Holidays & Travel

FOLLOWING two months of fewer trains – and reduced speeds – services on the West of England line return to normal between Salisbury and Exeter St Davids today.

Speed restrictions of 40mph had been in place near Tisbury, Gillingham and Axminster, as the clay-based track bed shrank in the record-breaking hot and dry summer, leaving the rails uneven and too bumpy for trains to run at full speed.

Diligent work by engineers has restored track levels, helped by cooler temperatures and regular rain which has stopped the track bed shrinking, allowing the speed restrictions to be...

L+R Hotels has launched The Mole Resort as the latest venture in a portfolio which spans the UK, Continental Europe, the US and the Caribbean, in many of the world’s most sought-after locations.

Coming to Devon in Summer 2023, The Mole Resort is a luxury lodge resort destination set in 125 acres of countryside next to the River Mole, with Exmoor, Dartmoor and the world class North Devon beaches nearby. The Resort combines stunning lodges, hotel rooms and superb dining with a myriad of activities.

Fifteen premium eco-conscious lodges are already complete and available for...

Lympstone Manor, the acclaimed luxury country house hotel on the banks of the Exe Estuary in East Devon, has once again been awarded 5 AA Rosettes for the fourth consecutive year.

The AA first started rating restaurants in 1955 and ever since has remained one of the most well respected and comprensive guides in the UK.

The AA describes its highest award as “The pinnacle, where cooking compares with the best in the world. These restaurants have highly individual voices, exhibit breathtaking culinary skills, and set standards to which others aspire, yet few achieve.”...

On Tuesday 4th October, the second annual Boutique Hotelier Awards, took place on the first night of the Independent Hotel Show at The Chelsea Harbour Hotel in London. The glittering awards ceremony, which celebrated the country’s best hotels and spas, was attended by over 300 prominent hoteliers and restauranteurs and saw Michael Caines’ MBE luxury manor house hotel in Devon, Lympstone Manor pick up the ultimate accolade, Boutique Hotel of the Year 2022.

The award, which saw five finalists battle it out, celebrates Lympstone Manor’s innovation and resilience across the last 12...