The urban guide to the countryside -

Herts & Beds

Well, hello!

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

Gotta Have It

Quit fighting over the last bottle of hand sanitiser in the supermarket and opt for one of these trendy, in-stock options instead (oh yeah, and we have a bunch to give away!)

Our curated A-Z of the grooviest local businesses

Little Black Book

The latest handpicked businesses we think you’ll love

Thread Tales

The Red Lion, Milton Bryan

Moo Boutique, Tring

The Waterfront Hotel, Wyboston Lakes

ROAR Coaching Ltd

Armstrong Landscapes, Redbourn

Spa Experience, Welwyn Garden City

Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery

Kite at the Red Hart, Hitchin

The AL5 Aesthetics Medispa, Harpenden

The Odyssey Spa, Knebworth

Black Goo, Tring

Eat View more
Provençal fougasse with green and black olives

Lockdown is the perfect time to get to grips with everyone’s favourite chewy loaf: sourdough. Put your baking skills to the test with this savoury share-and-tear number (you can skip the sharing bit if you like).
- Speedy supper, anyone? Make THIS tonight
  
  Looking for healthy dinner ideas - take inspiration from Olympic gymnast Max Whitlock for a meal that's quick, tasty and packed with protein.
- Recipe: gourmet spaghetti bolognese
  
  There's Spaghetti Bolognese and then there's Tristan Welch, from The University Arms's Spaghetti Bolognese. We share the recipe to take this classic dish up a notch...
- Lockdown recipe: Andrei Lussmann’s coq au vin
  
  Grey skies getting you down? We've got just the thing. Recreate gastro-hero Andrei Lussmann's gorgeous coq au vin at home with this foolproof recipe. Just make sure you have a nice tipple to hand while you chop - chef's perks, you know.
- Ready, set, cook! 8 new cookbooks for spring
  
  Looking to up your cooking creds whilst in quarantine? Then you'll be needing our curated guide to the most useful and inspiring cookbooks for spring. Yes, chef!

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Arts & Culture View more
24 throwback films to watch with your kids

Time to stage an intervention! Sick of hearing your kids’ shows on repeat? Free the remote from their clutches and settle in for a fabulously retro family film night.
- Read THESE this month
  
  Reasons to be cheerful: spring has sprung and a brilliant new batch of March books has arrived. Gather around, and let Muddy's pro-bookworm Kerry Potter tell you a story.
- 20 cultural things to do in 2020
  
  2020 is the Hertfordshire Year of Culture so we've rounded up the best events, performances and festivals happening across the county to put in your diary now!
- Jeeves with added (Wooster) sauce
  
  Up for some jolly japes, an avalanche of comic effects and a gentle skewering of the upper class? Then you might just love this anarchic reimagining of the P.G Wodehouse classic.
- The 5 best books out February
  
  Need a new read? Muddy's pro bookworm Kerry Potter has found five February fancies for your delectation. Read all about 'em!

Home View more
- Beautiful bee-friendly blooms to brighten your garden
  
  Lavender Bring the fields of Provence to your own patch this year with these perennial purple classics. Place them in a sunny spot, with good drainage, and they’ll keep you, and the local bumble bees, happy for years to come. Easy peasy. Where to buy it: The Lavender Garden specialises in bee-friendly lavender and buddleia. […]
Wellbeing
- Five useful things I’ve learned in lockdown
  
  What I wouldn't give for a sunny afternoon, a few bottles (barrels) of rose and my girlfriends, right now. Lockdown has been bloody hard. Hugs, holidays, popping out for a coffee and weekend getaways seem a long way off. BUT this monumental shift hasn't been totally bad. One day, when I was totally fed up, I jotted down a few of the positive things I've learned in lockdown.
- 8 of the best… bras for running
  
  Running the one thing keeping you sane? Just for you we've rounded up (er, excuse the pun) the best high support running bras - all perfect for your daily exercise hit.

Work View more
How to work from home (without going stir-crazy)

Working from your home office (or, er, the sofa) for the foreseeable? Don’t panic! These top tips will help you stay calm, collected and productive – or at the very least, sane. Find your space Creating a specific (ideally well-lit) space to work from home is spot-on for your sanity. If you have to work […]
Kids
- Living in lockdown with teens – eek!
  
  Here are 20 things to do that might encourage your teenagers to get out of bed by midday – or at the very least by least by nightfall (fingers crossed).
- 5 things I’ve learned about motherhood
  
  Acclaimed author (and Muddy favourite) Clover Stroud is in the midst of raising her 5 children. Miraculously she's found time to write a book about it all. Here's a taster.

Fashion View more
Hot new swimwear for summer

Sunbathing is my specialist subject and the weather’s hotting up. Check out the Muddy edit of must have swimwear to suit every shape and size.
- Sunglasses to suit your face shape
  
  The weather's perked up - time for new sunnies! We have you covered with our guide to the hottest frames to suit your face shape this summer. Just don't sit on them.
- Sunglasses to suit your face shape
  
  The weather's perked up - time for new sunnies! We have you covered with our guide to the hottest frames to suit your face shape this summer. Just don't sit on them.

Beauty View more
- Seven stress busting beauty hacks (from top local salons)
  
  The big salon overhaul might seem a little way off. But in the meantime, here are some tips from Hertfordshire's hair and beauty wizzes on how to calm the chaos, and stay utterly gorgeous, in lockdown.
- 5 chic hand sanitisers (that aren’t sold out)
  
  Quit fighting over the last bottle of hand sanitiser in the supermarket and opt for one of these trendy, in-stock options instead (oh yeah, and we have a bunch to give away!)

People View more
Muddy meets: Shlomo, beatboxer

He’s worked with Ed Sheeran, Lily Allen, and Rudimental, and now record-breaking beatboxer Shlomo has a new project on his hands – raising money for the NHS in association with theatres like The North Wall. Tell us about it, Shlo!
- What I’ve learnt in lockdown
  
  Love it or loathe it, lockdown has given us time to learn new skills but has it taught us something deeper? Muddy tapped five busy writers and presenters, juggling careers, babies and even a tumour, to tell all.
- Muddy meets… Olivia Burt
  
  We catch up with the 'Masterchef: The Professionals' finalist to find out her backstage goss, favourite dishes and top spots to eat in London.
- The 4 funniest people on social media
  
  Social media can be a depressing place at times but these Instagram and Twitter accounts never fail to make us smile – go funny up your feed with these guys.
- Exclusive! Muddy meets…. Laurence Fox
  
  The actor-turned-singer has been front page news of late. In this exclusive interview, he talks midlife crises, death threats and groupies with Muddy's Kerry Potter.

School Reviews

Our honest reviews of the UK’s best schools

Read the reviews

Fun Finder

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

Travel View more
Holiday planning? 10 European-style staycations

It’s that time of year when idle chat turns to holiday plans and, if my friends are anything to go by, lots of people are staying put this summer. Whether it’s due to a self-imposed no-fly zone or being conscious of saving the pennies right now (I know we are!), European travel might well be a no […]
- Restaurants with rooms
  
  Dreaming of a foodie getaway? We've scoured the Muddy counties for hotel stays with serious culinary credentials for when lock-down lifts. Tuck in.
- A boutique masterpiece
  
  The Artist Residence in the hamlet of South Leigh, Oxfordshire with its slick styling and cleverly chosen art, is a welcome antidote to traditional Cotswolds inns. Muddy loves.