Get away from coronavirus and take a break with a visit to the UK’s best secluded cottages and lodges – The Sun

WITH the relentless news about coronavirus over the past few weeks, you may just feel like getting away from it all.

Maybe you are worried about being close to others or just fancy a digital detox to reset mind and body.

Thankfully, the UK has plenty of secluded places to stay, which will provide you with plenty of peace and quiet – as well as hopefully keeping you in good health.

Travel Editor Lisa Minot picks the best secluded cottages, lodges and more.

Ashdown Forest

WINE away your seclusion in the middle of nowhere at The Pump House, nestled in the heart of Winnie the Pooh country.

This converted former pump house sits in the grounds of a renowned wine critic’s home.

Pick your dates well and you could join one of their wine-tasting experiences.

Meander through acres of woodland and rolling hills, to your heart’s content.

A two-mile stroll will take you to The Hatch Inn, in Hartfield, which oozes olde worlde charm, excellent food, and fine ales and wines.

Sleeps two, from £295 for a three-night stay. See originalcottages.co.uk.

Lincolnshire

DOLLY’S Hideaway Cabin lives up to its name, tucked away among trees.

The luxury two-bed bolthole in Goulceby comes with boutique bathroom, fully equipped kitchen, al-fresco dining area and barbecue.

It has a great local pub and is perfect for cyclists and walkers – with direct access to the Viking Way. On your stroll, you can take the site owners’ alpacas along, too.

For a faster pace of life, Cadwell Park motor circuit is nearby. Or visit the market towns of Horncastle – an antique collector’s paradise – and Louth.

The seaside resort of Skegness, now opening up for the season, is a 40-minute drive and the city of Lincoln and its medieval cathedral just half an hour.

The cabin, sleeping four people, costs £90 a night. See dollyshideawaycabin.com.

Snowdonia

A MILE from its nearest neighbour, you will have to travel through EIGHT gates to get to the lovely Cyfannedd Fach cottage.

While the gates may keep the sheep out, you are welcome to stay at the 250-year-old stone shepherd’s cottage near Arthog in Gwynedd.

It stands all on its own, 700ft above the sea in the western foothills of Cader Idris mountain.

Two bedrooms and a cosy downstairs sitting room, complete with books and games but NO telly, make for the perfect place to relax and unwind.

Indeed, you will be hard to contact – the only mobile signal is accessible if you walk up the hill.

Sleeps up to six, with two- night breaks from £215. See cyfannedd-fach.co.uk.

Pembrokeshire

WITH sea views and a secluded setting in the rural west of Wales, Towyn Cottage sits in a tiny hamlet.

The traditional stone cottage sleeps up to six, in three bedrooms, and features rustic exposed beams.

It is perfect for outdoorsy types looking for a coastal break away from the crowds. The small beach at Abereiddy is just moments away and is famous for its dark sand full of tiny fossils.

To the north of the beach is The Blue Lagoon, a former slate quarry that is now a popular spot with adventurers.

Visitors to the cottage can walk the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, right from their doorstep, or keep watch for seals and other wildlife.

Seven-night bookings cost from £708. See qualitycottages.co.uk or call 01348 837 871.

Lake District

GET away from it all in ultra-modern comfort, and drink in the stunning Lake District views, at Chester’s Lodge.

Hidden away in nature, in private grounds of a third of an acre, it is just 300 metres from the southern shore of Coniston Water.

The contemporary lodge sleeps up to eight, in four bedrooms all with underfloor heating.

The open-plan lounge/kitchen/diner, with vaulted ceiling, features leather sofas, HD TV, a games console and more.

The high-spec kitchen leads directly on to a 300sqft south-facing decking area with outside sofa and loungers. Sleeps eight.

From £321 for three nights in April. See homeaway.co.uk.

Devon

THIS luxury long-house is perched right on the edge of the Dartmoor National Park.

Springfield Cottage, in the Devon village of Old Liverton, has been recently refurbished and features an open-plan living area with woodburning stove, three bed-rooms, and kitchen complete with Nespresso coffee machine and pods.

Relax in the pretty, well established garden or set forth and explore the surrounding walking and cycling trails, and the nearby coastal villages and beaches.

Sleeps four. A three-night weekend in April is from £600. See premiercottages.co.uk or call 01626 824988.

Norfolk

GET creative and commit Gryngolet Cottage’s beautiful surroundings to canvas.

It has its own artist’s studio complete with brushes and paints.

There is plenty to draw you outside – a magical wildlife garden over-looking a water meadow.

Set in the rural village of Gresham, four miles from Sheringham, the cottage has two bedrooms and a sitting room with woodburning stove, as well as a conservatory – ideal for bird-watching.

Sleeps four, from £370 for a three-night break in March. Dog-friendly.

See crabpotcottages.co.uk or call 01263 579435.

Glamorgan

FOR splendid isolation, Ship Cottage takes some beating.

The whitewash cottage on the beachfront in Gower can only be reached by Land Rover.

You’ll need to pre-arrange your arrival with the owners. In extreme cases, the small river floods and the house is reached only by foot along the beach or by woodland path.

But this 17th-century former smuggler’s inn is worth the effort. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a cosy lounge. Perfect for fires on the beach and midnight swims.

Book the annexe as well for total seclusion. Sleeps eight, plus two pets. From £948 a week. Annex sleeps four, from £441 per week.

See originalcottages.co.uk.

Eilean Shona Island

GO off grid on the private isle of Eilean Shona, in Loch Moidart.

Getting to Shepherd’s Cottage – inspiration for kids’ author J.M. Barrie’s Neverland – involves a 20-minute motor-launch ride from the mainland then a 45-minute walk along the North Channel Coastal Path. But reward awaits.

The cottage features a sitting room with sea views, and king-size double bedroom.

The bathroom has a Victorian roll-top bath. Cooking is by gas and lighting by gas lamp.

Heating and hot water is run from the stove, and water is from a private spring. Sleeps two. Seven nights from £900.

See eileanshona.com or call 01967 431 249.

East Sussex

THE Higgledy treehouse at Blackberry Wood Camping was described as a “stunning handmade fairytale castle up in the sky” by TV’s George Clarke, from Channel 4’s Amazing Spaces.

Set at the foot of the South Downs, it is perched in the trees and sleeps up to four adults, in a double bed and a snug loft bed inspired by a bird’s nest.

The treehouse is fully self-contained with a shower in the turret and a kitchen with two-ring ceramic hob, fridge, toaster and microwave oven.

It comes with a woodburning stove.

From £160 a night, with two-night minimum. See blackberrywood.com.

Cornwall

TREVARA is a traditional seaside cottage with high-end finish in the town of Marazion, handy for the South West Coastal Path.

You can spot St Michael’s Mount and the ebb and flow of the tide from the sun room, upstairs patio and enclosed garden – great for al-fresco dining.

Three bed-rooms and two bathrooms make the cottage ideal for families.

It has a beamed sitting room and a wood-burner. Kitchen includes Cornish range cooker and there is a games room with snooker.

Sleeps six. Seven nights from £745. See luxurycoastal.co.uk or call 0330 113 7005.

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