In 2021 more people than ever are likely to spend their summer holidays close to home. And though it is hard to imagine in these times of lockdown, to Wolsey Lodges it seems almost inevitable that finding somewhere to stay over summer – whether B&B or self-catering – will be harder than you think.

There are several factors driving this. Those who didn’t get away in 2020 will be keener than ever to do so in 2021. It seems likely that international travel will remain difficult so those who usually fly off to the sun will clip their wings and stay domestic. So while the vast gleaming towers of the Costas stand empty the travellers who would have filled these millions of hotel beds will be looking for places to stay here, in the UK and Ireland, adding to the usual demand that traditionally keeps self-catering units and B&Bs pretty full through high season.

The result will be that the places worth staying in are likely to book out fast as soon as travel restrictions start to ease. 2021 is likely to become the year where if you don’t book your accommodation early you’re likely to spend your summer in a damp vinyl caravan in a holiday park – ie a field – and pay a fortune for the privilege.

Wolsey Lodges B&B options

Wolsey Lodges can provide a range of solutions to this. Our carefully-curated range of B&Bs across the UK and Ireland offer the very best in hospitality, and for those who prefer a little more independence many also offer self-catering accommodation as well. Travel to a Wolsey Lodge and you can be sure of a warm welcome, benefit from your hosts’ local knowledge, and be thoroughly introduced to the area you’ve chosen to explore.

The photo above shows Burnville House, a glorious B&B just outside Tavistock. Southwest England is traditionally a favourite destination for British summers and Burnville House is a perfect base, with three guest bedrooms and beautiful rooms. Burnville House is set in the glorious Devon countryside, and also has three beautiful farm conversions on their grounds: The Coach House, the Farmhouse and the Red Barn are all available on a self-catering basis.

Your travel options with Wolsey Lodges spread the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland, and have accommodation to suit every taste. Take Upton Cressett Hall near Bridgnorth. This is PG Woodhouse county and you can imagine Lord Emsworth tending his pigs in this fabulous moated manor house. There are three accommodation options here, of which the most striking is the Gatehouse. This former Elizabethan hunting lodge has been stunningly restored to provide an experience of travelling through history but with underlfoor heating and all modern comforts.

Your bedroom alone is a symphony of soaring timbers with a canopied four-poster bed and a free-standing bath. Though the Gatehouse can sleep four it’s often rented by couples looking for a romantic stay, and can be taken as accommodation only, bed and breakfast, or even fully catered, with supper served as well. The Gatehouse is, of course, unique: you’ll need to book it to stay.

All Woldey Lodges are different, and others offer more contemporary accommodation. South Park Farm Barn B&B is a soaring conversion set amongst the flower meadows of southern Wiltshire. This is southern England at its mellow best, a land of chalk streams and small villages, intensely rural but well connected. Stay here and you’re a few minutes from the A303 so within easy reach of Stonehenge, Avebury and Salisbury with its lovely cathedral and atmospheric Old Sarum.

There are just two bedrooms here, so no more than four guests, and though you share the house with five large retrievers it is fantastically calm and restful. It is easy to see how even a small recovery in domestic demand will mean this books out fast.

Across the water in Ireland Temple House is a classic stately manor set in County Sligo, complete with lake and the ruins of a Knights Templar castle. There’s accommodation for twelve guests in the main house, but there’s further self-contained accommodation in the Gardener’s Cottage that sleeps eight. This is a great base from which to explore Ireland, but there’s plenty to see and do around Temple House: there are boats on the lake where there are trout to catch, and a thousand acres of woodland and sheep.

Wolsey Lodges range from small, romantic properties to grand estates. Most Wolsey Lodges have updated their terms and conditions to give more flexibility in these uncertain times. But one thing seems certain. To be sure of holiday accommodation that suits your taste book early. In 2021 the best places are likely to book up fast.