From a railway carriage getaway for two to a Lutyens house that will

17/3/2014
Britain’s 50 best self-catering holidays | The Times
Britain’s 50 best self-catering holidays
2. Treetop House
Liz Bird
Published at 12:01AM, March 15 2014
From a railway carriage getaway for two to a Lutyens house that will sleep 12,
we pick the top holiday homes for 2014
Best for couples
1. The Dell
Whitsand Bay, Cornwall
There’s a beach-hut feel to this chic clifftop retreat overlooking the sweeping sands of Whitsand Bay. Driftwood hangings, wood
panelling and nautical cushions complement the light, bright lounge which leads out to the L-shaped glass-fronted decking
where you can have a glass of wine and watch the sun set. The wood-panelled bedroom has an an en suite shower and there’s a
compact modern kitchen painted in Farrow & Ball colours. Enjoy a romantic meal at the award-winning The View restaurant, a
few minutes’ drive away.
Details: A week for two costs from £536 (0844 7044987, bluechipholidays.co.uk)
2. Treetop House
Ullapool, Wester Ross
Ideal for honeymooners, this property opens next month and is on a wooded hillside with views across Loch Broom towards the
Summer Isles. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the open-plan living area — with its wood-burning stove — make the most of the
scenery. There’s also a chic freestanding bath, drench-head showers and sauna plus two bedrooms — with the single doubling as
a study. Stone steps lead to a secluded terrace overlooking a stream and woodland. Go walking along the Ullapool Hill Path
which backs on to the house, try sea kayaking or relax on one of the sandy beaches at Gruinard and Achnahaird bays.
Details: A week for two (plus one) is from £900 (01285 750713, oneoffplaces.co.uk)
3. Georgian bathing house
near Ashprington, Devon
Kingfishers and herons are often seen from the terrace of this secluded Georgian bathing house on the River Dart. Approached
along a half-mile rough track on the 550-acre Sharpham Estate known for its vineyard, the Grade-II listed building has a single
and double bedroom with french windows opening on to a small balcony with wonderful views. The living room occupies the
original octagonal bathing house and has high ceilings, ornate plasterwork, a cosy woodburner and shuttered windows. There’s
no TV or wi-fi, just the sound of lapping water and the occasional passing boat. Bliss.
Details: A week for two (plus one) costs from £435 (01647 434063, www.helpfulholidays.com, ref L270)
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4. Argoed Mill
Rhayader,
Powys
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This stone-built Victorian converted mill oozes character with beamed ceilings and a wood-burning stove in the open-plan living
area and a pretty Juliet balcony overlooking a waterfall. Eat organic veggies from the kitchen garden, free-range eggs from the
resident hens and watch dippers and otters from the balcony. There’s even a pool table in a separate den. Two steps lead up from
the living area to the bedroom, which has an iron bed and antique furniture.
Details A week for two is from £475 (0844 5005 101, underthethatch.co.uk/argoed)
5. Scargill Castle
Scargill, Co Durham
It’s rare to find a castle sleeping two. This miniature 16th-century one has lots of original features including thick stone walls and
ornate roof beams in the baronial dining hall. Next door is a contemporary kitchen overlooking the Tudor gardens and a
bathroom with a roll-top bath. A stone spiral staircase leads up to a living room with a woodburning stove in a Tudor fireplace.
Climb the stairs again to a light and airy double bedroom with an arched beamed ceiling and oak floor adorned with Persian
rugs.
Details: A week for two is from £602 (01386 701177, ruralretreats.co.uk)
6. The Workshop
Badingham, Suffolk
This chic conversion of a Victorian stable features a suspended spherical steel fireplace in the open-plan living area and designer
furniture including an Eero Saarinen side table and Arne Jacobsen table and chairs. Folding patio doors lead on to an oak deck
with wonderful views across a one-acre wildflower meadow. The sleek kitchen has a Smeg cooker and white stone worktops.
Double aspect windows in the bedroom offer more rural views while the en suite has a double-ended bath.
Details: A week for two is from £760 (01728 553081, bestofsuffolk.co.uk)
7. The Birdcage
Port Isaac, Cornwall
Be careful not to bang your head on the stairs of this quirky higgledy-piggledy house with lovely views over the rooftops of Port
Isaac. The 200-year-old Grade II-listed former cobbler’s shop is set over three stories with a modern kitchen and bathroom on
the ground floor. Stairs — sometimes narrowing to a foot wide — lead up to the wood-beamed sitting room with a multi-fuel
stove, and a light and airy top-floor bedroom with terrace. Get free entry to Tintagel Old Post Office, visit the picturesque
harbour of Boscastle and walk along the dramatic coastline near Bedruthan Steps.
Details: A week for two costs from £375 (0844 3551297, nationaltrustcottages.co.uk)
8. Weir Cottage
Leeds Castle, Kent
Stroll through the grounds of the 500-acre park surrounding Leeds Castle when you stay at this former game store in a secluded
river valley. One of five period holiday cottages on the estate, it has a beamed open-plan sitting room and kitchen with modern
units, pine furniture and handmade drapes made by the castle seamstress. There’s a ground-floor shower room and stairs
leading to a light and spacious galleried bedroom with Egyptian cotton bedlinen. Get lost in the maze, visit the aviary and marvel
at the elegant state rooms such as the 73ft Henry VIII Banqueting Hall with its heavily beamed ceiling, ebony floor and stone
fireplace. There’s free entry throughout your stay.
Details: A week for two costs from £555 (0845 2689456, chooseacottage.co.uk)
9. Stardust
Loch Ewe, Wester Ross
It’s hard to beat the location of this cute-as-pie property on the shores of Loch Ewe. Sleep in the stylish boathouse with its Harris
Tweed fabrics, woodburner, handmade king-size bed and bathroom with a walk-in shower and underfloor heating. Next door is
a cosy vintage-style shepherd’s hut where you can cook and eat. A hot tub overlooks the loch in which seals and otters are often
seen. Hire the resident canoe to explore the estuaries and loch, and barbecue some trout in the winter hut with its fire pit.
Details: A week for two is from £1,250 (01637 881183, uniquehomestays.com)
10. The Pump House
North Perrott, Somerset
As settings go this one-bedroom cottage couldn’t be more quintessentially English, set in its own wildlife meadow next to the
village cricket field. The downstairs open-plan kitchen and sitting room has sandstone floors, a leather sofa, woodburner and
french doors leading to a south-facing patio. Climb the spiral staircase to an oak-floored galleried bedroom with en suite
bathroom. Guests are welcome to use the owners’ tennis court or wander around their beautiful gardens which adjoin the
meadow.
Details: A week for two is from £360 (01326 555555, classic.co.uk)
11. The Potting Shed
Benenden, Kent
Green-fingered couples will love this 300-year-old barn in a former kitchen garden of Benenden Grange, where the plantsman
Collingwood Ingram once lived. Enter through the glazed double doors into a lofty beamed sitting room. Stairs lead to a double
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bedroom on a mezzanine. The owners provide a welcoming basket with home-grown veg, local cheese and eggs and will give you
a tour of their topiary garden. Sissinghurst Gardens and Great Dixter are both within an easy drive.
Details: A week for two is from £295 (01580 240887, sawdays.co.uk)
12. The Barn at Sopps Farm
West Tytherley, Wiltshire
This lovely thatched holiday barn within an hour of London has been done out in English country house style, with beamed
ceilings, a table made from an old sled and a working fireplace in the sitting/dining room. The compact kitchen doesn’t have a
washing machine, but the housekeeper is happy to launder clothes. Upstairs there’s a cosy double under the eaves, with an extra
single bed if needed. You can use the swimming pool in the stunning grounds of the owner’s house and there’s even a beauty spa
on site.
Details: A week for two (plus one) is from £510 (01227 464958, mulberrycottages.com)
Best for families
13. Eagle Brae
near Inverness
Ideal for active families who don’t like roughing it, these new Canadian-style log cabins are dotted across a hillside on a huge
estate where you can watch stags clashing. The interiors of the one and two-bedroom eco lodges resemble luxury ski chalets with
antler chandeliers, elaborate wood carvings and colourful rugs as well as sleek kitchens and bathrooms and decks making the
most of idyllic views. Families of up to six can stay in the two-bed lodges due to some cleverly designed single beds built into the
log walls on the mezzanine. Go kayaking or canoeing in the lochs and rivers or join a camera safari.
Details: A week for up to six costs from £1,129 (01463 761301, eaglebrae.co.uk)
14. Railway Cottage
Woolston Moor, near Taunton, Somerset
Children will love watching the steam trains go past this cottage which dates from when Isambard Kingdom Brunel built the
Great Western Railway. The single-storey cottage has a Shaker-style kitchen with Belfast sink and wood and granite worktops as
well as a woodburner. There are three bedrooms, two with king-size beds, the third with a zip and link. Doors lead from the
sitting room to a secluded garden and hot tub. Ride the railway, visit Dunster Castle or explore the caves of Cheddar Gorge.
Details: A week for six costs from £595 (01823 431622, www.premiercottages.co.uk)
15. New Forest Eco Cottage
Hants, New Forest
There’s a homely feel to this funky house that’s ideal for two families or an extended family holidaying together. Younger
children will love playing in the child-sized painted gypsy caravan in the garden, with its vegetable patch and a timbered cabin
where a double bedroom and bunk room are located. Two sets of bi-folding doors flood light into the main house’s open-plan
kitchen/diner with its glowing heart lamp and retro sky-blue fridge. There are two double rooms plus a bunk room for three and
attic room with a single bed. Go horse riding, take a boat trip along the BeaulieuRiver, and if you don’t fancy cooking, there’s a
gastro pub next door.
Details: A week for 12 costs from £1,610 (i-escape.com)
16. Yew Tree Barn
near Hay on Wye, Powys
Go canoeing along the Wye Valley when you stay at this converted barn. Dating back to the 16th century it’s well equipped with a
contemporary kitchen and leather sofas in the open-plan living area. There are two twin rooms, one ensuite, and a master ensuite
bedroom. Outside is a children’s play area and lots of grass for them to run around on. Hire large Canadian canoes for up to four
from Wye Valley Canoes just down the road at Glasbury, then spend a half or a full day paddling down river to Hay on Wye.
Details: A week for six from £445 (01874 676446, breconcottages.com)
17. Annie’s Cabin
Caynham Mill, Shropshire
It’s easy to spend the day in and around this two-bedroom fir cabin, set in two acres with a treehouse to play in, a river to paddle
and fish in and a wood-fired oven perfect for cooking pizzas in in the garden. When the weather’s bad, retreat to the cosy cabin
with its shiny red enamel wood-pellet stove under a cathedral-like ceiling in the sitting room and plenty of board games. There
are two bedrooms, one double, one twin and a contemporary ground-floor wet room. Outside, walk through the trees to an
idyllic riverside picnic spot, canoe down the River Severn, returning via steam railway or visit the local farm museum.
Details: A week for four costs from £375 (01584 875027, sawdays.co.uk)
18. Stable Corner
Lustleigh, Devon
There’s no need to worry what the weather’s like when you stay at this two-bedroom cottage, one of a cluster on a working farm
on the edge of Dartmoor with a shared indoor heated pool and large games room with table football, pool and table tennis.
There’s also an outdoor play area with a sandpit, slide and swing plus sheep, lambs and chickens to fuss over. Upstairs are two
bedrooms, one with a bunk bed. Baby monitors, stairgates, nightlights and socket covers are all available.
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Details: A week for four costs from £324 (01647 434063, www.helpfulholidays.com, ref A137)
19. Natural Retreats
near Richmond, Yorkshire
These chic wood and glass eco cabins in picturesque Swaledale make a great base for an active break in the Yorkshire Dales. Go
horseriding on the Yorkshire Moors, canoeing along the River Swale or take the mile-long walk into the Georgian town of
Richmond with its ruined Norman castle, cobbled streets and waterfalls. The piece de resistance of the cabin is the open-plan
living area with a sleek kitchen, woodburner and floor-to-ceiling windows flooding the whole place with light. Two of the three
bedrooms are a bit plain and boxy but the more spacious master bedroom has a French window and a lovely porthole window.
Details: A week for six from £945 (i-escape.com)
20. Stag Cottage
Melmerby, Cumbria
There’s complimentary access to an indoor village pool when you stay at this 17th-century sandstone cottage in the picturesque
Eden Valley. Recently restored, the cottage combines period features such as stone mullion windows and an inglenook fireplace
with contemporary kitchens and bathrooms. There are two double bedrooms, one with zip and link beds. Melmerby is home to
an award-winning organic bakery (try the Lamb Henry). Take a steam cruise or hire a boat on Ullswater, 12 miles away, and visit
the market town of Penrith.
Details: A week for four from £736.95 (01386 701177, ruralretreats.co.uk)
21. The Bay Talland
near Looe, Cornwall
Parents can enjoy some well-deserved pampering while staying at this cluster of contemporary beach houses a few minutes’ walk
from the sandy beach at Talland Bay. An on-site health club has an indoor pool, gym, sauna and treatment rooms (babysitting
can be arranged if both parents want to indulge). Each villa has a cool, contemporary interior with sleek kitchens and floor-toceiling windows and a hot tub on the deck. There are two king-size bedrooms and a twin. All the baby paraphernalia such as
cots, highchairs, stairgates and bedguards are provided. A concierge will advise you on the best places to go rockpooling and crab
fishing as well as book everything from boat trips to horseriding.
Details: A week for six costs from £550 (0203 6031160, babyfriendlyboltholes.co.uk)
22. Sybil Cottage
Holme-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
With a zip wire, playhouse, trampoline and a tyre swing, the garden at this pretty cottage is the perfect place for children to run
wild. The accommodation is pretty stylish too, with a new extension housing a swish master bedroom with a freestanding bath
overlooking the garden. A downstairs bathroom and double room with french doors also makes it ideal for multi-generational
families. There’s another double room and bunk room for four upstairs. The sandy beaches at Old Hunstanton and Brancaster,
home to a superb gastro pub, are within easy reach.
Details: A week for eight costs from £750 (01485 211022, norfolkhideaways.co.uk)
23. Higher Scarcliffe
near Skipton, North Yorkshire
This newly converted 17th-century traditional long house is ideal for cyclists keen to explore the Yorkshire Dales, with plenty of
off-road routes through the 3,000-acre Broughton Hall Estate (the Tour de France Stage One route in July is two miles away).
Two adult bikes are provided but children’s bikes can be arranged and there’s storage for up to eight bikes. The loft-like sitting
room is perfect for socialising with a log-burning stove and wonderful views of the Dales through the floor-to-ceiling windows. A
mezzanine floor has a futon for two and there are three double or twin bedrooms, one en suite.
Details: A week for six is from £1,500 (01285 750713, oneoffplaces.co.uk)
24. Tigh-na-Craobh (The Tree House)
Upper Ollach, Isle of Skye
Clad in Scottish larch, this stunning eco house has spectacular views of Ben Tianavaig and across the sea to Raasay. Arranged
over three levels it has a lovely double-height living space with a contemporary kitchen, log-burning stove and French doors
leading to a deck where you can spot deer, otters and eagles. The master bedroom has underfloor heating, an en suite shower,
Egyptian cotton bedlinen and Harris tweed throws on the king-size bed.
Details: A week for four costs from £515 (01456 486358, wildernesscottages.co.uk
Best for groups
25. Ednovean House
Marazion, Cornwall
Award-winning local chef Ben Prior can cater for a special occasion at this newly refurbished Victorian granite house with
panoramic views over St Michael’s Mount. Everything has been thought of, from a boot room for your muddy gear after tackling
the spectacular South West Coast Path, to a wet room next to the door for washing off the sand from the beach. A cosy cinema
room has Surround Sound TV and Fat Boy beanbags. Upstairs are six bedrooms, four with en suites and one bunk bed room
sleeping four.
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Details: A week for 14 is from £1,900 (01208 895570, perfectstays.co.uk)
26. Grey Gables
Lake Windermere, Cumbria
Launch your kayak from the private jetty of this stylish new Lakeland stone house on the shores of Windermere. The Jill SteinCORdesigned interior resembles a luxury ski lo...dge with a giant antler chandelier in the glass-fronted living room, faux fur rugs
and a stunning stone-clad fireplace. There’s a games room with an 8ft pool table and a cinema room with a 65inch screen. A
bespoke glass and stainless steel staircase leads to five en suite bedrooms, two with oval baths overlooking the lake.
Details: A week for ten costs from £5,880 (07595 466955, simonescapes.com)
27. The Colloquy
Lyonshall, Herefordshire
The interior of this converted Victorian stable block on a 700-acre estate wouldn’t look out of place in a chic city loft apartment.
The original pitched roofs, iron pillars and polished brick and cobble floors have been joined by rustic oak floorboards, leather
sofas, chandeliers, huge pieces of modern art and a mini cinema. There are eight en suite rooms, some with mezzanines where
four extra children can be accommodated. Work up a sweat on the squash court, take a dip in the outdoor heated pool or relax in
the hot tub or sauna. A local caterer will rustle up a three-course celebratory meal. Everything from in-room spa treatments to a
magician can be arranged.
Details: A week for 16 is from £3,200 (01544 340241, thecolloquy.com)
28. Barn Drift
Cley, Norfolk
Enjoy rural and sea views from this sensitively converted 18th-century barn with its exposed brickwork and beams and numerous
windows flooding the space with light. The kitchen facilities are top-notch with an Nespresso coffee machine, range cooker and
two dishwashers (stock up on food at the pretty coastal village of Cley with its smokery and deli). Five of the eight bedrooms have
king size zip and link beds, making it ideal for a large family group or couples sharing. North Norfolk is renowned for its pretty
brick and flint villages, gastro pubs and long sandy beaches backed by nature reserves.
Details: A week for 18 is from £3,242 (01263 715779, norfolkcottages.co.uk)
29. Longhorn Farm
North Bovey, Devon
You get the best of both worlds at this converted farmhouse and neighbouring barn on the edge of Dartmoor: plenty of big rooms
for socialising (and a table big enough for 14 to eat together) plus a bit of your own space when you need to chill out. The loft-like
interiors feature exposed brick walls and acres of glass along with super-sleek kitchens and bathrooms. Reindeer hides,
sheepskin rugs and woodburners add a cosy feel. Four of the bedrooms are in the main farmhouse, two king size, a twin and one
with zip-and-link bed. A bunk room and two king-size bedrooms are in the adjacent milking barn.
Details: A week for 14 is from £1,995 (01637 881183, uniquehomestays.com)
30. Earls Hall
near Lavenham, Suffolk
From the outside this rambling house dating to the 17th century looks rather imposing. Step inside and it’s extremely homely; the
sort of place you don’t have to worry about the children messing up. There’s a well-equipped kitchen with its dual-fuel range
cooker with double oven. The dining room is ideal for a celebratory dinner with a long table seating up to 16, and the elegant
drawing room has a piano and a woodburner. Upstairs it’s still a work in progress in the six bedrooms and some dated
bathrooms. There are three doubles (one en suite), one twin, one bunk sleeping three and a family room with two doubles. Help
yourself to the veg from the garden with its manicured lawn, stream, pizza oven and hammocks.
Details: A week for 15 is from £1,500 (earls-hall.co.uk)
31. Dartmouth House
near Dartmouth, Devon
This boutique hotel-style house sits on a lush hillside outside the riverside town of Dartmouth. As well as an outdoor pool
surrounded by stylish sunloungers there’s an indoor one, plus a steam room, tennis court, hot tub, games room, bar and a
cinema with 1,500 movies. On balmy days have dinner on one of the numerous terraces, one heated, or around the table in the
dining room with plenty of floor-to-ceiling glass making the most of the vistas. There are six suites (plus an extra four pull-out
single beds) with sleek en suite bathrooms. Catering, housekeeping and in-room spa treatments can all be arranged.
Details: A week for 16 is from £10,750 (01242 220006, thewowhousecompany.co.uk)
32. Goddards
Abinger, Surrey
Marvel at the work of Edwin Lutyens when you stay at this architecturally stunning house with its own Victorian bowling alley.
The distinctive tall chimneys are made of layers of thin bricks, which are also used to form the mullions, windowsills and
fireplaces in the eight simple but classic bedrooms (the only double has an en suite bathroom with a toilet on a plinth offering
great views of the gardens). There are also three twins and four singles. Eat around a solid oak table in the impressive dining hall
with a working fireplace adorned with brick arches and stone corbelling. Or play croquet on the lawn in the Gertrude Jekyllhttp://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/travel/bestofbritain/article4033659.ece
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designed courtyard garden.
Details: A week for 12 from £3,132 (01628 825925, landmarktrust.org.uk)
33. Combermere Abbey Cottages
Whitchurch, Shropshire
This complex of ten cottages, most set around a 19th-century stables, is ideal for a large group of family or friends. They sleep
between four and ten people and are all beautifully furnished with open fires surrounded by leather fenders, seagrass matting or
wooden floors, original beams and four-posters or half-testers in the bedrooms. If you want to eat together, the three-bedroom
Beckett has a dining room large enough to seat 49, while the Abbey’s 60-seater Glasshouse makes a stunning setting for a special
meal. Wander through the walled gardens, go on a woodland walk or fish in the lake on the 1,200-acre estate.
Details: A week for six in Beckett is from £938 (01948 660345, combermereabbey.co.uk)
34 .Forter Castle
Glenisla, Perthshire
This 16th-century castle has the wow factor. The great hall spans the entire width of the castle and has a painted ceiling,
magnificent fireplace and mahogany shelves displaying antique books.A local chef can cook a celebratory meal using lots of local
produce. Six characterful bedrooms include Lairds, with its beamed ceiling, four-poster bed, roll-top bath behind a screen,
leather sofa and a writing table in a turret. Tours of whisky distilleries, horseriding, shooting and golf can all be arranged.
Details: A week for 12 is from £4,750 (01422 323200, celticcastles.com)
35. Swan House
Winson, Cotswolds
Ideal for a special celebration, this newly refurbished Grade II listed house near the Cotswolds “Golden Triangle” of honeystoned towns — Cirencester, Stow on the Wold and Burford — is set in two acres with its own spring-fed trout lake. The new
Miele kitchen has everything you could possibly need to cook a celebratory meal with two dishwashers and five ovens, including
an Aga. Decked out in a country house style, the house also has a large dining room with a woodburner and an elegant drawing
room with a grand piano. Upstairs are six bedrooms, one with a four-poster, and five bathrooms. Spill out from the breakfast
room on to the terrace, take a walk in the gardens with herbaceous borders and river frontage or doze in the hammock.
Details: A week for 12 is from £2,750 (02089 959072, premiercottages.co.uk)
36. Middleton Hall
near Belford, Northumberland
Feel like the Lord of the Manor at this 17th-century stone mansion five miles from this spectacular coast. Walk into a magnificent
entrance hall with ornate ceiling, wood floors, a large gilt mirror over the fireplace and hand-carved oak staircase leading to
seven en suite king-size bedrooms. There’s also a double with adjacent bathroom and two en suite twins, while four extra day
beds can be added where required. The dining room comfortably seats 24 and has a beautiful Italian fireplace and views of the
gardens. French doors from the orangery lead to a terrace and the grounds have plenty of woodland walks and boating lakes.
Details: A week for 24 is from £3,785 (01244 352300, sykescottages.co.uk)
37. Moles Cottage
Farnham, Dorset
Get your meals delivered from the gastro pub next door when you stay at this thatched cottage on the edge of an area of
outstanding natural beauty. If you want to cook, the contemporary kitchen is well equipped with a Rangemaster cooker and
Smeg fridge. Eat in the open-plan dining and living room with beamed ceilings, huge sofas and a log fire. All eight double
bedrooms, two of which can be made into twins, are en suite, and a couple have additional roll-top baths next to the beds.
Details: A week for 16 is from £1,425 (01326 555555, classic.co.uk)
Best unusual properties
38. Wild Duck
Heacham, Norfolk
Fall asleep to the sound of rustling reeds and the sea when you stay at this lovely 19th-century converted boat next to the
Snettisham RSPB reserve. Children will be delighted with their special twin room in the hull and there are two double rooms
built into the bow, the master with 180-degree views over the reserve. There’s a cosy feel to the living space with old framed
newspaper clippings about the boat on the wood-panelled wall and more glorious views of the sand dunes. It’s well equipped too
,with an espresso maker in the kitchen, an iPod dock, DVD player and Wi-Fi. At low tide there’s a vast expanse of sand at
Heacham’s South Beach for cockling and walking. At high tide go windsurfing or kitesurfing.
Details: A week for six from £650 (01485 211022, norfolkhideaways.co.uk)
39. Nash End Farm Hideaway
Castlemorton, Worcestershire
Most shepherd’s huts have annexes to house the kitchen or bathroom but this cleverly designed one on a 315-acre farm manages
to fit everything in. A Shaker-style kitchen with Belfast sink has been slotted between the boutique en suite shower room
(complete with his and hers fluffy bathrobes) and a full-sized double bed with a curtain. Buy lamb or beef from the farm and
order the crumble kit to make yourself. The owners also provide coffee, tea and milk as well as pesto and pasta to whip up if you
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arrive late. Make use of the free bikes to explore the local area or stride out across the fields on one of the recommended walks. A
Michelin-star pub, the Butcher’s Arms, is a mile away.
Details: A week for two is from £420 (holidaylettings.co.uk, ref 663352)
40. Living Room Treehouses
Machynlleth, Powys
Unlike some accommodation that purports to be called treehouses, these five pod-style retreats are true to their name, built up to
8m high in oak trees overlooking Snowdonia. Pen y Bryn is the latest to join the clan. Accessed by a spiral staircase and rope
bridges, the curvaceous house has a woodburning stove; kitchen with gas hob and running water from a freshwater mountain
spring. There are hot showers and a compost toilet. At night the only illumination is from a few LED lamps, some rechargeable
electric lanterns and lots of tea lights. There are 200 acres of woodland to explore with suggested half-day walks, while the
Centre for Alternative Technology near Machynlleth makes a fascinating day trip.
Details: Two nights for five is from £329 (01654 703700, living-room.com)
41. The Black Shed
Isle of Skye
Sitting on a remote hill overlooking Loch Dunvegan, this stylish new one-bedroom shed replaces a more traditional agricultural
one that stood on the same spot. Inside it’s chic and uncluttered with pine-clad walls, textured concrete floors, a stainless steel
kitchen and big windows framing the view. In winter it’s the perfect bolthole for storm watching with its underfloor heating and
a woodburner; you might even see the northern lights. Stroll down to the shore to spot otters, seals and seabirds or walk along to
the Three Chimneys restaurant for a meal.
Details: A week for two is from £675 (0117 2047830, canopyandstars.co.uk)
42. The Windmill
Wendover, Buckinghamshire
Now minus its sail, this five-storey 19th-century windmill still has bags of charm with its hexagonal-shaped rooms, beamed
ceilings and wood floors as well as a modern ground-floor kitchen and four bathrooms. Climb the stairs to a double, twin and
wet room. The second- floor sitting room has superb views of the Chiltern Hills with more stairs leading to two single rooms, one
en suite, one with a separate bathroom, and both with pull-out beds. The fourth-floor en suite bedroom can be a double or twin.
There’s also a large enclosed garden. Whipsnade Zoo, the dreaming spires of Oxford and the Roald Dahl Museum are all within
easy reach.
Details: A week for 8-10 is from £1,081 (0845 2681307, chooseacottage.co.uk/cottages4you)
43. Seabank
Selsey, West Sussex
This beachfront railway carriage conversion captures all the charm and eccentricity of the British seaside resort. The living space
has been built around two lovingly restored Stroudley railway carriages once used on the Brighton to London line, with the two
doubles and two bunk bed rooms leading off the hallway like compartments on an old train. A bathroom with shower, kitchen
with all the mod cons and a sitting room with lovely picture windows overlooking the sea are wrapped around the carriages. Visit
the lifeboat station, Pagham Nature Reserve and eat at excellent local pubs.
Details: A week for eight is from £375 (01285 750713, oneoffplaces.co.uk)
44. Peverell’s Tower
Dover Castle, Kent
When the day trippers have gone you’ll have the castle grounds to yourself when you stay in this one-bedroom Norman tower.
Added by Henry III as an extra buttress of defence, this former prison sleeps two in contemporary comfort. The Shaker-style
kitchen has wood floors along with the light and airy bedroom with its wood beam ceilings, crisp white bed linen and sea views.
In the morning be first in the queue to explore the Great Tower where Henry II held court in sumptuous style, or visit the
Dunkirk exhibition.
Details: A week for two is from £681 (0870 3331187, www.english-heritage.org.uk)
45. Stogursey Castle
near Bridgwater, Somerset
This diminutive thatched gatehouse still guards the 13th-century bridge on to a moated island, where the ruins of a castle
remain. Inside the thick walls the ground-floor sitting room has a lovely open fire, oak beams and a window seat overlooking the
grounds (as with all Landmark properties, there’s no TV). Next door is a well-equipped kitchen with an electric oven. Walk up
steep, narrow stone stairs to a double and twin room with a bathroom. Visit the nearby Walled Gardens of Cannington or the
Museum of Somerset.
Details: A week for four is from £1,235 (01628 825925, landmarktrust.org.uk)
46. The Temple
Badger, Shropshire
In a picturesque landscape of deep sandstone chasms and wooded ravines is this 18th-century classical folly. The front door
opens into an elegant sitting room with painted furniture and full-length glass doors leading to a colonnaded balcony with views
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Britain’s 50 best self-catering holidays | The Times
of secluded pools and woodland. A spiral staircase descends to the ground-floor kitchen/dining room. Next door the cosy double
bedroom is furnished with antiques and has an 18th-century style bed and a vaulted en suite wet room.
Details: A week for two is from £590 (0845 0900194, vivat-trust.org)
47. The Orangery
Frampton on Severn, Gloucestershire
Sitting in the grounds of the 18th-century manor house Frampton Court, overlooking an ornamental canal, this octagonal garden
house is a fine example of Strawberry Hill Gothic architecture. Tall latticed windows flood the whole place with light while
period furniture and the original ornate fireplaces in the living rooms give it plenty of character. There’s a new Shaker-style
kitchen now revealing the original limestone walls, two en suite double rooms and two twins with basins and use of a bathroom.
Details: A week for eight is from £950 (01452 740698, framptoncourtestate.co.uk)
48. The Hunting Tower
Chatsworth, Derbyshire
You’re free to wander through the Capability Brown landscape surrounding Chatsworth House when you stay at this twobedroom 16th-century folly standing on an escarpment. Made for Bess of Hardwick, ancestor of the Dukes of Devonshire, the
tower was used by the ladies to watch the hounds working during hunts. Decked out in a country-house style, there’s a sitting
room with a flat-screen TV, a four-poster with an en suite and a ground-floor en suite twin. Guests get free entry to Chatsworth,
with its magnificent Painted Hall and fine art collection.
Details: A week for four is from £1,449 (01246 565379, chatsworth.org)
49. The Old Chapel
Lacock, Wiltshire
Converted chapels often feel a bit too lofty, but this one in the quintessentially English village of Lacock still feels cosy with
underfloor heating, mood lighting and a lovely gallery lounge above the main living space. Tall arched windows flood the interior
with natural light and offer stunning views across the village rooftops. An antique refectory table is flanked by ornate church
pews and there are lots of gadgets, including a Nespresso coffee maker and 47in Blue-ray Surround Sound cinema. There are
four bedrooms, two ground-floor en suite doubles, a bunk bedroom with a double sofa bed and a top-floor master suite with an
en suite shower room. Lacock, home to a famous abbey, is the setting for several Harry Potter films and has art galleries, a
pottery and is close to Bath.
Details: A week for eight is from £1,267 (holidaylettings.co.uk, ref 318464)
50. The Prince Regent
East Sussex
Train enthusiasts will love this converted showman’s carriage, dating back to 1894, which has been carefully refurbished with
lots of ornate artwork. There’s a compact, beamed kitchen, a shower room and a bedroom with a cosy 6ft by 4ft double. The
piece de resistance, though, has to be the stunning living area, with wood-lined walls, woodburning stove and a stunning ceiling.
There’s a decked area outside with views over Bodiam Castle, and the carriage is on an apple farm, so there’s plenty of fresh fruit.
Details: A week for two costs from £520 (01227 464958, mulberrycottages.com)
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Hetti Simpson
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James Murdoch
22 hours ago
Yes, but can I take my dogs?
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Richard Foulds
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23 hours ago
Does one have to pay The Times to advertise and wax lyrical about one's business or is this free advertising?
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Rosalind Cookson
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1 day ago
Many thanks to Liz Bird for including us in her top 50! We are number 39. Please contact me on 01452840888/07788175007
or visit our website which is under construction www.nashendfarm.co.uk Any one who books a mid week night (Sunday http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/travel/bestofbritain/article4033659.ece
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Thursday) before the end of the month to stay any time in 2014 will receive a discounted rate. Hope to see you soon!
Rosalind
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