confirmed they would be waiving their warning on avoiding non-essential international travel from July 6.
As lockdowns ease in Europe, overseas flights have started to take off again, and some countries have vowed Brits will be permitted to enter without being subjected to quarantining.
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It’s promising news. But understandably, some still aren’t comfortable with the idea of mingling in a crowded cabin of recirculated air at 38,000 feet. Even with masks.
Insurance companies are also reluctant to offer cover whilst pockets of coronavirus continue to erupt – a trend many experts expect to see long into the future as separate societies blend again.
Demand for holidays in the UK has been rising significantly over the course of the past few weeks, as Brits increasingly come to realise there’s actually a hell of a lot more to our homeland than we previously thought.
Charlotte Craig, owner of award-winning travel agency Paper Plane in Manchester, can vouch for that.
“A lot of people don’t travel in the UK,” Charlie tells The Manc.
“They’ll go down to London for weekends to see friends or visit their parents in the countryside, but a lot don’t travel within UK hotels as often as abroad.
“This has massively opened people’s eyes as to what’s possible.”
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According to Charlie, “the world and his wife” have settled on Cornwall as their UK holiday destination for 2020, and many locations in this neck of the woods are already fully-booked or have their hosts (who usually rent out their properties for summer) still inside enjoying their properties for themselves.
But whilst a trip to the Cornish country might be the default setting for domestic breaks in Britain, it isn’t necessarily the best.
Charlie says there’s a raft of incredible hotspots elsewhere – some of which are just a short drive from our doorsteps…
Certain places in the UK appeared to be tailor-made for reuniting with lapsed friends.
We’ve spent more than 13 weeks separated from pals dotted around the country. But there’s seemingly a number of superb spots in which to arrange a memorable rendezvous with the old gang.
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Suffolk, for instance, is a solution some might not have previously considered.
“Most people in the UK want a holiday where you’re not too far from the coast and have a pool… but those places are becoming more and more difficult to find,” Charlie explains.
“But I’ve had a few customers who’ve absolutely loved Sufflolk – which has a gorgeous coastline and isn’t as busy as going down to Cornwall. It’s also a slightly shorter drive – about 4.5 hours from Manchester.”
There are more than a few places in which to kick back with mates on the Eastern coast – but there’s one that comes highly recommended.
“Wilderness Reserve in particular is full of spectacular standalone properties and farmhouses,” Charlie tells us.
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“You can get a chef in if you want, there’s a pool on site, you’re in a massive forest area with bikes you can use, and it’s only 15 mins to the coast.
“It’s the perfect five-night stay with mates you’ve not seen for a few months or years.
“It’s all your own space for you to do as you like with.”
For some, the great appeal of holidaying abroad is the prospect of clapping eyes on untamed landscapes and treating your palate to fresh food and drink.
As it turns out, you can do both just a few miles south.
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“There’s a wonderful spot in Hampton in Arden – towards Birmingham – that does a three-day package for midweek or weekend including wine tasting and farm to table food,” Charlie explains.
“It’s all authentic and feels like a real luxury experience.
“We might not be able to go to the Tuscan Vineyards right now, but you can still do wine tasting in a beautiful garden in the UK.”
As an added extra for booking Hampton Manor with Paper Plane, you’ll get a personalised cocktail each at the Maker’s Table, followed by cream tea included in your stay.
Britain is brimming with cortisol right now. The past few weeks have placed an unimaginable amount of pressure on our minds and bodies – heightened further by the forced cancellation of our cathartic getaways.
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According to Charlie, though, there are places to get royally pampered in the UK – soothing the senses without the pressure-filled preamble of passport control.
“I’m desperate for a massage at the moment and I know I’m not the only one,” laughs Charlie.
“There’s a place just outside Ripon called Grantley Hall where you can enjoy complete relaxation.
“It’s a very classic building that’s been converted into a hotel. It’s ideal for spa lovers.
“Another great thing about this place is that their protocols are brilliant for COVID. They’ve got a spa and they’re working on slots so people can use areas at specific times. You’ve also got outdoor hot tubs, pools, saunas and steam rooms.
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“They’ve got the Shaun Rankin restaurant there and also an Asian restaurant which reminds me of Tattu in Manchester.
“A lot of my friends have booked to go and want to head back again. It’s 90 minutes from Manchester; an easy one-night stay or equally suitable for a long weekend.
“There’s lots of really nice walks around there, too.”
Ramblers and explorers have been dealt a big blow by having their trip-of-a-lifetime to far-flung foreign lands delayed.
In the meantime, however, there’s an enormous amount to discover in the British countryside. And you can even enjoy a bit of luxury whilst you’re at it.
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“The Cotswolds, I could talk about forever,” says Charlie.
“But there’s one particular place I really love called The Fish Hotel.
“They have these hilly huts with private hot tubs on the deck. There’s loads of spots in the surrounding area to go for nice walks and enjoy being in nature, but you can enjoy a bit of privacy and luxury as well.
“Some people don’t feel comfortable in larger spas, and this is a nice alternative.”
Families, in particular, may want to remain in Britain in the summer.
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Thankfully, Charlie says the options for couples and kids in the UK are plentiful.
“For families, I’d really recommend the Lake District,” she says.
“There’s a spot called Another Place which is perfect for couples with kids.
“I’m also a big believer in the Yorkshire Dales. There’s some gorgeous places there that have proven very popular in the past four weeks; more so than hotels.
“The Malabar, too, is really good for family holidays.
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“You get your own barbie, there’s tonnes of fields around and it’s very popular with families for birthdays and stuff.
“If you’ve got your own place, you’ve got the cooking facilities and that type of thing so you don’t have to worry about anyone else using them.”
Summer festivals have been wiped off the calendar almost entirely in 2020.
But you can still enjoy the good old Glamping experience regardless.
Just an hour away from Manchester is Gisburne Park – a popup glamping location which offers family-friendly holidays during the week and an adult-only space on weekends.
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Based in the Ribble Valley, Gisburne Park is tucked away inside a thousand acre private estate – with fully-furnished tents (double beds, king-sized duvets and electric power) alongside dining areas, BBQ pits and a swimming pool.
Jet-setting will technically be possible again in a matter of days. But if you aren’t quite ready to battle your way through busy airports, you can relax in the knowledge that Britain has more than enough to offer – no matter what sort of getaway you’d been hoping for.
“The UK is going to be massively popular this summer,” Charlie informs us.
“We cover every type of trip abroad at Paper Plane, but if a staycation is what you’re looking for, you can have a truly wonderful holiday here at home.”
Learn more about booking a staycation with Paper Plane Travel by visiting their website.
Feature
Manor House Hotel & Spa – The magical garden spa near Manchester with TWO swim-up bars
Daisy Jackson
There’s an increasing number of garden spas popping up around the UK, where you can soak and relax out in the open air.
But a lot of them are missing the key ingredient – the gardens.
That’s what makes Manor House Hotel & Spa over in Cheshire so special. It feels like it’s been built as garden first, spa second, in the way that pools and hot tubs seem to have been slotted in between established trees and flower beds and shrubs.
It’s like stumbling onto the set of a romantic period drama, but with state-of-the-art spa facilities concealed into the grounds. I’m half expecting a sopping wet Colin Firth to emerge from a hot tub.
And although the square footage of the garden spa is relatively small, it’s this clever landscaping that makes it feel like a never-ending maze where every turn reveals a new place to lie down.
There are covered, swinging beds in a herb garden. A sauna concealed as a potting shed. Private bookable hot tubs behind a hedge.
And then the real whimsy – the secret garden. Opened just last year, this corner of the spa is home to a blisteringly turquoise heated pool, surrounded by charming sage green ‘sheds’ (which are actually a series of cosy indoor relaxation pods).
The Secret GardenOne of two cold plunge poolsThe relaxation sheds in the secret gardenA huge heated poolThe Secret Garden’s sauna
There’s a second swim-up bar here, because why stop at one, a cold plunge pool with spring flowers wrapped around it, a lawn for sunbathing if you’re lucky, and a traditional Finnish sauna overlooking it all.
It doesn’t stop there – weave along the footpaths and you’ll come across a sunken, circular hydrotherapy pool, a cosy summer house with noise-cancelling headphones you can plug in to, a gently heated panoramic laconium, hammocks, squishy sunbeds, swing seats, and so much more.
The adjective that keeps coming to mind is ‘pretty’, but that almost feels too flippant for how gorgeous the spa garden is.
And you might think with it being an outdoor garden spa that it would be a waste of time in bad weather – but you’re wrong.
Manor House has built subtle shelters which look more like garden pagodas over a lot of the facilities here, including part of the main pool and swim-up bar, and most of the double lounge beds.
The main pool and swim-up barThe Potting Shed saunaA classic cold plunge tubThe hydrotherapy pool
But even beyond that, your classic spa facilities like the saunas and salt steam chamber have been constructed in out-buildings, safe from the infamous North West weather, AND there’s a sizeable indoor pool, sauna and steam room back inside the main hotel building.
The metal cold plunge tub is exposed to the elements – but if you’re being brave enough to dunk in this, a little drizzle is the least of your worries.
They’ve got an enormous list of treatments on offer here, whether you want to be scrubbed and rubbed into a new person, or give your skin a real boost with a facial. Once you’re done with your treatment, Manor House has built a cosy relaxation lounge, where you can pull the curtains across your own private booth to sip a cup of herbal tea and unwind.
Private relaxation booths for post-treatmentMezze lunchDinner in the StablesBreakfast the next dayThe Salt ShedDrinks from The Bothy Bar, a swim-up bar in the secret gardenThe indoor poolThe Stables restaurantBedroomsCovered beds in the herb garden
Alongside all that relaxing, a typical spa package at Manor House may include an afternoon tea, a brunch, or a mezze platter lunch, with a glass of fizz served to you in the Pool House.
And if you go for the overnight, you’ll be sinking into a huge plush bed, full from a refined British gastropub dinner in the hotel’s cosy restaurant space, The Stables.
Manor House is currently running a full Spring Renewal Spa Escape, for the ultimate taste of everything that’s on offer while the gardens are in full bloom.
The Manor House Spring Renewal Spa Escape package
An overnight hotel stay
A 60-minute Collagen Renewal Ritual (a soothing, exfoliating back massage, followed by a luxurious collagen facial)
Full access to the spa, with 18 spa experiences, on both days of your stay
A delicious three-course dinner in the Stables restaurant
Five Greater Manchester-based music artists you should listen to | April 2026
Danny Jones
Ay up, you lot – we’re back with another box office batch of music from in and around Greater Manchester for you to get your teeth stuck into.
We’d like to think you know the deal by now, but if not, here’s a quick rundown for you…
Every month, we look back on the local bands and artists, either hailing from or now based in the area, that are spending regular time in our rotation.
It doesn’t matter if they’re still just young prospects or they’ve been at it for decades: if it’s good and it’s been in our ears, it goes on the list. Ready? Let’s go, then.
Five Manc bands and artists we’ve been listening to recently
1. Harry Lyon
First up is April’s cover star: the wonderfully talented Harry Lyon, who is another born and bred and now quietly plying his trade here in Greater Manchester and already showcasing a great level of versatility early in his career.
He moved to the city from Sheffield not too long ago, and his creative output has only ramped up since he got here. Toying with everything from alt-pop/indie to straight singer-songwriter stuff that wouldn’t sound out of place on the radio, his often R’n’B-esque vocals mean he can turn to multiple styles.
We actually lucky enough to bump into him in person earlier this month over in Stretford, and you’ll be glad to hear he’s also as sound a person as we hoped he’d be; he even teased a new single on the way, but for now, we’ll recommend ‘Violet’, ‘Backwards’ and the piano version of ‘While We’re Still Young’.
In fact, he does acoustic versions for most of his songs, and a fair few of them genuinely rival the originals in their own way.
From an up-and-comer to some Manc veterans that often get overlooked in the shadow of their even longer-standing and more well-known predecessors, but we’re going to go out on a limb and say something controversial here… We think we might prefer Black Grape to Happy Mondays.
Before you bite our heads off, let us explain: while the Mondays are obviously way more iconic and had a huge influence on the overall Madchester scene, we would argue that their progenic spin-off are almost a more honed evolution of at least some of what the Ryders and co. first created a buzz around.
Not only do the likes of ‘Kelly’s Heroes’, ‘Nine Lives’, ‘String Theory’ and more have so much more guitar in them (which will always score extra points for me), but more importantly, there is so much more successful experimentation with different instruments, cultural sounds and blends of energy.
It can be hard to know where to start, but those three examples aren’t bad options, and ‘In The Name of The Father’ is also such a vibe – we’re hoping we see it on the setlist for Outwards Fest next month.
BLACK GRAPE play Outwards Festival on Saturday 2nd May 😎
For fans of Sports Team, Spangled, Deadletter, and pretty much any current post-punk pioneers, these former students who originally hail from Cambridgeshire but have come up in and around the local rock scene have been making a splash for a little while, and now it feels like things are hitting a fever pitch.
Sometimes the idiosyncratic lyrics put you in mind of rising Oldham star, Seb Lowe; there’s even one intro that could be the start of a more upbeat and melody-forward King Krule, and you even get notes of Slaves/Soft Play at times. Whatever you hear, personally, you won’t find a bad song – we haven’t yet.
As the lyrics on ‘Are You The Best Yet?’ state, some of this stuff literally makes our knees go weak. We can’t remember the last time a band came around that has you eagerly awaiting the inevitable guitar break, let alone when you fully lock into one and pull a face (we’ve all got our own).
They’re so, SO good, and they help prolong some songs that, while brilliant, could feel more like fast-paced flashes in the pan without them. It all amounts to something extra and ups an already healthy dose of swagger: that’s definitely what you get on the recent ‘Cambridge Is On Fire’ and most of their tracks.
In at number four is another one to watch within the genre. Some industry figures have equated them to the likes of the Amyl and the Sniffers, Lambrini Girls, Viagra Boys, and so on, but we think there’s a much cooler sense of darkness going on with their approach – however familiar the repetitive guitar playing and aggressive, shouty vocals may be.
Luckily, their discography – not unlike that of their aforementioned punky peers – isn’t that extensive just yet, so you can easily work your way through all their releases soon enough, and they’ve also got a big gig at White Hotel coming up just after they drop their debut LP, Hodge Podge. Watch this space…
Our present picks would be ‘American Boy II’, ‘Marina’ for the foreboding sense of build and that central riff alone, and you simply have to listen to their latest single, ‘Creeping Offences’, which, understandably, is the best track in terms of production they’ve dropped yet.
We want to see them live before passing any decisive judgement, but we like what we’re seeing so far.
5. A Certain Ratio
Now, we’ve touched on electronic-influenced alternative group in Black Grape, but what about another truly influential act from within that fluid space? Probably one of your bands/favourite DJ’s favourite artists, whether you know it or not, A Certain Ratio were tastemakers long before even they knew.
If the previous two are post-punk, then these lot are the funkier forerunners, known for their trademark muted strumming patterns, heavily distorted, codified and multi-layered mixes, ACR have been going nearly half a century now, and they were doing all this stuff long before virtually anyone else.
You’ll inevitably fall down a bit of a rabbit hole listening to their stuff, but ‘All Comes Down To This’ is a good starting point, and ‘1982’ has always made us think of what a Doctor Who-themed rave might sound like.
Oh, and purely because it still sticks with us as an eye-opening first listen, it really doesn’t get much better than this one:
And once again, that’s all she wrote.
We hope you dive into at least some of these names over the long bank holiday weekend, as three uninterrupted days of listening couldn’t have timed any better.
The Manc -
30th June 2020 
