Romantic weekend breaks for the boys

January 31, 2012

Romantic weekend breaks for the boys

As much as we’d like to think Valentine’s Day is an equal-opportunities celebration, there is no denying there’s something decidedly female about the whole affair. Flowers, chocolates, hearts, pink... these are not the preoccupations of most of the men I know (in fact, most of the girls I know are pretty ambivalent, but woe betide their other halves if the big V Day passes without so much as a bunch of daffs from the garage).

As an effort to redress the balance, we’ve come up with ten romantic weekends away that should keep everyone happy - lovely places to stay, but with a bit of a testosterone thrown in. Warning - prepare for some blatant gender stereotyping...!


Bond in Beaulieu

To mark the 50th anniversary of the James Bond films, the National Motor Museum is presenting Bond in Motion - the largest collection of bond vehicles the world has ever seen. The Aston Martin DB5 is there of course, alongside dozens of others, including Goldfinger’s 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III and the autogyro from You Only Live Twice.
Stay right next door at the pretty Mill House b&b, and once you’ve had enough of Bond you can enjoy the beautiful New Forest of Beaulieu and the tranquil estuary right on your doorstep.


Pies near Penrith

If you’re partial to a bit of pie, there couldn’t be a better place for a weekend break than The Queen’s Head in the Lakeland village of Askham. Last year, the pub’s head chef Craig Hennessey was crowned Pub Pie Champion 2011 and his prize-winning speciality Cumberland Tattie Pots are a staple on the daily menu.
Luckily, The Queen’s Head is not all about the pies - it’s also a lovely place to stay in a very beautiful village and within walking distance of the incredibly romantic Lowther Castle and Gardens.


Blue Suede Shoes in Brighton

It might be a few miles from Graceland, but we’re sure The King would have felt right at home in his own themed room at Sea Spray in Brighton. Budding Elvises can look forward to a bit of (tasteful) Vegas bling, a guitar to practice their 12-bar blues and a sound system with speakers in the en-suite bathroom, perfect for hip-swivelling in the shower. There is even an Elvis-related surprise in the wardrobe. We won’t give it away...
Brighton itself is the perfect place for a funky weekend by the sea. Easy to get to, full of great restaurants and plenty of opportunities to walk hand-in-hand along the prom.


Train spotting in Thuxton

Anyone who harboured dreams of being a train driver in their youth will love this cosy cottage for two in Thuxton, Norfolk, which used to be the waiting rooms at Thuxton station. The steam trains on the Mid-Norfolk Railway still stop at the station from spring until autumn, so you’ll get the full ‘Railway Children’ experience. The Thuxton Waiting Room is self-catering, but you can rent it by the night out of season.
Thuxton is a pretty little village in the middle of the Norfolk countryside, with plenty of places to walk and pubs and restaurants in the nearby market town of Wymondham.


Lego near London

Ok, so this one could make or break a relationship, but we’ve been reliably informed that a hotel made of Lego could be the ultimate in male mini breaks. You’ll have to wait until it opens in March (and it’s not strictly made of Lego), but the new hotel at Legoland is set to make a few boyhood dreams come true. Not only will your bedroom be in the heart of Legoland, residents will get thirty minutes of ride time before they open the gates in the morning and you can even stay in a pirate-themed room. Can it get any better?!
Of course, you could always stay one night at Legoland and one night in a lovely grown-up hotel in nearby Windsor. The Manor is a great place to stay. Go for walks by the river or in the Great Park and wipe all thoughts of plastic building blocks from your memory.


Camberwell Carrots in Cumbria

Follow in the footsteps of Withnail, I and Uncle Monty with a visit to Sleddale Hall in Cumbria. Best known as Uncle Monty’s countryside retreat in the right-of-passage Withnail and I, the tumbledown cottage is in the middle of the Lake District National Park and makes for a long country walk with a difference. You can’t go inside (it’s been bought by a local landlord for posterity), but the whole area has become something of a pilgrimage for film fans.
Stay at the very cosy Mardale Inn in nearby Bampton, where you can enjoy a massive Cumbrian breakfast and as many pints of local ale you can stomach. Withnail would be jealous.


Chest rubs in Chester

Spa breaks aren’t just for hens and expectant mothers, men are getting in on the act too. There are couples’ packages and men’s packages a-plenty* and even the least metrosexual male will succumb to the idea once he’s got his complimentary dressing gown and slippers on. The Chester Grosvenor Hotel and Spa offers a great range of men’s treatments, including deep tissue muscle massages and facials, plus a thermal suite and salt grotto to hang out in. And, of course, you can enjoy some serious brownie points if you’ve brought a girl along - the best stress treatment of all.
Chester itself is a great place for a weekend away. Good shopping, some fantastic pubs and restaurants and the choice of beautiful countryside or the bright lights of Liverpool and Manchester on your doorstep.
*ho ho


A pint near Pickering

The New Inn in Cropton, North Yorkshire, is a bit of a mecca for beer afficionados - this popular village pub has its own award-winning brewery at the bottom of the garden. Stay in one of the cosy bedrooms upstairs and you’ll have a tour of the brewery and the fruits of its labour on tap, all within stumbling distance. The New Inn has also got its pub grub gold star, with delicious comfort food cooked with lots of local ingredients.
If you can tear yourself away, you’ll find yourself at the edge of the breathtaking North Yorkshire Moors - miles and miles of great walking and cycling and a very romantic coastline.


Salmon fishing in Snowdonia

Really get away from it all at the beautiful Cae Gwyn Farm in Snowdonia, complete with nature reserve and a kilometre of the Afon Eden river to fish. The Afon Eden is home to Atlantic salmon, rainbow and brown trout, not to mention otters and fresh water pearl mussels.
Visitors to Cae Gwyn can also enjoy plenty of amazing walking, climbing, mountain biking and bird watching, not to mention jaw-dropping views from the farm itself. Voted one of the top ten places to camp in the UK, you can also stay in one of the cosy b&b rooms if you’d rather not brave the elements.


Lennon love in Liverpool

Already famous the world over for its musical spawn, Liverpool has gone one step further and opened a whole hotel dedicated to the Fab Four. The Hard Days Night Hotel is heaven for Beatles fans, managing to combine a slightly fanatical idea with genuine style and luxury. Most of the rooms have just a hint of the Beatle about them, but for the ultimate experience you could splash out on the Lennon suite - a huge penthouse apartment complete with white baby grand piano, John Lennon artwork and a balcony overlooking the roofs of Liverpool.
The city itself is a brilliant place for a city weekend, with fantastic restaurants, shops and plenty of Beatles-related attractions. The Weekenders Guide to Liverpool is a good place to start planning your trip.



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