Ten UK breaks for the half term holidays that start from £21pp a night
SCHOOL’S out and it’s time to entertain the kids again.
Half-term is either this week or next, depending on where you live.
And if you’ve got nothing planned, pat yourself on the back because you can now take advantage of some great late deals.
Maybe stay in a hotel, holiday park, lodge or even a houseboat.
Trisha Harbord selects ten of the best UK breaks with endless fun . . .
SEASIDE SAINT
HERE’S a novel package deal – under-12s stay free at the St Moritz Hotel by the sea in Trebetherick, Cornwall.
And the hotel is running a dedicated kids’ club with daily fun activities.
The Mini Moritz programme, from February 15-25, includes movie nights, games, surf and wild rock-pooling lessons, scavenger hunts, pizza parties and more.
And while the youngsters play, adults can relax in the Cowshed spa or work out in the new gym.
There’s also a wild spa, with hot and cold therapies.
Families stay in a king room with bunk beds for children.
Restaurants serve dishes from pizzas to fine dining.
GO: Four nights’ B&B for a family of four costs £700. Offer valid until February 25. See stmoritzhotel.co.uk.
TELLY TREAT
THE Masked Singer is one of the most popular shows on TV – and now it’s back at Butlin’s.
Book a half-term break at Bognor Regis, Minehead or Skegness and you’ll be among the first to see the holiday resorts’ new live entertainment for 2024.
Families will be handed clues as they try to guess the celebrity singers behind the masks, including Rockstar, Jacket Potato and Rubbish, before shouting: “Take it off, take it off!”
Other shows include a new panto, Jack And The Beanstalk, Let Us Entertain You, featuring Robbie Williams’s music and a new Peppa Pig celebration.
Breaks include accommodation, shows, fairground rides and access to Splash Waterworld.
GO: Four nights’ self-catering for a family of four in a two-bedroom Gold apartment at Minehead costs from £207 for arrival on February 19. See butlins.com.
MAGIC MOLE
SAVE up to a third on breaks at eco-lodge retreats in North Devon.
Set in 125 acres at Chittlehamholt, The Mole Resort offers more than 40 indoor and outdoor activities including golf, tennis and football.
Kids can brush up on their bushcraft and tackle an obstacle course.
There’s a gym, indoor swimming pool, games room and playgrounds.
Lodges sleep up to eight people, some have hot tubs and all have private balconies.
There’s a restaurant, bistro and pub selling local beer.
The Mole is a great base for venturing into Dartmoor and fabulous Devon beaches.
GO: Three nights’ self-catering in a Meadow two-bedroom lodge, sleeping four next week, is from £669. Book by February 19 for offer. See themoleresort.co.uk.
RIVER RAVE
CITY hotels can be pricey for families, so how about a boatel?
Stay in the heart of Edinburgh on a peaceful houseboat, which sleeps up to six adults and two under-tens, moored in Lochrin Basin on the Union Canal.
Visit the castle looming over the city and the Palace of Holyroodhouse – used by King Charles when on official engage-ments – at the end of the Royal Mile.
Kids will love the Museum of Childhood, with its old and modern toys, games and dolls.
Edinburgh Zoo is home to 2,500 animals and has Europe’s largest outdoor penguin pool.
The four-star, 55ft boatel has a galley kitchen, shower room and deck area.
GO: Two nights’ self-catering on a boatel for four people is from £480. See thefoursisters.co.uk.
LUXURY LODGE
LOVE the great outdoors? Bed down in a luxury lodge in the Peak District National Park.
Rivendale Lodge Retreat, in Ashbourne, is the ideal base for walking, cycling, horse riding, climbing, fishing and watersports.
Nearby Dovedale nature reserve is famous for its stepping stones and a great spot for fossil hunters.
Or take a guided walk through the spectacular Poole’s Cavern.
Escape-room fans can tackle three missions at the Hunt Team Adventure Park.
Rivendale’s three- bedroom lodges are fully-equipped and have outside decking.
There’s also a shop, restaurant and bar on site.
GO: Two nights’ self-catering for six is from £485, arriving on Feb 17, or four nights midweek is from £285, arriving on Feb 19. Dogs welcome. See hoseasons.co.uk.
CART CRAZY
GO-CARTS will be whizzing round the green at the 4H Belfry Hotel & Resort for the next two weeks.
There’s also mini-golf, badminton and football, plus an adventure playground with zipwire and treehouse, pool, games room, kids’ library and movies three times a day.
The resort, in Sutton Coldfield, West Mids, is famous for its three world-class golf courses, and has several restaurants and bars.
Any adult managing to get a bit of me time, can head to the luxurious spa.
If you want a trip out, the resort is close to Drayton Manor theme park, Twycross Zoo and the sweetest attraction of all, Cadbury World.
GO: One night’s B&B for two adults and two children is from £179. See thebelfry.com.
FARM FROLICS
PACK the family’s boots for fun on a working farm, where kids can climb trees, build dens and feed animals.
Drovers Rest Farm in Golden Valley, Herefordshire, has a play area, hands-on farm trail and educational guided safaris during half-term.
You can stay in safari tents, sleeping six people, with woodburners to keep you cosy.
And there’s a farm kitchen serving brunches and lunches.
Hay on Wye is down the road with attractions including The Viking Games where you can try traditional sports such as archery and axe-throwing.
See pygmy goats and 30 species of owls at the Small Breeds Park & Owl Centre, 10 miles away at Kington.
GO: Two nights’ self-catering in a safari tent for six costs from £260. See droversrest.co.uk.
VILLAGE VIBES
EVEN with entertainment-packed Blackpool on the doorstep, you may not feel the need to venture out of Ribby Hall Holiday Village.
The five-star resort has a huge choice of activities and restaurants.
There is an indoor pool with racer slides and splash zones.
Plus there are badminton and squash courts, a boating lake, as well as nine-hole and adventure golf courses.
Craft and activity clubs take place throughout half-term, too.
Ribby Hall Village, set in 130 acres of beautiful Lancashire countryside, also has a shop, coffee house and takeaways.
Being close to the seaside resort of Blackpool, Lytham St Annes and Fleetwood, there is no shortage of entertainment.
In Blackpool, visit the zoo or Gruffalo & Friends Clubhouse, which brings the character to life.
GO: Four nights’ self-catering in a cottage for four people costs from £559, arriving on February 19. Dogs welcome. See ribbyhall.co.uk.
PALACE POWER
GET the lowdown on Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace – and you’ll get in free if you stay at The Mitre hotel across the road, on the banks of the River Thames.
The palace was home to King Henry, his wives and children and is as flamboyant as the royal himself was.
Explore the Great Hall, with its huge timber roof and magnificent tapestries, along with the gardens and Tudor kitchens.
There’s also a special spy mission for kids until February 18.
The Mitre, which can arrange behind-the-scenes palace tours, has two restaurants.
Family rooms sleep four people and there’s space for an extra bed.
GO: One night’s B&B, including £45 towards each adult’s dinner, with kids eating free, costs from £240 a night. See mitrehamptoncourt.com.