Britain on the Cheap

The Royal Oak Foundation, the American arm of the National Trust, wishes everyone a happy holiday with a lovely photo gallery of National Trust gardens in the snow and frost. Enjoy 14 images from The Telegraph, sweeping from Kent to Suffolk to Northumberland.

Celebrate the Royal Wedding by joining a lively “street party” during a break at Eastwell Manor, near Ashford in Kent. The all-day party on April 29 will include live coverage of the wedding on a big-screen TV, Bucks Fizz brunch, traditional tea party with wedding cake, and children’s entertainment including a Punch and Judy show, [...]

Best Western Donnington Manor Hotel in Dunton Green, Kent, is offering rooms at £28/$42 per person, based on two sharing. The hotel, built in the style of a 15th-century manor house, has a pool, sauna and Jacuzzi. About an hour from London, the hotel is near Leeds Castle and Botany Bay.

It’s not too early to think about Halloween in the UK. The Royal Oak Foundation, the U.S. affiliate to the National Trust, has scouted out scary happenings at medieval castles and venerable estates, and suggested nearby overnights at National Trust properties. Royal Oak members receive access to more than 300 historic houses without paying an [...]

English Vine Tours is offering a “grape-to-glass” experience with half- and full-day tours throughout Sussex and Kent. Group tours start at $98 per person; smaller tours at $186 per person. The half-day guided tour includes a tutored wine tasting with lunch at the vineyard, or a luxury two-course lunch at a local restaurant. The full-day [...]