Planning a short break in the next few months? Why not take advantage of some of the upcoming local events up and down the country. Here is a glimpse of some upcoming events, if you want more inspiration and ideas take a look here.

March

Bath Literature Festival (1st March to 10th March)

Are you a fan of books, authors and reading? If so Bath Literature Festival could be for you. The 2013 programme is brimming with some of the greatest names in literature such as, Hilary Mantel and J.K Rowling. For a full line up check out www.bathfestivals.org.uk.

Need somewhere to stay? The Lansdown Grove Hotel can help you.

April

Harrogate Flower Show (25th to 28th April)

Having just been awarded Best Gardening Event by readers of Which Magazine, Harrogate Spring Flower Show is set to be even better than last year with double the number of Show Gardens offering you more ideas and inspiration to take back home. The Flower Show will also feature a number of displays from over 100 nurseries in the UK, offering plants for every space and growing condition, not forgetting a wealth of knowledge to help your flowers and plants bloom! If you want to roll up your sleeves and get dirty why not have a go at making a Yorkshire Dry Stone wall? Students from Askham Bryan College will be on hand to help out.

If you fancy going you will need to book online here: www.flowershow.org.uk, if you need somewhere to stay? The St George Hotel.

Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebration (20th and 21st April)

Every year Stratford-Upon-Avon marks the birth of the world’s greatest playwright with a weekend full of celebrations. The weekend brings together the local community and ambassadors from around the world in celebration of the life and works of William Shakespeare. During the two day event the town’s streets overflow with music, pageantry and drama.
There is no need to book as most events are free.

Looking for somewhere to stay? The Charlecote Pheasant Hotel just outside Stratford-Upon-Avon can help you.

May

Bath International Music Festival (22nd May to 2nd June)

This Music Festival brings together Classical, Jazz, World, Folk and Electronic Music in a numbers of venues around Bath. This year sees a newly appointed Artistic Director who has announced a line-up that includes Seth Lakeman Scottish Chamber Orchestra led by Alexander Janiczek, Danish String Quartet, Sacconi Quartet, Bath Philharmonia and many more.

Read more at www.efestivals.co.uk. Need somewhere to stay? The Lansdown Grove Hotel can help.

Devon County Show (16th to 18th May)

This year the Stunt Team from Diggerland will be performing in their Dancing Diggers with a gravity-defying routine. Also at the show Savage Skills – the UK’s leading Mountain Bike and BMX team will be on hand with advice and demonstrations.

Need somewhere to stay when The Devon County Show is on, take a look at The Imperial Hotel in Exmouth.

Why not tell us if you have been to one of these events before. Was it good and did you enjoy it?

The post Upcoming Local Events appeared first on Coast and Country Hotels Blog.

Our first experience of a Coast and Country Hotel was at The Lansdown Grove Hotel in Bath. The welcome was great on arrival, a very large room with a fantastic bathroom. Every little thing was for our comfort, the bed very comfy, the cleanliness was spot on, bath towels soft, no shortage of goodies in our room.

The seating in the dining room was very comfortable, no touching the other tables. Food was excellent with a very good choice, also the extra menu was great if you wished for more choice but you do have to pay a small supplement towards them.

Breakfast was also excellent, waiters and waitress always ready to help, swift in bringing your food and always with a smile.

In the reception a smile at the ready, even in some trying times with other guests.

The Parking is plentiful and right outside the hotel, there is a good bus service outside the hotel that can take you into the centre of Bath. We were on a Weekend Break so arrived early Friday night and visited Bath on the Saturday, before driving home on the Sunday.

The Roman Baths

If you have never visited Bath before then you really should it is a World Heritage city. There are plenty of shops to visit. We didn’t really go for the shopping instead we went for the local attractions, such as the Roman Baths. This was a fantastic attraction with lots of information and staff members dressed as Roman characters telling different stories.

After visiting the Baths we went sightseeing, the Royal Crescent is amazing and bigger than expected the Crescent overlooks Royal Victoria Park. Make sure you take some pictures of this. A short walk from the Royal Crescent is the Circus this was designed by John Wood. Apparently this building helped towards Bath getting the World Heritage status.

One building you can’t miss seeing is Bath Abbey. We paid for a guided tour of the Abbeys tower, there were a lot of steps to climb but the views of Bath were stunning, on a clear day you can see for miles. The tour took about 40 minutes and included visit to other parts of the Abbey as well.

Heading back to the hotel we visited a few more shops and took a small de-tour to visit Pulteney Bridge where there are even more shops built on the bridge! It is a truly stunning bridge with the River Avon running underneath it.

Pulteney Bridge

For people who don’t like walking up hills I would suggest getting the bus back to the hotel, the hill is rather steep!

Back at the hotel it was time for some dinner. Full marks to the manager and staff, for making a happy stay. We will be back at some stage.

Thinking of vising Bath? Why not take a look around The Lansdown Grove Hotel.

We would like to thank John and Judith Hall for taking the time to write this blog post. If you have a story to tell us why not email us at, blog@coastandcountryhotels.com.

The post A Weekend Break In Bath appeared first on Coast and Country Hotels Blog.

Scotland The Home Of Golf

Scotland the home of golf, this is where it took root. This ancient sport has flourished on Scottish soil for centuries and remains one of the most popular pursuits. Lots of golfers travel to Scotland each year to play some of the best courses in the world and we’ve picked out a few of them located near our Portpatrick Hotel and Self Catering Apartments.

Portpatrick Dunskey Golf Club

The village of Portpatrick sits on the south-west coast of Scotland. The cliff top Golf course has magnificent views across the Irish Sea and Northern Ireland can be seen some 22 miles away. On a clear day the Isle of Man and Mull of Kintyre may also be spotted. The golf club was founded in 1903 by Charles Orr Ewing MP, owner of the Dunskey Estate.

When the course was laid out it was originally 9 holes, in 1913 it was decided to extend the course to 18 holes, making it some 5,570 yards in length.  Today the club has two courses, the 18 hole Dunskey course and the 9 hole Dinvin course.

The club has been described many times as “the number one golf holiday destination”. Over half the golfers that play here are visitors and return year after year. The Dunskey course has been upgraded in the last few years and now includes bunkers.

Stranraer Golf Club

Originally opened in 1906 when it was a 9-hole course, laid out by the 1883 Open Champion Willie Fernie. During the Second World War the course and clubhouse were requisitioned by the War Department as a transit camp. Once the War was over these were given back and James Braid who was asked to design a new course. The course was laid out from former farmland and now includes many mature trees making for a beautifully scenic environment as you play alongside the loch.

The signature hole is the 5th called “Corunna” which is played from an elevated position over looking Loch Ryan and the Irish Sea.

St Medan Golf Club

This golf course was formally opened in October 1905 by the Honorary President, Rt. Hon Sir Herbert Maxwell, Bart., MP., who remarked on how popular golf was starting to become by quoting: “A few years ago, golf was entirely confined to Scotland and now it is hardly possible to find an English common where golfers are not visible.” In the same year 58 other golf clubs opened in the UK.
This course has a special feature, it has 9 holes but you can play from 18 tees. This allows players to make optimum use of the hilly peninsula with its panoramic sea views and wonderful scenery.  The course runs alongside the shore of Luce Bay in the south west of Scotland.

“The Well Hole” is their signature 4th Hole – This is a challenging ‘short ‘ hole, with danger right and left, and that is on a calm day!

Wigtownshire County Golf Course

This course was officially opened on 28th March 1894 by Sir Herbert Maxwell Bart M.P and since then the subsequent new clubhouses have been erected and upgraded as necessary to accommodate a growing membership and increasing visiting parties. The 9 hole course was purchased in 1966 for £2,000 and a further 45 acres of land was purchased from the DOAS  thereby extending the course to 18 holes.

The course is located on the shores of Luce Bay and can prove challenging for both the high and low handicap players. The course is just over 6000 yards in length and on a clear day you can see over to the Isle of Man, watch out for the sea breeze which can blow you off course!

Newton Stewart Golf Club

Located in Dumfries and Galloway the Newton Stewart Golf Course is a par 69 parkland course measuring over 5,800 yards located at the edge of the Galloway Forest Park. The course is open all year round and as its coastline is traversed by the Gulf Stream this can make for a milder climate.  At certain times of the year deer can be seen roaming the course.

With all of these courses and more to choose from on Scotland’s South West coast you may want to pack your Golf clubs! With our proximity to all these courses and our cliff top location overlooking the harbour and village, a break at The Portpatrick Hotel may be just what you are looking for.  Here you can stay for 2 or 3 night weekend breaks or stay during the week for 2 or 4 nights. If you’re looking for self catering instead of a hotel break we also have 3 apartments to let as well.

To take a look at The Portpatrick Hotel click here.

If it’s self catering you’re interested in click here.

If you have been to any of the above golf courses, why not say so below?

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Torquay’s Princess Gardens looks a little different at the minute, a 60m observation wheel has been erected. The 365 tonne wheel was completed in four days by eleven highly trained staff and has come straight from London’s Victoria Park.

It is open to the public from 10am to 10pm until 31^st October.

The wheel will offer breath-taking views of the bay and on a clear day you can to see for miles. From the wheel you should be able to see over to Paignton and Brixham.

The ride will last approximately 12 minutes and passengers can hear commentary on Torbay’s history, events and attractions.

If you’re looking to take a trip on the wheel it can be found in Princess Gardens next to the Pavilion right on the seafront.

Torquay is roughly a 50 minute drive from Exmouth where you can stay at The Imperial Hotel, which is located in one the best places in town, right on the seafront. A short 2 minute walk and you will be on the beach!

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