Could this really be Britain? For a nation bounded by history and damson hedgerows, bread-and-butter Sunday suppers and stoic stone circles, there's still places that feel unexpectedly global. Think Hebridean beaches that look a lot like the Bahamas, Norfolk wetlands that could be a Dutch polderland, and Anglesey coastlines that have a hint of the Atacama about their mountain-backed plains.
This month, we’re charting a course through Britain's most disorienting destinations. Places where the local dialect shares intonations with Breton, where the olive trees and cotton lavender seem borrowed from some Ionian courtyard, and the architecture echoes the manoirs of the Loire Valley. You might not need a passport, but you'll surely do a double-take. Britain, as it turns out, is a shapeshifter in its own right.
Ariabelle in West Sussex
It’s West Sussex’s answer to the Loire Valley; an English chateau by the South Downs, bringing big French energy to the Midhurst countryside. Come here for crisps and Champagne at the poolside; this is "British joie de vivre".
Isla Windmill on Anglesey
This isn't Nova Scotia. An iconic Welsh lighthouse that's even had a write-up in Forbes, Isla Windmill is a nostalgic home on Anglesey made for cob loaves dunked in clam chowder and the always-wearing of fisherman's knitwear.
Pomona in Coverack
Cornish architecture was a major influencer on Real del Monte in Mexico, but did you know there's a slice of the Riviera Maya in Coverack? This is Pomona, whose glass walls frame a jungle-like garden; a rural take on a tropical fantasy.
Solas in the Hebrides
When we conjure up images of British escapes that seem to have it all, all roads lead to the sea… but the Hebrides? Go now, while Luskentyre Beach isn’t yet a household name, for a stay that’s all whiskey, white sands, and Bahamian blue.
Castle Trematonia in the Tamar Valley
France has Versailles, India has the Taj Mahal; Cornwall has Castle Trematonia. From saffron sofas to wild wallpaper, this is a pan-global labyrinth with all the hallmarks of Rajput architecture, but an utterly English jungle twist.
Watermark in Stoke Gabriel
A “floating” home on the banks of the River Dart, Watermark is the poster child for Maldives-style swim-up living on the quiet banks of Stoke Gabriel; just steps from curious wines with notes of honeysuckle and ripe stone fruit.
The Hatch in Crantock
A Cornish mirage unfolds where palms tickle exotic succulents and a hidden Balinese hut cradles a hammock, tempting visitors to surrender to balmy tranquillity. Amidst this verdant mosaic, koi shimmer like living jewels, and a fairy sculpture plays hide-and-seek among the foliage.
Amaia in Looe
Perched above Plaidy Beach, this retreat could easily be mistaken for an Antipodean escape. A weathered pine, nature's sundial, casts ever-changing shadows on a meandering path. Inside, nebulous beds float before floor-to-ceiling windows, framing an oceanic tableau that evokes far-flung shores.
Feeling inspired? Take a look at the safari on home soil, read about the greatest culinary dishes from across the globe, or peruse the full collection of extraordinary UK holiday homes.
