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  • The beautiful harbour town of St Ives | Top tips for the Penwith Peninsula, western Cornwall | These Four Walls blog

    Top tips for the Penwith Peninsula, western Cornwall

    July 20, 2022May 14, 2026

    My recommendations for where to stay, where to eat and drink and what to see and do on Cornwall’s magical Penwith Peninsula, covering St Ives, Mousehole, Penzance, Newlyn and more…

  • A weekend aboard Blackbird - a stylish houseboat rental on a peaceful North Devon lake | These Four Walls blog

    A weekend aboard Blackbird – a luxurious houseboat rental in North Devon

    June 6, 2022February 26, 2026

    For the perfect balance of luxury and nature, a stay aboard this stylish North Devon houseboat is hard to beat…

  • A relaxed seaside stay in Mousehole, Cornwall

    A relaxed seaside stay in Mousehole, Cornwall

    May 27, 2022March 10, 2026

    My review of Morvoren – a stylish self-catering cottage rental with sea views and simple coastal interiors in the harbour village of Mousehole, Cornwall…

  • Holloways of Ludlow – a new design destination in the heart of Bath

    Holloways of Ludlow – a new design destination in the heart of Bath

    March 14, 2022March 23, 2026

    Its largest yet, Holloways of Ludlow’s fifth showroom is home to a wide selection of European brands, with a particular focus on pared-back Scandinavian design…

  • A cosy Cotswolds minibreak at Wild Thyme & Honey

    A cosy Cotswolds minibreak at Wild Thyme & Honey

    January 19, 2022January 22, 2026

    [Advertisement – this post is based on a press stay, but all words and opinions are my own] Despite all the talk of new plans and a fresh start, I…

  • A foggy winter walk at Woodchester Park, Gloucestershire, South West England | These Four Walls blog

    A foggy winter walk around Woodchester Park in Gloucestershire

    January 5, 2022January 22, 2026

    Happy New Year everyone! I hope you’ve had a good start to 2022 so far. I’m back from a two-week festive break and I have lots of interesting interiors, travel…

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I've just settled down in front of the bioethanol I've just settled down in front of the bioethanol stove for a cosy Friday evening, so in honour of Halloween tomorrow, let me tell you a (true) fireside ghost story... When I finished university back in 2005 I moved in with Chris, who owned a small end-of-terrace house in north Bristol. The adjoining house was empty at the time - it had been lived in by an elderly lady, but she'd died before I arrived. I never met her, but Chris told me she was lovely and often popped in to water his plants when he was away. A few months later her house was bought by a young couple, and we became good friends with them. I never saw anything odd in our own house, but I often got the feeling someone was there. I'd often be home alone with both our cats next to me, and I'd get the sense there was someone moving about upstairs or in the next room. After a couple of years Chris and I bought a new home together and moved to a different bit of Bristol, and eventually our friends from the house next door moved too, relocating to a totally different part of the country. We stayed in touch with them, and it was only years later that I happened to mention the strange feelings I'd had. It turns out they'd often experienced similar things in their house, and a visiting family member staying on their sofabed had once woken in the night to find an old lady standing on the stairs looking down at him. I like to think it was Chris' kind former neighbour, still keeping an eye on her home and occasionally drifting over to check on his, just as she had in life. #ghoststory #halloween #cottagerenovation #livingroomdecor #fireplacedecor
[AD - press stay] Earlier this week I showed you S [AD - press stay] Earlier this week I showed you Sessile, the room we stayed in at @holmsomerset. Now here's a peek at some of the others, which I got to have a quick look at between guests. They're all gorgeous, but Elm was a standout with its four-poster bed, arched niches, egg-shaped bathtub and gently warm colour palette. I also loved Osier, with its fireplace and lovely natural light, and the cosy Hornbeam, tucked beneath rafters in the loft. If you fancy treating yourself to a stay at HOLM this autumn and winter (and I would wholeheartedly recommend it), there are mid-week deals starting from £149 per room, Christmas 'Stay & Dine' packages from £496 (the festive menu launches on 23rd November), and various walking experiences. I particularly like the idea of a relaxing Twixmas stay, or coinciding with the Wednesday and Friday morning yoga sessions. Thanks again to @curatedspacesclub and the whole team at HOLM for our fantastic visit. We absolutely loved it. #boutiquehotels #ukstaycation #uktravel #winterbreaks #countryescape Somerset travel | UK boutique hotels | West Country places to stay | Somerset places to stay | UK minibreaks | Country hotels | UK travel | Restaurants with rooms | Stylish places to stay | Autumn breaks | Winter breaks | Twixmas travel ideas
Yep, the pumpkins are everywhere in our house... Yep, the pumpkins are everywhere in our house... Last year's Halloween was marred by house-move stress (although I was lucky enough to go to the live recording of the Uncanny Halloween special with @tiffanygrantriley after winning audience tickets in the ballot), so this year I'm making the most of it. Chris and I are going to see the new Ghosts film on Thursday, we have a table booked at our favourite haunted local restaurant for Saturday lunch, and we're having spooky candlelit drinks and nibbles on Saturday evening. I can't wait! #pumpkinseason #halloweendecorations #naturalhalloweendecor #autumnhomedecor #seasonalhomedecor Minimalist Halloween decorations | Pumpkin display | Halloween styling | Autumn home | Shaker kitchen | Minimalist cottage interior | Neutral home | Cottage kitchen
[AD - press stay] A favourite of mine to bookmark [AD - press stay] A favourite of mine to bookmark for a relaxing West Country getaway: beautiful restaurant with rooms @holmsomerset in the pretty village of South Petherton. I've eaten at HOLM a couple of times before and I've always wanted to go back for an overnight stay. Last week Chris and I got the chance, and it definitely lived up to expectations. The interiors are gorgeous - calm, cosy and softly minimalist, with tactile plaster walls, vintage mid-century modern furniture, abstract artworks and handcrafted pieces by local makers. The seven guest rooms are all named after trees (we stayed in Sessile, shown in the first few photos here) and come with lots of treats, including super-comfy beds, snuggly linen throws and homemade cookies; some also have freestanding in-room tubs and four-poster beds. Downstairs is a candlelit dining room and bar, warmed by a fire in autumn and winter and spilling onto a lavender-fringed terrace in spring and summer. The food from Chef Director @nicholasbalfe and his team is delicious, with tasting menus and à la carte options based around local, seasonal produce. This time around we sat at the informal 'chef's counter', watching activity in the open kitchen as we tucked into Westcombe cheddar fries with pickled walnuts, trout tartare, goats' curd-filled pasta with girolles, local venison and more. The wine was excellent, too - especially as we were lucky enough to have our visit coincide with one of the regular wine-tasting events! Thanks to everyone at HOLM for a wonderful stay (the perfect break from renovation chaos at home!) and to @curatedspacesclub for organising it. We'll be back, for sure. #boutiquehotels #ukstaycation #uktravel #somersethotels #countryescape Somerset travel | UK boutique hotels | West Country places to stay | Somerset places to stay | UK minibreaks | Country hotels | UK travel | Restaurants with rooms | Stylish places to stay
I'll be honest: renovating with a chronic health c I'll be honest: renovating with a chronic health condition (and living in said renovation at the same time) isn't easy, and after an entire weekend and a Monday evening of DIY, I feel like I'm dragging my limbs through mud today. But I'm really enjoying the journey of making this little cottage our own. We still have a lot to do (the guest bedroom, landing, stairs, windows and garden haven't yet been touched, and the primary bedroom is only half-finished), but I'm so proud of what we've achieved so far. This house had been unloved for so long, and I feel like we're giving it the soul and heart it deserves. When I walk into completed rooms like the kitchen, I still have to pinch myself that they're ours! #cottagerenovation #shakerkitchen #softminimalistinterior #minimalistkitchen #neutralktichen Minimalist cottage interiors | Cottage renovation | Beige Shaker ktichen | Cottage kitchen | Neutral home decor | Neutral kitchen inspiration | Open kitchen shelves | Kitchen renovation

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