All Special Interest Breaks or Activities should be booked directly with the relevant hotel or organisation and please mention breakswithtradition.com - thank you.
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AnniversaryMost of our hotels are perfect for a special celebration - a bottle of chilled Champagne, chocolates and flowers can be arranged to be in your room on arrival, prices on request from each hotel. Particularly recommended for an anniversary or special celebration are:
For other romantic breaks at our hotels, please see Romantic Breaks below.
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CelebrationsMost of our hotels are perfect for a special celebration - a bottle of chilled Champagne, chocolates and flowers can usually be requested to be in your room on arrival, prices on request from each hotel. Particularly recommended for a romantic break are:
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Chocolate Lovers Break ~ The CotswoldsThree Ways House Hotel, the Home of the Pudding Club! Calling
all Chocoholics... Why not treat yourself to a mouth-watering, lip-licking weekend of Chocolate at the Home of the Pudding Club! Arrive during the afternoon – and enjoy a Chocolate Treat. In the Winter this may include a cup of Hot Chocolate with homemade Chocolate Biscuits, or in the summer a bowl of delicious homemade Chocolate Ice cream. Dinner will be a very Chocolatey affair where Chocolate is featured in every course, although other dishes are available if your stamina is waning! Retire to the lounge for coffee and homemade Chocolate Truffles. You can continue to indulge your passion at breakfast where Chocolate will be included on the extensive buffet. After breakfast take part in the Chocolate Treasure Hunt, (how many Chocolate bars can you win?) followed by a DIVINE Chocolate demonstration and tasting. You are now free to escape from all this Chocolate – or stay another night! Rates: One night inclusive of accommodation, Chocolate Dinner, Car Treasure Hunt, Full English Breakfast and Vat at 17.5% - as well as lots of Chocolate extras ~ £120 per person. There are a limited number of Single, Superior and Pudding Rooms available from an additional £15 per person, per night. Please ask about special rates for additional nights. Dates for 2009: 17 January, 31 January, 4 April, 16 May, 20 June, 17 August, 26 September, 24 October, 14 November. Be there and indulge!
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Cinema ~ Private Cinema facilitiesSwinton Park in North Yorkshire is a luxurious 17th century castle hotel which offers a private cinema. Guests can watch their own choice of film, corporate presentation or television in the hotel's dedicated room fully equipped with dvd and video players, large screen and stereo sound. Further details on request from the hotel.
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Clay-pigeon shootingClay-pigeon shooting is available at a selection of our hotels including Swinton Park, a 17th century luxury castle hotel in North Yorkshire.
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Cooking ~ The Cookery School at Swinton ParkThe course programme for 2009 offers a choice of day courses run by the Cookery School Chef, Robert Taylor who has trained under Rosemary Shrager and our Head Chef, Simon Crannage. His Dinner Parties courses consist of three modules, all offering equal depth and range of cuisine but allowing for returning guests to enjoy three bites of the cherry and build up an ever wider range of recipes and skills. He also runs the Food of Love courses for Valentines and the Festive Fare courses in December. Robert is joined by experts in their field for masterclasses in his other two courses – Richard Townsend from Yorkshire Game for the Game courses and Susan Cunliffe-Lister, the very "hands on" mastermind behind the restoration and design of the walled garden and parkland at Swinton Park, for the Provenance (Grow and Eat Your Own) courses. Please see the Day Course page on the hotel's own website for further details. Rosemary Shrager is Swinton Park’s guest Celebrity Chef for the two-day residential courses. There are a wide range of themes on offer, with Modern British, Mediterranean Food and Fish and Seafood the selection available during 2009. Please see the Residential Course page for further details on the hotel's own website. Gilly Robinson, Rosemary Shrager’s “Man Friday” for the last four years is also running her own Children's Cookery courses, which focus on the basic essentials of family friendly food, with practical recipes with that offer flexibility and scope for variety. As a working mother herself, she has always championed nutritious wholesome family food that can, at the same time, inspire children to enjoy and experiment with cooking themselves. Please see the Day Course page for further details on the hotel's own website. The cookery school has its own entrance and is a very short walk across the drive from the hotel. The south facing lawn has outdoor seating, and there is adjacent car parking. The four acre walled garden behind the hotel is planted with fruit, vegetables and herbs, providing a ready source of fresh ingredients for the hotel and school kitchens, and cut flowers during the summer months.
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Cookery Theatre ~ Keith Floyd at Linthwaite House, Lake District
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Dog FriendlyMany of our hotels welcome dogs. Ground floor or garden rooms are usually provided giving direct access to the hotel grounds. Dogs are not usually allowed in the public rooms and you may need to bring your own dog basket and food, although some hotels will also provide these facilities for you. Please check specific details with the hotel. Suggested hotels include Swinton Park, a luxury castle hotel in North Yorkshire.
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Driving - Great Drives of the World - Penrith to CorbridgeNominated by the Automobile Association as one of the Great Drives of the World (the only one in England to receive the accolade), the A686 stretches for fifty or so miles between Penrith in Cumbria and Corbridge in Northumberland. The route offers dramatic scenery and wonderful views, running through valleys and picturesque villages, then across the Eden Valley and into the north Pennines, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. After a steady climb to the top of Hartside Cross, and on to the country's highest market town at Alston, it begins a slow descent through the Tyne Valley to Hexham and Corbridge. The route can be enjoyed as a day's round trip, starting at Penrith. Stay at Temple Sowerby House, near Penrith.
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Fishing
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Garden Breaks in DevonThe
Bedford Hotel, Tavistock or Two
Bridges Hotel, Dartmoor National Park, Devon
Check with hotel for latest prices.
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Garden Breaks
Cotswolds The
Old Bell Hotel and Restaurant ~ Garden Lovers Break
Check with hotel for latest prices.
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Gardens - SussexThe gardens at Gravetye Manor, a classic Country House Hotel in West Sussex, were created by William Robinson, pioneer of the English natural garden when he lived at Gravetye from 1884 to 1935. The variety and charm of the arrangement of trees and shrubs, the landscaping and the layout of the different types of garden at Gravetye can still be enjoyed today. The gardens are open only to guests staying at the hotel. The hotel is also well-placed for visiting the beautiful gardens at Wakehurst, Leonardslee and Sheffield Park.
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Golf Breaks in Cornwall ~ Enjoy a golf break at the St Enodoc Hotel in CornwallWhy not come away to Cornwall for a few days of golfing? The hotel will book your preferred starting time (subject to availability) and provide the necessary passes to play at any of the following courses, which we have selected for their proximity to the hotel, their variety and their golfing challenge. Itineraries can be arranged to suit your own personal requirements. We will arrange everything for you, and just add the cost of the golf to your account. If you would like to play at any golf club not mentioned, please just ask. ST. ENODOC ~ Provides two superb eighteen-hole courses adjoining the hotel. There is the renowned Church course, a links course measuring 6207 yards and the shorter Holywell course that is 4142 yards. It should be noted that no 3 or 4 ball matches can be played before 11.00am on the Church course and handicap certificates of 24 or below for men and 28 for women will be requested. TREVOSE ~ An outstanding links golf club with one eighteen-hole (6608 yards) and two short nine-hole courses. Within 35 to 45 minutes of the hotel. The same handicap certificate requirements apply as St. Enodoc course. ROSERROW ~ A new 6172-yard course within 10 minutes of the hotel in rolling countryside near the sea. The club offers many other sporting facilities including heated indoor swimming pool. No certificates are required and buggies are available. LANHYDROCK ~ An attractive and friendly country course 25 minutes from the hotel at Bodmin. Excellent golf shop and practice facilities. PERRANPORTH ~ A picturesque links course overlooking Perranporth bay. Measuring 6020 yards, with many blind tee shots on dogleg holes, this is a great challenge for all seasoned golfers. BOWOOD ~ Another beautiful country course measuring 6748 yards and within 30 minutes of the hotel. Buggy hire available. ST. MELLION ~ This well-known golf club is one hour from the hotel and offers two 18-hole courses, the championship Nicklaus course at 6651 yards and the Old Course at 5782 yards.
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Golf Breaks in Devon ~ Woodbury Park Hotel and Golf Club, near ExeterKeen golfers can enjoy a round of golf on the magnificent championship par 73 course, set in stunning tree and lake studded parkland, with rolling fairways and USGA spec. greens. For the less experienced, the Acorns course presents a realistic challenge. Brush up your technique on the practice ground and driving range, or book in for some PGA tuition. Golf Breaks
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Have a go at. . . Weekends ~ It's a Funny Business in association with Verve-Venues offer: -A brand new concept in fun weekends away, in a relaxed and friendly environment - with good food, fine wine and great company, with an expert in your chosen field. Our Have a go at...Stand-up comedy Weekends are hosted by comedian Bobby Bragg and comedy actor John Arthur. "If you want to learn about comedy, Bragg's your man. He's one of the grand masters." - Frank Skinner "No-one knows more about how to make humour work and how to put people at their ease than John" - Sir Michael Gambon Join our experts for other Have a go at…Weekends which include: -
Weekends are from Saturday morning until mid afternoon on Sunday. All prices are inclusive of VAT, and cover lunch and dinner on the Saturday, bed and breakfast, and lunch on the Sunday. Special rates can be negotiated for partners who would like to come for the weekend but not participate, and for a room on the preceding Friday night if required. Special offer - for parties of ten or more one person goes free. Also for parties of ten or more (up to a maximum of 20), weekends of your choice can be arranged at one of Verve-Venues 29 superb venues throughout the UK. (Subject to availability) www.itsafunnybusiness.com/index.html
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Health & Beauty BreaksHoldsworth House Hotel, near Halifax, West Yorkshire ~ Two AA Rosette Restaurant Pamper Breaks ~ Girls Night In
Price: £125.00 per person based on two adults sharing a room. Package subject to availability Please also see Spa Breaks below. For a selection of Hotels with Spa and details of other Spa Breaks, please see our dedicated Health & Beauty pages.
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Honeymoon ~ EdinburghA Honeymoon filled with Romance Edinburgh is definitely one of the most romantic cities in the world and Channings enjoys being positioned in this wonderful location, yet provides its own secret world of romance, being tucked away in tranquil South Learmonth Gardens, just off the beaten track so that you can enjoy peaceful privacy, but only minutes walk from Edinburgh’s capital city attractions. On your honeymoon you ideally want the best of both worlds – to be able to enjoy the privacy of a luxury hotel as well as being able to enjoy some good retail therapy as well as restaurant relaxation. Channings is able to offer you and your loved one all this plus more as it provides a country-style tranquillity in a city setting where you’ll be charmed by our friendly people. Special honeymoon packages are available and we are happy to tailor-make to your specific requirements. The following is a sample price based on a 2-night stay in one of our exclusive Superior Bedrooms: £240 per person for two nights including:
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Llama TrekkingFor something a bit different, try llama trekking in Dorset - lead a llama through the lovely Dorset countryside and visit Dorset's Jurassic Coast - designated a World Heritage Site. The llamas are gentle, easy to handle and great fun to be with, and will carry your load for you including a delicious picnic lunch. Guided day treks, tailored to your individual requirements and pace, are available from New House Farm in Dorset set in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Bed and breakfast farmhouse accommodation is also available if you wish to stay a bit longer. Llama treks cost from approx. £45 including a picnic lunch. Further details on www.ukllamas.co.uk.
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MURDER, MYSTERY EVENTSThe Bedford Hotel, Tavistock, Devon Two Bridges Hotel, Dartmoor National Park, Devon A weekend of murder, mystery, suspicion and suspects . . .
Two Bridges Weekend, Dates: 17th & 18th October 2008 ~ Cost £225.00 per person. Murder Mystery Evening
Cost per person £39.95 (December £ 45.00) Dates for 2008: 3rd May - Bedford
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Pudding Club Breaks in the Cotswolds at Three Ways House ~ Home of the Pudding ClubFounded at Three Ways House Hotel in 1985 to prevent the demise of the traditional great British Pudding, the Pudding Club and its members can now proudly claim that because of their efforts the great British Pudding has reclaimed an enthusiastic following throughout the country - and beyond. You don't need to be a member to attend a meeting. Today there is a full colour recipe book, the annual Great British Pudding Festival, a range of Pudding Club gifts - and even 'Puddings by Post' from the 'Home of the Pudding Club' itself. Two Night Pudding Club Break - Attend a meeting of the Pudding Club, generally held on the first and third Friday of each month. This involves eating or sampling a selection of seven delicious puddings to find the Pudding of the Night! Stay overnight and take an English Breakfast before exploring the local area. On Saturday night dine in the main restaurant from the Table d'Hote menu, departing after breakfast on Sunday morning. Sumer Pudding Club - During June, July and August, the Pudding Club features summer delights like Gooseberry Fool and bowls of Summer Red Berries as well as Summer Pudding itself. Traditionalists won't be left out, as the parade of seven puddings will still include favourites like Syrup Sponge and Sticky Toffee. With drinks served in the Patio Garden, the Summer Pudding Club is a lovely Midsummer occasion!
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Racing Breaks - Swinton Park, YorkshireRegular Racing
Breaks The standard package costs in the region of £95 per person, which will vary depending on the race meeting and the number in the group sharing transport. York and Wetherby racecourse are about a 50 minute drive, Ripon, Catterick and Thirsk about 30 minutes. Any accommodation costs will be an additional charge.
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Romantic breaks - Lake DistrictIndulge in a romantic break at the luxurious Linthwaite House Hotel overlooking Lake Windermere in the beautiful English Lakes. The romantic package includes a bottle of house Champagne, box of handmade chocolates and a bunch of red roses in your room on arrival and costs an additional £68 to the normal short-break rates, inclusive of full English breakfast and delicious four-course Dinner. The break also includes complimentary use of nearby spa with pool, sauna, steam room, spa bath, squash and gym. Total
Romance Package Optional extras include filling the room with roses; a champagne picnic hamper; a steamer trip on lake Windermere; and suite upgrade. Pleae check the hotel's website for current prices.
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Royal Yacht Britannia Breaks, EdinburghThis two-night
short break is based at Channings
and features a visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia, now moored at
the port of Leith. Visitors can board the Royal Yacht to take a
look at the Royal Apartments, officers' quarters, captain's cabin,
engine room, the bridge and galleys (www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk).
Please check hotel's website for current prices.
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Sheer Indulgence Break - Isles of ScillyEscape to the unspoilt Isles of Scilly for a truly romantic break. Stay at Tregarthen's overlooking the harbour on the island of St Mary's and enjoy stunning panoramic vistas of the islands of Tresco, Bryher, Samson and St Martin’s. With luxurious bedrooms, an award-winning restaurant and the sea-shore, two beaches, picturesque quay and the shops and galleries of Hugh Town all within easy walking distance from the hotel, Tregarthen's is the perfect destination for a romantic escape. Book their Sheer Indulgence break (minimum three days notice required), inclusive of:
Please check hotel's website for current price.
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Shopping & Sightseeing Luxury Short BreaksEdinburgh offers an excellent variety of shops including famous Jenners, the oldest independent department store in the world and Princes Street offering all the well-known high street names together with a variety of specialist shops, plus a host of historic sights. Enjoy a luxury weekend shopping break at one of Edinburgh's luxury four and five-star townhouse hotels, choose from: Channings including:
Please check hotel's website for current prices. Offer based on 2 persons sharing a twin/double room, minimum 2 night stay, subject to availability. Single, superior and suite supplements apply.
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Spa Breaks ~ The Cotswolds Stanton Manor Hotel, near Chippenham, Wiltshire ~ The Cotswolds Special Spa
Packages The Spa Package includes:
From only £399
- 2 people for 2 nights. For further details of Hotels with Spa and other Spa Breaks, please visit our Health and Beauty Hotels page.
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 Channings |
Theatre Breaks ~ EdinburghEnjoy a luxury
theatre break in Edinburgh taking in a show at the Festival City
Theatre or The Playhouse (www.eft.co.uk).
Stay at Channings
Please check hotel's website for current prices of this break. Theatre
- Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon
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 Golden Cap - Dorset |
Walking Holidays - The WayfarersSpecialists in walking vacations since 1984, The Wayfarers is committed to providing inspired options for the very best of travel on two feet. Freedom of spirit and a passion for adventure set the scene. They seek out expert local walk leaders and put the focus on exciting itineraries featuring diverse landscapes, gracious lodging and delicious regional cuisine. Affordable pricing covers all accommodations, ground transfers, meals on itineraries, wine with dinner, entry to specified museums and historic sites, lectures and events. A wide range of destinations are available throughout England, Scotland and Wales from the mountains of Snowdonia to the Western Isles of Scotland. Destinations include:Coast to Coast, Cornwall, Cotswolds, Dorset, Hadrian's Wall & The Lake District, Peak District, Royal River Thames, Yorkshire Moors & Dales, Wales - Snowdonia and Scotland - Loch Lomond & The Western Isles. Further details on: The Wayfarers Walking Holidays.
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Walking Breaks - Yorkshire Dales
LUXURY WALKING BREAKS IN THE YORKSHIRE DALES The package price amounts to the Bed and Breakfast or Dinner, Bed and Breakfast rates available at any one of the hotels you would like to stay at, with just an extra charge for a picnic or for the use of the Bothy Lunch Hut. The baggage delivery service is provided by the hotel that you are walking from, but is not available between The Yorke Arms and The Blue Lion. For further details, please contact Swinton Park - set in extensive grounds close the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The Yorke Arms, Ramsgill-in-Nidderdale, Pateley Bridge, near Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG3 5RL. www.yorke-arms.co.uk The Blue Lion, East Witton, Nr Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 4SN www.thebluelion.co.uk
Good walks can be enjoyed from many of our other hotels in the UK. Those listed below are located in areas particularly good for walking, and many provide details of Walking Routes, catering for different abilities: Linthwaite
House Hotel - Windermere, Lake District - walks through lovely
countryside and around the lake. Printed walking guides provided.
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Walking Breaks ~ The Cotswolds ~ Three Ways HouseCotswold
Walking Weekends This is generally how the Cotswold walking weekends work (with seasonal variations): Friday ~ Arrive at your leisure on Friday afternoon. The Pudding Club meeting kicks off at 7.30 with a drinks reception when your host will explain the history and rules of the club. You will then have a choice of three light main courses before the highlight of the evening, a parade of seven traditional puddings, which might include Spotted Dick, Sussex Pond or Lord Randalls. You will be invited up to the Pudding Buffet until you say enough! Relax over coffee and cast your vote for the ‘Pudding of the Night’. Saturday ~ After a good night’s sleep you will be ready for breakfast and a chance to start walking off the puddings. Leave the hotel by 9.15 for today’s walk, which will be approximately 11 miles long. Put your best foot forward and you should be back for 3.30 ish. After a relaxing bath or shower, sit by the fire with a cup of tea or enjoy a pint of beer in Randalls. Dinner in the evening will be in our main restaurant, a fulfilling 3–course affair. Retire to the lounge for coffee or Randalls Bar for a nightcap. Sunday ~ Start Sunday morning with a hearty English breakfast. Today’s walk will start from the hotel and will be about 8 miles, arriving back at the hotel by 2.30 ish. The format of both weekends will be familiar to those of you who have enjoyed a walking weekend with us before. The price is £225 per person including accommodation, dinner, breakfast, packed lunches, guides and VAT at 17.5%. There are a limited number of superior, pudding and single rooms available from £260 to £290 per person. Dates for 2009:
Really relax - stay on Sunday night for a very special rate of £75-£85 per person to include a three-course dinner and breakfast. Summer
Walking Break - Sunday 16th - Thursday 20th August 2009
Price: from £380 per guest Or if you prefer to walk as an individual or with a group of friends, Three Ways House makes an ideal base and offers some great walking in this beautiful part of the Cotswolds - the English countryside at its best. The hotel offers short breaks throughout the year offering excellent value for money and well behaved dogs are welcomed. Everything you need for a walking break is to hand including: • Guide Books and Maps - a wide range available • Planned Routes with recommended refreshment stops • Packed lunches available to order • Drying Room available for wet clothes and boots • Return to supper or a refreshing pint of ale. The Cotswold Way is a 104 mile long public footpath passing through many Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, running between Chipping Campden in the north and Bath in the south. It runs along a high escarpment and crosses hills of neolithic limestone - the distinctive golden-hued stone from which many Cotswold towns and villages are built.
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 Walltown Crags, Hadrian's Wall |
Walking ~ Hadrian's Wall National Trail, NorthumbriaVisitors can now walk the entire 84-mile length of Britain's Roman frontier - Hadrian's Wall. This coast to coast trail, from the Wallsend fort in Newcastle to Cumbria's Solway Firth takes around one week to walk for the reasonably fit, although there are also 40 easy circular walks, making it ideal for a weekend break. Rich in Roman heritage, there are many fascinating historic sites and museums to visit along the Wall. A special bus service travels between the key points (number AD122) and leaflets on day walks are available. Further details on: www.hadrians-wall.org and www.nationaltrail.co.uk/hadrianswall. Stay at Temple Sowerby House near Penrith, within a short drive of Hadrian's Wall. |
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WeddingsMany hotels featured on this site hold Civil Wedding Licences and/or are suitable for Wedding Ceremonies and Receptions. This is noted on each individual hotel page, in the details section at the end. However, the hotels below offer particularly pleasant gardens or setting for a wedding. Please contact the hotel direct for further details. Our Edinburgh hotel, Channings, also offers fabulous wedding packages, Channings.
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Wine Bar at Channings |
Whisky
Galore Luxury Break
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Wine Weekends at Temple Sowerby House, nr Penrith, Cumbria The
Wines of the Rhone Valley A wonderful opportunity to sample and sup the wines from a very special and distinctive region of France, and to enjoy great food and fine wines in the company of like-minded wine lovers! With such evocative names as Hermitage, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Cote Rotie and Saint Joseph (to name but a few!), the Rhone Valley produces some of the world's top red wines, along with some quite unique whites. There are two, quite distinct, regions of very different landscapes and 'terroirs', the Northern Rhone being terraced vineyards on granite soils, producing mainly Syrah grapes along with the distinctive white grapes of Marsanne and Viognier. In the Southern Rhone, on the other hand, the vines lie baking on broad terraces of smooth, round stones warmed by the sun, with Chateauneuf-du-Pape at its heart. Here, the main grape is Grenache, supplemented by Syrah and, increasingly, Mourvedre. It is from here that the huge appellation of Cotes-du-Rhone is found, with an annual crop almost as much as the whole of Bordeaux! There is enormous variety of both style and quality within these regions, from very ordinary to the deep, full-bodied treasures of Hermitage and Chateauneuf. The weekend will include a tutored tasting of the region's wines, giving a wonderful insight into what makes them so special and looking at the differences between the North and South . Over the course of the two days, sixteen wines will be tasted or drunk with dinner! The tasting will be predominantly red wines, reflecting the region itself, with a balance of red and white wines served with specially created menus for each evening. The weekend includes :
Price: £290 per person, in a superior room. For further info. please contact Temple Sowerby House.
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Please mention breakswithtradition.com when booking any of the Special Breaks above - thank you. NB All above Special Interest events and activities are subject to availability. New
Special Interest activities are being added to this page frequently
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