If you love nothing more than escaping into a great book on a relaxing holiday, literary tourism is a travel trend you should explore. The current boom in book-inspired breaks is led by ‘fictioneering’ bookworms, who are seeking out the real-world settings behind fictional worlds. Read on to discover how to turn your favourite stories – from books, film and TV – into an immersive UK cottage break.
Understand Literary Tourism, Set-Jetting and Fictioneering
Think of literary tourism as travel based around visiting places connected to authors and the landscapes they write about. A Lake District cottage break that includes a trip to Wordsworth’s home, Dove Cottage, and the Wordsworth Museum, for example.
Fictioneering readers seek to enter more deeply into the stories they love by immersing themselves in the places, atmosphere and real-world inspiration behind fictional adventures. A holiday in the Yorkshire moors exploring the wild backdrop to Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, where you can all but hear the ghosts of her doomed lovers calling to each other… That’s ‘fictioneering’.
Closely related to literary tourism and fictioneering is set-jetting – the trend for travel to the real-life filming locations of movies and shows. Add a trip to East Riddlesden Hall to your Yorkshire moors itinerary (where scenes from the recent Wuthering Heights movie were filmed) and you’re officially a set-jetter too.
Photo: The Long View, Yorkshire
Visit Classic UK Literary Locations
Some authors are so rooted in the landscape that inspired them, it’s hard to think of one without the other.
Jane Austen, for example, is closely associated with the Regency grandeur of Bath. The author lived nearby (you can visit her home) and set serveral of her novels in its society.
Likewise, Stratford-upon-Avon is synonymous with Shakespeare. Its half-timbered Tudor houses and attractions like Anne Hathaway’s Cottage recall a time when the Bard drew inspiration from its bustling markets and peaceful rural landscapes.
And who can spend a weekend visiting Whitby’s gothic ruins without getting chills thinking of Bram Stoker's Dracula?
To choose a cottage base near famous literary landmarks like these, browse our UK cottage breaks by region and plan a long weekend or themed break that follows ineps of these literary greats.
Explore Film and TV Locations Inspired by Books
While many authors create fictional landscapes that are based on the world around them, film scouts do the opposite. They are tasked with finding real settings to bring imagined worlds to life.
Anglesey’s beautiful beaches brought Westeros to TV screens in the second and third seasons of House of the Dragon, which were shot on location in north Wales. And if visitors to St Agnes Head in Cornwall (aka Nampara Valley) find themselves picturing Ross Poldark galloping over the landscape, that’s because the BBC’s adaptation of Winston Graham’s Poldark novels was filmed there.
When visiting film locations, remember that appearances can be deceptive. For Harry Potter set-jetters, the dramatic turrets of Alnwick Castle in Northumberland will be familiar as Hogwarts School in the first two movies. But the bridge that the Hogwarts Express crosses to reach the school? That’s 250 miles further north in Scotland. To avoid disappointment, do your research before you travel.
Photo: Wallops Wood, Hampshire
Build a Story-Led Cottage Break by Region
How to plan a fictioneering holiday in three easy steps:
Step one: Let a favourite book or author inspire your destination choice.
The UK landscape has inspired some of literature’s greats. The majesty of the Lake District influenced writers from Beatrix Potter to Wordsworth. The rural landscapes of Dorset inspired Thomas Hardy’s fictional Wessex, and Yorkshire’s moors add atmosphere to the Brontës’ novels. Meanwhile, Cornwall’s stunning coastline has provided a backdrop for TV shows from Poldark to Doc Martin, while the Cotswolds and nearby Bath offer period-drama vibes.
Step two: Choose your base.
Premier Cottages offers a great choice of self-catering accommodation in some of literature’s most page-turning locations. Browse our luxury holiday cottages in the UK to choose your fictioneering base and start planning your getaway.
Step three: Build an itinerary.
You’ve found your perfect cottage, now take a look at other fictional hot spots nearby to expand your literary horizons. For example, set-jetting Downton Abbey fans who head for Hampshire to take a tour of Highclere Castle (aka Downton Abbey) can also take a day trip to Jane Austen’s Hampshire home and Houghton Lodge Gardens, where scenes from Bridgerton were filmed.
Plan the Practical Details Before You Travel
With a self-catering cottage as your base, you can plan a holiday that includes slower days for curling up with a good book and action-packed day trips to different literary locations without needing to change accommodation every night. Check rural travel timetables and distance between key attractions to build a realistic itinerary.
While writers can rely on poetic license to overcome life’s little obstacles, fictioneers and set-jetters have to navigate real-world restrictions. Stately homes and gardens, for example, often close periodically throughout the year. Check opening times, seasonal access, parking and ticketing requirements before you travel.
Find a Premier Cottages Base for Your Fiction-Inspired Break
Premier Cottages offers a carefully selected choice of award-winning luxury self-catering cottages. It’s a natural starting point for planning a fictioneering holiday. To find luxury cottages across the UK and Ireland suited to couples, families, groups, coastal escapes and countryside stays, browse by collection. Use our regional guides to find out more about your destination. All our four and five-star cottages are unique and can be booked direct with independent owners. Check individual property listings to choose the right base for your story-led holiday.
Plan Your Fiction-Inspired Cottage Break
To turn your favourite stories into a real UK escape, browse Premier Cottages by region or collection.