Mankind needs beauty in the same way it needs romantic love. It can function perfectly well without it, and millions have to, but without these things our lives are poorer. There will always be a yearning for that special place or that special someone.
In Britain, as a small island nation, no one is ever too far from a beautiful place. Even if you can’t get to a recognised beauty spot to deliver a message for Valentine’s Day, there will be somewhere you can go. This is why I have set so many of my books here. I want to write books that are lovely to look at somehow, and Britain makes this easy.
Personally, I’ve always been uplifted by nature. I love wildness, landscapes formed by thousands of years of wind and rain, snow and ice, formed, imperceptibly, season by season. I love seeing the stunted trees showing the direction of the prevailing wind, fighting against the odds to fulfil their function. And if there are dips or lumps in the ground revealing signs of human habitation I wonder what it was like then. Was it different? Or very much the same?
The sea, pounding endlessly, forming rocks into strange shapes also inspires. When standing on a beach, it’s the awareness that for millennia it was the sea that brought people together, in tiny, handmade craft.
I also like to see the hand of man in my romantic places. Were they aware of the beauty they were creating as they hand-forged ironwork to make a lock gate for a canal, or made a block and tackle to help build a cathedral? I like to think so. A love of beauty is innate and humankind appears to have always been uplifted by their surroundings.
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Nick Turner
Even if I’m wrong about our prehistoric ancestors, modern humans are definitely drawn to beautiful locations, be they man-made or entirely natural. Taking your girl to see Durdle Door in your ancient car that breaks down is a rite of passage. As is taking your boy to your favourite local beauty spot and hoping he likes it too. Holding hands while you both stand in silence looking at somewhere special is one of the joys of life that’s within reach of most of us.
I’d be hard put to pick a favourite place in Britain. Like favourite colours, food or anything else, I don’t like to be pinned down. Currently, the view from my study, hills covered with frost-edged trees with the low sun turning it all pink, will do. If, like me, you find it hard to choose, Telegraph Travel’s experts are on hand in the coming pages to provide inspiration with 20 of Britain’s most romantic destinations.
Katie Fforde
Ynys Llanddwyn
You can keep St Valentine. Real Welsh romantics celebrated St Dwynwen’s Day on Jan 25, remembering the folk tale of Dwynwen, the lovelorn fifth-century heroine who founded a church on a remote island off Anglesey. Today, a visit to Llanddwyn Island remains the ultimate pilgrimage for Welsh lovers to seek Dwynwen’s blessing. Hiking across a nature reserve to the carved-wood gates of her spiritual domain, it’s the windswept setting that appeals to the romance of the Celtic soul. Some feel inspired to get down on one knee on Llanddwyn Beach. Others seek guidance at the stone altar of her ruined church. It’s the perfect place to say “Rwy’n dy garu di” (I love you).
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Visit Wales
Where to stay Château Rhianfa – bold colours, rich fabrics and plenty of interesting artefacts adorn every room, cloister and nook inside this Grade II listed fairytale chateau. It was a dower gift for Lady Sarah Hay Williams from her husband, John.
David Atkinson
York
Gazing at the magnificent Minster – where legend has it that if couples kiss under the “Heart of Yorkshire Window” they will stay together forever – and walking, arm in arm along the famous medieval walls top the usual couple’s agenda, but they’re far from the whole picture. Stroll through atmospheric alleyways such as the Shambles and the wonderfully named Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate, which wind haphazardly through the city centre and are lined with intimate bars and candlelit cafés. When light fades, cuddle up on board a moonlit cruise down the Ouse.
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Where to stay Grays Court – it’s hard to beat this for a historic address, tucked between the Treasurer’s House, the Minster and the medieval city walls. The 11 bedrooms (with a 12th opening this month) vary in size but share a quiet elegance. It certainly ticks the boxes for atmosphere and privacy.
Kaye Holland
Dartmoor
Forget manicured gardens at a country manor. Dartmoor is the place to go for a properly romantic wander in the great British outdoors. Rugged, barren, boggy and untamed, Dartmoor is a landscape to get the heart racing. The north is defined by its rolling hills with granite tors, while the south levels out as sparse moorland stomped by wild ponies. Wherever you are, you can easily walk hand in hand for hours without seeing another soul – making it a place for meandering conversation, rosy cheeks and toe-dips in streams. With its roaring fires and low-beamed ceilings, The Dartmoor Inn is among the loveliest boozers in the region.
Where to stay Wolf Wood’s treehouses, improbably floating above the canopy, are up there with the most romantic you’ll find anywhere in the UK. The Scandi-inspired design features a wood-burning stove, a roll-top bath and a chichi kitchen. The trump card is the hot tub, sunken into the wide terrace.
Greg Dickinson
Isle of Wight
If you want to court like royalty, aristocrats and celebrities, then head to the Isle of Wight. Queen Victoria spent many years here with her beloved Albert at palatial Osborne House (where you can now get married) while Winston Churchill’s mother and father had their first date on the Cowes esplanade and Egypt Point is a great place to watch the sunset over the Solent. Alternatively you could follow in the footsteps of actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who married Sophie Hunter at the 12th-century St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Brighstone and celebrated at the National Trust-owned Mottistone Manor, surrounded by wild flower banks and far-reaching sea views.
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Where to stay North House – the first boutique hotel in Cowes features chic interiors with a splash of Farrow & Ball style. Four-poster beds take centre stage in some rooms, while a small heated swimming pool is tucked away at the back of the hotel.
Antonia Windsor
Bath
Bath is one of Britain’s most winsome cities, all alluring, honey-coloured stone and grand Georgian terraces. Romantics wanting to be swept, Darcy-style, off their feet, should enjoy a quick waltz in the historic Assembly Rooms. Home to naturally hot spas, the city is also an ideal place for couples wanting to indulge themselves. Either pick a quiet time to head to the Thermae Bath Spa or for a more private soak, visit The Gainsborough Bath Spa hotel. The hills surrounding the city are perfect for an easy amble between quaint village pubs.
Where to stay The Gainsborough Bath Spa – in a city oozing romance at almost every turn, the Gainsborough’s substantial Romanesque spa – the only hotel with access to Bath’s geothermal water – sets it apart. In three of the bedrooms you can even fill the baths with the city’s naturally heated waters.
Natalie Paris
Chipping Campden
With its honey-stone High Street, ancient market hall and fabulous 15th-century church, Chipping Campden is the ideal Cotswold town for a loved-up British break. It offers romantic ruins in the form of Old Campden House and an arty heritage. For picturesque seclusion couples should head to Ernest Wilson Garden, or enjoy scones and cream at cosy Badgers Tea Rooms. Perhaps commission a piece of jewellery at Hart Silversmiths with its time warp of a workshop in an old silk mill, or for amazing views with a lower price tag, walk a mile up to Dover’s Hill; take the car at sunset and curl up to the red-orange glow.
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Where to stay Cotswold House Hotel and Spa – a gloriously rambling establishment set across four properties, with a splendid Regency building at its core (the striking spiral staircase has been backdrop for many a wedding photo). For ultimate romance, opt for a room with a private garden and hot tub.
Harriet O’Brien
Isle of Skye
There may be nowhere else in the UK that better embodies the unrefined passion and gentle intimacy of the most memorable love affairs than the Isle of Skye. Wild shorelines that look as though they have been carved by tempests melt into alluring unspeckled parcels of nature. The Fairy Pools are bewitching but tend to coax a crowd. Opt instead for the often quieter Glen Brittle waterfalls. A visit needn’t be too prescriptive; it’s best to head out, hand in hand, to find your own special spot – an easy task with countless streams, pools and falls coming off the Cuillin.
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JASON INGRAM
Where to stay Mint Croft – a rare find: a luxurious B&B in three old crofters’ cottages perched above the sea – a labour of love created by a couple of designers turned modern-day crofters. Reach it down a single-track lane towards the sea, dodging jaywalking sheep.
Benjamin Parker
North Norfolk
The north Norfolk coast is wonderful for hand-in-hand walks. You can channel Shakespeare in Love romance on Holkham’s sweeping sands. Lesser-known is the beach at nearby Burnham Overy Staithe, reached via a 1.5-mile (2.4km) walk (enough to deter most) that emerges at a ridge with sudden “wow” views. Elsewhere, nature can add extra sparkle. There’s astonishing stargazing – try Wiveton Downs, a Dark Sky Discovery Site, where the Milky Way can be seen with the naked eye. Or watch dramatic sunsets across the salt marshes at Brancaster’s White Horse: its restaurant offers excellent seafood and front-row seats.
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Where to stay Titchwell Manor – a smart boutique hotel overlooking the marshes. It’s fairly isolated but has great sea views. Bold colours and a real fire combine with individually decorated bedrooms; two have a private courtyard with a hot tub.
Sarah Baxter
Castle Combe
This little village in a wooded valley on the southern Cotswolds’ fringes is almost unimprovably pretty. It’s a time-stood-still golden-stone ensemble with covered 14th-century market cross, handsome wool church (home to one of the oldest clocks in England, dating from around 1380), a couple of medieval inns (the cosy Castle Inn is recommended), and a lane lined with ridiculously photogenic, gabled weavers’ cottages running down to the Bybrook river. The 21st century hardly intrudes, which is why Steven Spielberg chose it as a key film location for War Horse, set during the First World War.
Where to stay The Manor House is an imposing, creeper-covered pile sporting gables, towering chimneys and even gargoyles. The restaurant is a destination in its own right thanks to chef Robert Potter’s modern, locally sourced take on classic fine dining.
Fred Mawer
Roseland
Where better for a Valentine’s tryst than south Cornwall’s most beguiling peninsula? Even in February the air is soft and Roseland’s gardens are lit with magnolias, telling you spring is on its way. There’s no end of things to do. Base yourself at St Mawes for uplifting views of the mile-wide Fal estuary; stroll around St Just-in-Roseland’s subtropical churchyard; visit Trelissick, Cornwall’s finest National Trust garden; hop on a ferry to Falmouth for a cruise upriver to Truro and back; or put on your walking boots and follow Roseland’s Heritage Coast past the shining sands of Veryan Bay.
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Where to stay The Nare, Roseland occupies a prime position on the Roseland peninsula, with panoramic views over Carne Bay, directly accessible from the hotel. It’s a place which feels loved and lived-in. Most rooms have sea views (as does the hot tub).
Brian Jackman
Wester Ross
Romance rarely requires gimmicks – just you, your loved one and somewhere very beautiful – and few places hold such wild allure as Wester Ross in the north-west Highlands. It is arguably the most rugged landscape in the whole of Britain with craggy rocks looming over eerily still lochs. It’s nature in its purest form and it could easily just be the two of you against the world. After trekking the dramatic Torridon Hills or driving the gut-wrenching single-track Bealach na Bà there’s no better way to end the day than by snuggling up fireside in a romantic bolt-hole.
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JOHN PAUL PHOTOGRAPHY
Where to stay The Torridon is a former shooting lodge offering endless charm and an air of understated opulence. If the downstairs hints at “old money”, the upstairs bedrooms shout “ostentatious wealth”; think Knightsbridge-on-Loch.
Sally Coffey
Durdle Door
Romance in Britain is an altogether moodier and wilder affair than that of Paris or Hawaii – and nowhere epitomises this drama more than Dorset’s rather dumpily named Durdle Door on the Jurassic coast. This limestone arch looks like a dragon slithering out of the water, and is the focal point of one of Britain’s most wonderful seaside walks. While the place is crawling with people in the summer, now is the moment to capture its full romance, walking alone along the windswept cliffs overlooking the dramatic coastline. Be sure to stop at The Pig for an intimate lunch for two.
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Where to stay Limestone Hotel occupies a fortunate spot: a short walk from the shore but tucked away enough to feel calm in high season. The Purbeck stone building radiates a homely vibe – cosy nooks, comfy chairs – and plenty of nods to the rural location.
Sally Peck
London
Here’s to anti-Valentine’s in London; no hearts, no flowers, no sparklers in the food. Just the river – the sludge-coloured, un-twinkling Thames – the deck of the Mayflower Pub in Rotherhithe with the tide sploshing below and normal food. If you insist on romance, ask to book into the snug. The runners-up? Holland Park’s Kyoto Garden for a dusk walk before early dinner at Clarke’s; or a book of poetry from Sotheran’s in Mayfair and a walk through the rain-slicked streets of Soho to Andrew Edmunds for dinner. The Mayflower is doing a very cool, un-cheesy Valentine’s Night on Feb 16, tickets from £8.
Where to stay Shangri-La at the Shard is where to go if you really want to to impress in London. Go for the Shangri-La Suite on the 39th floor of Western Europe’s tallest building. The highlight is the view – especially at sunrise and sunset.
Sophie Campbell
Llangollen Canal
Cruise on a waterway in the sky on a narrowboat for two with a wood-burning stove. Thomas Telford’s Pontcysyllte aqueduct – 126ft above the Dee river – presents holiday boaters with a white-knuckle ride: you have to steer along an iron trough with no railings on one side. Once you’ve made the crossing, holding each other tight as you go, putter on through Whitehouses tunnel, moor up, open a bottle of bubbly, light the fire and snuggle up. Owls hoot from trees and stars shine brightly in the dark sky. The next day, cruise on to moor near meres full of bird life.
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Where to stay Lily is a new 66ft four-berth narrowboat with a wood-burning stove and plenty of space for two. From £592 for a four-night short break (Feb 12-16) including tuition, car parking, bedding, towels and Wi-Fi.
Paul Miles
Stanage Edge
Thanks to Jane Austen, Stanage Edge, a rugged four-mile long inland cliff in the Derbyshire Peak District, has immaculate romantic credentials. On location for the 2005 film of Pride and Prejudice, Keira Knightley stood precariously on its brim and gazed longingly over a panoramic view. Stanage towers over the village of Hathersage, which sits two miles (3.2km) away in a sweeping moorland landscape that inspired Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre; part of the 2006 BBC adaptation was filmed here. The Edge is also a regular real-life location for marriage proposals, particularly between climbers lured by its sheer rock face.
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Where to stay Fischer’s Baslow Hall is a 20-minute drive from Stanage Edge. This attractive creeper-covered building is set in five acres of grounds complete with woodland and kitchen garden. Inside it’s intimate in scale and homely in feel – more of a Michelin-starred restaurant-with-rooms than a grand country hotel.
Steve McClarence
Ross Back Sands
This is the kind of beach that you’ll always feel you came across by accident. The road comes to an abrupt end, a track tempts you to follow and a 20-minute walk later, across fields and dunes, you burst out on to an empty beach. Wild and windswept, its three-mile (5km) length edges a promontory with views to the north of Disney-esque Lindisfarne Castle and south to Bamburgh Castle. Apart from the seabirds, you’re likely to have the sands to yourselves so you can act out your own romantic dramas. After a wind-in-the-hair walk, head to Bamburgh, and tea and scones in the Copper Kettle tea rooms.
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Where to stay Coastguard’s House – slip across the tidal causeway to reach Lindisfarne and steal away to the three-bedroom Coastguard’s Cottage. From the garden you can see the 16th-century castle, and when the tide cuts you off you can follow in the footsteps of ancient islanders in peace.
Helen Pickles
Lynmouth
Concertinaed between dramatic sea cliffs, the pretty harbour town of Lynmouth, in Exmoor, has an edge-of the-world feel that’s perfect for lovebirds in search of sea air and seclusion. A favourite holiday resort for the Georgians and Victorians, it was here that R D Blackmore wrote Lorna Doone, and where poet Percy Shelley honeymooned with his first wife, Harriet, staying in the thatched Rising Sun Inn. Days mean wildly romantic clifftop and moorland walks and – for the brave – a bracing dip in the sea, while evenings invite fireside dining in cosy country pubs.
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Where to stay The Rising Sun is the perfect base if you’re after somewhere wonderfully rickety. From this 14th-century thatched pub you can spy Lynmouth Bay’s steep cliffs and dramatic seas, as well as the open moors of Exmoor.
Suzy Bennett
Margate
A British seaside break in February won’t seem so daft when you’re huddled close watching the famous Margate sunset. Take a bracing walk along the seafront to the chalk stacks in Botany Bay, stopping for a drink in the timeless Walpole Bay Hotel, before visiting the trailblazing Turner Contemporary with its ever-changing art exhibitions and sweeping sea views (plus a Gormley statue out front). In the old town, splurge-worthy romantic restaurants include Angela’s and Bottega Caruso, and you can stroll past Tracey Emin’s I Never Stopped Loving You before warming your cockles in the micropub on the harbour arm.
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Where to stay The Reading Rooms is just a stone’s throw from Margate’s sandy beach. This restored Georgian town house exudes pared-back grandeur with a dash of French shabby chic and hints of the industrial. Breakfast is always served in the room – perfect for a lazy morning on a romantic getaway.
Rachel Mills
The Isles of Scilly
Britain’s answer to a glorious island getaway, the Isles of Scilly are transformed when the sun hits their shores, turning the water to topaz and the sand a chalky white. Glinting off the south-west coast of Cornwall, these cosy isles are the perfect spot for a getaway for two. The lack of other people is conducive to a bit of alone time, with unspoilt beaches and windswept coastal walks in almost every direction. Hop on a small boat, or if you’re feeling adventurous a kayak, and venture out to one of the uninhabited islands like Teän for a secluded picnic on your own private slice of Britain.
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Where to stay Hell Bay in Bryher offers a touch of Caribbean-Cornwall, with Lloyd Loom wicker furniture and Malabar fabrics set against neutral hues. It feels like a private oasis for a beach-chic lovers’ escape, decked with works from some of the region’s finest artists. A pop-up crab shack appears during the summer months, completing a truly chilled-out beachside break.
Penny Walker
The Lake District
The birthplace of English Romanticism, the Lake District’s undulating snow-dusted fells, vast glacial lakes and whimsical market towns like Hawkshead, Windermere and Ambleside have inspired writers, artists and poets for centuries. From Ambleside, follow in the footsteps of misty-eyed bards Wordsworth, Southey and Coleridge and take a leisurely six-mile (9.6km) romp over Wansfell to Troutbeck to cosy up in one of the fireplace snugs in the Mortal Man, a rugged pub overlooking Windermere. Or dine out on local rare-breed meat and Whitehaven seafood at the Old Stamp House in Ambleside.
Where to stay Brimstone Hotel is a modern chalet-style retreat tucked among trees in one of the area’s finest fell-walking valleys. It’s built of natural materials and resembles an oversized, ultra-modern, ski chalet with a bold, semicircular tower and wraparound glass-fronted balconies.
Tracey Davies