We welcome December with rosy checks and a growing promise of magic to come. The streets begin to twinkle at the edges as the fairy lights catch the tinsel swaying gently each time the shop opens, wreaths appear on doorways, and the delicious scent of cinnamon drifts from the tops of steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Christmas is just around the corner, and we can almost hear the faint jingle of bells in the sky.
We here at South Winchester Lodges, have learnt that balance is the key to all happiness (…at least whilst on a luxury break, at any rate)! We enjoy welcoming the heady rush of colour, carols, toys and warm see-you-there’s for coffee and a mince pies, all with the luxury of your own space to return to and unwind. Not to mention your own log burning stove, your own kitchen and your very own front door to a tucked-away haven where festive memories are made without queues or crowds.
When the air is crisp and fresh and you see plumes of breath, it makes the warm sanctuaries and indoor comforts all the more inviting. At your lodge, those comforts are not accompanied by the hum of a hotel corridor or the people cluttering around through the thin walls. They’re entirely yours and ready for you to create new memories and perhaps begin a new tradition or two.
Imagine returning home to your private lodge after a frosty walk and being met with the soft glow of fairy lights and the gentle scent of pine (did we mention we decorate the tree for you, so you can add your homely touches without all the work… you’re welcome)! Boots are ready to come off, coats are replaced with snug knits, and soon your favourite festive biscuits are laid out (no judgement here). The children unwrap new-favourite toys, the dog finds his new-favourite snoozing spot, and the kitchen quietly becomes the heart of your seasonal ritual.
You can use your fully equipped, beautifully appointed kitchen to create seasonal treats as a family, whether you’re baking gingerbread, heating mulled apple juice, or spreading out a bounty of locally sourced treats. Here, festive comfort is not something you chase, it simply wraps around you, a cosy blanket for the festivities.
At South Winchester Lodges, you can:
- Wake whenever you like, no rush, just peaceful mornings and maybe the annual debate over which selection-box treat is being swapped (even though everyone knows Buttons are the superior choice).
- The children can play, giggle and set up the festive game of charades you’ll inevitably repeat next year, no need to stand on ceremony
- The dogs can snuggle down, muddy paws welcome
- Fill your fridge with all your Christmas favourites, there are so many locally sourced delights to choose from
It feels like coming home, only without the part where you have to take down the decorations afterwards.
When you feel the need to stretch legs and paws there are plenty of choices. The Cathedral for one, amber lamps glow and the faint rise of choir practice drifts through ancient stone. It’s one of those moments you picture on a Christmas card.
Or follow the River Itchen through frost-kissed Water Meadows, where your breath turns to mist and each blade of grass has been visited by Jack Frost, the perfect stretch-your-legs afternoon before returning to your lodge for warmth and maybe a Christmas movie on the big screen TV.
It was Winnie The Pooh who said "Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart", like the small and private family traditions you create without even meaning to; watching the steam curl from your first cup of tea, reading a story by fairy lights, baking biscuits with little hands “helping,” slipping out for a moonlit hot tub soak, or reminiscing over an old board game. A lodge stay gives you the space and time to enjoy the little things without the just-dropping-in-visits, to notice the smaller moments, and to create the kind of Christmas that will stay with you forever.
You can check out our availability right here!
Merry Christmas everyone!