If you could pick anywhere in the UK for a 24 hour driving adventure, where would you go? The Cotswolds? Bath? Oxford? As I’m based in London, I love getting out of the city smoke and into the clean country air. Any opportunity I have, I pack the bags and set off for an outdoorsy adventure. A few weekend trips have included Cornwall, Snowdonia, Anglesey and New Forest – all which help to reset my energy levels. I love discovering new places in the UK, each with their own special characteristics.

On a recent weekend adventure, my partner and I rented a car from Travel Supermarket and set off to a little town called Church Stretton. Nestled in a very green and hilly district of Shropshire, Church Stretton is a sleepy town just outside Shrewsbury. About a 3 hour drive from the centre of London, it boasts quaint cafes, antique shops and a lot of charm. The locals have time to stop for a chat and I felt that time had slowed down compared to London. Here is a list of where to stay, eat and enjoy:

WHERE TO STAY – THE LARCHES

We stayed in a gorgeous wood cabin called the Larches tucked away in a secluded green area of the town.

Not only is this bungalow completely made of wood, it’s decked out with an outdoor hot tub, a self catering kitchen (including an orange Smeg fridge) and a pot belly fireplace to warm your toes in winter.

Waking up to the sounds of birds chirping outside your window was music to my ears. You can bring your own food supplies and bunker in all weekend or venture out to the town, only a 15 minute walk away.

We arrived to a lovely batch of homemade kale and a bottle of fizz to welcome in the weekend. Our stay couldn’t have been more relaxing if we tried. We were lucky enough to also meet the owners next door and have a chat over a cup of tea. It was definitely a special experience.

WHERE TO EAT

There are loads of little family run restaurants in town including a Chinese, Thai, Italian and 4 gastro pubs. Along with the restaurants the town is neatly dotted with a range of cafes and afternoon tea shops. We ate at Berry’s Cafe which had come highly recommended. The cafe entrance is just off the main road and inside an old terrace house with a garden terrace. I felt like I had come to my Grandma’s house for tea as the interiors were super cute and quintessentially British. If you go – be warned that there is a devilish display of yummy home made cakes.

 

WHAT TO DO IN CHURCH STRETTON

We didn’t plan on doing much on our little getaway – lots of hot tub time and walking around the town. However, coincidently, the Shrewsbury Food Festival was on that weekend so we drove about 20 minutes for some late afternoon nibbles in the sun. It was a full family affair – kids and dogs galore. I broke my 2 week detox with a mini chocolate cheesecake which was well worth the treat.

Other than food festivals, you can ride bikes, go for numerous nature walks or book yourself into a horse riding lesson. All of which were up my alley however the rain kept us inside. There were also loads of antiques stores at ridiculously cheap prices compared to London. I wanted to raid each store for rose gold nick nacks, but alas, I left them for someone else to sweep up.

WHAT TO PACK

If you plan to stay in doors and make use of your private wood cabin (which I suggest you do), bring a mini speaker for some music, pack some nibbles, swimmers for the hot tub, board games and some shoes you don’t mind getting muddy. I also pre-loaded my phone with some spotify playlists for the drive up.

If you’re looking for a very restful, quiet UK based escape why not rent a car and go on an weekend break yourself. There’s always adventure to be had without even going to the airport. For more information on car rentals, visit Travel Supermarket. and to book the Larches retreat, visit Holiday Lettings.

Where is your favourite weekend getaway destination?

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Phoebe

This was a sponsored post in collaboration with Travel Supermarket however opinions are my own.