Bath Mill Lodge Retreat is an idyllic and tranquil location, just 10 minutes away from the bustling city centre, and this weekend is it celebrating its first birthday!

Bath Mill Lodge Retreat was previously called Newton Mill, and this tenting and touring park underwent a multi-million pound redevelopment in 2015 to turn it into the stunning lodge retreat it is today, along with the 350 year old mill house which was also lovingly restored. Bath Mill has everything you could need on a self catering city break in Bath, from our state of the art gym, large function room for great corporate events, to our cute children’s playing area near the babbling Newton Brook. Along with our world class Brook Bar & Bistro Restaurant, that serves delicious food and is a hit with the locals and guests alike!

Our outstanding lodges that can sleep up to a party of 8, we also have our wonderful and quirky Norland Lodges available too, perfect for one night stays in Bath. These studio style lodges have everything you need for a self catering business stay in the city. From a beautifully finished kitchenette, luxurious king size bed, flat screen TV and comfy sofa to the outstanding sumptuous bathroom all on offer in these lovely little studio lodges!
Manager Will and his team will be celebrating the birthday all weekend, with cupcakes and a quiz night on Friday 12th August and fun live music on Saturday 13th August, leading up to the big day on Sunday 14th August – Bath Mill’s first birthday!

So Happy First Birthday to our beautiful Bath Mill Lodge Retreat, check out the video below for some glimpses before you book your next city break in Bath…

Happy Adventuring Guys & Dolls!

Written by Sarah Twist • 9th August 2016
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A huge thank you to the guys at Just Lodges who have provided this fantastic drone footage of our brand new Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat on the Isle of Wight.

These fantastic videos really capture what makes our new resort so impressive, being embedded in a tranquil woodland but with easy access to the coast on an island which is almost entirely an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. You will also be able to make out our stunning new accommodation, which is made up of impressive self catered holiday lodges and magical treehouses.

Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat is really setting new standards on the island, with a huge range of facilities including our Kellermans and The Braai Restaurants, which serve a wide range of meals to accommodate varying requirements. We even have Pizza Alfresco, an outdoor pizza oven service for when the weather is a match for our stunning facilities. Those looking for a bit of peace and relaxation can also take advantage of on-site spa lodge which offers a wide range of treatments.

With a tranquil environment and glorious accommodation, what more could you want on your next Isle of Wight holiday? Make sure you book your stay today!

Written by Sarah Twist • 21st June 2016
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Marvel at our one of a kind tree house accommodation, built especially for the brand new Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat on the Isle of Wight

Our beautiful studio treehouse accommodation has a spacious bathroom, with luxury copper finishes… seriously you will feel like you are in a magical land nestled in the trees at our wonderful Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat.

Relax on the timber deck with some bubbly and meal, or take a dip in the private hot tub and soak up the surrounding area. But that’s enough of me trying to set the scene for you, why not just take a look at the images below and let them blow your mind!

External shot of the treehouse at Woodside Exterior shot of the treehouse at Woodside Bay Exterior shot of the treehouse at Woodside Bay Interior shot of the treehouse at Woodside Bay Close up of the kitchen pots in the treehouse at Woodside Bay Interior shot of the TV in the Treehouse at Woodside Bay Interior shot of the bathroom in the Treehouse at Woodside Bay Interior shot of the bed in the treehouse at Woodside Bay Exterior shot of the treehouse at night

Written by Sarah Twist • 15th June 2016
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We love some good scenery here at Darwin Escapes, and there is no striking landscape quite like Cumbria!

 

Thanet Well Lodge Retreat is located just minutes away from beautiful Penrith, the scenery around Cumbria and waking in your holiday lodge to the mountains is like no other. Here are our favourite instagram posts from around Thanet Well and the Penrith area…

 

1. imagine waking up to this

A post shared by Gibson90 (@bhoygibson21) on

2. secret hideaways

A post shared by Faith (@abbey_yorks) on

3. stunning mountain scenery

4. heaven in a hot tub

A post shared by Darwin Escapes (@darwinescapes) on

5. a surprise around every corner

6. animal friendly areas

7. peaceful personified

A photo posted by Emma (@emma_1091) on Jun 9, 2016 at 2:03pm PDT

8. explore the region your way

A post shared by Geoff Moorhouse (@headbadge) on

9. wonderful wildlife (that’s one way to keep cool)

10. surrounded by history

Thank you to everyone for their stunning images! Remember the next you’re visiting Thanet Well to use the #thanetwell or #thanetwelllodges and we could be using your images in out next post!

Written by alexearps • 15th June 2016
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Ever wonder how our holiday parks look as fantastic as they do? It’s not really by magic, take a look at our all-star Grounds Team at Talacre Beach! Talacre Beach Holiday Home Park is located on the North Wales coastline, just a 5 minute walk away from the Beach. This 5 Star, award winning park has loads to offer, from our fantastic entertainments team with their Go Active programme to the culinary delights of our fabulous restaurant! But first impressions are important, and our talented Grounds Team make sure your first impression is a beautiful one!

Meet Brad (our resident David Beckham look-a-like), he is our Head of Grounds but as you can see that doesn’t mean he doesn’t like to get stuck in! (I think he really is stuck in that bush…). A very friendly and funny bloke, Brad helps to organise our Grounds Team and keep Talacre looking 5 Star fantastic!

A photo collage of Brad from the grounds team at Talacre Beach

In the image below is Phil, who is the newest and youngest member of the team, having recently left the leisure department as Talacre’s lifeguard to join the wild outdoors! Phil, convinced he looks like Smitt from New Girl, loves his new position, out in the sunshine and happily joking with the rest of the lads on Talacre’s Grounds Team. Phil is trimming the side entrance to Talacre’s Lodge accommodation in these pictures, along with a lot of laughter, and a few poses.

photo collage of grounds team member working on the gardens

Brad, Phil and Jon are working hard on the lodge accommodation’s garden, they do this every Friday, which is our ‘change over’ day, so as not to disturb any guests in the lodges. This gives them only a short amount of time to get the gardens looking perfect for the next guest! In the picture below Phil was using a big scary machine, called a Long Handled Hedged Trimmer, I was slightly scared for my life and abruptly stopped teasing… But there was nothing to worry about, as you can see safety comes first at Talacre Beach, and Phil was very professional, efficient and wore all his safety gear!

A photo collage of Brad, phil and john from the grounds team at Talacre Beach

Below we have the lovely Emyr and Luke, who were working on the second lodge, trimming the mini-trees (I’m probably going to get told off calling them that…), and check out that lawn ladies and gents! Absolutely immaculate, both very lovely blokes with ready smiles and who really enjoy their jobs!

A photo collage of Emyr and Luke from the grounds team at Talacre Beach

Below is the fabulous Jon, another friendly face who loves a chat with our great holiday home owners. In the images below he is working on the flower beds around the park, putting compost on them to help keep them nourished and looking healthy, as well as checking on our smallest guests here at Talacre Beach in the insect hotel!

A photo collage of Jon from the grounds team at Talacre Beach

Our Grounds Team work super hard to maintain our beautiful park, working across all areas of the resort as well as feature aspects around the surrounding area too. You will often hear them laughing and joking as you wander around the park, they are a very friendly bunch, come rain or shine, so stop to say hello if you see them, or give them a wave and let them know how much we love them!

So now you know how the magic really happens here at Talacre Beach, our very own bunch of wonderful green fingered heroes take care of everything!

Written by Sammy Davies • 6th June 2016
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Beauty & The Beach. Beach Cove Coastal Retreat is in the heart of Devon overlooking the stunning Hele Bay and is the perfect place to lose yourself in beautiful countryside…

 

The breathtaking beautiful Hele Bay in Ilfracombe is home to our Beach Cove resort which is located right on the cliff-side. This provides holiday makers with glorious views from our quirky beach hut accommodation units which are second to none. With scenery like this the whole area is an instagramers dream, so take a look at our top 10 images below…

 

1. beautiful beach huts

2. stunning storms

3. breathtaking coves

A photo posted by Bec Carter (@beccarter24) on Mar 1, 2016 at 11:38am PST

4. dip-your-toes relaxing

5. hot tubs & rubber ducks? bliss

6. outstanding scenery

A photo posted by Glen Lilly (@glen_lilly) on Jun 3, 2015 at 2:39pm PDT

7. rooms with a view

8. fascinating sculptures

A photo posted by Courtney Higgins (@10court) on May 9, 2016 at 4:45am PDT

9. night time beauty

10. even fur-babies love it

Happy Adventuring in beautiful Hele Bay, and don’t forget to check in to Beach Cove Coastal Retreat on your Instagram and you could be in our next blog post!

Written by Sarah Knight • 18th May 2016
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Do you know the Charlie Bear Dance? Get involved by dancing along to the Official Charlie Bear Dance Video!

Learn the moves to the Official Charlie Bear Dance by watching him perform at Talacre Beach Resort in North Wales. Turn up your speakers and let the kids burn off some energy… Have fun! Remember to share your own Charlie Bear Dance videos with us on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #CharlieBearDance

family breaks at Talacre Beach Resort

Talacre Beach is the perfect location for fun family holidays on the North Wales Coast. Set beside miles upon miles of Golden Sands, it is an idyllic location for families to spend quality time together in a safe and secure environment. Book your next family break with Darwin Escapes at Talacre Beach.

Written by Sarah Knight • 16th May 2016
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Summer is fast approaching and if you are lucky you might get the opportunity to enjoy a day out at the seaside and really make the most of the weather as the sun makes a welcome return to the UK shorelines.

But how often have you turned up at the beach and realised that you have left an essential at home? I’ve become reminiscent of a lobster on multiple occasions as a result of not bringing enough sun cream to see me through the day. Of course, this is not a clever thing to do with Skincancer.org recommended that we reapply skin protection every two hours.

With this in mind, Darwin Escapes have put together a list of the top ten beach essentials which you simply can’t go without when you are heading to the seaside this summer. Other essentials of course include handy tips such as taking a flask with you; after all flasks are just as effective at keeping your cold drinks cool as they are keeping your tea or coffee warm. Another handy tip is to take talcum powder with you, there really is nothing better at getting pesky sand off your feet. Take a look at all of our handy tips in our below infographic.

Infographic of all the beach essentials you will need

Darwin Escapes have a number of seaside holiday resorts across the UK where you can enjoy beach holidays in locations including the 5 star Talacre Beach Holiday Home Park on the gorgeous North Wales coast.

Written by alexchizlett • 13th May 2016
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Whether Harry Potter’s universe is an enviably enchanted world of wonder or alternately a frightening destination best visited only in books and films is a matter of debate. However, the good news is that all of the locations from the movies are in the UK and most of them can be visited by the general public (read: Muggles).

In between the forbiddingly expensive (it’ll cost a family of four upwards of £75 to visit the reptile house where Harry learnt he could speak Parseltongue) to the forebodingly remote (Dumbledore’s grave is free to visit if you can make it to the middle of Loch Eilt), there are plenty of more accessible options to bring the magic to life.

Diagon Alley, for example, is played by London’s Leadenhall Market in The Philosopher’s Stone. It’s still a working market and can be accessed for free, notwithstanding any trinkets and morsels you might buy. Malfoy Manner – Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire in real life – is accessible from late February through to December, tickets are cheap, and the gardens are exquisite.

Die-hard fans, however, will want to make their way straight to Hogwarts. While the main exterior is at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, the quadrangle can be found at Durham Cathedral, which is free to enter and easily reached from Durham city centre and train station.

Wherever you’re heading, if you’re setting out from London then Kings Cross Station might make an appropriate portal: the famous Platform 9 ¾ has been immortalized with a plaque and half-disappeared luggage trolley, and the station has now conjured up a Harry Potter shop, well-stocked with wands, house-ties and, of course, the books. Here’s twelve top picks for broom-bound fans, from casual drop-ins to full-on magical treats.

Infographic of a muggle's guide to Harry Potter

Sources

Cornish, J. (2013). 6 Reasons Why Living In The Harry Potter Universe Would Suck. whatculture.com
Ross, A. (2015). J.K. Rowling Reveals the American Word for Muggle. time.com
ZSL London Zoo (2016). Entry costs. zsl.org
National Trust. (2016) Hardwick. nationaltrust.org.uk

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Written by Sammy Davies • 24th April 2016
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Mullion Cove Coastal Retreat is Darwin Escapes’ luxury Cornwall destination. In three words it is picturesque, stunning and breath-taking.

Mullion Cove is a fantastic place for Insta-enthusiasts, the picturesque beauty of the surrounding area and the cove itself is unbeatable…a complete Instagramer dream! Here are our Top 10 Instagram Mullion Cove photos for you to marvel at…

1. what a stunning view – check out that greenery

2. beautiful whatever the weather – magicial even in a storm

3. breathtaking scenery

4. beautiful sandy beaches – peaceful horse ride

A photo posted by Lera Hatton (@lera242) on Mar 26, 2016 at 1:53pm PDT

5. traditional fishing village – wait, are those lobster cages?

 

View this post on Instagram

 

MULLION COVE WEEK #harbour #cornwall #mullion #mullionharbour #mullioncove #workingharbour #southwest #swcoast #winch #kernow

A post shared by Darwin Escapes (@darwinescapes) on

6. Mullion Cove fishing lodge – I bet a wizard lives there

A photo posted by Wouter Boer (@wouter.boer) on Feb 11, 2015 at 3:01am PST

7. perfect for a day out – beautiful weather for a bike ride

8. beautiful skies – I love those stormy clouds

A photo posted by Caitlin (@thepigmypossum) on Jul 27, 2015 at 4:42pm PDT

9. fantastic friendly wildlife – he just popped up to say hello

A photo posted by Lena (@prumstaengel) on Sep 15, 2015 at 11:38am PDT

10. see the stars – taken at Mullion Cove, sheer beauty

A photo posted by James (@jw.andrews) on Nov 2, 2015 at 1:21pm PST

11. fascinating history – I couldn’t leave this one out, beautiful historic fishing village

A photo posted by Michael (@mikerooney_1) on Nov 23, 2015 at 1:30pm PST

Jealous? I am too, but here’s your next trip to plan! When you visit Mullion Cove and post your lovely pictures on ‘the Instagram’ as my mum calls it, use the #mullioncove or check in to Mullion Cove Coastal Retreat and maybe you will end up in one of our posts! Thank you to the Instagramers above for their wonderful, breath-taking images!

Happy Adventuring Ladies and Gents!

Written by Sarah Twist • 16th April 2016
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