Flights being cancelled last minute, luggage getting lost, queues snaking around the terminals, it’s been chaos at the airports this summer and it doesn’t seem to be calming down anytime soon. That doesn’t mean you have to go without a holiday though, not when you can save your sanity and staycay right here in the UK, and you can make it extra special by renting a home on Plum Guide.
Think of Plum Guide a bit like the Michelin Guide, except for homes, not restaurants. They scour all the holiday homes in the world, put them through a rigorous vetting process (this includes using AI, interviewing hosts, sending critics to test them out and measuring everything from WiFi speed and decibel levels to design aesthetic and sociability of the space), which sees them accepting only the top 3% of homes they find. That means whatever destination you’re looking to visit, Plum Guide will only show you the best of the best places to stay, and if you’re looking for a little UK break, here’s where you need to be booking.
The Goat Shed, Thetford
Embrace the country life with a stay at this luxury converted goat shed in Norfolk. The place is kitted out with comfy sofas, board games and books to keep you entertained, a wood burner if you want to get extra cosy, and a gorge freestanding tub for you to soak in. And when the sun comes out, you can get out in the courtyard and fire up the BBQ. Not only is the The Goat Shed on the grounds of a farm that dates back to the 1300s, complete with some of the last remaining prehistoric ponds in the county, it’s located in the heart of the Brecks so you won’t struggle for walks to go on. And if you do want to hit the beach, you’re only about an hour away from the Norfolk coast.
Elephant’s Breath, West Sussex
Round up the fam for a beach break at Elephant’s Breath on the West Sussex coast. The four bedroom home has a modern beach house feel, with polished concrete floors, wood accents and cool colour scheme, and there’s even a garden so you can let any little ones run around whilst you open the patio doors and have a drink on the terrace. You can stay entertained with table football and a piano but if the weather’s good, you’ll want to make the most of the location – just a five minute walk from West Wittering beach – and play out on the sands.
Hancocks Farm, Radstock
Been dying to jump in a pool? This converted farmhouse and dairy in Somerset is the place for you. The pool is heated so you can go for a dip whatever the temperature outside and there’s even a steam room in the pool house – hello R&R. Hancocks Farm also boasts a terraced garden, complete with a croquet lawn, that backs onto woodland so you won’t struggle for things to do outside. And inside is just as spectacular, with a large kitchen centred around an Aga, plush living areas, a freestanding bath in the master bedroom, and patio doors that open out for some terrace dining action. Should you want to leave (although we can’t see why you would) Babington House is just a 20 minute walk away and it’s just ten minutes in the car to Frome.
Wildflower Manor, Sandon
Why stay in a regular house when you could stay in a manor set in 12000 acres of rolling Hertfordshire countryside? Wildlfower Manor, which can sleep 16 people, is made for entertaining – you can host a dinner party in the large dining room, there’s an oak top bar in the main sitting room, there’s a dedicated games room with consoles and table football, and there’s plenty of space to eat outside by the brick BBQ. Beyond the house’s formal gardens (which the majority of the bedrooms overlook), you can stroll in the wildflower meadow or explore the 15 miles of footpaths that surround it, that’s if you can tear yourself away from one of the huge sofas.
Bricks of Caramel, Great Yarmouth
Live out your best farmhouse fantasy at the Bricks of Caramel in the Great Yarmouth area of Norfolk. Wooden beams and brick features add a rustic edge to this contemporary farmhouse and with a large kitchen, and a farm shop nearby, you can spend your time cooking up a feast made with produce from the local area. The village the house lives in is really close to the Broads and also to the the beach so you’ll be able to spend plenty of time by the water too.