The urban guide to the countryside -

Well, hello!

I'm Katrina, editor of Muddy Herts & Beds, here to bring you the quirky, cool and downright unmissable in the area.

Gotta Have It

Our curated A-Z of the grooviest local businesses

Your ultimate October half-term guideSchool's out (again - eek!) but panic not. With our bumper Half Term guide you'll be spoilt for choice when it comes to keeping the little terrors out of the house. Aaaand breathe...
Superflashy newsflash!Psst... Your resident Muddy sleuth here with all the local goss, from Michelin news to the launch of a homegrown tipple and more!
Beauty Pie - your new beauty BBFBeauty Pie is *the* cult skin, hair and make-up brand everyone's talking about - and we've got an exclusive Muddy offer (code MUDDYSENTME) just for you!
Spa time!Back to work, harassed and, quite frankly, in need of a spa day? Read on for 41 best pamper spots across the Muddy counties.
Fancy a £1000 Luxury Family Hotel stay?Er YEAH! Read our review of stunning Fowey Hall in Cornwall, and snaffle a long weekender at one of five idyllic Luxury Family Hotels in Cornwall, Suffolk, Hants, Wilts or Dorset.

Fri 18 - Sun 20 Oct

Mon 14 - Sun 20 Oct

October 2019

The latest handpicked businesses we think you’ll love

Muddy Eats: The George of Harpenden

This recently updated pub has had a serious facelift, shedding its rep as a dingy old boozer, and appealing to a far more refined Harpenden crowd with its Med-inspired all-day menus and luxe interiors. I booked in for Sunday brunch with friends.
- The best brunch in town
  
  The most lipsmackingly indulgent meal of the day and we have 47 of the best ones to tempt you with, from vegan to full English, flat white to green detox. Just add friends and a hangover.
- The 20 best sea view eats
  
  Dramatic skies and crashing waves are the order of the day at these Muddy-recommended coastal eateries. Crisp white napkins at the ready? Let's go!
- 46 stunning pubs for sunny days
  
  Fancy sipping a cold one in a pretty al fresco pub with friends or fam? Here are the best of the bunch across the Muddy counties.
- Eating in glass houses
  
  The Glasshouse restaurant at The Grove Hotel has had a swanky new makeover, so, quick out of the blocks as ever, Muddy rocked up to report back on the buzzing new-look hotspot for five-star foodies.

Our honest reviews of the UK’s best schools

Making plans? Find your perfect Pub, Inn, Hotel, Café, Restaurant or Bar across the Muddy counties.

Fancy a break this half term?

Need to make a fast getaway? Don’t move a muscle till you’ve checked out my pick of 8 last-minute family breaks in the West Country.
- Country living in Woburn
  
  Need to hit pause on life's hectic schedule? I hear ya! That's why I checked in to The Woburn Hotel for an easy breezy weekend break to lap up some cosy country charm and tasty grub to boot.
- 24 hours in Matera
  
  Have you seen the new James Bond car chase scenes around southern Italy? Happens that Muddy was there this summer, checking out the cool places to go. Make mine a martini, shaken not stirred while I tell you my insider tips.

Win 7 perfect pieces to ease you into Autumn

Muddy’s fashion fave hush has come up trumps yet again with its trans-seasonal collection – and we have five sets of our fashion edit to give away , worth over £3500. *This giveaway is now closed*
- Word Up
  
  Too busy to say it yourself? Lacking the vocab to express your feelings after a long day battling spreadsheets or sprogs? Let a classic slogan T do it for you.
- Lovely luggage
  
  A chic, sexy, stylish... suitcase? Yep, really. Meet the cult luggage brand that's flying high this summer. Check it out before you check it in.

Awesome Autumn culture planner

It’s all going on! Behold, your cheat-sheet to the season’s best art, theatre, TV, books and film in the UK, as curated by Muddy’s extremely cultural Kerry Potter.
- Read THESE this month…
  
  ... and win 'em all! Curl up into a comfy chair, pour a glass of wine, and dive into a new fab book with this month's hottest new reads.
- Art’s rising rock stars
  
  Blank walls but your budget doesn't stretch to an Emin or Hirst? Here's 12 cool, collectable artists who won't require you to sell a loved one (and may prove to be a good investment).
- Muddy Book Club Live is BACK!
  
  We're hosting an author event at Henley Literary Festival on Sat 5 Oct and you're all invited! Want to meet our brilliant speakers? Plus our top 5 festival picks.
- The top 10 books of the summer
  
  Don't pack your suitcase or load up your Kindle until you've read this! Muddy's books editor Kerry has picked the 10 best books to get stuck into on holiday.

Making work work for you

Back at your desk after summer fun and not really feeling it? We hear you. Here’s some food for thought from the autumn’s hottest self-help book by ex Elle journalist turned author Lotte Jeffs.
Kids
- Howe Green House School, Bishop’s Stortford
  
  This lovely co-ed Prep and nursery on the Herts/Essex border has a village school feel and puts the needs of individual pupils first with an outstanding pastoral offering.
- Your ultimate October half-term guide
  
  School's out (again - eek!) but panic not. With our bumper Half Term guide you'll be spoilt for choice when it comes to entertaining the little terrors. Aaaand breathe...

Yup, stage school works!

Another year and another surge of nascent stars of the stage and screen graduate from Tring Park School for the Performing Arts. Want to meet them?
- When Muddy met Shappi
  
  Comedian Shappi Khorsandi discusses new tour, her tips on how NOT to be funny and why you should do things that scare you (hell yeah!)
- Muddy meets Nik Kershaw
  
  Nik Kershaw is laconic, laid-back, and *very very* funny - read on for his views on Live Aid, embarrassing his kids, the Let's Rock the Moor pecking order and (OMG) being a grandfather!