Discover your roots: British countryside vacations

Get back to nature in style with a stay in luxury lodgings in a pristine countryside location. The historic village of Clun may not be in the midst of its heyday, as it flourished centuries before the present day as part of England's emergent, then thriving wool trade, but that's where all the village charm is found. Shropshire's smallest town, but with the region's biggest heart, Clun is a veritable hidden gem. Accommodation in and around the town helps you to discover the true spirit of the place. Get away from it all, or take part in the traditional springtime Green Man Festival, and you'll find yourself able to sample a blissful taste of customary rural life.

The Green Man Festival

Held annually over the first May bank holiday, the Green Man Festival is a May fair that stretches for three days in the grounds of Clun Castle. Bursting with 'live music, drama, colour and medieval malarkey', the festival promises fun for all the family, as well as a blast-from-the-past learning experience. During the festivities, the Green Man, a traditional leaf-masked figure, battles with the spirit of winter on Clun Bridge, and the seasonal event heralds the coming of spring.

Off the beaten track

Rural holidays make a refreshing change to the hustle and bustle of life in London or visits to London hotels when travelling in the United Kingdom. Experience living life and travelling at a different pace, and emerge truly refreshed. Of course it's possible to see the world travelling to hotels in San Francisco, Sydney, or Seoul, but to really discover holidays with soul, it's even better to stay closer to home.