Thanet Well Lodge Retreat offers a tranquil retreat with unrivalled views of the Lake District and luxurious lodges to relax in, take a look at the photos below

Thanet Well’s focus is to enjoy the pure peace and tranquillity that the Lake District offers, relaxing in our beautiful lodges while taking in the surrounding countryside. Located in Greystoke, Thanet Well boasts unrivalled and panoramic views of the World Heritage Site, which you can see for miles and explore the countryside at your own pace. Our self-catering lodges have everything you could need for a break away in Cumbria, from fully fitted kitchens, beautiful dining furniture, sumptuous sofas and comfy beds, to the mod-cons you’ll love, including dishwashers, flat screen TV’s and some lodges even have docking stations. Book your holiday at Thanet Well Lodge Retreat to escape the daily grind, take a sneak peek at some of our holiday accommodation below.

Escape the daily grind and enjoy a well deserved holiday in the Lake District, where you can get back to nature and soak up the countryside, while spending time in complete luxury in our wonderful lodges. Our wide range of lodges can accommodate all group sizes, from a romantic getaway to a family or friends get together to explore all that the area has on offer, book your holiday to the World Heritage Site today.

Visit Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat and explore the stunning World Heritage Site while retreating back to utter luxury with our award-winning lodges

Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat is a multi-award winning destination in the Lake District and is home to fabulous first class facilities including the wonderful Ammara Spa, which offers relaxing Aromatherapy Associates treatments to enjoy, along with our Copper Fells Bar & Brasserie serving mouth-watering dishes to indulge in. Our wide range of accommodation offers everything you could need for a self catering holiday, including beautiful kitchens, sumptuous sofas and the comfiest of beds you could ever need, along with all the extra luxuries you won’t be expecting, take a look at the images below to have a sneak peek at some of our luxury lodges, then head over to book your Keswick Reach holiday today.

Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat has so much to offer it’s easy to see why it is one of our most popular locations, being surrounded by the endless countryside means you can explore something new everyday in the local area, there are numerous historical sites to visit, as well as museums, shopping centres and even local cinemas and small community theatres to enjoy too! Our range of beautiful lodges can accommodate all group sizes, whether you’re looking for a romantic escape away in our one bedroom lodges, or if you’re looking for a family and friends UK holiday in one our larger lodges, we will have a luxury lodge to suit your needs!

Book your holiday at Keswick Reach today and enjoy some time exploring the hauntingly beautiful World Heritage Site of the Lake District, Cumbria.

The Isle of Wight is teeming with fun things to do with the whole family, we’ve put together a list of all the fun things to do with your children on the island. Our wonderful Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat offers luxurious lodges for you and your family to relax in during your holiday with us, we are perfectly located in Wootton to explore the local area. We’ve created this list of things to do with the kids during your holiday in the Isle of Wight, have a read below and starting planning your holiday to Woodside Bay now…

amazon world

PO36 0UX / 10am – 5:30pm / Adult £11.95, Child £9.95, Family £41

Visit the islands largest exotic animal attraction at Amazon World, where you can see various friendly species of penguins, wonderful giant anteaters and fascinating tamandua! There’s also a fun Jurassic themed playground to discover, as well as a great café serving delicious meals and light snacks.

monkey haven

PO30 2NB / 10am / Adult £10.95, Child £8.95, Family £37

Monkey Haven offers a wonderful home for rescued birds of prey and various primates, who have been saved from different situations, including the illegal pet trade or animals who may have had trouble in their original groups. Also, check with the attraction by phone or social media on bad weather days as they may be closed to keep the animals nice and cosy inside.

blackgang chine

PO38 2HN / 10am – 4:30pm / Peak Standard £22.50, Off Peak Standard £20

The whole family can enjoy a wide variety of play areas, where you can be an outlaw and rob a bank, or become a sheriff of your own town and lock up all the outlaws. Explore the whole park and fight pirates before finding fantastic life size animatronic dinosaurs!

tapnell farm park

PO41 0YJ / 10am – 5pm / Adult £8.95, Child £10.95, Family £36.55

Head to the Farmyard Barn where you can meet adorable animals, including friendly alpacas and meerkats, as well as adorable goats and sheep. The Straw Bale Adventure Zone will delight all with pedal go-karts and fun zip wires, and the little ones will love the soft play area in the Play Barn.

lost world adventure golf

PO36 9JT / 9am – late / £4 per person

Spend an hour having a blast at one of the islands best adventure golf venues, where you’ll explore some Aztec ruins and trek all over the rainforest and there are even monkeys and lions lurking around.

Isle of Wight zoo

PO36 8QB / 10am – 5:30pm / Adult £11.35, Child £9.30, Family £36.55

This fabulous zoo is known for offering a wonderfully enriching retirement home for rescued tigers and lemurs, but there is a wide variety of animals to meet at the zoo! Including a whole mob of meerkats, a friendly family of Wallabies, Darwin the Tawny Owl during the falconry sessions and the island’s first ever white lion, Casper.

robin hill country park

PO30 2NU / 10am – 5pm / Standard £19

Explore this beautiful adventure play and theme park set in 88 acres of picturesque countryside. The whole family can get involved in the park rides, test out the jungle play with the treetop nets and be amazed by the fantastic falconry shows available too.

Family fun is what it’s all about on a holiday away, so we hope this list of fun things to do with your family in the Isle of Wight helps you plan your getaway with us at Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat!

holidays at Woodside Bay

Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat offers the ideal place to base yourself while you explore the island, with 5 star facilities and first class accommodation to enjoy. Our luxurious lodges come fully equipped with everything you could need for a self-catering holiday, from fully fitted kitchens with essentials such as ovens, microwaves, fridge/freezers, to added luxuries including wine coolers and dishwashers. The large living spaces boast French doors leading to a private decking, large flat-screen TVs and the comfiest of sofas to relax in. Our bedrooms range from beautiful twin rooms to sumptuous king size beds, with all our bathrooms boasting beautiful finishings. You can truly put your feet up and relax on your holiday at Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat.

Our 5 star facilities include mouth-watering meals from the onpark Bistro Restaurant & Bar, where family favourites are served and all ages are catered to. Relax in the seating area outside with a drink from the fully stocked bar, or a hot drink from the varied Costa Coffee menu, and soak up the beautiful views of The Solent. Indulge in a luxurious Aromatherapy Associates treatment at the Woodside Bay Spa, where you can have a relaxing full body massage, soothing facial or rejuvenating Jessica Nails hand and nail treatment. If you don’t want to miss out on your weekly workout, head over to our state of the art gym, which will have everything you need for a full body workout, or a light gym session.

Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat is the ideal place to base yourself while exploring the local area, being only 10 minutes away from both Ryde and Cowes. Book your holiday to Woodside Bay and take full advantage of the fantastic facilities, outstanding accommodation and explore the island at your own pace.

Norfolk Woods Resort & Spa is sprinting towards its opening date in mid-January and is now taking showing the finishing details of a first class, luxurious destination you can really relax in. Take a scroll through the photos below and see how fabulous Norfolk Woods is looking in our most recent photos!

How fantastic is our brand-new location looking? You can book your holiday now! Norfolk Woods Resort & Spa also offers holiday home ownership, where you can relax and retire to your home away from home in utter luxury. Call our dedicated Ownership Team on 01745 858010 or talk to an advisor via our Live Chat Service.

The popular Conwy Quays Marina boasts a beautiful backdrop and a perfect location, being only a 15 minute walk from our own Aberconwy Resort & Spa…

The Conwy Marina is part of the Quay’s Marina group, which owns a few marinas along the North Wales coast and is one of the most respected operators in the UK, which gives a safe haven to you and your boat in the only marina to be awarded the 5 Gold Anchor Marina Award in North Wales.

Conwy Marina offers the perfect place to base yourself to explore the picturesque North Wales coastline. You can discover the cruising grounds of North Wales, where shallow draught vessels can follow the Conwy River and go as far in-land as Tal-Y-Cafn, where you can secure your boat and have a lovely lunch with spectacular views.

in the local area

The Conwy Quays Marina is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, offering beautiful views all around, but you’ll be able to discover all the wonderful landmarks around the coast with your boat. From the marina, you can take in the views of the seaside town of Llandudno and the Great Orme landmark, which boasts a range of family fun activities and cable cars. Travel along the Llyn Peninsula towards the picturesque Italianate style village of Portmeirion, which was made famous by the 1960’s sci-fi TV show ‘The Prisoner’. Or choose to follow the Conwy River to the beautiful Bodnant Gardens, which are reported to be amongst the most stunning and finest gardens in the world.

One of the most popular destinations for boats to visit is the island of Anglesey, as vessels with a draught of 1.5m are able to navigate the sea to the island, and there are plenty of sheltered areas to anchor. There is also a peaceful anchorage point on Puffin Island, which is roughly 3 miles out and is home to a number of wildlife, including a range of birds, cormorants, puffins and seals. Take a picturesque trip through the Menai Straits, where navigation requires care but you’ll be able to see Plas Newydd, a National Trust property where the Marquis of Anglesey lives.

training courses

Conwy Quay Marina is a Sewake centre and an accredited RYA training centre, with a wide range of courses to cater to all boat enthusiasts. Offering a unique experience, the Conwy Marina combines the safety aspects of the Conwy Estuary and the challenging waters of the Menai Strait, you’ll be tested on all levels from the best instructors.

The RYA instructors are highly experienced in all training areas and the marina has a fleet of commercially coded vessels, as well as offering training courses for your own boat training, individual training and commercial skipper examinations, plus more.

If you’re looking for a place to anchor and base yourself, with 24 hour staffing, free Wi-Fi and a beautiful Mulberry Pub onsite serving delicious food, the Conwy Quays Marina is for you.

The Conwy Marina is only a 15 minute walk away from our luxurious, 5 star Aberconwy Resort & Spa destination, which offers holiday home ownership and unbeatable facilities.

about Aberconwy

Aberconwy Resort & Spa is our owner’s exclusive destination along the North Wales coastline, offering beautiful lodges and holiday homes for sale, with breathtaking views of the Conwy Morfa Beach and magical backdrops of the Snowdonia Mountain Range.

Book a park tour to visit our location and meet our friendly team, who will be able to take you around the park, showcasing the stunning facilities and our wide range of lodges and holiday homes for sale in North Wales. The team will be able to talk you through the process, help you find out if the holiday home lifestyle is for you, help you pick out your dream holiday home and talk you step by step through the purchasing process. Our friendly team are always on hand to answer any questions you may have, or even if you just wanted to pop into the Sales Lodge for a cuppa and a chat!

Our 5 star facilities include a beautiful indoor, heated swimming pool, sauna and steam room to relax in, as well as the Aberconwy Spa where you can indulge in an Aromatherapy Associates treatment by our fully trained therapists. The Langley’s Country Club will have everything you need for a full body work out, including a wide range of cardio machines, free weights and deadlift areas, as well as a separate HIIT room, with a programme of classes to enjoy. Aberconwy is also home to the multi-award winning Signatures Restaurant, where owners Jimmy and Louise offer fabulous and friendly service and outstandingly delicious meals for all to enjoy.

For more information call our dedicated Ownership Team on 01745 858010 or talk to an advisor via our Live Chat service.

There really is a holiday home destination to fit everyone and Talacre Beach Resort could be perfect for you and we’ve got an owners review to prove it!

Offering fabulous first-class facilities, Talacre Beach Resort is only a short walk to the sandy beach and offers a fantastic getaway on the North Wales coastline. We spoke to Mr Hampson, who is an owner at Talacre Beach, as well as the 2019 Talacre Beach Golf Society Captain, we spoke to Andy Hampson and his wife Sarah and asked them about their ownership experience at Talacre, along with some questions about the wonderful Golf Society, which has been going for a number of decades at Talacre.

profile

From South Manchester

Andy is General Manager of a Ceramic Sink manufacturing business and Sarah is an IT Development Team Supervisor for the NHS

They have an adorable small dog, named Ted, who holidays every weekend with them at their holiday home

Friends and family love to use the holiday home when they can, but Sarah, Andy & Ted use it almost every weekend

questionnaire

• How long have you owned at Talacre Beach?
  2019 will be our 5th year on site.
• How did you first find out about Talacre Beach?
  We actually had a friend at a nearby site which we had organised to view, we realised Talacre Beach existed next door. We went to the other site and then Talacre Beach, the rest as they say is history.
• What drew you to buying with us?
  The lifestyle, the opportunity to get our youngest daughter from behind a laptop/TV screen and then the facilities on site.
• How often do you visit your holiday home?
  Pretty much every weekend.
• Who would you recommend to buy at Talacre Beach? (ie. families, retired couples, business professionals)
  Yes it will suit everyone, provided you go into the experience with your eyes wide open. This is not a cheap experience, so don’t expect it to be.
• What’s the best part of owning a holiday home at Talacre Beach?
  The lifestyle. We’ve made some amazing friends, we get the chance to walk our dog on the beach every day. Just remember to give your liver a break during the week!
• How often do you gather to play rounds of golf?
  Every weekend first thing on a Saturday morning. Sometimes if a few of us are down on a Friday pm we’ll also play then.
• What golf courses do you play at in the local area?
  Mostly at Rhuddlan, although some of us are also members at Prestatyn.
• How would an owner join the Golf Society?
  Come and see me in the club on a Friday night (I’m very tall 6ft 5 with too much grey hair!). You can come along and see whether you enjoy playing with us on a Saturday. If you then decide to join fully its £120 per annum.
• What events/tournaments do you have during the year?
  We have 6 away days per year (tournaments) where we actually play at other courses within an hour or so of the site. Additionally, we have introduced a weekend away trip this year. We also host an annual Captain’s Day BBQ in August, a charity tournament and evening in September and then our annual presentation evening in November. In addition to those events, there are countless ad-hoc nights out / BBQ’s.
• Would you recommend owning at Talacre Beach to family and friends?
  Absolutely, one of the best lifestyle decisions we have ever made.

As Andy has brilliantly said, owning a holiday home is a wonderful lifestyle decision, imagine being able to escape the daily grind and spend your weekends by the beach with friends, at your very own North Wales holiday escape at Talacre Beach Resort. With such fantastic reviews for Talacre Beach from our very own owner’s community, it’s easy to see why we have been one of the most popular holiday home owners destinations along the North Wales coastline for the past 50 years.

about ownership at talacre beach

Becoming an owner at Talacre Beach means taking full advantage of the lifestyle, from exploring the local area and enjoying the fantastic facilities and spending time with your family in your holiday home. Book a park tour with our professional sales team who will take you through the whole process, from showing you our 5 star facilities to showcasing our wide range of lodge and holiday homes for sale at Talacre Beach. Our friendly team can take you step by step through the purchasing process, as well as introducing you to financial advisors who can help you spread the cost of your holiday home should you need it.

For more information about ownership at Talacre Beach, call our dedicated Ownership Team on 01745 858010 or talk to an adviser via our Live Chat service.

Talacre Beach’s five star facilities include an indoor heated swimming pool, sauna and steam room to relax in, as well as a fully equipped gym lodge for those who don’t want to miss out on their weekly work out. The children will love the Go Active programme, with archery, panna soccer and even mini jet skis to have a go on! The whole family can enjoy the day and night time entertainment organised by Charlie Bear and his talented team of Rangers, which includes activities like afternoon tea parties, family fun days, movie nights, quizzes, karaoke and fabulous cabaret acts for all the family to enjoy. Spend some time relaxing in the lounge area while enjoying a delicious meal from the Bistro Restaurant, which serves family favourites for lunch and evening meals, then relax with a hot drink from the varied Costa Coffee menu or from our fully stocked bar, while catching up with friends.

Our brand new location is reaching its opening date, take a look at the photos below for a sneak peek inside at our facilities! Norfolk Woods Resort & Spa is nearing its official opening day and the final touches are starting to take shape, from the beautiful mural along the wall in the swimming pool area and the spectacular branded pool tables, to the wonderful restaurant and bar, and the outdoor multi-purpose sports area. Take a look at the images below for a sneak peek of how the resort is shaping up! Why not book your holiday with us at our brand new resort?

Book your Norfolk Woods Resort & Spa holiday and see the finished article with your own eyes! For more information keep checking back on the blog, or head to our home page for all the detailed information about this first class resort!

All the elves here at DE HQ would love to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Father Christmas is enjoying his break over at the Best in Britain 2016 Award Winner, Beach Cove Coastal Retreat… getting ready to put his feet up after a job well done!

We hope you all have a wonderful festive break and enjoy a fun-filled New Year!
Here’s to more adventuring in 2017!

Here at Darwin Escapes we would like to wish all our fantastic customers, employees and partners a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Duck That Saved Christmas!
It was the night before Christmas; preparations almost done,
But help, oh no, my reindeers had gone on the run!
Christmas would be ruined, the children would be distraught,
Who on earth can help? Then suddenly I had a thought.
To the SOS phone I quickly ran,
I dialled Darwin Escapes to locate my main man.
‘Darwin Duck please can you help,
The reindeers have escaped thanks to my clumsy elf!’
With a flash and a bang, and feathers a’ flapping,
Darwin Duck</a> arrived and we all started clapping.
With a quack , a waddle and magic dust from a tub,
Darwin Duck found my reindeers, they were in the pub!
To the sleigh we ran, with only seconds to go,
Jumped on board with a quack quack quack and a Ho Ho HO!
Christmas was saved, presents delivered to all,
For always happy memories, you know who to call…

For UK Breaks Think Darwin Escapes…

With 22 stunning locations to choose from, offering everything from traditional holidays and short breaks to luxury lodge accommodation and boutique beach huts, we’re sure we have something for everyone.

Our handpicked locations are dotted throughout the UK and include tranquil escapes in The Lake District, North Wales, Surrey, Somerset, Cornwall, Devon and the Isle of Wight.

Book your 2019 Darwin Escapes holiday with a deposit from only £25 today or find out more by requesting our holiday brochure.

For a Lifetime of Memories…

If you don’t want your holidays to end, they don’t have to. Here at Darwin Escapes we have 8 handpicked locations where you can create a lifetime of memories by becoming an owner.

We’re confident we have the perfect destination for your dream UK holiday home. We also have an unrivalled selection of new and used holiday homes, static caravans and lodges for sale in North Wales, Somerset, Dorset and Cornwall.

For more information on holiday home ownership with Darwin Escapes request our 2019 ownership brochure online today.

The Tilford Bach Society is organising the annual festive Carols by Candlelight event, which is sponsored by Tilford Woods Lodge Retreat. The Tilford Bach Society was founded in 1952 by Denys Darlow, who is now a well-known and popular conductor, as well as an interpreter of 17th and 18th Century music…

The TBS runs a number of festivals and concerts in both Tilford and Farnham throughout the year, including monthly high quality chamber music concerts in Farnham Castle, along with running an international baroque concert, which showcases predominantly Bach’s music. There are monthly chamber music concerts in a number of churches around Farnham, as well as a series of Conservatoire Concerts in Godalming, which have been created as the perfect place to give students and young professionals performance opportunities.

The Candles by Candlelight event is taking place on 8th December at the historic All Saints Church, starting at 6pm. There will be a number of choir performances, a few readings and a charming school chamber choir. There will also be a charity collection for the All Saints Church, which is now over 150 years old and as such, requires a lot of maintenance, and has an historic connection to the Tilford Bach Society, being the church were Denys Darlow founded the society nearly 70 years ago.

Head to the church on December 8th for festive event, which is proudly sponsored by our own Tilford Woods Lodge Retreat.

Have you booked your Christmas holiday at Tilford Woods Lodge Retreat? Enjoy a winter break away in the beautiful English countryside of Farnham, Surrey. Indulge in complete relaxation with our unique log-style cabins with four poster beds, sumptuous sofas and some lodges even boast hot tubs and private saunas, the ultimate winter get away is waiting for you.