Six of the best affordable UK country house hotels to beat the January blues

The festive season can stretch waistbands and wallets to breaking point. Here’s our pick of boltholes for a new year reset – each with a spa and rooms for under £160 a night

A perfect winter walk between two great pubs in Cheshire

This 14-mile section of the Sandstone Trail crosses an ancient landscape of hills, woods and ridges, bookended by two fine old inns

‘A watery gold sunrise lights the turbulent water’: the wild beauty of the Suffolk coast

Coastal erosion may threaten the area around Southwold, but a new ‘movable’ cabin makes a great base for exploring its windswept beaches, remote marshes and welcoming inns

‘Emerge from misty woods above a sea of clouds’: readers’ favourite UK winter walks

Readers revel in winter light, wildlife spectacles and cosy pubs from Norfolk to Northumberland

‘An unsung alternative to the Cotswolds‘: exploring Leicestershire’s Welland valley

This hidden gem has country inns, canalside walks, a stunning viaduct, the historic town of Market Harborough – and not a tour bus in sight

Stargazing in the Lake District: a new forest observatory opens in Grizedale

There’s no shortage of stunning scenery and daytime activities in the Lakes. Now, an observatory is offering stellar nocturnal events too

Come on in, all ye faithful: 18 of the UK’s best mass swims for Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day

Festive sea swims are pure joy – and also blow away the cobwebs, unite communities and raise money for charity. Here are some old (and new) favourites

Why west Cornwall is the perfect place to mark the winter solstice

With ancient standing stones and modern midwinter festivals, the West Penwith peninsula is a land of magic and mystery

A winter tour of Luxembourg’s fairytale chateaux – on the country’s free bus network

This tiny country is awash with atmospheric castles, many of which you can stay in, making for a magical wintry break. And it won’t cost you a cent to travel between them

Why I love Portscatho in Cornwall – especially in winter

It’s a far cry from the sun-kissed beaches of Cape Town where she grew up, but the simple pleasures of a seaside village in Cornwall draw the author back year after year

Supermarché sweep: the treats we love to buy on holiday in Europe

Italian sweets, Irish smoked fish, honey cakes in Belgium … Our writers choose the stores and local delicacies they make a beeline for when travelling

Winter warmer in the woods: a sizzling sauna and cool, cosy cabin deep in a Sussex forest

Architect-built cabins and a sauna blend seamlessly into the High Weald landscape and make the most of its magnificent views

Empty beaches guaranteed: a wintry weekend break in north Devon

With stunning beaches, cosy cafes and a lot fewer people, the unspoilt surfing village of Croyde has just as much to offer out of season

All wrapped up: the 10 best British towns and cities for Christmas shopping with a local flavour

Where better to source what you need for the season than the places with a reputation for making it? From fizz and food to fine art, here’s our festive shopping guide

Why Herefordshire was the perfect stand-in for Shakespeare’s Stratford in the new film of Hamnet

Crooked buildings, welcoming inns, ancient woodlands … it’s easy to see why the location scouts chose this idyllic corner of England