Why not celebrate the arrival of spring with a trip away? Go foraging for wild garlic, meet newborn lambs or treat Mum to a Mother's Day weekend
Escape to the seaside
When the Turner Contemporary gallery (turnercontemporary.org) opens in Margate on 16 April, it's set to do almost as much for the down-at-heel seaside resort as Tracey Emin has. After checking out the exhibitions, take a wind-blown stroll along the pier for a beer at the cafe at the end, then delve into the town's idiosyncratic attractions, such as the Shell Grotto (shellgrotto.co.uk) and the Mad Hatter's Tea Rooms (01843 232626). Book a night in one of the area's fabulous new boutique B&Bs, such as The Reading Rooms (01843 225 166, thereadingroomsmargate.co.uk, doubles from �135) with elegant white rooms in a Georgian townhouse, or stay along the coast in Whitstable at the gorgeous little Front Rooms (01227 282132, thefrontrooms.co.uk, with doubles from �99).
Farmstays for lambing
Surround yourself with the little bleaters during the lambing season by booking a stay on a farm, where pretty rural accommodation will become your bucolic maternity ward. Farm & Cottage Holidays (01237 459889, holidaycottages.co.uk) has around 300 properties in the West Country. These include Puffin House at Blegberry Farm in Hartland, north Devon, a clifftop farm with 1,000 ewes giving birth from now until May. Kids can watch the gory action in a floodlit barn, bottle-feed the babies and pet the ponies and donkey. The farmhouse sleeps nine from �490 a week (holidaycottages.co.uk/devon/north-devon/puffin-house-blegberry-farm)
Woodland walks
Our ancient forests may have been saved from the government chainsaw, for now, but they still need your support, so show how much you value our oxygen-factories by walking in some of the areas that were threatened. The Woodland Trust (visitwoods.org.uk) has a link to loads of wonderful places to visit all over the country.
Campervanning the coast
Once the weather perks up a bit it'll be warm enough to sleep in a campervan, and there is plenty of spring availability for O'Connors Campers' fleet of 15 cool steeds, rented from Okehampton in Devon (01837 659599, oconnorscampers.co.uk). They cost from around �500-�675 a week (or �300-�450 for a short break) in March, April and May, compared with �675-�850 in July and August. They sleep two, four or six and come with an awning, table and chairs, insurance, unlimited mileage, cooker and sink, and a book of ideas of places to visit and park during your trip. You can also book a gourmet surfing day, including a cookery masterclass and lunch at Ben's Cornish Kitchen in Marazion (01736 719200), followed by trips to Cornwall's best breaks with a guide from Global Boarders (globalboarders.com).
A change of scene
Springtime can often bring thoughts of shaking your life up, so why not experiment with living like a local in an alternative city for a weekend. You could stay in one of the flash city apartments at Roomzzz Aparthotel (complete with Apple Macs, broadband and designer kitchens, roomzzz.co.uk) which has three locations in Leeds and one Manchester ? just �40 a night for a two-night break at Leeds City West Aparthotel if booked before 31 March. The B Suites (thebsuites.com) in Glasgow and Edinburgh cost from �65 a night.
Mother's Day break
Lots of hotels will be offering deals and promotions to celebrate Mother's Day on Sunday 3 April. For example, you could take her to heavenly Hell's Bay (01720 422947, hellbay.co.uk, �135pp?�180pp a night; quote "Mother's Day Special" when booking) on the Scilly Isle of Bryher for three nights over that weekend and mum gets her accommodation, dinner, breakfast, champagne, flowers and chocolates free on Mother's Day. Or The Lugger (01872 501322, luggerhotel.co.uk), a 17th-century smugglers' inn with log fires and ocean views in Cornwall has rooms for �210 a night, with free dinner, breakfast, a manicure, pedicure, wine and flowers for Ma thrown in free. If you're a group of mother, teenage daughter and grandmother looking to get away, Armathwaite Hall Country House Hotel and Spa in the Lake District (01768 776551, armathwaite-hall.com) has rooms for three including breakfast, dinner, a spa treatment for the adults and express facial including skincare advice for the teenager, for �165pp, available throughout April.
Herbal highs
Spring is the season for wild garlic, wild asparagus, morels and wood sorrel, chickweed, tansy and more, so it's the perfect time to learn how to forage for herbs and other plants. There's a special Springtime Foraging Day on 15 April at the Manor House Hotel ( 10am-3.30pm; 01249 784830, manorhouse.co.uk, �120pp) in Wiltshire, with a guided walk with wild food expert James Feaver to track down wild plants, followed by a three-course wild food lunch and a presentation. Stay at the gorgeous hotel for �220 per double, including dinner for two at its Michelin-starred Bybrook Restaurant.
A little seasoning
Learn how to turn seasonal produce into top nosh on a spring-themed cookery class such as that at The Swan in Lavenham, Suffolk (01787 247477, theswanatlavenham.co.uk), which has a "spring is in the air" day on 28 April. Starting at 10.30am, Master Chef of Great Britain David Ryan will conduct demos and samplings, and give guests a tasty lunch of spring lamb, plus recipes to take away. The class plus two-course lunch costs �35.95, and you can stay at the 600-year-old hotel for �180 for two, including breakfast.
Spring festivals
It's not too early to start thinking about tramping around in your wellies in a field. Little spring festivals up and down the country will kickstart your sunny disposition soon. On 5 March Dartmoor will host the Moretonhampstead Festival of Food, Drink and the Arts (moretonfestival.com) with guest chef Michael Caines doing demos, plus live music and 100 stalls. In north-east Scotland the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival (spiritofspeyside.com) runs 28 April-2 May around the area, with food, music ? and the odd drink.
Work out in the woods
Fed up with pounding the pavements for your new year fitness plan? Personal trainer Drew Perrott has a new fitness weekend called Workout in the Woods (drewperrott.co.uk, �675pp based on two sharing accommodation, including all meals and activities), where woodland trails and rolling meadows become your natural gym. The programme includes running, cycling and trekking, toning exercises and circuits, plus team fitness challenges, all done outdoors. Best of all, the accommodation will be in the fabulous Olde Bell in Hurley, Berkshire (01628 825939, theoldebell.co.uk), where meals follow the "cave man" approach of eating food in its basic form (meat, fish and vegetables), and simple meals that get smaller (but no less delicious) as the day goes on. The programme lasts from 11am Friday till noon Sunday, with a full day (6.30am-5.30pm) on Saturday.
Flower power
Choose your spring walk based on the best places to see snowdrops, which should be out until mid-March, or bluebells, which come out in April and May. Many of Cheshire's Gardens of Distinction ? in the grounds of stately homes ? host special guided walks all season, and are also offering free admission to anyone aged 11 and under who dresses up as a fairy ? see cheshiresgardens.com/site/fairies-go-free for a list.
English Wine Week
The annual week-long celebration of English wine pops its cork at the end of May, from 29 May-6 June, when all the country's vineyards host special tastings and events (englishwineweek.co.uk). Smart drinkers will book a place to stay nearby now. As well as the dozens of well-established vineyards in Devon, Kent and Sussex, there are lesser known producers up north. For example you can taste Yorkshire wines at Leventhorpe Vineyard in Woodlesford near Leeds (0113-288 9088). Or taste the offerings of Renishaw Hall Vineyard in Derbyshire (01246 432310, sitwell.co.uk) or Astley Vineyards in Worcestershire (01299 822907). And ? yes, this isn't strictly English wine ? Wales's new White Castle Vineyard in Abergavenny will be offering tastings on 29-30 May and 5-6 June (01873 821443). Cottages4you has places to stay near many of the vineyards; see cottages4you.co.uk for a list of the top five.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2011/feb/26/spring-break-hotel-margate-devon
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