JUST an hour train ride from London Bridge is a quaint village that was crowned best place to live in the UK in 2023 – and even if you don’t up sticks and move there, it’s a great weekend break.

Wadhurst, named best place to live by The Sunday Times last year, is a place I’ve called home for the last four years after deciding to leave city life during the pandemic.

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It was a village I’d never heard of before, but offered a cheaper cost of living than London, while still being on a direct train route into the capital.

But boring essentials aside, it has plenty of other amazing attributes and this time of year is when it really shines.

If you’re looking for some beautiful walks and cosy pubs to warm up in this Autumn, I definitely recommend you visit.

Just a half an hour walk from Wadhurst train station, you’ll find yourself in the middle of the village high street.

There are Indian and pizza restaurants, a small supermarket, a butchers, deli, a florist, charity shops, and two pubs – everything you could need, all in one place.

The village is very picturesque with an historic charm and vibrant community, but there are a host of beautiful places beyond the high street.

Bewl Rookery is a smallholding which is home to 16 alpacas.

As well as being able to meet the alpacas, you can enjoy afternoon tea alongside them – for adults, it’s £48, for children 10 and under, £38.

Mousehall is a family-run, sustainable distillery and winery that makes chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier and various gins.

Guided tasting experiences are £25, and you can also stay in Mousehall Oast – an 18th century traditional oast house that sleeps 6.

Virgin Hot Air Balloon Rides also launch from Wadhurst, offering views across the High Weals Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Prices start from £169 per person.

And if you’re looking for somewhere to stay, there’s Little Tidebrook Farm, a lovely converted granary offering bed and breakfast.

There are also plenty of walks and pubs nearby that are perfect for the Autumn months. Here are a few of my favourites below.

Wadhurst Park

Wadhurst Park is a 796 hectare estate that’s home to a range of wildlife, stunning natural landscapes and pretty walks.

Swedish industrialist and the founder of Tetra Pak, Hans Rausing bought the estate back in 1975, making it his main residence.

Following his death in 2019, the house remains a private residence of the Rausing family.

But walkers are welcome to enjoy the estate by following marked pathways.

There’s plenty of wildlife to see as the park has undergone huge conservation efforts.

 It’s a partner in the White Stork Project, which aims to restore a self-sustaining breeding population of storks in southern England – many of which can be seen by the Wadhurst Park lake.

In recent years, a handful of Mangalitsa pigs were added to the park,  to mimic the activity of wild boar and help restore the habitat by breaking up dense grass. Although I’m yet to see these on my walks!

The park is a 10-minute walk from Wadhurst High Street and there’s no entrance fee.

Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest

Probably one of my favourite autumn walks is Bedgebury.

It’s a 17-minute drive away and does cost to park there, but is an absolutely stunning place to visit at this time of year.

Its huge variety of trees create a kaleidoscope of colour, and the reflection of this in the lakes makes for the perfect Autumn picture.

There’s fun for all the family available with children’s play areas, a Gruffalo trail, mountain biking tracks, and a cafe selling hot and cold food.

A gravel trail around the forest also means you don’t have to get muddy.

Parking for an hour is £4, £8 for two hours, £11.50 for three hours, and £14.50 for all day.

If you’re there around lunch or dinnertime, then it’s worth making the trip 5 minutes down the road to the Bull Inn in Ticehurst, a quintessential English pub with a stunning garden and roaring open fires.

Bewl Water

If you fancy a longer walk, Bewl Water, a reservoir that’s the largest stretch of open water in the South East, is nearby.

To walk round the whole thing takes approximately six hours (so not for the faint-hearted), but there are plenty of places to stop and rest, have a picnic, and take in the beautiful views across the water.

If you’re walking from Wadhurst, check a map for the best entry point.

It’s also a great place to head for fishing, and paddle boards and rowing boats are available for hire.

There’s even Aqua Park for adrenaline junkies – but maybe summer‘s best for getting in the water.

If you want somewhere to stay, there’s camping and glamping with Mongolian yurts available too.

Bewl Water is free for people walking in and £7 a day for parking.

The Bell pub in Ticehurst

Wadhurst has some lovely pubs, including The White Hart and The Greyhound Inn.

But my favourite pub in the area has to be The Bell in Ticehurst.

Just an eight minute drive away, The Bell is known for its tasty food, snug atmosphere, and eccentric design.

As well as a big open fireplace you’ll find exuberant art, top hats as lampshades, uneven floors, and four lodges you can stay in out the back, including a unique Love Nest.

One of its most notable features can be found in the men’s toilets – urinals made out of tubas.

The pub’s definitely worth a visit if you’re looking for something a bit different.

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BUDGET airline Ryanair is set to launch more flights from Norwich to Alicante, marking its first-ever winter schedule from the tiny UK airport.

In April this year, the budget carrier started operating from Norwich Airport for the first time.

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Following on from the success of the summer service between Norwich Airport and Alicante, the no-frills airline has decided to extend the duration of the route.

The twice-weekly service will operate every Monday and Saturday throughout the winter.

Monday morning flights will depart from Alicante at 8.20am before touching down in the UK at 10am.

Return flights will then leave Norwich Airport at 10.30am, landing in Alicante at 2.10pm later that day.

Saturday flights will operate one hour earlier, leaving the Spanish airport at 7.20am local time.

Sun Online Travel have found return fares for £49.98 in November when temperatures will be as high as 20C in the Spanish holiday hotspot.

Jade Kirwan, Ryanair’s Head of Comms, said: “We are pleased to announce our first ever Winter schedule at Norwich which will see the extension of our popular Alicante route into the Winter 2024 season, giving customers in the Norfolk region more choice for their Winter sun breaks at Europe’s lowest fares in Europe, and supporting important regional development through continued connectivity, inbound tourism, and local jobs.

“We’ve had a strong first Summer of operations at Norwich and we look forward to a strong first Winter season ahead.”

The news comes after Richard Pace, the Managing Director at Norwich Airport said that he was hoping to see at least two or three more flights added to the airport’s route map in time for summer 2025.

In an interview with BBC Radio Norfolk, he spoke of the success of the first few months of flights from Norwich Airport and said he would know more about the future routes from next month.

There is no indication of where the new routes will travel to, or when they will begin.

He said that “both commercially and operationally” things were going well at Norwich, claiming that all flights boasted a capacity of 90 per cent or more. 

He then added: “I think I’d like to see another two or three routes next summer added to what we’ve already got, and we’ll know that hopefully in September.

“All the signs, the way we perform, the way that the customers have supported Norwich… I see no reason why we won’t see additional capacity for next summer.”

It has already been a big year for Norwich, with the city named as one of Time Out’s top places to visit in 2024.

The travel magazine praised the Boards National Park, its two cathedrals, as well Norwich Castle – set to unveil a £10m makeover in 2024.

Ryanair is launching several other new routes from small regional airports across the UK.

New Ryanair Routes

Earlier this year, the budget carrier confirmed four new routes would be launching from the UK later this year.

Flying from London Stansted Airport, the new routes include Dubrovnik, Linz, Reggio and Sarajevo.

All four will be launching for winter 2024, giving Brit holidaymakers a wider choice of winter destinations.

Most Brits will have heard of Dubrovnik, with the Croatian city being dubbed the Pearl of the Adriatic and loved by Game of Thrones fans after it was used as a filming location.

Linz is a city in Austria, which sits between Salzburg and Vienna on the Danube River.

Not only is it known for its huge graffiti attraction and Old Town, but it is home to the oldest cake in the world, the Linzer Torte.

Italy‘s Reggio is set to get more popular with Brits, with the first direct flights to the city launched by Ryanair earlier this year, from Manchester Airport.

But the new Ryanair flights will make flying to the coastal city easier from the UK capital.

And Sarajevo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is often overlooked despite being home to cheap beers and food.

Flights already operate to the city from both London Stansted and London Luton, with Ryanair and Wizz Air, respectively.

Other new Ryanair routes include Newcastle to Marrakech in October.

Earlier this year, Jet2 confirmed that a new route will operate between Manchester Airport and Porto.

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A VILLAGE in Northamptonshire full of historic attractions and home to a famous gin has now been put on the map for another reason. 

Harrington is a small village situated on the River Ise surrounded by beautiful countryside. 

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Among the things it’s famous for is The Tollemache Arms pub, which has just been crowned Great British Pub of the Year and Best Country Pub in the 2024 Great British Pub Awards. 

The 17th century pub describes itself as “quintessentially British”. 

Nicknamed ‘The Tolly’ by the owners and locals, the pub has recently been refurbished and offers a tasty menu with everything from sharing platters to handmade pizzas within a cosy setting.

In the summer, customers can enjoy drinks in its spacious garden. In winter, there’s a log fire to get cosy next to.

One customer that visited the pub in June this year wrote on Tripadvisor: “Cannot rate this lovely place highly enough. Amazing from start to finish.

“The welcome we got was the best I have probably ever had in a small pub.”

Among the drinks on offer at The Tolly is Warner’s gin, which gin fans may be familiar with.

Available to buy from Waitrose online, the gin is made at the Warner’s Distillery just down the road.

It’s produced in a 200 year old barn by husband and wife team Tom and Tina.

There’s a farm shop at the distillery selling all Warner’s products, which includes rhubarb gin and apple and pear gin.

Customers can also immerse themselves in a tasting tour, which includes a drink on arrival, tasting of its gins, rums, and other spirits, and a walking tour of the farm.

Harrington is also famed for its historic sites, such as Harrington Aviation Museum.

The museum, also known as the Carpetbagger Aviation Museum, is a great place to visit for those interested in World War II aviation history.

Highlights include a rare look at the secret work of the British Special Operations Executive from their RAF base at Tempsford.

Just a 15 minute drive away, families can enjoy sheep and piglet racing at West Lodge Farm Park.

The racing takes place daily and is a favourite attraction for those who visit regularly.

Visitors are even invited to try their hand at pig herding.

There are also a variety of beautiful walks and trails to enjoy around the farm, pony rides, and the chance to hold rabbits, guinea pigs, chicks and ducklings at certain times of year.

The farm is complete with an adventure playground, adventure golf, ride on tractors, and a ‘Barrell Ride’, which does a double circuit of the outdoor play area, making it the perfect day out for families with kids.

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