PLANNING YOUR TRIP - England 2012 and the Best of Wales - page 752

National Trust properties are also bookable from the Trust's U.S. affiliate, the
Royal Oak Foundation ( & 800/913-6565 or 212/480-2889; www.royal-oak.org).
Annual membership is $55 (families $90), which gives admission to all National
Trust sites and properties, plus discounts on air travel, train tickets, and bookings at
National Trust cottages and houses.
The Landmark Trust ( & 01628/825925; www.landmarktrust.org.uk) is a char-
ity that rescues historic buildings and turns them into places to stay. As well as cot-
tages, you'll find castles, country houses, towers, and other odd buildings. There are
around 180, such as the Gothic Temple, set in Capability Brown-designed grounds
in Buckinghamshire, and Kingswear Castle, dating from 1502, on the water's edge
near Dartmouth, Devon. Places sleep from 1 to 16 guests, and are ideal for family
get-togethers.
Welsh Rarebits: Hotels of Distinction ( & 01686/668030; www.rarebits.
co.uk) is a collection of 52 historic hotels across Wales, from Georgian country
houses to the Italianate village of Portmeirion, all of them luxury, most of them small
and personally run.
Holiday Cottages & Villages
Many companies around Britain have cottages for rent. English Country Cottages
( & 0845/268-0785; www.english-country-cottages.co.uk) focuses on four- and
five-star properties the breadth of England and Wales. Cottages 4 You ( & 0845/268-
0760; www.cottages4you.co.uk), part of the same company, deals in more modest
options, and has 10,000 properties in the U.K. In Wales, Coastal Cottages of
Pembrokeshire ( & 01437/765765; www.coastalcottages.co.uk), is a specialist in
the busy southwestern getaway spot.
Holiday villages are traditionally jolly spots full of rows of mobile homes or
simple chalets, along with bars, amusements, and restaurants. These still exist but
more and more are moving upward in their ambitions, with smarter rooms, luxury
mobile homes, and state-of-the-art water parks. Hoseasons ( & 0844/847-1356;
www.hoseasons.co.uk) has mobile homes, timber lodges, and chalets in hundreds of
parks across the country. Some are little more than camping sites, while others have
swimming pools, children's clubs, and live entertainment in the evenings.
Butlins ( & 0800/048-1002; www.butlins.com) is one of the original holiday
camp companies, popular well before international tourism took off, but which has
reinvented itself. Butlins has three parks, at Minehead (Somerset), Skegness (Lin-
colnshire), and Bognor Regis (Sussex). The latter is the flagship resort; alongside the
many comfortable apartments (all with TVs) and deluxe suites are two hotels, the
Shoreline, and the modern-retro Ocean, which opened in 2009. There's an indoor
water park, sports (archery and so forth), evening shows, and discos, all included in
the price, and a beach outside the gates. Meal packages are available, and it is a great
option for a short family break, especially if you take advantage of low off-season
rates.
Center Parks ( & 08448/267-723; www.centerparcs.co.uk) is a more rural ver-
sion of the holiday park. Each of the four (including Sherwood Forest in Nottingham-
shire) is set in 400 acres of woodland, which visitors negotiate on foot or rental bike.
At their heart is the Subtropical Swimming Paradise, a balmy, indoor water complex
with wave machine, connected to outdoor pool and water chutes.

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