Top 10 Romantic Ideas for Valentines and Lovers

Carnforth Station in Lancashire stood in for Milford Junction in that classic British weepie, Brief Encounter. The station has recently been refurbished, with full respect to its position as a historic cinema location and you can meet up under the clock featured in the film.

• Plan a train journey to Carnforth Station, the Brief Encounter location.
• Buy Brief Encounter direct and catch up on this most British of love stories.

Or, have a more modern brief encounter of your own at London's newly refurbished St. Pancras International Station. Meet by Paul Day's 30 foot tall statue, The Lovers, then drink champagne at the world's longest champagne bar, on the station platform.

...and have it custom made in Birmingham's amazing Jewellery Quarter. At least 40% of the jewelry made in the UK - including much that finds its way to the exclusive shops of London's Mayfair, is made in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. The area is full of designer-makers - some trained in the district's own jewelry college - working out of small, glamorous shops, who will create a piece to your own specifications - usually for much less than you might expect to pay for custom work. A unique piece of jewelry is a very special gift - for a man or a woman.

The Cerne Abbas Giant, could well be the sexiest ancient monument in the British Isles. Best let the National Trust, that most respectable of British institutions, describe him - "A huge outline sculpted into the chalk hillside above the village of Cerne Abbas representing a naked, sexually aroused, club-wielding giant."
Childless couples and those hoping for a bit more spice in their relationships have been drawn to amorous encounters near the Giant's most upstanding feature. In the past, some even spent the night there. If you are tongue tied on Valentine's Day, consider that some pictures - even ancient ones carved out of chalk - can speak a thousand words.

You just can't move without bumping into a castle or a castle ruin somewhere in the UK. More amazingly, loads of them have been turned into unique luxury hotels. Imagine a room in a turret with ancient stone walls, a roaring fire, baronial hangings all over the place. Of course, nowadays, most Castle hotels are a bit more of the boutique hotel genre. But you'll still find four poster beds, gorgeous bathrooms, historic landscaped views, moats, battlements and lots more to keep those romantic fantasies going.

Ever since I saw the lusty eating scene in Tom Jones (the old Albert Finney version), I can't help thinking there is something terribly romantic (not to mention sexy) about dining well and then slipping upstairs to a romantic room for dessert. A small restaurant with just a few rooms - what the French call an auberge - is the perfect setting for a seduction. If you aren't convinced, try watching the famous lusty eating scene on YouTube, then book yourselves into a Romantic UK Restaurant with Rooms.

The nice thing about walking along a beautiful beach is that it's just as romantic in cold - or even stormy weather - as on a bright sunny day. The UK has some really gorgeous beaches, carved out by wind, by the glaciers of the ice age and by long distance Atlantic currents. In fact last year, The National Trust of Wales named some of the top landscapes to pop the question, and most of them were beaches. Check out some of the most beautiful beaches in England and Wales.

Why should Valentine's Day be the only time you run off for an intensely romantic break in a lovely, glamorous room or suite? And why should honeymoon suites be reserved for honeymooners? The most romantic places are full of other loving couples around Valentine's Day. Sort of like joining a club and where's the private, intimate romance in that? Book a romantic break for some other time - honeymoon suites are very reasonable in mid winter or early spring - and give your significant other the reservation, tucked in a box of chocolates, perhaps, as a Valentine's Day gift for the future. Some very romantic places we've liked -

• The Boatshed at Ardanaiseig Hotel
• Holbeck Ghyll

The English are great creators of elaborate hedge mazes and they're not just family attractions. Back in the heyday of English maze design, three or four hundred years ago, mazes were places for flirtation and secret lovers trysts. Go when the kids are in school and have plenty of private time for snogging (that's British for smooching), between thick walls of yew hedges. Try one of these:

• Hampton Court Maze Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat got lost in this 300 year old maze.
• The aMazing Hedge Puzzle A 20-year-old maze in a classic, Labyrinth of Love design.
• Traquair One man proposed in it, with fireworks!
• The Hedge Maze at Longleat Like I said, go when the kids are in school to enjoy this elaborate, modern maze.

Vacation rental - or self-catering - is not just for families and groups. Cottages in the country can be great hideaways for couples. Think of it, all by yourselves beside a roaring fire, beautiful views, loads of privacy. Reading through the offerings of some of our favorite vacation rental listing companies, we've come across some real romantic gems. Check these out for starters:

• Luxury Cottage for two on Lake Windermere
• Devon lovers' bolt hole
• Cambridgeshire thatched cottage with an inglenook fireplace.

...or tulips, poppies, peonies, orchids - any one of thousands of gorgeous displays at the Chelsea Flower Show. It may not be scheduled until May but the tickets are already on sale online by Valentine's Day at the Royal Horticultural Society's website, Why not tuck a pair of flower show tickets into a fresh bouquet of English roses (maybe tuck in some plane tickets too!) for a romantic surprise.