Great escapes

From historic cities to quiet coves, travel experts pick six of the best short breaks in the UK

Sally Broom, Founder, Tripbod

The west coast of Cumbria is often unappreciated because the county is best known for the Lake District, which is great in many ways but also heavily populated with visitors. The west coast has stunning scenery, with a variety of locations where you can eat well. It is quieter and the landscape is more intense. There are fabulous views from the tops of mountains, over to the Isle of Man and to the central part of the Lake District. It is a true getting-away-from-it-all destination.
A train route called the Lakes Line Real Ale Trail goes up the coast and back again and at every single stop there is a local ale pub, a couple of which have microbreweries attached. You can travel all the way from south to north and hop off at stops on the way back for a pint of beer while viewing the spectacular scenery of unappreciated parts of Cumbria.

Andrew Dunn, Founder and managing director, Scott Dunn

The place I have the fondest memories of is a country house hotel called Ardanaiseig in Argyle, Scotland. I thought it was the most mesmeric place, and I absolutely loved it. The hotel has great bedrooms, which are just from another era, and offers the most fantastic food. Wonderful grounds lead right down to Loch Awe.
The surrounding area is beautiful and the setting of the house right on the loch is what I really like most. There is so much to do in the area and you can go on many walks or out on the loch on a boat with a gilly. But you can also choose to have a really relaxing weekend getting away from it all. You could just sit outside, read a book, play croquet or chill out.

What I really love there is that the service is flawless. In my business, service is everything and they have got that down to
a fine art there; I always judge other businesses on that.

Tom Barber, Co-founder, Original Travel

I think the north-east is an underrated destination. Durham is a charming city with an interesting medieval centre and a fabulous cathedral. It is a superb city to wander round and features some lovely cobbled streets.

On the other hand, you've got the Northumbrian coastline with its striking white beaches. I recommend going to Lindisfarne, which gets cut off by the sea every high tide so you have to time your run. It feels very spiritual-it was a religious community for hundreds of years and one of the main places where Christianity arrived in Britain. There is a pleasant pub where you can have lunch and then you can go to Alnwick Castle, which has amazing gardens. It is also where a lot of the Harry Potter series was filmed, so children will like that. Bamburgh Castle also lies within the area, and I love to walk just a few miles of Hadrian's Wall. 

People might choose to go to the Lake District or Cornwall, but I think this part of the country is criminally underrated. It is so beautiful, the people are charming, the food is good and there is an abundance of culture.

Jonathan Knight, Managing director, Punk Publishing and Cool Camping guides

I never get bored going back to Pembrokeshire, particularly the area around St David's and Abercastle. It has a dramatic coastline with cliff-top walks, quiet little coves and big sandy beaches. It remains relatively unspoilt with few tourists, unless you happen to be there on a bank holiday weekend. It's nothing like as busy or developed as Cornwall yet the beaches are just as good and the coast is perhaps more spectacular. This area was also the inspiration for the Cool Camping guide.

This little finger of Pembrokeshire is so far out into the sea that it almost feels like a remote island; there are beaches everywhere. The pace seems slower and much more relaxed than London, which is just what you need on a weekend away. There's a campsite there called Trellyn Woodland, a gorgeous tree-filled valley where you camp in your own clearing. They provide a field kitchen for cooking and firewood for your campfire. You can bring your own tent or stay in one of their tipis or yurts. There are 60 acres for just a half dozen pitches, though, so it's extremely low-density camping.

It's a playground for "outdoorsy" people. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path runs right around this coastline and is easily accessible. The walks are not that challenging but the views are immense. This is also supposedly the birthplace of coasteering (an extreme adventure activity) and then there is the surfing, kitesurfing or just playing about on the sand.

Tamara Heber-Percy, Marketing director, Mr & Mrs Smith

For a weekend away with the family, one of the best child-friendly hotels in the UK is Calcot Manor, near Tetbury in the Cotswolds. It is a converted old farmhouse and what makes it special is that you don't feel like you are in a children's zone all the time, so you get quality time as a couple as well. There is a fabulous spa, the rooms are stylish, and there is a lovely fine-dining restaurant and a pub. Everything is organised to make you feel good and the staff are incredible.

There are 10 rooms that are suitable for children where they can have adjoining rooms with bunk beds. There is an Ofsted-accredited crèche, which is open most of the day and caters for both younger and older children. It offers books and a soft play area as well as a mini-cinema and computer games.

The hotel is set in acres of magnificent land. There are bicycles, tennis courts and a swimming pool, too. It is close to Tetbury, which is antiques land, if that appeals. Staff keep watch on the children when you have dinner and they'll let you know if a baby is awake. A lot of child-friendly hotels make you feel like you are in a crèche yourself. But this place makes you feel like a proper family spending time away.

Vanessa Branson, Owner of Riad El Fenn, Marrakesh, Morocco

The area around Chichester and the Witterings is perfect for a weekend break from London. In just a two-hour drive you are transported to seaside life, so you feel like you've been on holiday at the weekend. The streets are full of shops selling Lilos and boards, and restaurants offer fish and chips. Chichester is the most wonderful little town, with the Pallant House Gallery, the Festival Theatre and the cathedral.

Cycling, walking and boating are the things to do. The area is ideal for cyclists because it is so flat and as a family everybody goes everywhere on bicycle, so you can discard your car when you arrive. There are boats for sailing in the harbour as well as wonderful walks. On rainy days there is the theatre, a good arts cinema and a multiplex cinema, but we find that we do a lot of eating and drinking in the excellent restaurants when we are there.