quirky

We checked in to this stylish new hotel in west London and discovered stunning interiors, a tranquil garden and innovative drinks at the bar

A few minutes’ walk away from bustling Earls Court Road, past quiet cobbled mews, is Templeton Garden, chic European hotel group Miiro’s latest opening, and arguably London’s most stylish new hotel.

A former townhouse, its grand white-pillared entrance opens up into what looks like an interiors Pinterest board brought to life, an elegant colour palette of creams, beiges and rusts, with a light and airy lounge area leading onto a beautiful private garden out the back – a rare find in central London – with a terrace for taking lunch or drinks.

Stay between 17 November-24 December and get access to the hotel’s Ribbon Room, a Santa’s grotto stocked with beautiful papers and ribbons to wrap your finds from your Christmas shopping expedition like a pro, accompanied by a hot buttered Brugal cider, from Sprout, the hotel’s bar.

The rooms at Templeton Garden

The complimentary colour palette continues to the 156 bedrooms, which our Junior Suite was elegant and understated with soft plaster-pink walls and lots of fabric textures, and immediately made us want to redecorate ours at home. A pop of colour comes from the dark red tiled shower space in the bathroom, complete with marble bath, vintage-style brass fittings and Le Labo Santal 33 products. Sleeping here under the canopy bed feels special yet still homely – a tricky balance to get right.

The food and drink at Templeton Garden

Evenings at Templeton Garden begin with a drink at Sprout, lined with hand-painted wallpaper and low velvet seats arranged around lamp-lit tables, with a stunning gold oak leaf light fitting overhead.

The most interesting thing about this bar, however, is the drinks list. The Market Stall Menu features innovative cocktail creations using ingredients commonly found in the back of your cupboard, such as a Marmitini, Red Onion Manhattan and Anchovy Gimlet. The Specials Menu, meanwhile, uses seasonal fruit and vegetables, and changes regularly depending on what’s available.

Templeton Garden

From £290 per night

Booking.com

Book here

A stylish new hideaway in London’s Earl’s Court.

We opted for the Sweet Pea Spritz, made, we were told, by separating the peas from their pods, roasting the pods, blending them both back together to make a cordial, then mixing them with vodka and sparkling wine. Fresh and slightly sweet, it was like nothing we’d ever tried before, and completely delicious.

It was then on to dinner at Pippin’s restaurant, where the focus is again on seasonal ingredients with lots of fresh herbs from the garden. The spring vegetable salad was a colourful plate of crunchy pickled veg and leaves atop a tangy cheddar emulsion, while for mains, the catch of the day was a delicious crispy-skinned stone bass paired with a herby, zingy chimichurri.

How much does it cost to stay at Templeton Garden?

Rooms at Templeton Garden start from £290 per night.

A charming UK town has been transformed into the Wizarding World as a location for the new Harry Potter TV series on HBO and it needs to be on your staycation radar

Harry Potter fans around the world are waiting for the arrival of the 2027 HBO TV series. With a whole new cast and reportedly some big changes from the movies, it’s set to be a huge TV event.

Once released, one local town is likely to become a must-visit destination for Potterheads, in the same way Kings Cross Station’s Platform 3/4 and Alnwick Castle are now. So, if you’re a die-hard fan, it might be worth making a trip before the crowds descend.

Looe in Cornwall is no stranger to film crews. Fans of the BBC series Beyond Paradise will recognise many of the filming locations including The Looe Guildhall which was used as the local police station, and Looe Bridge.

Recently, celebrities including John Lithgow, who’ll be playing Dumbledore, were spotted locally filming scenes for the show.

Looe already has a must-visit attraction for Potter fans, a quirky-themed shop called Henrietta Pyewacket, which is full of merchandise from the Wizarding World. It’s just one of the charming independent stores you’ll find in the town, with narrow streets that slope gently down towards the coast. Wander around the cobbled roads and find souvenir shops, boutiques, and historic pubs.

Looe Beach sits in a sandy cove, with shallow spots for swimming. It’s often busy in the summer months, with surfers and windsailing on the water. If you’d like a quieter spot, head to the rocky cove of Talland Bay, which is set in an Area of Outstanding Beauty. While rocky, there are spots for swimming, but look out for flags. It’s also a great spot for a brisk coastal walk, followed by a cup of tea in the beach cafe.

According to Cornwall Live, there are two other spots where film crews have been seen in the county. The small fishing village of Cadgwith Cove, which sits on the Lizard peninsula, has also become a location for the Harry Potter TV show.

Cadgwith Cove has a traditional Cornish vibe, with small fishing boats on the beach bringing in local crabs, which you can sample in one of the small beachfront cafes. There’s also shingle beach which is popular for swimming and snorkelling, and you’ll often see kids with nets exploring the rock pools. This cute village has lots of cosy cottages and is the perfect place to escape the crowds in high season.

Kynance Cove has also been used for filming the show, and this spectacular beach is famous for having white sands and turquoise seas that wouldn’t look out of place in the Caribbean. Actor John Lithgow was recently spotted walking on the beach in his Dumbledore robes as he filmed a scene. The National Trust-run area also has beautiful rock stacks and clifftop walks, as well as sea caves that can be explored at low tide. Visitors should be cautious about entering the caves, as a sudden high tide can cut you off. Be sure to find out the tide times and follow any warning signs.

And if visiting the filming locations wasn’t enough, Harry Potter fans can even stay in a themed AirBnb. The Wizards Cauldron in Lewannick is a cosy cabin that has been decked in Potter decor, with one reviewer saying: “If you’re a Harry Potter fan this is a must try because the attention to detail is incredible”. It’s the perfect spot to watch the movies after a day of exploring Cornwall’s Harry Potter locations.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at [email protected].

THERE are some places that thrive in the summer, but others are best explored when there are crisp orange leaves on the ground, and the grass is littered with frost.

On my recent adventure to Northumberland, I discovered sprawling National Parks, living museums, quaint village and plenty of cosy pubs.

My adventure took me to the site of the former Sycamore Gap tree – the story that seemed to upset the entire nation.

The famous tree was mysteriously cut down in the middle of the night in September 2023. Something about the hateful environmental crime captured the public imagination globally.

Before and after pictures appeared in the media around the world and tears were shed.

It would later emerge that the 120-year-old specimen tree – which had featured in the 1991 Robin Hood film as well as countless holiday snaps – had been felled by two oddball friends as some kind of warped prank.

YULE DO

Travel expert reveals cheap UK holiday parks with Xmas breaks from £9pp a night

SNOW WAY

All the best Xmas days out under £10 including FREE ice skating & Santa’s grotto

The pair were eventually jailed this summer for four years and three months each.

The episode initially seemed to spell the end of one of the North East’s greatest tourist attractions – but in fact it hasn’t.

The following year, the area earned nine per cent more from recreational visitors than it had before the tree was felled.

But if that makes it sound like the area is overrun with tourists, it isn’t. Not at all.

Unlike rivals such as the Lake and Peak Districts or the Yorkshire Dales, rural Northumberland doesn’t have quite as much mass appeal and it’s big and desolate enough to absorb the visitors it does get, so seldom feels busy.

Autumn is a particularly good time to go because the landscape and vernal colour palette seem to blend harmoniously together. 

If you go at low season (and now that half-term week has passed, that’s pretty much right now) you will find it feels most of the time as if you have the place to yourselves.

And it won’t cost much either – there’s excellent value for money.

Like the Sycamore Gap itself, much of what you will see is dotted along or near Hadrian’s Wall, the 2000-year-old fortification line that snakes its way up hill and down dale through all this glorious countryside.

And, of course, it joins up various other Roman sites that pepper the area with historic interest.

Our favourites were Vindolanda, an excavated village, the museum at Corbridge and the Temple of Mithras which has a counterpart in the buzzing heart of the City of London.

But naturally this one has a very different vibe as it’s out on its own on windswept moorland, miles from anywhere – and so superbly atmospheric.

We based ourselves in an Airbnb in converted outbuildings of a farm just outside the small town of Riding Mill, about 20 miles to the east of the Gap.

It was modestly priced but very pleasant and made an ideal base when motoring.

A couple of times we went east towards Newcastle or Beamish museum, with its charming recreation of streets and buildings from different periods.

We could also explore the coast, from the sweeping sands at Tynemouth to the more dramatic cliffs northwards.

Heading inland to the west it was more remote. Even at more managed spaces like the stunning National Trust park at Allen Banks, we scarcely saw another walker.

Our dogs loved it as much as we did. And after every walk we seemed to find ourselves conveniently close to a decent pub.

The area teems with them. I even compiled a top ten of the many boozers we went to during our week in Northumberland.

Here are John’s top 10 pubs in Northumberland…

1. Lord Crewe Arms, Blanchland – Ancient, spooky, cosy, perfect.

2. The Ship Inn, Low Newton – Understated gem on a gem of a beach

3. The Rat, Anick – Just a perfect country food pub.

4. The Kirkstyle Inn and Sportsman Rest, Brampton – Wild location, good food, well done.

5. The Pele, Corbridge – Not named after the footballer but the circa 1350 tower it is set in. Wonderful.

6. Crown Posada, Newcastle – Lavish and delightfully intact interiors.

7. The Free Trade Inn, Newcastle – Grog on the Tyne. Amazing cityscape view.

8. Langley Castle Hotel, Hexham – Surrounded by suits of armour.

9. The Tynemouth Castle Inn, Tynemouth – Art Deco seaside gorgeousness.

10. The Sun Inn, Beamish Museum, Stanley – Technically a fake pub in a theme park- but so well done

Pubs aside, there was still the question of actually visiting Sycamore Gap itself – or what’s left of it.

We had put this off as it felt a bit sad but we had to face it before leaving.

It’s a short and very scenic walk from the village of Once Brewed, up to and then along in parallel with the surprisingly intact Roman Wall.

And going back to the question of its surprisingly enduring popularity, we saw more people here than on any rural outing.

It was still not exactly crowded but busier – and you realised that others too wanted to pay tribute to the lost tree, whether that was with a selfie or a quiet thought or two.

Even in this remote corner we weren’t far from not one but two decent pubs: The Twice Brewed Inn at Bardon Mill and The Milecastle Inn at Haltwhistle, both of which were delightful.

Visiting here is a way of putting two fingers up at the vile pair who are now languishing in prison, it’s also an absolute treat.

FESTIVE FEELS

John Lewis reveals tear-jerker Xmas ad set to nostalgic 90s house track

TRAFFIC CARNAGE

Major motorway shut with TWO-HOUR delays after crash between lorry & van

Plus, find out more on the quaint UK town hiding ‘Disney for history buffs’ attraction that’s loved by Countryfile star.

If you want to head to the beach, check out the Northumberland coast that is one of the world’s trending destinations.

The Shambles in York is a magical spot, particularly when the nights draw in and the Christmas lights get switched on. Many of the structures lining the street today trace their origins back to the late 14th century.

A street in one of Britain’s oldest cities, York, is a captivating spot brimming with unique shops, cosy pubs, and lively bars.

The Shambles, as it’s affectionately known, is a labyrinth of winding, narrow lanes nestled in the heart of North Yorkshire. It transforms into a magical place when the nights grow longer and the Christmas lights twinkle.

At the middle of the area lies a lane actually named the Shambles, renowned as possibly the best-preserved medieval street globally, even earning a mention in the 1086 literary sensation, the Domesday Book.

Many of the structures lining the street today trace their origins back to the late 14th century. The name ‘Shambles’ is believed to have evolved from ‘Shammel’, an Anglo-Saxon term for the shelves that were once a common sight in the open shopfronts. While the ancient name and buildings persist, the purpose of most shops has evolved over time.

READ MORE: Seven-day Christmas cruise stops at four fairytale market cities for £384READ MORE: The UK’s ‘most remote village’ where people get stranded in its ‘perfect pub’

The butchers who once busily chopped, skinned, and portioned meat here have long since departed. The only remnants of their trade are the meat hooks they used to display their goods on the shopfronts. Nowadays, the Shambles accommodates a variety of businesses. Still, its medieval overhanging buildings and tight alleyways remain intact, offering visitors a sense of stepping back in time.

During my university days, I spent three years in York, witnessing the Shambles transform with the changing seasons and times of day. At Christmas, the streets were bustling with eager shoppers seeking a bargain and a warm pastry to ward off the cold.

During this bustling period, it might be wise to head to one of the quieter yet equally enchanting streets on the other side of town until the crowds thin out in the evening.

In the summer, the Shambles are filled with the sound of busking students, hen parties, and day-trippers there to sample some of York’s pubs. Whether the widely circulated claim that the city has a pub for every day of the year is indeed true takes far longer than a day, a long weekend, or even a three-year degree to verify.

This is largely because you’ll likely find yourself repeatedly visiting the superb House of Trembling Madness.

My favourite time to visit was in the dead of night, after a stop at one of these many pubs or the now sadly closed and much-missed Willow – a delightfully grubby club/Chinese restaurant. In certain sections of the Shambles, you can touch both sides of the street with your arms outstretched. The best time to test your wingspan is once all the other visitors have headed home.

In recent years, the narrow lane has become saturated with wizard-themed shops, thanks to its striking resemblance to the fictional Diagon Alley from Harry Potter. When the relentless peddling of magical merchandise becomes overwhelming, visitors can retreat to the shrine of Margaret Clitherow.

Step inside this peaceful sanctuary and you’ll find respite from the bag-wielding mayhem that’s left firmly outside. The shrine welcomes the public throughout the week and holds Mass at 10am each Saturday.

A quick walk through one of the Shambles’ snickelways (narrow alleyways) brings you to the Shambles Market, an open-air venue selling food and various goods. TikToker That Girl Fleurr, who explores destinations around the UK, recently declared the Shambles ‘the most magical street’ in Britain in a video. It’s a sentiment that’s difficult to challenge.

Jerry Rebbeck, who runs Wheelwrights York, told the Express: “Many of the buildings in the centre of York are centuries old, and have a spooky charm about them – walking down Micklegate at night feels like walking through a ghostly storybook.

“Within the city centre, historic buildings such as 85 Micklegate, a late medieval timber-framed terraced building, loom over the narrow street and look particularly eerie in the moonlight. Walking down the Shambles, famed for its likeness to Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley, you can see ghostly-looking old buildings such as 37 The Shambles that cast long shadows and add to the city’s paranormal feel. It’s these atmospheric streets and striking old buildings that help make York a picturesque backdrop for a Halloween weekend.”