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Top five cottage destinations in the UK

Cornwall
Consistently the most popular holiday cottage destination in the UK, Cornwall has the United Kingdom’s most temperate climate and possesses a distinctive, unusual coastline. Much of Cornwall’s popularity can be attributed to its beaches, which number over 150. Many have been granted the prestigious Blue Flag award and provide safe, clean environments in which people can to enjoy their holidays. Cornwall also has a fascinating industrial past with mining playing a key role in its history. The pioneering inventions and innovations that took place here during the 18th – 20th century had a significant bearing on the mining industry on a global scale. The remains of this once thriving industry were recently granted World Heritage, status by UNESCO.

Cumbria
The Lake District National Park, England’s second largest county, forms part of Cumbria and is one of the reasons why the region is so popular amongst visitors and holidaymakers. Its landscape is one of the most dramatic in England and consists of four peaks that rise over 4000ft. It’s great walking country, well suited to hiking enthusiasts and ramblers with a number of internationally recognised trails and paths that wind through the heart of the magnificent countryside.
50 stone circles found in Cumbria date back to the Bronze Age and vividly illustrate an intriguing past. Some of the best ones can be found at Castlerigg, Little Meg and Grey Croft.

Wales
750 miles of exceptional coastline are one of the many reasons that Wales achieves a top five status. The National Parks of Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire and the Brecon Beacons are also chief attractions and provide the visitor with some of the most impressive landscapes in all of the UK. Short break holidays are particularly popular in the country’s Southerly reaches with Pembrokeshire, the United Kingdom’s only coastal National Park, proving particularly popular amongst holiday cottages enthusiasts. Wales’ relative proximity to England’s major cities and its accessibility mean that it is often the first choice amongst people searching for short break holidays and weekend cottage breaks.

Yorkshire
The desolate splendour of the Yorkshire Dales and its National Park, which covers around 700 square miles, attract visitors from far and wide. Holiday cottages are a popular choice of accommodation and allow occupants the opportunity of being up close and personal with this dramatic region. Despite its popularity The Dales’ remoteness is still evident in places such as Grassington and Kettlewell which maintain an untouched charm. Yorkshire also possesses a rich industrial heritage - West Yorkshire was once a centre for the British Wool Market producing dress cloths, heavy woollen cloths and ready-made clothing. In fact this region became a world centre of the wool trade with products being exported all over the globe. The remains of this industry can still be seen through the mill chimneys that rise up from the Pennine valleys of the Pennines and contribute to the unique and charming character belonging to Yorkshire.

Norfolk
Norfolk and the Norfolk Broads are a major holiday cottage destination and prove popular with sailing enthusiasts and holidaymakers, keen to experience the waterways and rivers that criss-cross the region. Tourism is the major industry in these parts but you wouldn’t think it. Most of the Broads are protected areas and have remained untouched and unspoilt for hundreds of years. There are 40 Broads in all, linked together by around 200km of lock-free waterways. Originally peat diggings, they became flooded during the 14th Century as water-levels rose. Bicycles also provide a pleasant way of experiencing Norfolk, and can be hired from nine points located close to the moorings.