Category Archives: Weekend Breaks

The Queen Visits Northern Ireland – Inspiring Cottage Breaks in Ireland

Today the Queen has begun a two-day visit to Northern Ireland, covering Belfast and County Fermanagh, as part of the Diamond Jubilee tour.

We were inspired by seeing this beautiful area of Ireland receiving some well deserved positive TV coverage and so we have put together a list of selected holiday cottages in County Fermanagh and Belfast that are perfect for a short break or summer holiday.

County Fermanagh is mainly rural, covers nearly 653 square miles and has a population in the region of 57,000.  The biggest town, and one HM The Queen is visiting on this trip, is Enniskillen which is the county town. The island town has a range of attractions including the Castle Coole Estate and Enniskillen Castle, which is home to the museum of The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards.

Other attractions County Fermanagh include Castle Archdale, Crom Estate, Devenish Island, Florence Court and Lough Navar Forest Park.

The Fermanagh County Show is held in August, other good County and Agricultural Shows in Ireland include Balmoral Show in Belfast and the Armagh Show.

If you are heading to Northern Ireland for a weekend break, short break or holiday have a great time and don’t forget to send us some pictures via Facebook.

 

Source: Find Cottage Holidays

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2012 English Blue Flag Beaches and Quality Coast Awards

Planning to head to the beach this summer?  If you are check out the list of iconic Blue Flag beaches in England and those with the prestigious Keep Britain Tidy Quality Coast Awards.  Both Awards give recognition to quality beaches that offer your family a great holiday experience and so are well worth checking out before you travel.

The great news is that in 2012 there are more English beaches with the European wide Blue Flag Award than in 2011, so more great beaches for you to choose from on your summer holiday.

See Blue Flag and Quality Coast Award Beaches in England

If you are planning a beach holiday this Summer then check out some great holiday locations and self catering cottages, apartments and lodges across England. Beach holidays in England

 

Source: Find Cottage Holidays

Henley Royal Regatta Short Breaks in June and July

The Summer sporting and Social season is coming thick and fast now, following Royal Ascot this week is the Royal Henley Regatta next week.

Sit and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere by the river at this world-renowned Regatta.  Held on the River Thames at Henley in Oxfordshire, you can see over 200 international standard rowing races over 5 days – races can be as little as 5 minutes apart so there really never is a dull moment!

Of course the racing is taken very seriously but the Regatta is as well-known these days as one of the leading social events of the summer, so you can be assured of seeing the height of fashion and the consumption of champagne and strawberries in big quantities.

You can experience the racing from the Regatta Enclosure which includes grandstand seating alongside the river – children are welcome and those  under 14 are free with a paying adult.

Find out more about the Henley Royal Regatta

Henley-on-Thames and Oxfordshire are great places to visit for a weekend break, short break or holiday in the UK. If you are heading to Oxfordshire here are some useful links:

Source: Find Cottage Holidays

Goodwood Festival of Speed 28th June to 1st July 2012

Wow, I have just looked at the line up for this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.  One word AWESOME.

Now I am definitely not a Petrol Head, I enjoy the Formula One Grand Prix season but that’s as far as my motor racing knowledge goes, so when I started looking at the programme I assumed it wouldn’t be my thing.  But, I was very wrong.

Starting next Thursday (28th June 2012) through to Sunday (1st July) it is packed full of attractions, events and family fun.  The 2012 theme is ‘Young Gun – Born to Win’ which will be celebrating the drivers, riders, designers and engineers.

At the Festival you get to see world champions try to set the fastest time of the day on the famous hill climb that runs up the Goodwood Estate. Or why not see the World Rally Championship teams compete through the Forest on the demanding circuit.

Of course there are lots of fast cars, both modern and vintage, to see including supercars, dragster and rally cars. See 4×4’s performing at their limits on the off-road centre and check out the future of motoring in the FOS-Tech Pavilion.  Add to all of that dramatic air displays, family fun at the Junior Festival of Speed, exhibitions and interviews with stars all against the backdrop of the wonderful Goodwood House and Estate and you get some idea of what’s on offer.

There is so much to do it is well worth making a weekend of it!  Find out more about the Goodwood Festival of Speed Cottage Breaks.

If you go along, tell us about it below or upload some pictures to our Facebook pages.

Source: Find Cottage Holidays

Self Catering Cottages with Tennis Courts, Tennis Breaks in UK and Ireland

With the grass court tennis season in full swing, and Wimbledon just weeks away, the British will  fall in love with tennis all over again and remember what fun it is.

In fact, you can guarantee that over the coming weeks tennis courts across the country will be filling up with people of all ages practicing their smashes and drop shots!

To celebrate this favourite summer passion we have put together a list of our favourite holiday cottages and apartments that have tennis courts and facilities either on site or near by.  With this list, whether you are looking for some family fun or some serious tennis practice, you will be able to find some great short break or holiday accommodation which will enable you play to your heart’s content.

Of course if strawberries and cream while watching the professionals fight it out is more your style there are tournaments in coming weeks at Eastbourne, Nottingham and of course the big one, Wimbledon.

Check out our Wimbledon page to find out more about the Championship, the Museum and Tours.

 

Source: Find Cottage Holidays

Summer Breaks and Holidays

Wow, the sun is out, it’s even starting to feel like a pleasant summers day  down here in Sussex! Dare we even go as far to say that may be now, while we are feeling super positive, would be a good time to book our Summer Holiday?

If like us, you have been waiting for the signs that we are going to have a summer in 2012 before booking your holiday, then time is beginning to run out.  So we are taking today’s bright start as a good sign and getting down to the job of deciding exactly where we are going to go this year.

With so many great places to explore across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland it’s difficult to know where to start.  So we have put together a list of family friendly self catering cottages, apartments, holiday flats and lodges that are all perfect for the school summer holidays. We have even sorted it randomly so you get some great ideas of places that you may be had not even have thought of going to this year. Take a look at our Summer Holidays suggestions

Our search is, unusually for us, around the Kent area this year.  We are normally South West of England addicts, having already stayed in East Devon earlier this year and regular visitors to Cornwall, but with the Olympics in mind we are keen to stay closer to the action.  Kent is handily placed for day trips to London, but the ‘Garden of England’ has a lot more to offer than that, including wonderful rural villages, Blue Flag beaches, rolling patchwork countryside and Kent attractions such as Leeds Castle, Kent County Show and Gardens to Visit.  We have checked out our Kent cottage reviews and have seen some great places but if you have any recommendations then let us know.

If you are booking your holiday today, happy searching.

 

Royal Ascot Starts Today – take a last minute short break

It’s great to see that the sun is out for the first day of Royal Ascot.  With big, resplendently dressed, crowds expected and some excellent racing to look forward Royal Ascot is a wonderful social and sporting event.

The first race of the day is the Queen Anne’s Stakes with the unbeaten Frankel among the favourites.  We have to admit that we don’t know much about horse racing form so our betting is largely restricted to looks and the name, anyone got any tips for Royal Ascot?

Are you going to Royal Ascot this year?  If you are, have a brilliant day.  We would love to see some of your pictures of the day, please post them here or on our Facebook page.  As you can see we struggle with finding good pictures to use on our website for Ascot so we really do need your help!

You will find  Ascot in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.  If you are looking for a short break or weekend break in the area, Berkshire and Surrey offers some excellent self catering, ranging from apartments to cottages, accommodation for couples, families or groups. More about Royal Ascot and Accommodation