Post-lockdown Joanna Lumley-inspired holiday ideas from Travel PR’s clients

A new three-part series Home Sweet Home: Travels in My Own Land, presented by Joanna Lumley, starts tonight on ITV at 8pm. Joanna visits many corners of the UK including the Yorkshire Dales, Snowdonia, Whitby, Cornwall, Sussex, Manchester, and the Scottish Highlands. Here are some post-lockdown Joanna Lumley-inspired holiday ideas from Travel PR:

Beatrix Potter’s ‘Home Sweet Home’ – from £143 pp with Pride of Britain Hotels
Joanna Lumley’s new series includes a visit to Hill Top, the former home of Beatrix Potter, in the Lake District. The 17^th century farmhouse provides a fascinating time-capsule of the author’s life. Stay four miles away at Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, near Windermere, with 28 bedrooms in the main hotel (including Garden Suites, Spa Lodges and Spa Suites with private with private hot tubs and spa facilities) and Michelin-starred restaurant HRiSHi. The hotel’s separate 100-acre estate, Gilpin Lake House, provides 12 guests with exclusive access to a four-acre lake, hot tubs, saunas and an indoor pool. An overnight stay is from £285 per room/£143 pp (two sharing), including breakfast. Contact Pride of Britain Hotels on 0800 089 3929 (www.prideofbritainhotels.com).

Wildlife experience in Sussex – from £81 pp at Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club
Knepp Castle Estate’s pioneering rewilding project in West Sussex, visited by Joanna Lumley on her recent UK tour, demonstrated how free-roaming grazing animals are creating abundant new habitats for wildlife such as turtle doves and Purple Emperor butterflies. Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club is the perfect base for a Sussex break with wildlife and walking trails on the doorstep. Set in 186 acres on the edge of Ashdown Forest, the grounds include 40 acres of grazing land where wild deer roam free. Stay overnight from £162 per room/£81 pp (two sharing), including full English breakfast and use of the spa. Call Ashdown Park on 01342 824988 (www.ashdownpark.com).

Visit vibrant Whitby – from £231 pp with England’s Coast
Head beyond the usual coastal honeypots post-lockdown to the charming seaside town of Whitby on the Yorkshire coast. Intersected by the River Esk, it boasts streets lined with 18^th century fishermen’s cottages and genteel Victorian homes, a kitsch promenade with arcades, the dramatic Whitby Abbey ruins – inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Gothic horror story Dracula, maritime heritage with connections to Captain James Cook (learn about his life at the Captain Cook Memorial Museum), and some of the finest fish and chips in the UK (try the award-winning Papas Fish & Chips). Stay at Yorkshire Cottages’ Sandy Shores, a characterful one-bedroom apartment located on Whitby’s west cliff, with stunning sea views. From £462 for a three night stay (£231 pp). Plan your trip with coastal booking tool englandscoast.com/en.

The Scottish Highlands by campervan – from £71 per night with Yescapa
Get your fill of fresh air, wide open spaces and dramatic views on an epic campervan road trip through the Scottish Highlands. Following the Highland Tourist Route through the heart of the highlands, pass through the wildlife-rich Cairngorms National Park, rugged forests with mountain biking and hiking trails, charming towns and historic castles. In May, prices for a comfortable four-berth campervan start from £496 for seven nights including two insured drivers, breakdown cover and mileage (100 km per day). Save an extra 5% with the Early Bird Offer and there is a flexible cancellation policy up to 48 hours in advance. Contact Yescapa (www.yescapa.co.uk).

Magnificent St Michael’s Mount – Cornwall from £190 pp with holidaycottages.co.uk
In the new series we will see Joanna Lumley taking in the glorious vision of St Michael’s Mount, a 57-acre tidal island in Mount’s Bay in far-west Cornwall. Linked to the charming village of Marazion via a man-made causeway, the island is managed by both the National Trust and the St Aubyn family who have lived here since the 17^th century. The island’s gardens are a wonder; a micro-climate means all sorts of unlikely plants flourish. Petra 1 and Petra 2 (each sleep two) are appealing holiday apartments with fabulous views of the sea and St Michael’s Mount. A three-night stay costs from £190 pp (£380 total). Call holidaycottages.co.uk on 01237 459 888 (www.holidaycottages.co.uk).

Follow the Tracks of the Welsh Dragon – Snowdonia and more from £2,250 pp with Jules Verne
If you love rail journeys and the UK, and yearn for a bygone era, then this is the tour for you. Travelling on board the steam-hauled 61306 Mayflower in Pullman-style carriages, this four-night itinerary features two full days exploring Snowdonia and North Wales, with optional excursions on several of the famous Little Trains of Wales or to visit such local delights as Puffin Island, the medieval town of Beaumaris, Bodnant Garden, Conwy and Caernarfon Castle. Tracks of the Welsh Dragon costs from £2,250 pp (two sharing), including rail travel, four nights’ B&B (one in Shrewsbury, three in Portmeirion Village), dinner daily, two lunches on board the train (premium railway dining experience), excursions and the services of guides & local reps. Departs 4 September. Call Jules Verne on 020 3553 3722 (www.vjv.com).

Scotland’s Highlands & Islands in expert company – from £2,996 pp with Kirker*
From St Columba to Bonnie Prince Charlie and beyond, few British regions fire the imagination like the Highlands & Islands. Starting and finishing in Edinburgh, this new nine-night holiday explores its fascinating appeal in the company of an expert in Scottish history and culture. Enjoy an evening dram at Castle Duart on its crag overlooking Mull’s Firth of Lorne, visit the sacred isle of Iona, admire the outstanding West Coast gardens of the Ardtornish estate, cross the sea to Skye, travel north up the Great Glen, tour the poignant battlefield at Culloden, and more. The price is from £2,996 pp (two sharing), including nine nights’ B&B at carefully chosen small hotels, three dinners, four lunches, transfers, all entrance fees & gratuities, tour leader and Kirker tour escort. Departs 8 June. Call AITO* member Kirker on 020 7593 2288, www.kirkerholidays.com.

Treat friends and family to ‘Home Sweet Home’ with a Blue Badge Tourist Guide Gift Voucher – from £185
Whether planning a holiday somewhere new in the UK this year, or simply keen to find out more about the area where you live, an entertaining and enlightening tour with a highly qualified, professional Blue Badge Tourist Guide will bring your chosen experience to life. The perfect present for travel fans with staycation aspirations, Blue Badge Tourist Guide Gift Vouchers are available for guided walking tours, visits to heritage sites, museums and galleries, and much else besides. Priced from £185 for a half-day private tour, tailor-made to the recipient’s requirements. Visit www.britainsbestguides.org/voucher.

*AITO is The Specialist Travel Association: more than 120 specialist travel companies providing an unrivalled collection of holiday ideas that cover every corner of the world. Consumers booking with AITO can be assured of high-quality holidays and excellent personal service. Visit www.aito.com for further information.

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Press: Please call Sue Ockwell, Julia Farish, Karen Carpenter, Jackie Franklin, Lizzie Cooper or Mischa Mack at Travel PR on 020 8891 4440 or email initial.surname@travelpr.co.uk for further information.