Sawday's Special Places to Stay, Eat & Drink

Welcome to the Sawday’s blog - the place where we share travel tips and adventures, stories from our owners and the people that make our places so special, great food and drink, festivals, walking and all the things we love. At Sawday’s, we seek out special and unique places to stay, personally inspecting every place ourselves. We love all things local and independent and celebrate quirkiness and creativity.

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Sawday’s British Hotel Awards

While many are thinking about the upcoming festivities, we feel Christmas has come early with the launch of our brand new British Hotels Guide. 

In bookshops now, Sawday’s Special Places to Stay: British Hotels & Inns (edition 18) is stocked full of the 300 best independent hotels across Britain. We have whittled this fantastic collection down to five hotels who have smashed the award categories for 2016/17. From innovative menus to treasures that have been delighting guests for years, have a look at which British Hotels have brought home a title….

Sawday’s British Hotel Awards

Favourite Newcomer Award: Coruisk House - Elgol, Isle of Skye              

New hotels can be hard to find in tough economic times, but these Owners have burst onto the scene with a heavenly place hidden behind a mountain on the Isle of Skye. This chic little restaurant with rooms serves ambrosial food: Highland beef with braised oxtail, lobster bisque and ginger steamed pudding. Decor is rustic and cosy, with wood-burners and mohair throws.

Nicely Priced Award: The Beckford Arms - Salisbury, Wiltshire

Nip to Wiltshire for this gorgeous inn lost in lush countryside. Dine in Georgian-meets-modern interiors, snooze in garden hammocks in the summer, warm up by the drawing room’s roaring fire in the winter. Graze on Brixham clam chowder and chocolate delice, before wandering sleepily to small - yet perfectly formed – bedrooms.

National Treasure Award: Rose & Crown - Barnard Castle, Durham

Like a good red wine, some hotels get better with age. This 18th-century inn sits peacefully in a village that time forgot, tucked away in the north Pennines. Take your pick from the line of real ale pumps and enjoy a fine meal in the panelled restaurant. Stylish rooms await with comfy beds, Bose sound systems and lovely bathrooms. Dogs are very welcome.

Fabulous Food Award: The Crown & Castle - Woodbridge, Suffolk

Find yourself blissfully marooned at the end of the road at this bolthole in foodie Suffolk! With small miracles coming from their kitchen, The Crown & Castle delights all with their menu: potted brown shrimps, flawless steak and kidney pie, Cornish crab quiche and seasonal artichoke heart salads are a mere taster of their treats. Wellington boots wait at the back door so pull on a pair, build up an appetite and then indulge in the freshest of food.

Hotel of the Year Award: Penally Abbey - Tenby, Pembrokeshire

This stunningly refurbished country-house hotel is surrounded by acres of lawns and woodland. Have a scrumptious afternoon tea in the sunroom, down a drop of the good stuff in the elegant, art-filled bar, relax beside the open fire in a drawing room with wide sea views. Slip away to sleep in stunning bedrooms of crisp white linen and vast windows that frame Carmarthen Bay.

Sawday’s Special Places to Stay: British Hotels & Inns is available from all good bookshops (RRP £15.99) or online directly from Sawday’s (£11.99+ P&P). For more information on the book or any of the places featured visit www.sawdays.co.uk

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8 brilliant stargazing spots in Britain

It’s a proven fact, everyone benefits from time spent in nature. Whether it’s climbing a lonely mountain, walking wild coastal paths or even hugging a tree, taking time out to reconnect with the great outdoors gives a boost of mental wellness.

But had you considered a stargazing fix? The UK now boasts over 150 dark sky sites - you don’t have to venture far to be awestruck by nature! So lie back on a blanket and lose yourself in infinite views of the universe at these brilliant stargazing spots.

Brilliant stargazing spots in Britain

1. St Agnes and Chapel Porth, Cornwall

Journey down the far-flung tip of Cornwall to the small village of St Agnes. Take your pick of cosy pubs that line the quiet streets, before heading down towards the coast. Look up at the dark skies on Chapel Porth beach, or stop in at the small National Trust car park off Beacon Drive to gaze into the night.

Places to stay:

The Old Goathouse -  Crosscoombe, St Agnes

Rosehill Lodges -  Porthtowan, Cornwall

2. Exmoor, North Devon

With exceptionally low levels of light pollution, Exmoor was recognised as the first International Dark Sky Reserve in Europe. Walk from Porlock Weir to Culbone in the day, venture deep into the National Park once darkness falls. Spy on constellations and asterisms, then once you tire of the Big Dipper, head to one of our Special Places.

Places to stay:

The Oaks Hotel - Porlock, Somerset

North Walk House - Lynton, Devon

3. Galloway Forest Park, Scotland

For brilliant stargazing spots in Britain, steal up to Scotland where inky dark skies rule. Stray away from bustling cities to Galloway Forest Park and pick out the shine of the delicate planets far above. Bring binoculars and spot the moons of Jupiter, rings of Saturn and dusty craters of the moon from this huge green forest.

Places to stay:

Gardeners Cottage -  Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland

Longshot Cottage -  Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland

4. Kielder, Northumberland

Walk the stunning countryside of Northumberland’s National Park, and walk the Bull Crag Peninsula beside Kielder Water. Rest in a Special Place until night falls, then head out to numerous stargazing spots. This is one of the darkest skies in England so be sure to take binoculars with you to the top lookout points around Kielder. If you want to get up close and personal to the galaxies, head to Kielder Observatory for brilliant educational events.

Places to stay:

The Pheasant Inn -  Stannersburn, Northumberland

Singdean -  Newcastleton, Scottish Borders

5. Isle of Coll, Scotland 

Scotland’s wild highlands and islands have so little light pollution they boast the most velvet of nights. Head to the Isle of Coll (also known as Dark Sky Island) to spot the elusive Northern Lights. Off the west coast of Scotland, this Hebridean island is over 30km from the nearest street lamp, meaning light pollution is pretty non-existent.

Places to stay (take ferry from Oban):

The Manor House -  Barguillean, Argyll & Bute

Sithean -  Oban, Argyll & Bute

6. Sussex Downs National Park

The newest addition to the International Dark Sky Reserve, the South Downs are well-protected to ensure that the night sky is kept untouched from the glow of city lights. Walk to the Black Down and climb the Temple of the Winds – the highest point in the South Downs. Visit just before the full moon for optimum stargazing!

Places to stay:

The Swan Inn -  Godalming, Surrey

The Barn at Roundhurst -  Lurgashall, Sussex

7. Lake District

Head to the Lake District for brilliant walks by day, and electrifying night skies. Thousands flock to Grizedale Forest Park as you can easily see the Milky Way in all its glory with the naked eye. Climb Friar’s Crag in Keswick for fantastic views by day or night. It’s been dubbed as one of the most beautiful views in Europe by 19th-century art critic, John Ruskin, and when the sky lights up with thousands of stars at night, you’ll agree.

Places to stay:

The Royal Oak at Keswick -  Keswick, Cumbria

The Cottage in the Wood -  Keswick, Cumbria

8. Leigh Woods, Bristol

You don’t have to travel deep into National Parks for dark skies. Many are surprisingly close to cities, such as Leigh Woods. Perched near the grand Clifton Suspension bridge in Bristol, walk by day through ancient trees to lookout points over the Avon Gorge. Return after sundown for gentle night-time strolls and peer up at the cobweb of constellations.

Places to stay:

Shed and Breakfast -  Ambra Vale South, Bristol

Failand Farm Cottage -  Failand, Bristol

With a whole new world high above our heads when the sun goes down, leave the city lights far behind for some quiet contemplation beneath the stars. Grab some binoculars, wrap up warm and don’t forget your thermos!

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Knoydart House – Luxury in Knoydart’s wilderness

Venture over viaducts and across lochs, cutting through the dramatic landscape of the Western Isles to Knoydart, Britain’s last wilderness. This far-off peninsula peppered with towering Munros and awash with thrilling sunsets holds a wilderness begging to be explored… and you’ll be surprised to find a spot of luxury at the foot of Ladhar Bheinn.

Perched above Loch Nevis, Knoydart House sits bathed in light reflected off the waters. Owners, Jackie and Ian, built this beautiful place to stay and were influenced by the surrounding landscape and environment. But being so marooned in the wilderness brought about issues - Jackie tells all about how they made their dream house a reality… 

Knoydart House – Luxury in Knoydart’s wilderness

I moved to Knoydart 24 years ago after falling for Ian – I’d have moved to the ends of the world for him, and Knoydart is pretty close to it. He worked for the Knoydart Highland Estate so I got to settle on this gloriously isolated peninsular, shaped by wilderness. No roads lead to Knoydart; only boat or a long, arduous hike can get you to us, but we knew we wanted to build a beautiful place here. A piece of luxury in the wild. I finally found the perfect spot when I followed my children into their secret den in the woods - sitting quietly in a wooded spot overlooking the Loch, the views and light astounded me and I knew this was the space for us.

I patiently waited nine long years until we could buy that piece of land and once we had signed the contract, we got to work. Knoydart House took six months to build. It was six months of obstacles and challenges dealing with the remote nature of Knoydart, but our first building project was driven by our vision. We knew exactly how to breathe life into our dream.

The house absolutely had to frame the expansive nature and bring the outside in – we needed those who stayed to feel connected to the land. We kept all edges rounded – we used rounded plasterwork on the window frames so the eye continues out into the surrounding woodlands. We built a drystone fireplace with local Knoydart stone to mimic the rough edges outside in the landscape, and we put up a vast glass wall to welcome any Scottish sunlight and flood the living space with light. The expansive windows also give impeccable floor to ceiling views of the outside windswept world.

As we used only natural products, a local boat builder was our builder of choice. I knew how I wanted the structure of the roof – my design was influenced by a traditional Viking boat being burnt at a recent Shetland Viking Festival I attended. We planned for the beams to be splayed across the ceiling like the ribs of the upturned boat I had witnessed burn to cinders. Huge trunks of Canadian Fir were shipped in, but once they arrived… we ran into a problem. The wood was so large, no workshop in Knoydart was large enough to work this wood, so we ended up shaping the beams in the local boat yard.

Finding places large enough to shape our materials was an issue, but transport also proved very tricky. We couldn’t transport our materials by road (since there are none) and had to rely on the regular boats that cross Loch Nevis. Transporting the materials across from Mallaig required military precision and organisation (and a special military boat!) – a feat which could only be handled by a logistics expert: my husband. We made quite the team with undertaking this project, and the tight-knit community of Knoydart also helped in bringing this altogether. From local tradesmen that shaped the structures, to the extra hands who helped us get the huge eight-person hot tub to the house, the brilliant community helped make it possible. 

From boat to pier, then tractor to the house; it was a feat getting the sunken hot tub to Knoydart House, but it was worth it. This luxurious addition has unparalleled views across Loch Nevis from its elevated position on the deck. After walking the trails on the peninsular, have a good soak under the stars with a glass of bubbles to truly unwind.

We soon built Knoydart Hide nearby – a glorious bolthole for two with a copper roof that’s slowly beginning to green from the weather (it will soon camouflage perfectly into the woodland), a field of wild flowers out the front and large windows to let in that bright light. We’re incredibly proud to have these two buildings on the Knoydart landscape – they’re a legacy for the land and a homage to the beautiful peninsular that we love so dearly.

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Tessa’s Tips: How to use social media to promote your place

We have a brand new marketing manager on board, and Tessa is quite savvy at social media. Try Tessa's top tips on how to use social media to promote your place, and you'll be a digital dervish in the time it takes to say 'hashtag'.

The world of digital marketing can be overwhelming when you have a business to run. There’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and a proliferation of new platforms which don’t always play an obvious role in generating bookings. If you find the prospect of social media more baffling than beneficial, read on. We’ll try and demystify with four simple rules…

Rule one: Understand your audience

Businesses that fall into the trap of “doing” social media because they think they should be, miss the point. Think for a moment about what people use Facebook for - they share stories, make each other laugh, keep up to date with their friends’ lives, loves, sports preferences and political rants. Social media is a tool for communication - it pays to think about what your audience would be interested in, not just what you’d be interested in saying. Think of it as a conversation and not a monologue. 

Yes, publish your offers but aim to give people an insight into what it’s like to live where you live and do what you do. It’s far more interesting and will be better at inspiring them to visit you…

Rule two: Do one thing well

Don’t try and spread yourself too thin by doing it all. Pick one or two social networks and concentrate on making really great content for them. Which ones should you pick? The ones your target audience are on. If you’re targeting millennials, then Instagram is great. For baby boomers, Facebook is more relevant. Influencers and journalists tend to spend more time on Twitter. 

Decide who you want to target and why they would be attracted to your place - this helps you to know what you should be talking about.

Rule three: Plan to tell a compelling story

Instead of posting content at random, create a plan. Think about the audience you want to attract and what they are interested in then draw up a schedule of posts. Make them as visual as possible and make sure they give a great insight into your place and area. Don’t forget, you’re selling the dream of a wonderful holiday experience so think about all that this experience entails and how you can bring it to life. Take loads of pictures and share them. Even the tiny details are lovely: spring flowers, the vegetable garden, misty morning dog walks and the log pile in winter. 

Look at which of your posts are most popular and adapt your plan to include more of what your guests are engaging with.

Rule four: Let people know you are social

Include social media links on your website, in your email signature, any newsletters you send and any advertising you do. Put it on letterheads, leaflets and business cards. Use your social media account to share content and engage with tourism bodies, local attractions and things to do so you raise the profile of your business.

Good luck and see you on the web!

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What is a modern pilgrimage?

The British Pilgrimage Trust guides us through what makes a modern pilgrimage and how you can do one yourself. Take off into Britain’s landscapes on foot to reconnect with nature’s glorious sights…

Did they say modern pilgrimage?

At its simplest, purest and most ancient, pilgrimage is an unbroken journey on foot to holy places. And holy places are everywhere.

Some folk say: “It’s out of date! - It’s pointless!” 

But a pilgrimage is never pointless - that’s the whole point. It is not cloud-like wandering, nor a hike to distant car-park signposts. You are walking to somewhere special, where you really want to arrive. The simplicity of a modern pilgrimage may be hard to fathom in our fast-paced, modern lives, but attempt deep connection with your surroundings on this walking tradition.

Seek natural beauty and places of indisputably glorious creation on your route. Be stripped of domestic insulation and convenience, and put one foot in front of the other on a journey toward unknown outcomes. The modern pilgrimage will go beyond the shallow waters of tourism and will dive deep, challenging those who walk to encounter holy places and seek a more real connection – with themselves and something greater.

The religious question

To talk of higher truth, we need a better language than words. For people throughout history, this language has been pilgrimage.

Some folk still say: “It’s too religious/the wrong religion”.

But British pilgrimage is neither non-religious nor religious. It is simply pilgrimage. Journeying to holy places doesn’t imply devout religious intention as holiness can take many forms – cathedrals, rivers, ancient woodland etc – and the broad path of pilgrimage can welcome people of all faiths or no faiths. It’s open to all. Bring your own beliefs.

Holy places are special places – compelling places – toward which you feel summoned to walk. It is up to you to how to engage with them. Sing or dance, be still or silent – feel the urge to connect and act accordingly. No one’s watching and there are no instructions.

You and me time

Pilgrimage is intensely moderate exercise. And walking is our species’ defining upgrade, a form of movement we seem made to do. It provides time and space to process thoughts and emotions, and to encounter self without convenient distractions.

It also helps us to connect with others – companions and strangers. The journey takes us into communities we otherwise may not encounter and will teach us more about the companions we walk besides.

We have pilgrim routes

Pilgrims follow secret green passages – the bridleways, footpaths, green lanes and hollow tracks of old Britain, which carry you car-free almost anywhere.

Pilgrimage is the off-road pursuit of wholeness. It’s an opportunity to meet the land, and dispel the idea of separation from nature. And walking as transport is one of the lowest-impact eco-activities possible.

See some of the great routes that we’ve walked.

Do try this at home

If you want to try pilgrimage, this journey from London to Sussex to celebrate ‘Jerusalem’ is a leap into the deep end. It is a pilgrimage to sing a song on a hilltop, and a journey deep into the dream of England.

For something closer to home, simply choose a special place and plot a route there by footpath using OS maps – paper or digital. Always choose the most beautiful path, and avoid roads. Go slowly, and walk it in one go. And that’s it.

See you on the path.

Find out more about The British Pilgrim Trust and explore the Modern Pilgrimage to Sussex walking route.

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Walking ‘long-loved Duddon’ with Wordsworth

With 25 years exploring the UK on foot under his belt, Christopher Somerville has a plethora of tales from the various landscapes he’s walked. To celebrate his new guide, ‘The Times Britain’s Best Walks’, Christopher recalls a wildly blustery walk in the Duddon,Valley where the words of Wordworth guided his way… 

Walking ‘long-loved Duddon’ with Wordsworth 

I’ve used the little weather-resistant guides published by Frances Lincoln in various locations, and learned to trust them. So setting out into a roaring gale from Seathwaite (the Duddon Valley one, not the one under Scafell Pike) with Norman and June Buckley’s guide, Walking with Wordsworth in the Lake District, promised a great afternoon’s walking in the river valley that Wordsworth explored as a boy. 

‘Duddon, long-loved Duddon, is my theme!’ the poet declared in the first of his 32 sonnets extolling the river and its landscapes, and the river about which he rhapsodises, from mountain rill to stately estuary, is especially seductive in its lower reaches where: 

‘The struggling Rill insensibly is grown 

Into a Brook of loud and stately march, 

Crossed ever and anon by plank or arch.’ 

Not that it was easy to step from the Newfield Inn with its cheerful fire, friendly folk and snoring dogs into the spit and bluster of a wet old day. The Tarn Beck rushed noisily under its hazels and alders. The tops of the Seathwaite Fells were misted over, the trees dripped and the road was slick with water rills. The blustering wind pushed me along northwards, past whitewashed Tongue House and up a stony path onto the open moor between High Tongue and Troutal Tongue. 

The Duddon’s vale is full of tongues – high rocky knolls that give the valley a wild character unique in the Lake District. Along the wet grasses the golden busbies of bog asphodel shivered to the wind in their tens of thousands. What rhymes with asphodel? Wordsworth would have found something to encapsulate the damp shimmer of buttery bronze up here in the wind and rain.

Gradually the weather relented: the mist shredded off the Seathwaite Fells, revealing their high spine against patches of intense blue sky. The rain-swollen River Duddon came leaping and churning through a dark slit of a gorge, to jostle in a surge of bubbles under the single arch of Birks Bridge. 

I lingered on the bridge, listening to the crashing of the river, then turned downstream. Pied wagtails bobbed on the rocks. A whinchat squeaked and clicked up the bank. The path rose and fell, a tricky stumble among slippery tree roots and rocks. One moment the Duddon was sluicing over flooded stepping stones at my elbow; the next it was hissing between rock walls 200 feet below. 

I threaded a cathedral-like pine forest, skidded across a scree slope of red and grey boulders, and recrossed the roaring Duddon to follow its east bank down to Seathwaite. On the outskirts of the village I passed a pebbly strand where a couple of boys were skinny-dipping in the rampant river. 

‘Here the Child 

Puts, when the high-swoln Flood runs fierce and wild, 

His budding courage to the proof.’ 

Wordsworth knew all about country boys, risking life and limb in wild water as these were doing, as youngsters have done ever since Noah – let alone William Wordsworth – was a lad. 

Choosing 200 walks for The Times Britain’s Best Walks was always going to be a challenge – I’ve done nearly double that number for The Times now, and how on earth can you say which is your favourite of so many walks through so many glorious landscapes? But the image of Wordsworth’s rain-swollen River Duddon charging through the forest under the misty fells of Seathwaite keeps recurring to my inner eye. It may not be a sun-kissed chocolate box snapshot of the British Isles, but in its dampness and greenness, its vigour and potency, this short, outstanding hike remains one of the truest examples of a walk through the very best of our British landscapes.

*'The Times Britain’s Best Walks' by Christopher Somerville (Harper Collins) - 200 walks from the 'A Good Walk' column – is published 6th October 2016.

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8 utterly remote British pubs that are worth the journey

When adventure calls and the countryside beckons, strap on your walking boots for an expedition to utterly remote British pubs that are worth the journey. 

Down winding country lanes lined with hedgerows, along Cornish coastal roads bound for the sea, into the depths of Exmoor Country Park, or over boundless Chiltern Hills – the journey (and views!) will be as rewarding as the warm welcome at these brilliant Sawday’s pubs. 

You’ll work up a stonking appetite and be ready to reward yourself with real ale and handsome homemade pies at these tip-top isolated pubs.

Trust us, these places are worth getting lost for.

Utterly remote British pubs that are worth the journey

The Gurnard’s Head

St Ives – Cornwall, England

From the Gurnard’s Head you’ll hike along otherworldly coastline with expansive sea views . Walk at low tide to see the exposed secret beaches, marvel at vivid wild flowers, march to the top of high cliffs before retreating to the earthy pub of colour-washed walls and log fires. Feast on rustic dishes of confit duck and crab gratin, washed down with a hand-pulled Cornish ale.

Rugglestone Inn

Dartmoor – Devon, England

With generous ploughman’s lunches calling, be sure to stroll out to this remote 200-year-old Dartmoor Inn on the outskirts of Widcombe in the Moor. Few visitors make it out of the idyllic village, but the classic food and local farm cider of Rugglestone Inn make it a worthy expedition. Recline on the lawn, listen to the babbling brook, gaze out to peaceful Dartmoor moorland and rolling hills.

The Royal Oak Inn

Luxborough – Somerset, England

Used by many as a homely stop-off along the Coleridge Way, head into the heart of Exmoor’s deep green valley to stoke up on the perfect steak and ale pie. Walk the dog across moorlands and hunker down beside the Royal Oak’s roaring wood-burner. You’re spoilt for choice for lunch – smoked trout and lemon risotto, or the chicken and leek pie? There are fresh flavours galore as ingredients are sourced as locally as possible.

The Five Horseshoes

Maidensgrove – Oxfordshire, England

Escape city life for the vast horizons and fresh country air of the Chilterns. Perched high on rolling hills, the remote Five Horseshoes pub harbours the finest view (and menu) in Oxfordshire – top motivation to climb those hills! Get stuck into seasonal dishes, all locally sourced or foraged from their doorstep. Don’t miss the weekend roasts – the perfect ending to a Sunday stroll.

The Hand at Llanarmon

Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog – Denbighshire, Wales

Jump on your bike and wind through splendid Welsh countryside. Popular with walkers and locals, this cosy 16th-century drovers’ inn serves food that brings many in from the hills. From pub grub favourites to inventive dishes (try the masala marinated pork loin steak), fill your boots and while hours away with plentiful books in the sitting room.

The Black Swan

Ravenstonedale – Cumbria, England

Delve into the Eden Valley and discover a gem of a remote pub lost in the green hills. Walk the Lake District, tread the Yorkshire Dales, pause at the Howgill Fells and then roll into The Black Swan. Energetic staff will sort you out with decadent sandwiches and pan-fried sea bream. Play a game of Scrabble as you digest, then head back out to the exhilarating hills.

The Royal Oak

Fritham – Hampshire, England

Ale-lovers rejoice for this small, thatched haven tucked away in the depths of the New Forest National Park. Tread the Fritham walk and follow fellow ramblers into the ancient Royal Oak for unpretentious, yet flavoursome pub lunches and brilliant beverages. Embrace barbecue season in the large garden, enjoy a beer and food festival in Autumn, linger by the fireside in winter.

Red Pump Inn

Bashall Eaves – Lancashire, England

Meander along intertwining lanes in the picturesque Ribble Valley between tall fells and quaint towns. Climb Pendle Hill, stalk miles of footpaths and slip in a visit to this elegant country inn. Sip cask ales on the south-facing terrace among the tumbling flowers, and get stuck into the rich and hearty menu. Stumble upstairs to bed and wake to hearty Irish breakfasts to fuel a new day of hiking.

If these remote British pubs have piqued your interest, then explore the many handpicked watering holes in the new Sawday’s guide: Pubs & Inn’s: England & Wales.

Set out and discover Britain's landscapes safe in the knowledge that you’ll never be far from a top ale... no matter how lost you feel.

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Breathe life into your photography

Users of Sawday’s - your potential guests - are bombarded with images when searching for somewhere special to stay. Galleries accompany Sawday’s places and beckon browsers to book, but does your gallery stand out and capture guests attention?

Owners need to work harder to capture interest quickly once the guest hits the place page, and one of the most effective ways to do so is by ensuring your photo gallery is full to the brim of brilliant photography.

Catherine Hay has the lovely Hillview Cottage that sits in very pretty countryside near Wells in the green hills of Somerset. It’s a typical Sawday’s place: packed with interesting things that reflect the character of the owners, colourful, homely, relaxed and unpretentious – the very opposite of ‘boutique’ and all the better for it.

The Hays have been doing B&B through Sawday’s for over 20 years and get plenty of good feedback from guests. But they’re probably very typical of some of our owners in that they came from a ‘being in a book’ background rather than launching straight onto a website. And ‘being in a book’ meant having to produce one, or at the most two, photos. 

This year Catherine was determined to get some really good photos taken of Hillview Cottage so we decided to monitor her page views over three months and see if the better pictures actually made a difference. 

Simply by changing what were rather drab pictures into a colourful gallery that shows plenty of detail, Catherine has doubled the amount of people who are ‘clicking through’ from her page on Sawday’s to her own website... in just three months!

If you fear your own pictures aren’t really up to the job anymore, then get snapping – or get someone handy with a camera to take them for you. But before you start do have a look at our tried and tested Top 10 Photo Tips, breathe new life into your Sawday’s page and show off your Special Place at its absolute best. A bit like L’Oreal – because you’re worth it…

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Tuscan B&B: It’s not always ‘dolce far niente’...

Meet Heidi Flores and Lorenzo Balloni - Sawday’s owners of Le Due Volpi in Tuscany for nine years. From organising a romantic proposal with the mayor in attendance to reassuring city-dwellers that nature isn’t as dangerous as they think; doing B&B is so much more than a job to Heidi. It’s a new way of experiencing the world... although not the leisurely life they had hoped for!

Life at a Tuscan B&B

After some 20 odd years directing an undergraduate American university program in a breathtakingly beautiful villa overlooking Florence, my husband Lorenzo and I decided to break free. He would leave his vintner business to pursue his passion for restoring antique radios and vintage Italian racing bikes, I would learn to cook delicious dishes – preferably on a brand new Aga!

Choosing the Mugello over other areas in Tuscany was easy. It’s near to Fiesole, where Lorenzo is from, and to Florence. It’s also breathtakingly beautiful with rolling hills, wide vistas and a genuinely Italian culture.

We found the right house and I already knew we would call it Le Due Volpi after my bronze fountain of two stylised foxes gushing water into a stone trough – and of course there are plenty of real foxes around.

We looked forward to inviting all our friends to visit, and with a few rooms to rent through Sawday’s we would make new friends with travellers who would discover our corner of paradise. We had dreamed of a new, blissful existence and here it was! But a leisurely life - dolce far niente – what on earth were we thinking?

Now we leap out of bed early to water the garden, clean the pool, bake muffins, lay the breakfast table while feeding the puppies, then be at breakfast with the guests – a multi-language exchange about how to fix the world while pouring a cup of coffee to the guest who asked for tea…

And the people skills! How to gently encourage a young honeymoon couple to leave their room for a breath of probably much-need air, and how to explain to a city dweller that a scorpion sting isn’t really deadly and snakes on the path will shy away from them. One young guest wanted to propose to his girlfriend in a small village, with prosecco, the Mayor in full regalia and the village band playing – we sorted it!

By lunch time we’re usually ready to collapse, but after a short rest, new arrivals knock on the door and off we go again. It’s always exciting to meet new people – and, thanks to the internet, you have no idea who will turn up. Sometimes you don’t even know whether guests will be male or female, which country they come from or what their profession is. But then, over breakfast, their personalities unfold and their histories spill out and I’m fascinated, and start daydreaming about the places they come from, and the lives they lead.

Doing B&B isn’t a job – running Le Due Volpi is a new way of travelling, of day dreaming and of making lifelong friends.

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Calabria: Don’t miss the ‘toe’ of Italy…

Calabria

The landscape is dramatic: rugged mountains, meandering paths following streams and waterfalls through which you can walk for days without meeting another soul (move over French Alps), valleys filled with wild flowers, tantalising glimpses of turquoise sea, Byzantine cathedrals and Norman castles, forests of ancient beech and pine.

Whilst the thrilling, off-track peninsula entices many to the area, few need further persuasion once introduced to the food of Calabria. This region produces a quarter of the country’s olive oil which is used for preserving as well as cooking – and what cooking! 

Onion soup thickened with bread and seasoned with grated pecorino and hot pepper, pork and veal liver pie with tomato, plenty of fresh seafood from the clear Tyrrhenian waters, swordfish roasted with capers, parsley and lemon, fried ravioli filled with chestnuts, candied fruit, nougat and chocolate….dedicated gourmands will adore it here.

And so will lovers of good wine. Robust Cirò reds are the perfect match for the regions tangy, aged cheeses, but some excellent white wines are also produced from the Greco grape of Greek origin, and an amber coloured sweet wine called Greco di Bianco made with dried grapes which weighs in at 17% - so to be taken in sips rather than glugs.

The Calabrese have a reputation (in Italy in any case) for being stubborn, but another way of saying that is persistent, unwavering, determined – all the qualities needed if you are to cling on to your traditions and local ways in this increasingly bland world. So carry on Calabria – keep the faith.

4 beautiful places to stay in Calabria

If we have piqued your curiosity, explore four of our favourite places to stay when taking a trip to the ‘toe’ of Italy:

B&B Casa Gemma

For waterfalls, thermal baths in Caronte, Sila archaeological park, ancient churches, markets to explore, beaches and an ancient textile mill.

Agriturismo Livadia

A working olive and citrus farm. Ride or hike in the nearby mountains, visit archaeological sites, have a go at kite surfing.

Praia Art Resort

Doze by the sea at this unexpected haven, stride the hills of the National Park of Sila and visit the canyons of Valli Cupe.

Agriturismo L’Arca

From here you can stride in the Pollino mountains, visit the Palaeolithic Romito caves and medieval Belvedere.

With more special places than ever before, Sawday’s 9th edition of 'Special Places to Stay: Italy' sees some 140 new places added to the collection, a mini-boom in Agriturismi, mindful destinations, a smattering of Sicilian island idylls and for the first time, Calabria. 

Available in all good bookshops or through our online bookshop.

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Alastair Sawday visits the refugee camp in Calais

Everyone has a view about the refugee crisis but solutions are elusive. I do know that while we dither, people are suffering.

I spent a day in Calais in December. I wandered the refugee camp (aka ‘the jungle’), met refugees in their dozens, talked to a few, and spent time with the young volunteers. I chatted to frustrated locals, to a French volunteer, and immersed myself in the context and history. It is time for a few truths.

One small story, before I begin: my Calais friend used to have beehives throughout the tunnel approach area. Now there are no trees and flowers, and his hives are empty. He blames the refugees.

The area/situation/region is a tragic shambles. The refugees who have struggled to reach Calais, and are still bottle-necked there in a squalid and wretched camp, remind us of a responsibility that neither Britain nor France accepts. We have, on our doorstep, 6000 people in whose countries it is now impossible for them to live. Our history gives us a moral duty to these people. Inaction is morally repugnant.

We leave them in Calais to sleep rough, wet and cold, at the mercy of wind and rain and with little support from the large NGOs or our government. What have we become? Are we numbed by our own cruelties inflicted on distant people? Has our government shown such callous disregard for its own poor that we are calloused to the needs of others? Both Governments are looking the other way, perhaps reluctant to encourage more flight to Calais. But if a homeless man asks for help, does a decent community turn its back lest others come too? I have just listened to a politician urge us to leave the abandoned children in the Calais camp rather than bring them here.

The tunnel once brought prosperity to Calais. Travellers are using other ports, businesses are fearful of using lorries and trains. Tourists are even afraid of using the tunnel. The area was never beautiful but now it is bleak, studded with policemen watching for escaping refugees, fringed with high security fences, flooded with ‘defensive’ water, a World War One scene in places. Most trees have been cut down to remove cover for hiding refugees. That is why my friend has no beehives there anymore. Calais has been abandoned by the Government. People who feel put upon become unreasonable, in this case racist and intolerant.

Rowan, my son, and I walked past a police van into a squalid mess of large and tiny tents, ramshackle shelters and mud. Leaving Rowan in the white Dome, where young British volunteers were playing games with refugees, I strolled deep into the camp, past litter, abandoned tents and furniture, and past different communities of refugees - Sudanese, Syrians, Afghanis, Iraqi Kurds, and families in caravans.

Wherever I went I was met with smiles, civility, even friendliness. I was lured into a tent filled with young Sudanese men who pumped my hands, drummed and sang. I left close to tears. This was the place of which the locals are so afraid. It is now an amiable shanty town, with shops, cafés, safe houses, a barber shop, loos, bubbling humanity. It deserves dignity. Yes, it has some of the problems of other communities - racism, mafia-type activities, trafficking - but it works in spite of every conceivable hurdle put in its way.

Then to the warehouse for donations, mostly clothes. Here was another scene of chaos: vast piles of black bags of unsuitable clothes to be returned to the UK and sold for cash, mountains of boxes of difficult-to-allocate clothes, mountains of other stuff being sorted into usable piles. Medicines are well sorted. Vans turn up and disgorge their donations. The volunteers moved me close to more tears as they talked of their affection for the refugees and their shame at Britain’s response. They are working for us all and are often the only people to do anything to help. They clothe, shelter, advise and befriend a community of 6000 people.

Everyone has a view about the refugee crisis but solutions are elusive. I do know that while we dither, people are suffering.

Let us also put an end to our fear of these refugees; they are helpless, human beings like us. Desperation has driven them here, and to risk their lives. They deserve better from us than neglect. So do the volunteers. So does Calais. Perhaps one day the bees will return.

If you’d like to make a contribution to build shelters at the refugee site in Dunkirk, please visit our Fundsurfer page. Generous Sawday’s and Canopy & Stars owners have offered more than 70 free stays to help the cause, donate £25+ for a chance to win one. Thank you.

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Take a garden getaway this May

Nicola Crosse finds the very best garden treats this May (particularly good for those who may not always find their fingers green...)

Simply have a dig about in our Gardens Collection and you’ll find over 50 Special places to plan a little break from your own guilt-inducing patch. Laze on a lawn you haven’t mowed, wander through paths you haven’t weeded, be bowled over by herbaceous-ness you haven’t had to plan, sleep like a log in beds you haven’t had to make, wake to a treat of a breakfast someone else has slaved over a hot stove for.

In most of these places you can stay all day, but there’s a swathe of NGS gardens open in May so you can explore further afield (and get afternoon teas aplenty with lashings of homemade cake). Get your copy of the NGS yellow book and start planning your May garden getaways now.

Visit...

Ridleys Cheer at North Wraxall, Wiltshire – a riot of beautiful informality – open on Sunday 15th May from 2-5pm. Or, new to the NGS this year – The Manor House at Steeple Aston, on Sunday 22nd May from 2-6pm.

Stay at...

Cadwell Hill Barn and find a stunning garden surrounded by ancient dry stone walls. You’ll get sink-into beds, roomy bathrooms, robust breakfasts and free run of the springy lawn with pathways, a raised terrace and a circular Italianate garden.

Visit...

Mary Newman’s Garden in Saltash, Cornwall is an Elizabethan treat open on Sunday 22nd May from 12-4pm or explore a little cottage garden at South Lea, Pillaton on Sunday 8th May from 1-5pm.

Stay at...

The Cider House for uninterrupted views from smart bedrooms, 700 acres of woodland and much greenery.

Visit...

Rosedale, Bures, Suffolk for unusual plants, open on Sunday 15th May from 12-5pm and Lavenham Hall, Sudbury with its ancient ecclesiastical ruins, on Sunday 22nd May from 11am-5pm.

Stay at...

The Old Rectory Country House for restful bedrooms, a pool, an honesty bar and acres of formal gardens.

Have a glorious garden-filled May with our Garden Lovers Collection: www.sawdays.co.uk/gardenlovers

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Top 10 Gîtes & Cottages in France

Explore medieval hilltop villages, hone your French in bustling food markets, cram your bags with smelly cheeses, peppery salami, crusty bread and local wine. Over 20 years ago, Alastair Sawday was spending his time doing exactly that.

What started out as a simple passion for real food, sublime wine and interesting company, grew into a deep desire to preserve the simple life in the hurly burly of the modern world. And because he wanted to share his finds, those first friendships have grown into a big family of Places to Stay.

Our collection of French holiday gîtes and cottages are a dazzling reflection of our determination to find the people and places (and cheeses) that make France so endearing. Here’s a pick of some of our favourites...

Villa des Oliviers, Var

Relax with friends in a southern French coastal home, where cypress trees fringe manicured lawns and the pool gazes on the distant sea.

La Villa at Le Courty, Charente-Maritime

Designed with style and comfort, peaceful, sophisticated and serene with countryside views. And you have your own lovely pool.

Bages: Fisherman's view, Aude

Overlooking the vast lagoon of Bages-Sigean, the all-white studio feels calm and serene. Think, dream, paint, write, sail...

La Maison de la Plage, Finistère

Superb views of white sand and sea from a chic beachfront house on a lovely stretch of the Brittany coast. Swim, kayak, surf or sail…

Shambhala, Dordogne

Chill out on the rooftop sundeck, snuggle by an open fireplace. Fun for all the family in this relaxed house with garden and watery views.

Bastide Oleander, Var

Refresh in the pool, nibble olives from the market, gaze over Provence. Inside Edwardian English meets classic French. Fabulous for families.

L'Hirondelle, Gard

Charming, simple, inviting - a love nest for 2 in a small hilltop Vézénobres. Gaze over Languedoc vistas, splash in the shared pool.

Mas d'Arvieux, Bouches-du-Rhône

Among the very stones of Roman Provence, an easy-going cottage for 2-5; walk, ride, visit Roman treasures, the Pont du Gard, the Camargue...

La Ferme du Monteil, Deux Sèvres

In one of the sunniest regions in France, a simple, stylish farmhouse in a heaven-sent setting with pool and an apartment for 4.

Gite Regrunel, Lot-et-Garonne

Soak up the peace, enjoy the hill views, sample the vineyards. Families and groups love the open-plan living and outdoor space

Make memories across the channel with our handy new French Gîtes & Holiday Cottages page.

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What it’s like to curate a dream B&B by the sea

Hugh Dunford Wood, artist and owner of Arty BnB By The Sea, on how this special place to stay became his canvas, as well as a happy hub of engagements, conceptions and life-long friendships.

Six years ago the last of the kids left a trail of clothes for London, and we found ourselves rattling around in a large Georgian villa overlooking the sea in Lyme Regis. We were unable to downsize having taken in my ancient mother when she was given six months to live, and she was still with us eight years on aged 93 and working on her first novel. The sea air does funny things to people.

My wife Candida was exhausted from having spent several years running the Jurassic Festival 2012 alongside the Olympics, and I gaily came up with the idea that she could stay at home and run it as a B&B for those who liked their creative atmosphere undusted. Would our way of life attract anyone to come and stay with us?

You see I am an artist designer. I have always worked at home, in home, except when I have a residency away such as with the RSC, the Globe or the Museum of Bermuda. 

The house is my canvas. I paint the furniture, hang paintings on the ceiling and handprint our wallpaper from my own designs. I make the cups and the plates, the bread and the jams, the pesto, the cheese and the fruit shrubs. 

The sea air does funny things to people you see.

So we cleared out a couple of the rooms and contacted Sawday’s – who else? I was surprised by the people they sent us – not the crusty old colonels and memsahibs that I had imagined sunning themselves on our veranda, but young professionals, and artistic families, architects and scientists eager to get down and dirty on the beach with their fossilling hammers.

We have had three engagements to date, two recovering cancerians and goodness knows how many conceptions. One young couple did not emerge from their room for three days... 

The sea air does wonders for people you know.

Candida lasted six weeks as host before being tempted back to work as director of Communities Living Sustainably. So I was left to make the breakfast and field the bookings. It fits well with the artist’s life. We built my studio onto the house beside the kitchen, so I could bake the bread with a paintbrush in hand.

The most surprising element of this business, which it has become, is the added on bonus of the patronage of visitors. I have quite unbrazenly sold engravings and paintings, linocuts and wallpaper, handprinted cushions and portraits. 

I am off to Ireland next month to paint an ex-ambassador who stayed. I have made wallpaper for guests’ houses in London, the Hebrides, and Geneva. I specialize in loos being the smallest wall-spaces to paper. Last year I officiated at a wedding of one of our regulars in Cahors. The groom brought his paramour here one February to propose to her at the end of the Cobb, but it was blowing such a hooley, he fell to his knees on the landing – the sea air has that effect on people.

Although it is a business in that we earn decent money from the house, it ain’t a job - its more a way of life. You have to like people and be sensitive to others’ needs for solitude or wanting a nose around the studio.  It is in no way a servile role, more a matter of sharing the sea air with others who don’t have the fortune of rattling around in the Arty BnB By The Sea.

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Why the Lake District needs you this spring

Simon Bennett, owner of Augill Castle, reflects on one of Cumbria’s most difficult seasons and why you should fall for the fells this spring.

Not since the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001 has Cumbria and the Lake District so badly needed the support of those who love it.

As the county opens up for a new season, flinging open our windows and doors at the first, welcome signs of spring - curlews and lapwings circling overhead, fields filling with a new generation of lambs, every bank covered by snowdrops and daffodils - our roads are emptier, our byways quieter.

The Lake District is no stranger to literary motifs. Its brooding fells, endlessly changing skies and fathomless lakes and tarns inspired the likes of Wordsworth, Ruskin and Coleridge, Beatrix Potter and Arthur Ransome and countless others since.

One particular bon mot with no less a luminous provenance sums up this wild corner of England as well as any. From the father of fell walking, Alfred Wainwright, ‘there is no such thing as bad weather, just unsuitable clothing.’

Anyone who has spent any time in the Lakes can attest to the enduring truth behind this seemingly flippant observation and many a visitor will paraphrase Mark Twain by adding, ‘if you don’t like the weather in the Lakes, just wait a few minutes,’ usually with fondness; with a sense of irony only if they haven’t taken Wainwright’s sensible packing advice.

But repeat all this to residents of Cumbria this winter and you might get more than the usual wry smile and knowing nod.

This winter there really has been bad weather.

On the weekend of December 4 & 5 Storm Desmond dumped the UK’s highest recorded rainfall at Honister in the heart of the Lake District. Thirteen and a half inches fell in just 24 hours.

For those who were flooded, who lost their businesses or were forced out of their homes, it has been nothing short of devastating. But this is a vast county. River plains flood, not the fells, upland moorland and rolling hills which are our backbone. And that same water which caught us unawares feeds the beating heart of this place - the rivers are the life-givers, the blood supply of the Lakes.

This is a county of resilient people. For centuries Cumbrians have hewn the unforgiving landscape to make a precarious living from the land, harnessing nature in order to become, if not its master, certainly not its slave.

Thanks to millions of pounds worth of flood defences, there was less destruction that there would otherwise have been allowing the most badly affected areas to stay open for business in the run up to Christmas and to recover subsequently far quicker than might have been the case. 

These are communities not to be beaten by the elements which have shaped the unique landscape of which they are a part. But in 2016 a new adversary has emerged stronger than ever before. For those of us who rely on visitors to the county the negative public perception of the county’s predicament, whipped up by a hysterical media is endangering our livelihoods. At a time when we need to be recovering and rebuilding, we find ourselves more helpless than ever.

Water was here long before men. It is never far away. The people, places, sights, tastes and adventures that the Lake District has to offer that have been shaped by it are still here and need visitors to return to ensure the landscape so beloved of so many continues to prosper.

Find the very best boltholes from which to marvel at Cumbria’s dramatic landscape with its rolling hills, crystal lakes and hard-earned optimism: www.sawdays.co.uk/Cumbria

Simon Bennett is owner of Augill Castle near Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria’s magnificent Eden Valley, featured by Sawday’s since 1998. Simon wrote about his experiences of running the castle in Undressed For Dinner, voted Lakeland Book of the Year in 2014. The sequel, Stop For Breakfast is due to be published later this year.

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Calabria; starting a foodie B&B against natural parks and sparkling seas

From meeting in The Netherlands to having a long-distance relationship across Europe and finally starting a foodie B&B adventure in the heart of Calabria, Marco and Asuncion share their rather romantic journey with us.

What made you want to start a B&B? Was the farm in your family?

Agriturismo Calabrialcubo belonged to Marco’s family and we moved to Calabria together in 2005 to take care of it. Before this Marco lived in Bologna, where he graduated in agriculture and I lived in Spain as a schoolteacher. We met in the Netherlands and after a few years of a long-distance relationship, we decided to embark on this adventure together!

In the early years we focused on the improvement and implementation of agricultural activities, before renovating the old buildings and opening the restaurant.

What is Calabria like?

Calabria is definitely a great region to discover; the scenery is stunning and it has a mild climate all year round. There are two beautiful seas, the Ionian and Tyrrhenian and three natural parks with forests and mountains that hide remote villages. There are so many sights to from the gorgeous sunsets with the Aeolian Islands in the background to the authentic food and friendly people.

What’s the food like at the farm?

Everything revolves around food and we use as much produce on the farm as we can; all of the extra virgin olive oil in the kitchen, herbs, vegetables, fruits, avocados, organic beef, sausages and craft beers.

Which dish would you recommend from your menu?

That’s a difficult question, all of our menus are interesting! Our chef prides himself on using seasonal food creatively. Our speciality though is probably smoked beef rump with valerian avocados and nuts or nettle risotto with bacon.

How have you found running the B&B?

Running the B&B can be a complex and delicate task because you want to make sure that every guest has a lovely time. There are so many challenges; starting a new life in a new place, moving from a town to the countryside, renovating all of the accommodation an in innovative way for the area and drawing guests to an unusual and little-known tourist destination. 

What advice would you have for someone looking to start their own B&B business?

We wouldn’t give advice because we still have so much to learn! You definitely do need to have passion for your place though and enjoy meeting new people and making their stay special.

What is the best part of running Agriturismo Calabrialcubo?

Having the opportunity to host guests from all over the world. It’s also amazing to live in nature as a family without a strict routine - it’s an adventure that allows us the flexibility to do whatever we like.

Join the adventure and surround yourself with nature and great helpings of Calabrian fare at Agriturismo Calabrialcubo.

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Bicycles, fighting the internet and chateâux to die for; Alastair Sawday on France in 2016

The 9th edition of Sawday’s Special Places to Stay: French Châteaux & Hotels hits bookshelves this week. Here’s a sneak peek of Alastair’s foreword.

Nobody can take the Frenchness out of France. Other countries may have been overwhelmed by outside interference, but France sticks to her guns.

Our publishing began with Alastair Sawday’s Guide to French Bed & Breakfast, displaying the sheer vitality of French culture, ways and style. We focused on farmhouses and rural areas, and I still think that rural France is a European treasure. Every visitor helps to keep people in their villages. The same is true of its hotels, many of them oases of economic dynamism.

It is fun to see France adapting to, and part-defining, this century. The bicycle is known in France, affectionately and perceptively, as La Petite Reine, and she is benignly running amok. You can now cycle the length of the Loire, all the way to the Atlantic. This is wonderful, and adds new perspectives for visitors. Paris was bike-friendly before most other cities, and you can pootle about everywhere on hired bikes. These things make a difference.

The food scene is as alive as ever, despite criticisms – often valid – that fast food is intruding dangerously. Look for the symbol ‘Maître Restaurateur’ at the door of a restaurant, awarded to restaurants that make everything from scratch. If we all avoid fast food it will surely wither.

An interesting new seduction is the glut of antiques for sale in flea-markets and auction houses. The weak euro is also good for most other things, such as these hotels themselves. Have a look at L'Hôtel, once the Paris home of Oscar Wilde, and the Hotel de la Paix in Montparnasse. We have châteaux galore, in many of which I would happily spend my last days. There is a heated pool carved into the rock at Demeure de Vignole – utterly bizarre, and irresistible.

These hotels need us, for they are being throttled by the big booking companies; and we need them, for we, too, are being throttled by the internet, the media and the frenzy of life. Leaf through these pages and then dive in; there is everything to gain.

Plan your next trip across the channel with our French Châteaux & Hotels collection.