Set in the heart of rural countryside, this spacious and lavishly furnished barn conversion shares 3 acres of grounds and shared use of an all weather on-site tennis court, as well as free access to superb leisure facilities at Dartmouth Golf and Country Club, making it an ideal holiday home for families of all ages all year round. Whether for a holiday in the height of summer, enjoying the many attractions and beaches in the area, or for a family gathering in off peak season for a celebration, Dray Cottage is a superb choice. Dartmouth Golf and Country Club is a 10-minute drive away, and features an indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room, spa, gym and a tennis court. Golfers receive a discount on the green fees during your stay. The owner can provide two free adult memberships to Thurlestone Tennis Club, which is located next to the beach.

Dray Cottage is set in the small hamlet of Fallapit, just outside the village of East Allington midway between the towns of Kingsbridge, Totnes and Dartmouth. This Area of Oustanding Natural Beauty has many sandy beaches and stunning coastline very close by, including Blue Flag beaches Slapton Sands, Beesands, East Portlemouth, Bantham, Bigbury and Thurlestone. The town of Dartmouth is nestled on the River Dart and offers boat trips, exclusive shops, galleries, many pubs and some famous restaurants. Totnes, 5 miles up the river, is a town steeped in history, enjoying a colourful and exuberant atmosphere, while Salcombe is another pretty riverside town, boasting a busy estuary with many yachts sailing by and a myriad of interesting shops and pubs in its winding streets. There are several National Trust properties in the area to explore and some delightful open gardens. With the South Hams coastal path stretching over 60 miles there is great walking and time can be spent exploring the rugged moorland.
A little further afield and well worth a visit is the Eden Project in Cornwall. Riding, sailing, sea and coarse fishing are available locally, as well as a good variety of shopping. Shops 3 miles, pubs ½ mile.

Take a beautiful Peak District National Park setting, just 3½ miles from Bakewell, add a historic hall (first recorded in the Domesday Book), and an ancient cluster of listed buildings converted to form superb holiday cottage accommodation, and the result is the captivating blend that is Harthill Hall.

Nestling in 14 acres of grounds on an upland called Priest’s Hill with excellent walking available from the doorstep, the properties have the use of an extensive range of leisure facilities including an indoor heated swimming pool, sauna, solarium and treatment rooms. Noble names have woven the threads of the hall’s long history including Henry de Ferrers, the Cokaynes and the Harthills. Henry VIII is also believed to have stayed at the hall.

It was here in 1259 that Sir Richard de Hartle was issued a Papal Bull by Pope Alexander II, allowing him to appoint his own chaplain. The chapel ceased its functions as a place of worship in 1546 and now takes the form of The Chapel and Hartle Cottage. The eight cottages are furnished with antiques and surround a medieval cobbled courtyard. They all retain a wealth of original features including thick stone walls, large oak beams, mullion windows and flagstone floors. Derbyshire’s bustling market towns, villages, hills, dales and rivers offer majestic scenery, and a rich variety of customs. Boasting a varied and beautiful landscape, they offer a blend of heritage, history and family attractions.

The beautiful market town of Bakewell (3½ miles) is situated on the River Wye, crossed by a 13th-century five-arched bridge which has coffee shops and restaurants. Within easy reach are Matlock, Hall Leys Park, Chesterfield, Alfreton and Buxton. National Trust properties and gardens nearby include Riley Graves, Longshaw, Mam Tor, South Peak, Dovedale, Hardwick Hall and Kedleston Hall. Close by are both Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall. Golf and horse riding are available within 5 miles. Shop 3½ miles, pub 1 mile.

Nestled in the Peak District National Park, this 16th century manor house shares 14 acres of grounds with the owners’ other holiday homes and is furnished in a shabby chic style with antiques, wood panelling, beams, stained glass window in the ground floor bedroom and mullion windows (low ceilings, low doors and uneven floors in some rooms). There is use of a range of facilities (1 hour per day private use via booking system), including a shared indoor pool, sauna, solarium and treatment room.
Bakewell, 3½ miles, offers shops, bars, a bistro, restaurants, twice weekly market, antique country fairs and music festivals. Stroll alongside the River Wye or a circular 3½-mile walk on part of the Monsal Trail. Chatsworth House, 5 miles, is set in 1000 acres and visitors have the opportunity to see the wild deer grazing. Other places to visit include Carsington Water and Buxton Opera House, both a short drive. Golf and horse riding are within 5 miles. Shops 3½ miles, pub 1 mile.

This superb, detached, seven-bedroom, English thatched country cottage is a delightful holiday home which offers many original architectural features in keeping with the character of a period house, such as beams, leaded windows, original inglenook fireplace and thatched roof. Offering spacious, tastefully styled accommodation, this wonderful thatched country home makes an ideal base for families or couples wishing to stay in the New Forest National Park and close to the sea.

With no close neighbours and surrounded by fields on all sides, the property has 4 acres of gardens, with the outdoor heated swimming pool (heated June, July and August) being the focal point of the rear garden, easily reached through two sets of large French doors from the spacious kitchen. There is also a large area for playing ball games, two other large lawns, a double barbecue and outdoor furniture. The owners have a separate annexe adjacent to the property.

The property is located just 3 miles from Lymington and within the New Forest National Park itself, which is a haven for wildlife, with many roaming ponies across the heathland, extensive walking, cycling and riding routes. There is plenty to do in the area for all ages, all year round. The popular sailing town of Lymington is only a 5-minute drive, with its pretty harbour, cobbled pedestrianised streets, boutiques, eateries, pubs and day trips to Isle of Wight by ferry. Other places of interest include Beaulieu Motor Museum, Bucklers Hard, Marwell Zoo, Peppa Pig at Paultons Park, New Forest Owl and Otter Park and Southampton, to name but a few. The property is also within easy reach of many beaches, including Mudeford, Sandbanks, Poole and Bournemouth, the nearest beach being less than two miles away. There is a local convenience shop a 2-minute drive away (800 yards) and a local pub and restaurant within walking distance (600 yards).

The owners have an annex in the grounds where they often stay, one end of which is just a few yards away from Silverland’s back door, but they have their own entrance, drive, car park and garden, all separate to Silverland. All the windows and doors of the annex are double glazed, kept closed and have blackout blinds and curtains drawn to ensure your privacy. Unless you need the owner’s assistance for anything, you will not see them from arrival to departure, but they are happy to help if necessary - the choice is yours.

Designed to exacting standards, and with a fabulous indoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, games room and gymnasium on the doorstep (open all year), these three extremely comfortable adjoining properties enjoy a peaceful courtyard setting on the owners’ non working farm. Footpaths cross the local farmland and the National Forest, and a nature reserve is in 0.75 miles. Lichfield Cathedral, Uttoxeter’s racecourse, cinema and bowling, and Sudbury Hall’s Museum of Childhood are all under 10 miles. Alton Towers, Drayton Manor, Tamworth SnowDome, Shugborough Hall and Calke Abbey (NT), and Dovedale in the Peak District National Park are all within 20 miles. Shop 1 mile, pub serving food 0.5 miles.

Take a beautiful Peak District National Park setting, just 3½ miles from Bakewell, add a historic hall (first recorded in the Domesday Book), and an ancient cluster of listed buildings converted to form superb holiday cottage accommodation, and the result is the captivating blend that is Harthill Hall.

Nestling in 14 acres of grounds on an upland called Priest’s Hill with excellent walking available from the doorstep, the properties have the use of an extensive range of leisure facilities including an indoor heated swimming pool, sauna, solarium and treatment rooms. Noble names have woven the threads of the hall’s long history including Henry de Ferrers, the Cokaynes and the Harthills. Henry VIII is also believed to have stayed at the hall.

It was here in 1259 that Sir Richard de Hartle was issued a Papal Bull by Pope Alexander II, allowing him to appoint his own chaplain. The chapel ceased its functions as a place of worship in 1546 and now takes the form of The Chapel and Hartle Cottage. The eight cottages are furnished with antiques and surround a medieval cobbled courtyard. They all retain a wealth of original features including thick stone walls, large oak beams, mullion windows and flagstone floors. Derbyshire’s bustling market towns, villages, hills, dales and rivers offer majestic scenery, and a rich variety of customs. Boasting a varied and beautiful landscape, they offer a blend of heritage, history and family attractions.

The beautiful market town of Bakewell (3½ miles) is situated on the River Wye, crossed by a 13th-century five-arched bridge which has coffee shops and restaurants. Within easy reach are Matlock, Hall Leys Park, Chesterfield, Alfreton and Buxton. National Trust properties and gardens nearby include Riley Graves, Longshaw, Mam Tor, South Peak, Dovedale, Hardwick Hall and Kedleston Hall. Close by are both Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall. Golf and horse riding are available within 5 miles. Shop 3½ miles, pub 1 mile.

These delightful barn conversions (refs 25589, 26477, 26718, 26724, 26726 and 29579) maintain many original features and are set in the heart of The Lincolnshire Wolds, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The properties (except 29579) have all received a Green Tourism Business Scheme Gold Award. Within the grounds of the farm, these holiday properties offer coarse fishing on the farm lake, as well as many excellent walks and fantastic views across the countryside.
On the edge of the village of North Willingham, the barns provide an excellent base for exploring. Just 3½ miles from Market Rasen with its world famous racecourse, excellent range of restaurants, pubs, shops and market. Horncastle is renowned for its antique shops and is only a short drive, as is the unspoilt Georgian town of Louth with two busy market days a week. A visit to the sandy beaches at Mablethorpe or Skegness are always worth a day out, as is a visit to Lincoln Cathedral and the Bailgate area used in the filming of the ‘Da Vinci Code’. Shops, pub and restaurant 4 miles.

In a peaceful location surrounded by pretty countryside and just 5 miles from glorious sandy beaches at Winterton, this charming and well equipped property is ideal for holidays and relaxing breaks, whatever the season. It sits in the grounds of the owners’ home, in the heart of Norfolk’s Broadland – a beautiful and tranquil paradise for nature lovers. Boats can be hired for fishing or sailing 1 mile away and a wealth of attractions lie within easy reach, including the castle and vintage car collection at Caister on Sea, whilst Great Yarmouth’s traditional seaside entertainments are only 7 miles distant. Sheringham, home to the North Norfolk Steam Railway, and Cromer are both an easy drive as are the cathedral and fine shopping in the medieval city of Norwich. Shop 2 miles, pub serving food 1 mile.

A grand seven-bedroom cottage resting in Northiam near Peasmarsh, East Sussex. Private paddock. Indoor heated swimming pool. Pet-friendly. Within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Close to amenities. Rye 8.1 miles; Hastings 12.9 miles.