City Guides

With crystalline waters and beaches that quite literally sparkle (the quartz in the sand leaves you with a light dusting of glitter on your skin), the Isles of Scilly make it easy to forget that you’re just 40km from mainland Britain.

Thought Somerset was all about Glastonbury? Think again. Thanks to game-changing galleries, quirky boutique hotels and a slew of sustainable restaurants, the medieval town of Bruton is bursting with the kind of creative, unconventional energy that makes for an offbeat weekend country break.

Lyme Regis is the Pearl of the Jurassic Coast. It’s the UK’s fossil capital. Beyond its crumbling cliffs and sandy beaches, a small hub of design-forward B&Bs, independent shops and sea-to-fork restaurants make this a great destination for urbanites in need of a long-weekend hit of salty-fresh, small-town coastal charm.

An hour’s train ride from London and a brilliant bolthole for a weekend break, Rye is the well-guarded crown jewel of East Sussex, where a new wave of creatives have helped to breathe life into its historic streets, vintage shops and seafood restaurants.

Home of the famed Whitstable Oyster Festival and Wheeler’s Oyster Bar, this coastal Kent town is one that loves its seafood. Fuelled up, we’re leading you to Whitstable’s best self-catering cottages via independent shops, old-world pubs, an unassuming Michelin-starred restaurant and golden-hour walks along the shingle beach.

As perfect for a pit-stop on a village-hopping road trip as it is a rural weekend away from London or Bath, this progressive Somerset market town is a must-visit for creatives in need of a country-meets-culture fix. We’ve found Frome’s best independent shops, restaurants and places to stay, including an off-grid cabin and some of the UK’s most louche country piles.