Find a peaceful place to recharge and reconnect away from your devices
Fed up with staring at screens? Now’s the time to plan an off-grid getaway to distract you and your family away from the scrolling and give you time to reconnect with nature... and each other. From remote cabins on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales to artistic adventures along Cornwall’s dramatic coastlines, here are five retreats that are guaranteed to break your screen addiction.
Get back to basics at Swinton Estate
As you sweep through the magnificent grounds of North Yorkshire’s Swinton Estate, a turreted Baronial mansion will appear on the horizon. This ivy-draped hotel offers all the tempting trappings of modern luxury; but if you’re here to cut off from the world, you’ll bypass the hall and head into the forest to find your wooden cabin hidden among the trees.
Sleeping up to seven guests, each lodge has its own log burning stove, cooking facilities, cool box, and bathroom – but no electricity, so evenings are cast in the flicker of candlelight. This doesn’t mean you’ll be roughing it, thanks to a tipi covered firepit, a woodland sauna, and your own log-fired hot tub.
If you manage to prise yourself away from your private woodland idyll, the estate offers a host of tech-banishing activities such as wild swimming, sound baths, meditation rituals, yoga classes, and a woodland school for kids.
Disconnect from the world at an Unplugged property
Have you ever wondered how long you’d last without looking at your phone? Well, with some studies suggesting that the average adult in the UK clocks up more than six hours across devices, it wouldn’t be very long before you’re swiping and scrolling again. If you want to cut down and willpower isn’t working, it’s time to go cold turkey on a three-day digital detox at one of the 22 Unplugged retreats across England and Wales.
At first, having your devices locked away in a box is a little disconcerting, but it’s amazing how quickly you’ll settle into tech-free living. Every cabin is enveloped by nature, with wooded landscapes framed by huge windows that surround plush double beds and log burners providing warmth all year round.
As life slows down, board games and the radio will replace social media, and you’ll finally be able to get through some of those books on your ‘to read’ list.
Wake up with the birds at Chewton Glen
It seems fitting that this hotel that’s on the edge of the New Forest National Park offers the opportunity to live in the treetops, far removed from real life back on ground level. Hidden in a valley just two minutes’ walk from the main building sits a myriad of tree houses perched on stilts and surrounded by glass-fronted balconies, meaning you can accompany your morning coffee with birdsong.
Thankfully, you don’t have to sacrifice luxury, with king-sized beds, log burners, standalone baths, and private hot tubs for peaceful evenings far removed from day-to-day life – room service will provide the Champagne.
The Eat, Sleep, Retreat package takes the relaxation a step further, with full access to the spa’s aromatherapy saunas, ozone-treated swimming pool, and the bubbling hydrotherapy pool, as well as a 60-minute treatment of your choice and a healthy buffet lunch.
Unlock your creative talents on the Cornish coast
Capturing a rugged coastal landscape in colour and form is a time-honoured way of immersing yourself in nature and blocking out those digital distractions. Cornwall’s Newlyn School of Art is an easel’s throw from Land’s End, creating the perfect canvas for unleashing your inner Van Gogh on one of the educational three- or four-day courses, each led by a professional artist.
Whether you’re a beginner looking to find a new hobby or experienced with a paintbrush, there are courses for every ability. To embrace the outdoors, take to the clifftops for the Seascapes and Landscapes course. Under the tutelage of respected local painter Paul Lewin, you’ll explore the use of composition, colour, and tone in capturing the ever-changing mood and drama of the coastline. If you really want to discover your creative instincts, Luke Knight’s Expressive Landscape course embraces artistic freedom with a playful approach to painting.
Swap screens for saucepans at The Woodspeen
We know that spending a whole day at the stove isn’t everyone’s idea of a relaxing offline retreat, but the engrossing cookery courses at The Woodspeen in West Berkshire could well change your mind.
With the courses designed for every ability, you’ll come away a more skilled, confident home cook; choose to master homemade pasta dishes that’d make a nonna proud, impress a loved one with all the skills needed for the perfect steak night, learn to butcher your own meat, or nail the techniques for creating bakery-grade sourdough at home.
If all that still sounds too much like hard work, you could simply book a table at the sun-drenched restaurant where produce from the mature kitchen gardens dictate the menu. In summer, the outdoor terrace is the perfect place for lunch or early evening dinner.