THE UK'S 10 QUIRKIEST GETAWAYS
Put a little bit of weird in your weekend, with the UK's maddest rentals
Hotel rooms are all the same, right? An overpriced mini-bar in the corner, a TV on the wall, a writing desk and a view over a grey carpark.
WRONG! Delete your Travelodge app. Unsubscribe from those Premier Inn emails. We are here to inject a little bit of WTF? in your next British holiday, with some of the quirkiest rentals around.
The Love Nest
The Bell in Ticehurst
Every room at The Bell in Ticehurst could find its way onto a list of quirky rentals, but the others know they'll never get a look in as long as The Love Nest exists. In a garden behind the much-vaunted pub and restaurant, are four lodges, each of which has a whimsical and brilliant theme. Towering over them all - metaphorically speaking - The Love Nest has been transformed into a huge birds nest, surrounded with intertwining 'twigs' that make it feel like a secret den from a children's book.
Inside, it's luxury all the way. A copper standalone bath sits next to a kingsize bed, with a wet room ingeniously hidden behind its headboard. The circular room curves around to reveal a staircase that takes guests up to their own, personal roof terrace - complete with egg chairs, of course - where you can relax, sunbathe or enjoy drinks from the bar, which is a pleasingly short walk away, down your own, private path.
The Architectural Treehouse
Khudva-K4, Cornwall
Khudva is actually a mini village of architecturally awesome cabins, which look like they'll start walking off to join the Galactic Empire and their AT-AT cousins at any moment. Thankfully, they're way too relaxed to get involved in those sort of interplanetary wars.
Set in an old slate quarry in the Cornwall countryside, these cabins have been created to perfectly complement the natural beauty around them. Huge, triangular windows offer views along the coast directly from the suspended double-bed, and the cozy speak has been cleverly designed to incorporate reading nooks and lounge areas, which add to the feeling of tranquility. The whole site is off-grid, so it's the ideal place to switch off, disconnect with modern life and enjoy the peace and quiet of the Cornish coast. There are luxuries on site, including a forest hot-tub, but this is a retreat for surfers, walkers, readers and relaxers.
From £122 per night, sleeps 2
House in the Clouds
Thorpness, Suffolk
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Nope. It's an English cottage stuck on top of a water tower. House in the Clouds was originally built in 1923 to store water for the local areas, but received a new lease of life when an architect had the grand idea to hide its ugliness by building a house right at the top. It's now a crowning glory of the village - quite literally, because it pokes its quirky little head over the trees and can be seen from just about everywhere in Thorpness. Inside, it's just as quaint as you'd expect, and it comes with an acre of land where guests can play croquet and lawn tennis. See, it really is the most English property on our list. If you decide to venture down all those stairs to ground level, Thorpness is well worth a look - it was built from scratch in the 1920s as 'the perfect holiday village.'
From £650 per night. Sleeps 12
The Airstream Caravan
Banbury, Oxfordshire
Nothing screams '60s Americana' quite like an Airstream caravan and while they might be becoming the fancy food trader's vehicle of choice these days, there's still something nostalgically cool about spending a night inside those shiny chrome bullets.
This beautifully renovated version has a wet room, bluetooth speakers, mini-kitchen and a TV with Netflix - after all, there's only so much nostalgia we can take on a weekend away. It's got its own, secluded section in the corner of a campsite, so you can peep over the fence and point at the peasants in their tents, if that takes your fancy. Oh, and it's right next to a pub. What more could you want?
Click link below for prices for your dates. Sleeps 2
Ty Mawr
Powys, Wales
Ty Mawr sits in the the heart of the Welsh Mountains, where it is one of six treehouses that, together, form 'The Living Room'. They claim to be child-friendly, although those with youngsters might want to tread the small print that says it's a short hike through the woods to reach those perilous-looking steps. But for those who make it, a magical experience awaits. A generous terrace, double bed and bunk beds, lounge and kitchen make up each pod and there's a hot shower underneath. This off-grid getaway is for unwinding and reconnecting with. nature - and where better to do that, than up in the trees?
From £190 per night. Sleeps 2 + children
The Airship
Drimnin, Scotland
We brought you a house in the clouds, so here's an Airship on the ground - just to bring a little balance to proceedings. This majestic, metal beast is AirShip 2 (we don't know what happened to AirShip 1 and we're afraid to ask) and it's undoubtedly the most space-age thing ever to appear on the Sound of Mull.
Inside, there's more metal - LOTS more metal, which means it'll be cosiest place to be in a rainstorm, but also potentially terrifying in a thunder storm. It's impeccably designed and the attention to detail is incredible, from the furniture built around those curved walls to that wall of windows on the front. We dare you to sit at the writing desk in that bulging cockpit and NOT write a gloomy Sci-Fi novel.
Click link below for prices for your dates. Sleeps 2
The Yellow Submarine
Albert Dock, Liverpool
Full steam ahead, Mr Boatswain! It's Liverpool's famous Yellow Submarine, inspired by The Beatles' worst ever song. Sorry, Ringo, but it's true. If you're travelling to Liverpool, the chances are you're going to partake in at least some Beatles-based shenanigans, so why not go the full hog and jump aboard?
As you'd expect, the interior is packed full of Fab Four memorabilia including gold discs and psychedelic murals, but it also bizarrely sways off course with a Quadrophenia scooter, pictures of New York's Grand Central Station 20 years before The Beatles set foot in America and a bedroom that wouldn't look out of place in Stringfellow's. But, nitpicking aside, you won't find anywhere more memorable than The Yellow Sub for your stay in the North West.
From £175 per night. Sleeps 6
The Sky Den
Northumberland
Most of the rentals listed here could easily have featured on George Clarke's numerous TV shows, but this one was actually designed by the man himself. Viewers of George Clarke's Amazing Spaces will have seen him dream up this impossible structure before handing it over to his pal, William Hardie, to hammer together. Remarkably, he did! And if you want to prove to yourself that it wasn't just clever editing and TV trickery, you can now visit the Sky Den for yourself.
Why is it called the Sky Den? Well, you only have to lie on your bed, look up and press the button to open the roof completely, giving you an unbeatable view of the Northumberland sky.
From £215 per night. Sleeps 4
The Big Pink House
Tiptree, Essex
We're not exactly breaking down stereotypes when we tell you this garish pink party house is in the depths of Essex, but if you're looking to spent the weekend pretending to be Barbie, it's only a quick train ride away from London.
If the outside hasn't gabbed your attention, then the inside most certainly will. Neon lights, flower walls, a glittery dinner table and approximately ten tonnes of fairy lights join forces to create the epitome of 'maximalist design'.
It's billed as a hen party house - for obvious reasons - and if the ten gallons of champagne don't give you a headache the following morning, the decor most certainly will. But hey, you can always head down to the relative darkness of 'The Fireman Room', where you can gaze at topless firefighters until you're ready to get back to the party.
No Man's Fort
Near Portsmouth, Hampshire
If we had to bet our lives on somebody who's never watched The Money Pit, we'd feel safe plumping for the people who spotted an old, decaying fort in the middle of the English Channel and thought: "That'd make a nice luxury hotel."
But here we are, looking longingly at pictures of a nice luxury hotel built in an old fort in the middle of the English Channel.
It might still look a little rustic from the outside, but no expense has been spared inside its fortified walls. There are 23 en-suite rooms in total, five bars, a cabaret club and hot tubs on the roof. Plus there are plenty of daily activities laid on, because nipping out for a quick game of crazy golf and a McDonald's is a tad problematic out there. If you're pushing the boat out, the Lighthouse plays home to a two-roomed penthouse with huge glass walls, but it won't surprise you to hear that sea views are not difficult to come by on No Man's Fort.
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