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Guest experience

Guest review: Lexhayne Mill, Devon

We spent an early spring weekend at Lexhayne Mill, a beautiful rural escape in Devon set within 22 acres of glorious countryside.

Ella Tattersall

Our holiday in the New Forest

Do I really only get to stay here for the weekend? Perhaps I will call in sick on Monday and stay just a little longer.

Faye

Lyndhurst and the New Forest ponies

We had driven through the town of Lyndhurst earlier in the day and made a note to stop off on our way back to our holiday cottage in Lymington, not least because of the large number of New Forest ponies we had seen just on the outskirts of the town.

Faye

New Forest Wildlife Park

The wolves and chatty giant otters were a big hit, the stories of their conservation making for heart-warming reading and the friendly deer that were free to roam around the park added a magical touch.

Faye

Beaches of the New Forest

We decided to work our way back along the beaches of the south coast despite it being a somewhat dreary looking February day

Faye

Moors Valley Country Park

I cannot recommend Moors Valley Country Park highly enough, in fact I've already sent a number of friends and family along and hope to go back again myself soon.

Faye

Family fun day at Bucklers Hard

Considering it wasn't our location of choice we really surprised ourselves with how enjoyable it was and would highly recommend a visit.

Faye

Out to eat in Lymington

Charlotte and I decided to see if we could find a takeaway for dinner. Yes, there was a fully equipped kitchen to cater to our self-catering needs, but being so close to the sea, our hearts (and stomachs) were set on a fresh fish supper. So fish and chips it was to be.

Faye

Geevor Tin Mine

For my family, day trips normally involve beaches or stately homes, but whilst holidaying in Cornwall this half-term the bad weather forced us to think creatively. And so feeling the Poldark effect, we found ourselves at Geevor Tin Mine.

Philip Eley

Murder Mystery family activity in Totnes

Explore a new town and find things to do with children in Totnes - as we eliminated suspects and weapons we explored places with great names like Warland and Ticklemore Street.

Philip Eley

Charlestown harbour

Charlestown is immediately recognisable to fans of Poldark as the harbour in the series. The joy of it as a location is that they’ve hardly had to change much at all.

Philip Eley

St Michael's Mount day trip

You really wonder at the enterprise and sheer foolishness of building a stately home on a huge chuck of rock 500 meters out to sea

Philip Eley

A day in Kingsand and Cawsand

Kingsand and Cawsand are twin seafront villages on The Rame Peninsula in Cornwall. They have a rich fishing (and smuggling!) heritage and you can still spot the old fish cellars and stores along the coast.

Abby Driver

The best of the best places to eat in Dorset

Starting in my home town of Shaftesbury in north Dorset, we are incredibly lucky to boast no fewer than nine cafes and at least six great places for a wonderful dinner. There are however two which for me stand out above the rest and are worth travelling down to this part of Dorset especially for.

Becky Bye

A boat trip from Mousehole

Head out with Cormorant Cruising and discover the local history, marine life and stunning views from the seas around beautiful Mousehole harbour.

Adam Ludnow

An American in Cornwall: A Cornish bus ride

I read a good deal more books in a year than I previously thought possible. I did a lot of walking. I learned how to slow down and wait. I learned the hard way that buses in rural places don't stop unless you hail them.

Danielle Charles-Davies

Lattes and lunch in lycra - a cycle in Somerset

While my husband now conforms to the current male phenomena that is a ‘MAMIL’ (Middle-Aged Man In Lycra) I’d describe myself more of a ‘leisure cyclist’ (I push my bike up hills).

Ali Ray

Open Air Theatre in Cornwall

Theatre really comes into its own when it’s performed on the road. Each summer in Cornwall, a myriad of makeshift stages spring up all over the county – some providing seating, but many simply on the beach or a patch of grass on which to spread your blanket. It’s an experience not to be missed.

Sadie Phillips

An American in Cornwall: The Minack in the rain

It began to rain, and then it began to pour. The wind started gusting. Backdrops blew over and props flew away. The players had to grip their costumes to themselves and shout to be heard over the whistle of wind in their mics. But there can be no better place in the world to experience Shakespeare.

Danielle Charles-Davies

An American in Cornwall: The First English Coffee

While the British do drink tea in a way that Americans never will, they also drink coffee in a way that that most Americans never will. And that way is (dare I say this?) unquestionably superior.

Danielle Charles-Davies

Learning to surf in Cornwall

In a county hemmed by stunning, Atlantic-pounded beaches, it’s hardly surprising that surfing is such a popular pastime

Hayley Spurway

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