For what seems like forever, the only travelling we’ve been allowed to do is planning our next adventure and then daydreaming about it -- but the summer of staycations has finally begun.
Rural campsites, middle-of-nowhere cottages, boutique hotels and off-the-grid Airbnbs, National Trust parks and windswept beaches -- it’s time to explore those UK spots that look like they’re abroad. The weekend escape is coming back.
From a remote cottage in the Cotswolds to a hidden treehouse in Devon, we’ve found five incredible destinations to enjoy on your first wild weekend away -- and with over 230 five-star reviews, our Weekend bag could be the perfect travel companion to take with you.
The Isle of White, England
When it comes to pitching your post-lockdown tent, the Isle of Wight is as close to perfect as they come. Close enough that you can get there without taking a plane, escapist enough that you have to take a ferry; the shrinking skyline of the mainland putting you into minibreak mode. So pack your bag, leave it by the door and get ready for a weekend of sunny days exploring on two wheels and sunny evenings strolling past superyachts.
Where to stay: The Old Radar Station, set on the highest point on the island, is your chance to stay in an extraordinary piece of British history.
The Cotswolds, Gloucestershire
Places don’t get more quintessentially British than the Cotswolds, a land of rolling hills and thatched cottages, chocolate-box villages with cobblestone streets and a honey-coloured countryside that has long been declared an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Cotswolds is the classic English countryside and the ideal place to take your weekend bag. Cue epic walking trails, traditional 17th-century pubs and a very royal estate.
Where to stay: Filly Island is a unique cottage sat upon a tiny island accessed by a humpback bridge.
Woolacombe, Devon
Wherever you decide to spend 48-hours in Devon, you’re guaranteed an epic weekend escape -- but Woolacombe is up there with the best destinations you can ever explore. Set in the mouth of a valley on the north coast of Devon, this huge bow-shaped beach plays host to wildflowers, rolling countryside, undulating dunes, the softest sand you’ve ever strolled across and rolling waves you can either stare at or surf on.
Where to stay: Ravendere Retreats Treehouse is secluded, romantic and surrounded by forest-views.
Ambleside, Lake District
Like stepping into an Enid Blyton novel, this place is full of unforced adventures; gentle and unforgettable. Tucked into the wilds not far from Lake Windermere, Ambleside is full of the simple pleasures that makes a weekend getaway so unrivalled. Days spent hiking up hills and looking down over sparkling lakes, morning strolls through sheep-dotted fields, rock-hopping over pebble-strewn streams and finding a hidden spot to drop your weekend bag and whip out your picnic blanket. This is a place worth rushing off too.
Where to stay: the Hobbit Holes in Ullswater are a great place for the whole family to hide away, snuggle down and watch the sunrise over the Lake District.
Brecon Beacons, Wales
When it comes to weekend staycationers, there’s nowhere more breath-stealing than the Brecon Beacons, the jewel in the camping crown. Strewn with ancient relics, hidden tombs, menhirs and hill forts bored into the grassy hillsides, this is waterfall country like you’ve never experienced -- and if you hike high enough, to the peak of Pen y Fan, you’ll get to take in the entire green landscape with your own eyes.
Where to stay: The Tower is a cosy, Grade II listed tower built into a stone bridge in the heart of this Welsh national park.
The Weekender
The Stubble & Co Weekend bag is perfect for long weekends away. Crafted with 16oz premium waterproofed canvas, natural full grain leather and ultra-reliable YKK zips, this bag provides timeless good looks whilst being exceptionally durable -- and with the summer of staycations upon us, this unrivalled bag is about to come into its own; just ask the 230 explorers that gave it a five-star review.
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