Finally a four-day weekend is in sight. So how to spend it? If you’ve discovered that smug friends are escaping the city for a country cottage booked in yonks ago — it’s not too late to follow suit.
Some of the chicest country boltholes and BnBs still have availability for cosy suites or entire cottages, with plenty of opportunities for rambles, sea swims or country pursuits nearby. Or you could just haul up and switch off your phone for the weekend. Your choice.
See also: Best staycation houses with hot tubs
These eight UK stays are all still available for Easter weekend bookings at the time of writing.
Wilderness Reserve, Suffolk
Best for: Wellness with a view
Just two hours from London, Wilderness Reserve offers 8,000-acres for guests to romp around. Try your hand at everything from kayaking to clay pigeon, shooting to falconry.
Its converted 15th century barns and cottages have gorgeously eclectic interiors and many come with private saunas, pools and spa treatment rooms. Oh and that all important Green Egg BBQ for the first firing up of the season!
Book it: From £2,250 for 3 nights. wildernessreserve.com
Grove of Narberth, Pembrokeshire
Best for: Spoiling Sunday lunches and bracing walks
For a best of both worlds trip, head to Pembrokeshire’s boutique stay, Grove of Narberth, where you can spend the weekend jaunting between scenic woodland and the breathtaking Pembrokeshire Coast Path, which leads to the beaches of Barafundle Bay, Tenby, and Saundersfoot. eBikes are available if you want to pick up some speed!
And now is the time to go — this Easter there is a special festive Sunday lunch menu available (£45 per head) of local, seasonal fare, with highlights including pork terrine, sirloin of steak with all the trimmings, and an apple tart tatin. Plus kids can take part in an egg hunt. Treats for all ages.
Book it: Rooms start at £260. grovenarberth.co.uk
Glenapp Castle, Ayrshire
Best for: Fun for all the family
Who doesn’t want to spend the weekend being king of their very own castle? This boutique Scottish stay on the Ayrshire coast might be as close as you can get at short notice, as it has just 21 plush rooms. Guests have access to a stunning 110 acres of private estate, manicured lawns and local woodland. And if you’re into outdoor pursuits, you’re spoilt for choice as everything from mountain biking and coasteering, to wild swimming and yoga are offered by Glenapp.
For the big weekend, a Kitchen Coos and Ewes experience offers families the chance to meet Highland cows and Beltex sheep in their natural, farm environment. Plus guests can feast on a three-course Easter lunch, with the bounty from the hotel’s walled garden, or indulge in a Champagne afternoon tea. And best of all for parents? Kids go free this month.
Book it: Garden suites from £625 on a B&B basis. Children aged 0 - 15 stay free of charge with breakfast and dinner from the children’s menu included, when sharing a room with two paying adults. glenappcastle.com
Thyme, Cotswolds
Best for: Idyllic village life
If you’re fatigued by London life, but don’t want to feel like you’ve landed too far from civilisation, Thyme is the place to be. With a spa, outdoor pool, boutique shop with covetable homewares (be sure to take home some Bertioli beauty products), exhibition space and its own gourmet pub The Swan (just a few minutes from the main site), it feels like its own very manicured village. The 31 rooms are all housed in barns, cottages and farmhouses that have occupied the surrounding land for centuries, and all lovingly restored by owner Caryn Hibbert and her family. Four of the larger rooms are still available over Easter weekend.
Book it: Prices vary per room. thyme.co.uk
Hampton Manor, Warwickshire
Best for: A Michelin foodie break
Yes, this stately stay is in Solihull, where you might not expect to see such an imposing, historic pile. Made from honeyed stone it is set over 45-acres of grounds, with just 24 sumptuously designed rooms. Though the crowning glory is its two impressive restaurants — Grace & Savour and Kynd — run by Michelin chef David Taylor.
Book in for a multi-course tasting menu at Grace & Savour which celebrates sustainability, and places farmers and growers at the forefront of its dishes, which are made with produce from the estate’s walled garden.
Book it: Rooms from £280. hamptonmanor.com
Bay House Studio, Somerset
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Best for: Cosy cabin living
If your idea of a restorative weekend involves not seeing another human bar your fellow guests, then this sweet forest hideaway from Kip is just the ticket. Set in a small patch of woodland, this Scandi-style minimalist cabin has a mezzanine for the kids, and caters to an outdoorsy themed weekend. There’s an al fresco kitchen and organic vegetable patch where guests can pluck their ingredients for dinner, plus a rain shower amid the natural surrounds, and wood-fired hot tub for evening soaks.
Take a dip or borrow stand-up paddleboards to explore nearby Cleveland Outdoor Pool.
Book: From £250 a night for 4. kiphideaways.com
Silver Rock, Fowey
Best for: A great British beach break
There’s nothing like a lungful of Cornish air to reawaken the senses. If you have your sights set on a last-minute road trip to its beautiful coast then pretty port town Fowey is a great place to settle for the weekend. Silver Rock is a cosy hideaway in a Victorian townhouse with rustic-luxe interiors that sleeps six and has uninterupted views across the Estuary. The garden has access to multiple beaches for some bucket and spade fun or those famed coastal walks.
Book it: From £235 per night for 6. sandandstoneescapes.com
Coworth Park, Ascot
Best for: A seriously indulgent Easter
You barely have to step outside of London for country vibes if you choose a trip to Coworth Park. The Dorchester outpost really comes into its own in spring with wildflowers aplenty in its ample grounds and its manicured gardens in full bloom.
Famously, it is royal-approved, as Prince Harry stayed here the night before his wedding, though it has appeal for the whole family. This Easter, there’s a whole calendar of kids activities, such as falconry, archery, horse riding, beekeeping, crafts and, of course — an egg hunt. Meanwhile, you can get on with the important task of soaking in the spa facilities, where treatments are courtesy of luxe ishga or Valmont lotions and potions. Dine at cosy indoor-outdoor pub The Barn, or step things up a notch at gourmet Woven by Adam Smith.
Book it: Rooms from £770. dorchestercollection.com
