Just take you?/ Dick of self

ROOMS WITH
Fancy a bit oJ
history on holiday?
Just takeyou?/Dick
fron'cthe LIK's
a?nazing range
of self-catering
ckoices- frorn old
lightkousesto
amcientcastles.
By Robin IVeillands
elf-cateringis a popular
option in thesedifficult
days,a relativelyinexpensive way of spendinga holiday,
with thebonusof thefreedomthat
comesfrom making most of the
personally.Nor is it
arrangements
necessary
to spenda self-catering
hoiiday in an apartmentcomplex
or somemodernpurpose-builtresort.Thereare self-catering
holidays availablein all kinds of
accommodation,
many of them
with history,characterandstyle.
THE
IAiIDMARI{
TRUST
The LandmarkTmst is a charity
that looksafter buildingsin distress,rescuesthemfrom decayor Italian-style
splendour:
P0dmeirion
inWales,
settingfor
"ThePrisoner"
60scultseries
andnowaholiday
haven
destmctionandrenovates
themfor
a newcareerasholidayflatsor cot- bathroomis onthegromd floorand , suggests,
originallybuilt asa venue follies and a conveftedwarerr
tages.This keepsthe buildings the bedroomson the secondfloor, , for banquetsheld by the inhabi
Costs vary with the time ol
livedin andprovidesthefundsnec- up a 96-stepspiralstaircase.
As in , tantsof themanorhouse.
and the accommodationreqr
essaryto maintainthe137existing all of the Landmarkproperties.,
but a week in winter at a c
propertiesand buy moreas the thereis no television.
TIIEIIATI(lTIATTRUST
guard cottage in Northur
Trustexpands.A11LandmarkTrust
The Tixall Gatehousenear, Anotherbodyinterestedinattractsleepingsix will cost just f
propertieshavebeenwell restored Stafford,full of the medievalbla ing holiday-makers
to its proper- again that is for the propert
andfurnishedwith a greatdealof zonrythatshelteredMaryQueenof
r ties is the NationalTrust, which, per head.I"or a party of ten p
care and are availablefor rent Scotsin 1586,is availabletodayat : aspart of its fund-raisingandcon- in midsummer there is Bosv
throughout the year, sleeping pricesfrom {,463for oneweekin , servationefforts,now offers cot- country house set above thr
betweenoneand 15people.
spring,sleepingsix - that'sfor the tagestorentin thegroundsof many ston river in Comwall, which :
Sometypicalexamples
fromthe property,not perperson.
stately homes.The Trust has a ten and costs from J1,130
currentlist includethe thatched. Andinthefirstofthenewseries, choiceof some200propertiesto week not bad if split ten wa
WoodsfordCastlenearDorchester, of Hg\dal -Quesday
BBCI),Gloria rentin 1993,in manydifferentparts
Both the Landmark Trus
:r-=-.:_--_*+.
*
r".,
-C'tthecounhy.
(sleepingeight),variouscottagesr yrHunnllorcl
vlstts the gothf Santhe National Tmst offer wet
on Lundy Island in the Bristol , quetingHouse,setin a secludedcor- , The range of accommodationis and low seasonrates (full detr
Channei(sleepingfrom oneto 14 , ner of the Gibbside Estate in . very wide, from farmhousesto se- their properties,holidays and I
people),andtheCullodenTowerat Northumberland.
The house,which , cludedcoltages,from flats in coun- areavailableon the telephone
RichmondinYorkshire
wherethe, dates kom 1746,was, as its name try housesto coastguard cottages, bers given opposite).
56 Raaflltnzs
2-8 JANUA
\
/
t/
l-
Itl
lFr
I
vlEw
from two to eightpeople.Dogsare
permittedin someoftheproperties,
which comeequippedwith towels
guestsare
and linen.Self-catering
welcometo usethe facilitiesof the
PortmeirionHotel,set right on the
estuary,including the swimming
pool and the restaurant,which
providesall meals.
Portmeirionis very popular, so
early bookingis advisable.Prices
dependon the time of year,but a
threeto four-night weekendbreak
Culloden
lowerinRichmond,
Yorkshire, costsfrom J145for two,whilea cotwhich
hasa96-step
spiral
staircase tagesleepingeight will costfrom
leadingto
thebedrooms
€279.Sevennights in a cottage
sleepingtwowill costfromf223 in
low season,ranging up to J660 for
a weekin high seasonfor a cottage
sleepingeight.Full detailsareavailnumberbelow.
ableonthetelephone
Ihe(lldti$thouseinUandudno,
perches
NodhWales,
370ftabove
the
seaat0rmes
Head
P(lRIMEIRI(ll{
Movingoverto Wales,thereis selfcateringavailablein Sir Clough
Wiliiams-Ellis'svillage of Portmeirion.This beautifulItalianate
village,seton thehilly coastof an
estuary,wasusedasthesettingfor
the60scult TV senesTlpPrisoner.
Sir Williams-Ellisstartedbuilding
Portmeirion
in 1925,withtheaimof
showinghow, with enoughskill
and care,evena beautiful natural
settingcouldbeembellished
by architectureratherthanspoiledby it.
No€l Coward wrote Blithe Spirit
whilestayingin oneof thevillage's
pastel-coloured
cottagesin 1941.
Thereare now 17 cottagesand
apartmentsavailable,which sleep
2 8 JANUARY
1993
IheBanqueting
Ho
(above,
andinterio
left)ontheGibbs
Estate,
Northumb
from1746
dates
an
wasoriginally
used
a
Yenue
fortheman
house
banquets
DISTIIICITY
DIFFEREI{T
Moreunusualandentertainingholiday accommodation
is available WaterTowernearDover
in Kentis includingtheYorkshireDales,S
through a small private company, evencheaper,at pricesfrom I13 folk and the Forestof Dean.Ez
DistinctlyDifferent,of Bradford-on- pernight,whiletheOldLighthouse hasbeenchosenfor charactera
Avon in Wiltshire.This company perched370ft abovethe sea at all havebeenrenovated,
but mos
rentsout a variedselectionof prop- OrmesHeadnear Llandudnoin thefurnitureis antique.
erties,ranging from watermills, North Walescomesin at a very
Guestsare greetedwith a rn
schools,chapelsand barns to a bearabie€15perhead,suitablefor comebasket,which includeswi
magistrate'scourt, a forge and a a familyor twocouples.
Full details andareableto arriveandleave
cow byre. Someof theseare self- anda brochure(priceJ1) areavail- any day of theweekprovidedtl
cateringwhile othershavethe op- ablefrom DistinctlyDifferentat the stay a minimum of two nigt
tion of a restaurant; some are telephone
numbergivenbelow.
These charming propertiesi
suitablefor disabledvisitors and
very well furnished and the ex
somearehappyto acceptchildren. RURATREIRHIS
facilitieson offerrangefrom me
Thereareno"typical"properties, Yet anothercompanyofferingholi bershipofthe localcountryclut
but to give a few examples,the days with a differenceis Rurai tenniscourts,fishinganda row
Barns at Babworth near Notting- Retreats of Moreton-in-Marsh, boat.Hereagain,thebuildingste
ham,whicharepartof afarm,offer Gloucestershire,
which has more to be historicplacesor conver
sevenrooms,all with ensuitefacil- than50properties
availableforrent workshops;thereis a conver
ities,from {I7 pernight.The Old in many beautiful parts of Britain, tithe barn, an old post office,1
galleryof a statelyhome,a fom
silk mill anda coachhouse.Pri,
vary,but a couplerOntingacottz
next spring will pay aboutJi
anda family of four in thesumr
aboutf415, bothfor oneweek.
This is only a seiectionof
6ER;: many curious or different protr
ties available for rent all o
Britain, placeswhich have br
savedfrom destructionor neglec
make a fresh start as a holic
homeand,notentirelyincidenta
a usefulcontributionto the ca
ofconservation.
fufrfE*