Love deserves more than a wilting bunch of flowers picked up from the train station in a rush on the way home from work; it deserves the finest red wine by glowing candlelight, stargazing from the warmth of a giant cable knit blanket and a steaming pot of tea delivered to the bedside table before even eyes have prized open from slumber. Love also deserves to be celebrated for more than one day a year, but who's to say Valentine's Day should be ignored?
Leave the humdrum of city living and escape to the country for a romantic break, far from the overpriced menus and throngs of couples dining beneath gaudy heart-shaped decorations. This year it's all about you, your beau and a steaming hot tub for two, so pack up the car and head to one of our couples' retreats. Whether traditional romantics, adventure lovers or interior design aficionados, we've curated a collection of homestays to suit every type of couple.
Chic Couples
A pared-back retreat designed with tranquillity in mind, The Hide takes inspiration from a bird hide immersed in the tangles of nature. Enjoy a midnight dip in the hot tub, verdant valley views over Poldark country and easy access to Cornwall's dramatic north coast. Modern but rustic, minimalist but oh-so cosy, The Hide is the perfect sanctuary a world away from the concrete jungle of city life.
Chic couples won't be able to resist: The Herringbone and Peacock Blue
Hopeless Romantics
With crooked cob walls, a red tin roof and forget-me-not blue windows, Little Portion is an idyllic romantic escape just a mile’s amble from the golden sands of Holywell Bay and Porth Joke. A warming woodburner, trailing greenery and an al fresco hot tub make this luxury cottage a dream hideaway for two.
Other boltholes for the hopeless romantics: Daydreamer and Little Scarlet
Countryside Rompers
Bordering the pretty Dartmoor village of Lustleigh, this moorland cottage is fit for royalty - and rumour has it Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, The Queen Mother, stayed at the farm before her marriage to King George VI. Flaunting timeless tranquillity in its original cobbles, thick granite walls and neat slate roof, Wrey Mist is a bolthole in Devon's wild heart in which you'll feel miles from anyone else.
Countryside rompers will also love: Libertine and Keepers
Adventurous Lovers
With a hot tub looking out across waters which mirror the shifting skies above, and a four-poster bed perfectly placed for stargazing from, Castaway is a magical dwelling near Ullapool in the Scottish Highlands offering a truly quixotic escape. Take part in deer stalking, fishing and wildlife safari cruises on the glittering Hebridean waters but, whatever you do, don't miss the sunset from the beach; see the mountainous skyline ablaze in shades of amber and amethyst.
