Log Cabins to RentFrom the wildness of the Peak District to the Cotswold's cosy charm, the counties that make up the Heart of England, can offer rolling hills, ancient woodlands, dramatic moors, heritage rich Oxford and the spa towns of Cheltenham and Bath. Cider trails in Herefordshire and canal routes in Staffordshire.
Think back to your childhood years... Playing hide and seek, hosting glamorous tea parties with your cuddly friends, and building forts you imagined were fairy tale castles in a land far, far away... Bring those dreams to life when you stay on a magical treehouse holiday.
The Golden Oak Treehouse benefits from all the luxuries of our main Golden Oak cabins and sleeps up to 10 people.
The Forest of Dean is a timeless landscape of woodlands, rivers, hills and valleys, lending itself to outdoor pursuits from walking and hiking to canoeing and cycling. Take days out to discover enchanted woods, underground caves, craft centres, steam railways and cathedral cities.
Our cabins at Delamere Forest are dotted among a mix of broadleaf and evergreen trees spreading over 2,400 acres on the Cheshire Plain blending harmoniously into the forest landscape. Delamere Forest has our widest range of cabins, and whichever you choose, you will be rewarded with peaceful woodland views.
Our hot tub cabins at Delamere Forest in Cheshire offer an exceptional standard of accommodation, situated in an idyllic woodland location. Whichever cabin you choose, from the luxurious Golden Oak to the well-appointed Silver Birch, you will enjoy a satisfying blend of comfort and style.
With log cabins perfect for short breaks or longer stays, surrounded by 2,400 acres of deciduous and evergreen trees, Delamere Forest has it all. The cabin accommodation includes Silver Birch, Golden Oak, our famous Golden Oak Treehouse, and our romantic Golden Oak Hideaway. At the heart of the Delamere Forest is the Forest Retreat, where you can shop, eat, drink, meet the team, and book activities, including the Forest Ranger adventures.
Think hot tub holidays! Think architect designed holiday home! Think stunning views! Think ‘resort’ style facilities and activities! Think award-winning spa with indulgent treatments, sauna, steam room and three swimming pools! Think watersports, yoga, keeping fit, hiking and biking! Think tranquil lakeside locations with miles of walking trails! Think hot chocolate and marshmallows headed over fire pits in wooded glens! This is what you get when you book a holiday at Goldfinch House!
This contemporary gem of a holiday home boasts 4 gorgeous bedrooms sleeping 8 guests in supreme comfort. It enjoys quirky upside down living so that the contemporary open plan living spaces enjoy the fabulous views of the lake and nature reserve. The decoration and furnishings throughout this stunning house are outstanding. With neutral grey and cream calming palettes and the rear elevation being almost totally glazed, the spaces are extremely light and airy.
You arrive at Goldfinch House over a little wooden bridge which crosses a small waterway. This luxury holiday home rests peacefully on the southern banks of Clearwater Lake. On the ground floor you will find two luxury lakeside bedrooms which both open onto the ground floor deck. They both enjoy fabulous, well-maintained ensuite bathrooms. There is also a delightful twin bedroom and a family bathroom on the ground floor.
Upstairs, the living space is spectacular. With architectural grandeur and flooded with light, it offers a brilliant sense of space. The vaulted ceilings are a wonder! Sumptuous sofas are placed perfectly to benefit from the beautiful vistas and also the modern wood burning stove on cooler evenings. You can dine in luxury with a view. The kitchen is huge, a chef’s dream, with masses of units and space as well as top-notch appliances. Guests can chat to the chef at the breakfast bar while a feast is being prepared. Also on the first floor is a children’s bunk bed room which will no doubt be a hit.
Huge doors open from the living space onto the first floor decked balcony. This is just the spot for your morning cup of coffee watching the sun rise. A big plus with this holiday home is the hot tub on the ground floor deck. What a treat! Just get those bottles of fizz chilling! It is also the place where you can enjoy alfresco dining with a view using the barbecue.
Goldfinch House sits within an exclusive, gated development in the very heart of the Cotswolds. Just south of Cirencester, the development offers a fantastic range of facilities for the whole family amongst stunning landscapes, nine lakes, two rivers, lakeside trails and hundreds of acres of lush green space. The development is prestigious, upmarket and offers both supreme relaxation and adventure in equal measures. The luxury spa offers excellent treatments as well as its steam room, sauna and swimming pools, one of which is a bracing eco-pool naturally filtered by water lilies. There is also a library, a ‘restful reading’ lounge, tennis courts, a children’s playground, restaurant, watersports tuition, a Technogym, fishing and so much more. This is the perfect place for multi-generational holidays and meeting up with friends.
Goldfinch House enjoys a very special lakeside location within a gated resort in the heart of the Cotswolds. Just south of Cirencester, guests enjoy many entertainment options within the development as well as being located on the doorstep of fabulous Cotswolds attractions. Villages and towns such as Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold, Tetbury, Cirencester, Malmesbury and Lacock are all close by and the regency pleasures of Cheltenham and the Georgian glories of Bath are less than twenty miles away.
Bourton-on-the-Water, like most of the Cotswolds, lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is the Venice of the Cotswolds with beautiful bridges crossing the River Windrush. Gorgeous cosy cafes line the pretty streets together with houses made with enchanting honey coloured Cotswold stone.
Stow-on-the-Wold is a delightful market town, the highest of the Cotswold towns exposed on the 800 feet high Stow Hill at the crossroads with the Roman Fosse Way. The town boasts a fascinating history. At the height of the Cotswold wool industry, it held annual fairs where as many as 20000 sheep were sold at one time. The Market Square is very attractive with its ancient cross, town stocks and an elegant array of Cotswold town houses and shops. You will find many fine antique shops, art galleries, gift and craft shops.
Tetbury is another historic wool town. It is an architectural gem with many of the wool merchant’s houses remaining the same as they were in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Parish Church of St Mary’s has one of the tallest and most elegant spires in the UK. Tetbury is popular for its independent shops including antique shops, vintage and interior shops, exclusive boutiques and the Highgrove shop. Tetbury holds many regular events including the May Day Wacky Races, the Spring Bank Holiday Woolsack Races when contestants carry 65lb woolsacks up and down the 1 in 4 hill, the August Summer Show, the September Food and Drink Festival, the October Tetbury Music Festival and the Christmas Lights Switch-on.
Close by, visitors can enjoy the stunning botanical experience of the National Arboretum at Westonbirt, the glorious Elizabethan Chavenage House used for many famous films and TV series, the beautiful Arts and Crafts Manor at Rodmarton, the 13th century Lacock Abbey and HRH Prince of Wales’ stunning garden at Highgrove. Local equestrian events such as the Badminton Horse Trials, Gatcombe Festival of British Eventing and Beaufort Polo are all popular.
Ellesmere, Shropshire, Heart of England
From £2401
Availability
This luxury lodge situated two miles from the town and meres of Ellesmere sleeps eight people in four bedrooms.
Hampton Lodge is a superb lodge situated just two miles from the meres and town of Ellesmere in Shropshire. This lodge sleeps eight people in four bedrooms, consisting of three king-size doubles, including two with an en-suite shower and one is on the first floor, and there's also a zip/link twin, along with a shower room. The lodge also has an open plan living area with kitchen, dining area and sitting area with a sofa bed. Outside there's off road parking for four cars and a veranda with furniture, a barbecue and a hydrotherapy spa hot tub and there is also use of an outdoor badminton court and table tennis table. Hampton Lodge is a wonderful property with plenty to see and do nearby.
Amenities: Oil central heating with electric woodburning-effect stove in sitting area. Electric range oven and hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, washing machine, dishwasher, 5 x TVs with Freeview, DVD, Fast Fiber WiFi. Fuel and power inc. in rent. Bed linen and towels inc. in rent. Travel cot and highchair on request. Permanent handmade stairgate. Off road parking for 4 cars. Veranda with furniture, BBQ and hydrotherapy spa hot tub, plus use of large garden with badminton net and equipment. Free, private use of outdoor table tennis table, all equipment provided. Sorry, no pets and no smoking. Shop and pub 2 miles. Note: Open tread stairs to first floor bedroom, and small landing area overlooks the living area, children must be supervised at all times. Note: No stag/hen parties, or similar. Note: Check-in 4pm.
Region: A E Houseman once wrote that Shropshire was the quietest place under the sun and today the county remains something of a rural idyll, recognised as one of the least crowded and most peaceful regions in England.
Town: The market town of Ellesmere with its Tudor, Georgian and Victorian buildings is situated between the Shropshire Meres and the Shropshire to Llangollen canal. The town offers shops, pubs and restaurants, and you may wish to take a stroll through Cremorne Gardens or spend time exploring Colemere Country Park.
Located in Ellesmere, this cabin is in a rural area. Wem Town Hall and Whitchurch Heritage Centre are cultural highlights, and some of the area's attractions include Rednal Laser Games and Crazy Knights. Traveling with kids? Consider Tenpin Wrexham and BeWILDerwood. Be sure not to miss outdoor adventures like hiking and cycling.
Foolow, Derbyshire, Heart of England
From £1008
Availability
Hare’s Retreat is nestled in the back fields of Brosterfield Farm with a look over the fields with idyllic views, with a comfortable and cosy King size bed looking out over of the meadows, with a small kitchen for an easy night in and well equipped you can eat in or a two minute drive to the local pub The Bulls Head inn, Foolow.
The location of Brosterfield Farm is surrounded by the most incredible walks and places to explore, Chatsworth House, Haddon Hall, Monsal Trail, Thornbridge Hall, Curbar Edge for stunning views and sunset views.
Take in the country side and listen to the wild life that surrounds you whilst staying at Brosterfield Farm.
This cabin is located in Hope Valley. Bakewell Golf Club and Ridge Walk Mam Tor to Losehill are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Peak District National Park and Derbyshire Dales National Nature Reserve. Baked Well Pottery Painting and Virgin Balloon Flights are also worth visiting.
Located on a prestigious development with hundreds of acres of lush greenspace, rivers and nine lakes, Harlow House is one of just ten of the estate’s holiday homes situated within the enchanting Water Garden. It is a very tranquil location and very pretty too, brimming with attractive wooden bridges, walkways and lily ponds. Harlow House offers spacious contemporary accommodation for up to eight guests. This splendid holiday home is beautifully finished throughout, the perfect holiday retreat. One of the main features of the property is the large roof terrace which enjoys sensational views over the estate as well as being a sun trap and the perfect place to top up your tan. It is an eco-friendly home with heating via air source heat pumps, a heat recovery system and underfloor heating.
The ground floor of Harlow House offers stunning, open plan contemporary living. With two walls almost fully comprised of floor-to-ceiling bi-fold doors, the living space is bright, beautiful and makes you want to smile. The living space is beautifully appointed with a gorgeous, L-shaped, sumptuous sofa enjoying lovely natural views. Harlow House features a very attractive, modern log burner. It is wonderful on cooler evenings to get cosy with the fire on. The contemporary, stone coloured, high gloss kitchen will delight the chef and offers gorgeous stone work surfaces, a sociable breakfast bar, a double oven and other top-notch appliances including a Nespresso coffee machine. There is a modern, stylish dining table with colour pop chairs. The colour palettes used in Harlow House are all neutral, whites, creams and greys so the occasional accent of bright red or turquoise works really well. There is an assortment of games and puzzles as well as the television and Blueray disc player for your enjoyment. The quality bi-fold doors open to a splendid ground floor deck with lovely rattan garden furniture and a barbecue. It is the perfect spot for your morning cup of coffee or a pre-dinner drink. The ground floor also boasts a utility room/cloakroom which is home to a washing machine and dryer. There is also a small snug with a sofa, desk and wall-mounted television, perhaps the place for a quiet read of the Sunday newspapers.
Upstairs, you will find two fabulous king bedrooms, both with en-suite shower rooms and access to a private balcony. Again, they are beautifully styled with accents of bright colours adorning the comfy beds. There is also a delightful twin bedroom and the ‘butterfly’ room, a dreamy child’s bedroom. You will find a single bed with a truckle underneath. If you would like to use the truckle bed please let us know when booking. These bedrooms share a smart family bathroom that features both a bath and a shower.
The roof terrace is a wonderful space with astroturf and sun loungers at one end and garden furniture at the other. What a wonderful spot to watch the sun go down over this magical estate!
Guests staying at Harlow House enjoy the hundreds of acres of lush greenspace, brimming with lakes, rivers, stunning picnic spots, woodland and miles of beautiful hiking and biking trails as well as a massive variety of activities and facilities. The ‘resort’ style amenities and activities include an award-winning luxury spa with steam room, sauna and three swimming pools including a bracing eco-pool naturally filtered by water lilies, a library, a ‘restful reading’ lounge, tennis courts, a children’s playground, restaurant, shop, a Technogym, watersports tuition, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, boating, yoga, waterside exercise classes and children’s clubs during peak holiday seasons.
Harlow House enjoys a very special water garden location within a gated resort in the heart of the Cotswolds. Just south of Cirencester, guests enjoy many entertainment options within the development as well as being located on the doorstep of fabulous Cotswolds attractions. Villages and towns such as Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold, Tetbury, Cirencester, Malmesbury and Lacock are all close by and the regency pleasures of Cheltenham and the Georgian glories of Bath are less than twenty miles away.
Bourton-on-the-Water, like most of the Cotswolds, lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is the Venice of the Cotswolds with beautiful bridges crossing the River Windrush. Gorgeous cosy cafes line the pretty streets together with houses made with enchanting honey coloured Cotswold stone.
Stow-on-the-Wold is a delightful market town, the highest of the Cotswold towns exposed on the 800 feet high Stow Hill at the crossroads with the Roman Fosse Way. The town boasts a fascinating history. At the height of the Cotswold wool industry, it held annual fairs where as many as 20000 sheep were sold at one time. The Market Square is very attractive with its ancient cross, town stocks and an elegant array of Cotswold town houses and shops. You will find many fine antique shops, art galleries, gift and craft shops.
Tetbury is another historic wool town. It is an architectural gem with many of the wool merchant’s houses remaining the same as they were in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Parish Church of St Mary’s has one of the tallest and most elegant spires in the UK. Tetbury is popular for its independent shops including antique shops, vintage and interior shops, exclusive boutiques and the Highgrove shop. Tetbury holds many regular events including the May Day Wacky Races, the Spring Bank Holiday Woolsack Races when contestants carry 65lb woolsacks up and down the 1 in 4 hill, the August Summer Show, the September Food and Drink Festival, the October Tetbury Music Festival and the Christmas Lights Switch-on.
Close by, visitors can enjoy the stunning botanical experience of the National Arboretum at Westonbirt, the glorious Elizabethan Chavenage House used for many famous films and TV series, the beautiful Arts and Crafts Manor at Rodmarton, the 13th century Lacock Abbey and HRH Prince of Wales’ stunning garden at Highgrove. Local equestrian events such as the Badminton Horse Trials, Gatcombe Festival of British Eventing and Beaufort Polo are all popular.
The magnificent Harpsden Hall sits in the beautiful village of Harpsden, just outside Henley-on-Thames. Sitting in Harpsden valley, it is next to Henley Golf Course which will please the golfers amongst you! With five bedrooms in the main house and the Woodpecker Studio and the Oak Annexe, this stunning property can sleep twenty guests in total. It is incredibly stylish, absolutely immaculate and very luxurious.
Harpsden has been crowned Oxfordshire’s ‘poshest’ village by The Telegraph. The area is brimming with celebrity homes including those of Russell Brand and Mary Berry. Harpsden sits on the edge of the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Henley-on-Thames. It’s High Wood is full of beautiful bluebells in May. The village has enjoyed a few TV appearances including Agatha Christie’s Marple episodes ‘Nemesis’ and ‘By the Pricking of My Thumbs’ and Harpsden Court was used for the Bond film Quantum of Solace. It is very pretty and beautifully kept. The fabulous 13th century market town of Henley sits on a picturesque stretch of the River Thames with delightful walks and regular festivities. The Henley Royal Regatta is the most famous regatta in the world and a highlight on the English sporting calendar. Henley now even has its own special gin, Mr Hobbs Gin. The Chiltern Hills are ready of exploration, offering scenic rolling countryside and wonderful tranquility. You will discover tucked away villages, chalk-fed streams, ancient woods, superb scenery, intriguing attractions and gorgeous market towns.
The Edwardian Harpsden Hall comes with fantastic living spaces. The kitchen diner is beautiful in white and anthracite grey. It boasts a range cooker, other outstanding appliances including a wine fridge and a sociable island with stools so that the chefs in your group can have company. Just off the kitchen is a smart utilty room with a giant American style fridge freezer and a butler’s sink. The Orangery dining area is wonderful with a gorgeous table and chairs perfectly positioned to enjoy exquisite garden views. Double doors open the garden and a huge roof light sits above the table. With another complete wall of windows, this is a very and airy space. Underfloor heating will keep you warm all year round. The living area is also very special with a wooden floor as opposed to the beautiful tiles in the kitchen diner. Sumptuous contemporary chairs sit by the wood burning stove which lights up the Edwardian splendour of the room and a lavish Chesterfield styled sofa sits at the other end. In addition to this very spacious room there is a snug, a perfect spot to nestle down with a toasty fire on chilly evenings and watch a movie. A table football game is provided for some family competition.
The five bedrooms in the main house are located on the upper floor, four offering kingsize beds and the last enjoying twin beds. You will dive into deep slumber in crisp linens and wake to beautiful views of the extensive gardens. Like the living spaces, there is a lot of brilliant white and grey going on along with a few blue or pink colour splashes. The soft furnishings are exquisite. The ensuite bathrooms are equally stunning, mostly marbled and all with the very best fittings. You will find a mix of slipper baths where you can enjoy an indulgent soak and showers.
The beautiful Woodpecker studio offers a super kingsize bedroom with its own bathroom and living space. Here there is a sofa bed which can also be used for extra guests. Similarly, the Oak annexe boasts a sofa bed, a kingsize bed and two twin beds as well as a kitchen, lounge and bathroom. Interior designers have created magical spaces in both annexes that fit well with the main house.
Harpsden Hall is a brilliant pick for large family groups or groups of friends that want to explore this fabulous area and make magical holiday memories. You can even bring your pets along for the stay. The house sits in stunning landscaped gardens and a private one and a half acres of woodland, affectionately known as the Dinosaur Wood to locals. The woodland is also enjoyed by many woodland birds and deer so you will wake to the sound of birdsong. You can wander through the woodland listening to owls hooting and the wind whispering through the boughs of the oaks. Lush lawns sit ripe and ready for your furry friends to retrieve balls and join in the fun.
Harpsden Hall is located in the gorgeous Harpsden valley in the village of Harpsden. It is a wonderful area, popular with the rich and famous and labelled Oxfordshire’s ‘poshest village’ by The Telegraph. It sits just outside the gorgeous ancient market town of Henley-on-Thames. Henley-on-Thames is the international home of rowing, sitting on a picturesque stretch of the River Thames and enjoying a wonderful sprinkling of shops, restaurants and cafes. Henley is famous for its prestigious events, the Henley Royal Regatta, the Thames Traditional Boat Festival and the Festival of Music and Art. Thousands of visitors head to the town during the five day Henley Royal Regatta to watch Olympians compete in the two hundred plus races. The Thames Traditional Boat Festival first took place thirty seven years ago. It is a fun day out for the whole family with Punch and Judy puppet shows, a pop up pub, stalls offering trades and crafts from days gone by and much more. Henley enjoys beautiful riverside walks and plenty of boating opportunities. The town’s own artisan gin, Mr Hobbs Gin, stems back to 1879 when Mr Harry Hobbs, founder of Hobbs and Sons (now Hobbs of Henley) and publican of The Ship Hotel was often seen about the town with his high-spirited nature and flamboyant beard or on his punt at 11am enjoying his home-distilled gin. He held parties along the banks of the river and hired out his boasts for like-minded locals to host their own gatherings. To mark the 150th anniversary of the family business, the family started to look at local botanicals and embarked on creating their own gin in honour of the man that started it all. The town is also famous as a location used in the popular series Midsomer Murders. Fans will recognise some of the locations used such as Gabriel Machin’s butcher shop, Tudor House Antiques and the Argyll pub.
Not far away is the university city of Oxford where you can tour the hallowed halls of Britain’s oldest and most famous university and follow in the footsteps of famous poets and Prime Ministers. Several scenes from Harry Potter were filmed at various sites in the town including Oxford University’s Bodleian Library which is known to fans as Hogwarts Library. Visitors enjoy hop-on hop-off bus tours to explore the town’s architecture, its culture and its museums. The ancient Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers Museum are all very interesting. Visitors can step back in history among the Norman ruins of Oxford Castle, wander beneath the Bridge of Sighs or simply enjoy the town’s fantastic array of eateries and bars. Oxford offers meandering waterways, lush green spaces and an outstanding shopping experience.
Thame is another very pretty, thriving market town within easy reach. It is situated at the foot of the Chiltern Hills, just 14 miles from Oxford. Thame boasts fascinating historical buildings, beautiful parks, a museum, a theatre, excellent shopping and a wonderful array of restaurants and bars. Thame grew from Anglo-Saxon roots to become a very characterful town with plenty of medieval buildings standing aside those from the Georgian and Victorian periods. Thame enjoys an iconic boat-shaped high street and a buzzy market place. It is also frequently used as a filming location for ‘Midsomer Murders’. Thame hosts regular markets and arts and crafts fairs in the town hall. The town’s programme of events includes their Easter Country Show, music festivals in May and July, a bustling carnival and fete in June, the Towersey Festival in August, the Horse and Country Show, a food festival and fun fair in, the Arts and Literature Festival in October and a fun-filled Christmas lights fair.
Within, very easy reach, the Cotswolds is a stunning area brimming with super attractive towns and villages including Chipping Norton, Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold, Tetbury and Chipping Campden. Many of the picturesque market towns are old wool towns with amazing architecture, much of which features the gorgeous honey coloured Cotswold stone. Bourton-on-the-Water, like most of the Cotswolds, lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is the Venice of the Cotswolds with beautiful bridges crossing the River Windrush. Gorgeous cosy cafes line the pretty streets together with attractive houses. Stow-on-the-Wold is a delightful market town, one of the highest of the Cotswold towns, exposed on the 800 feet high Stow Hill at the crossroads with the Roman Fosse Way. The town boasts a fascinating history. At the height of the Cotswolds wool industry, it held annual fairs where as many as 20000 sheep were sold at one time. The Market Square is very attractive with its ancient cross, town stocks and an elegant array of Cotswold town houses and shops. You will find many fine antique shops, art galleries, gift and craft shops. Tetbury is another historic wool town. It is an architectural gem with many of the wool merchant’s houses remaining the same as they were in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Parish Church of St Mary’s has one of the tallest and most elegant spires in the UK. Tetbury is popular for its independent shops including antique shops, vintage and interior shops, exclusive boutiques and the Highgrove shop. Tetbury holds many regular events including the May Day Wacky Races, the Spring Bank Holiday Woolsack Races when contestants carry 65lb woolsacks up and down the 1 in 4 hill, the August Summer Show, the September Food and Drink Festival, the October Tetbury Music Festival and the Christmas Lights Switch-on. Close to Chipping Norton, you can visit Soho Farmhouse. Spread across 100 acres of Oxfordshire countryside, it offers many attractions including fabulous eateries from Japanese grill dishes at Pen Yen to Hay Barn’s delicious wood oven pizzas, horse riding, tennis, a fantastic spa, the Soho Health Club, an indoor-outdoor pool, clay pigeon shooting, boating on the lake and lots more. Daylesford Organic Farm is also very popular with its clover-rich pastures and organic animals roaming freely. You can buy fresh vegetables, fruit and herbs which are picked daily from the market garden and visit the award-winning farmshop and cafe. Beyond the farmshop is the Bamford Barn, Wellness Spa, Workshop, Cookery School and several options for indoor and outdoor dining.
The magnificent Harpsden Hall sits in the beautiful village of Harpsden, just outside Henley-on-Thames. Sitting in Harpsden valley, it is next to Henley Golf Course which will please the golfers amongst you! With five bedrooms in the main house and the Woodpecker Studio and the Oak Annexe, this stunning property can sleep twenty guests in total. It is incredibly stylish, absolutely immaculate and very luxurious.
Harpsden has been crowned Oxfordshire’s ‘poshest’ village by The Telegraph. The area is brimming with celebrity homes including those of Russell Brand and Mary Berry. Harpsden sits on the edge of the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Henley-on-Thames. It’s High Wood is full of beautiful bluebells in May. The village has enjoyed a few TV appearances including Agatha Christie’s Marple episodes ‘Nemesis’ and ‘By the Pricking of My Thumbs’ and Harpsden Court was used for the Bond film Quantum of Solace. It is very pretty and beautifully kept. The fabulous 13th century market town of Henley sits on a picturesque stretch of the River Thames with delightful walks and regular festivities. The Henley Royal Regatta is the most famous regatta in the world and a highlight on the English sporting calendar. Henley now even has its own special gin, Mr Hobbs Gin. The Chiltern Hills are ready of exploration, offering scenic rolling countryside and wonderful tranquility. You will discover tucked away villages, chalk-fed streams, ancient woods, superb scenery, intriguing attractions and gorgeous market towns.
The Edwardian Harpsden Hall comes with fantastic living spaces. The kitchen diner is beautiful in white and anthracite grey. It boasts a range cooker, other outstanding appliances including a wine fridge and a sociable island with stools so that the chefs in your group can have company. Just off the kitchen is a smart utilty room with a giant American style fridge freezer and a butler’s sink. The Orangery dining area is wonderful with a gorgeous table and chairs perfectly positioned to enjoy exquisite garden views. Double doors open the garden and a huge roof light sits above the table. With another complete wall of windows, this is a very and airy space. Underfloor heating will keep you warm all year round. The living area is also very special with a wooden floor as opposed to the beautiful tiles in the kitchen diner. Sumptuous contemporary chairs sit by the wood burning stove which lights up the Edwardian splendour of the room and a lavish Chesterfield styled sofa sits at the other end. In addition to this very spacious room there is a snug, a perfect spot to nestle down with a toasty fire on chilly evenings and watch a movie. A table football game is provided for some family competition.
The five bedrooms in the main house are located on the upper floor, four offering kingsize beds and the last enjoying twin beds. You will dive into deep slumber in crisp linens and wake to beautiful views of the extensive gardens. Like the living spaces, there is a lot of brilliant white and grey going on along with a few blue or pink colour splashes. The soft furnishings are exquisite. The ensuite bathrooms are equally stunning, mostly marbled and all with the very best fittings. You will find a mix of slipper baths where you can enjoy an indulgent soak and showers.
The beautiful Woodpecker studio offers a super kingsize bedroom with its own bathroom and living space. Here there is a sofa bed which can also be used for extra guests. Similarly, the Oak annexe boasts a sofa bed, a kingsize bed and two twin beds as well as a kitchen, lounge and bathroom. Interior designers have created magical spaces in both annexes that fit well with the main house.
Harpsden Hall is a brilliant pick for large family groups or groups of friends that want to explore this fabulous area and make magical holiday memories. You can even bring your pets along for the stay. The house sits in stunning landscaped gardens and a private one and a half acres of woodland, affectionately known as the Dinosaur Wood to locals. The woodland is also enjoyed by many woodland birds and deer so you will wake to the sound of birdsong. You can wander through the woodland listening to owls hooting and the wind whispering through the boughs of the oaks. Lush lawns sit ripe and ready for your furry friends to retrieve balls and join in the fun.
Harpsden Hall is located in the gorgeous Harpsden valley in the village of Harpsden. It is a wonderful area, popular with the rich and famous and labelled Oxfordshire’s ‘poshest village’ by The Telegraph. It sits just outside the gorgeous ancient market town of Henley-on-Thames. Henley-on-Thames is the international home of rowing, sitting on a picturesque stretch of the River Thames and enjoying a wonderful sprinkling of shops, restaurants and cafes. Henley is famous for its prestigious events, the Henley Royal Regatta, the Thames Traditional Boat Festival and the Festival of Music and Art. Thousands of visitors head to the town during the five day Henley Royal Regatta to watch Olympians compete in the two hundred plus races. The Thames Traditional Boat Festival first took place thirty seven years ago. It is a fun day out for the whole family with Punch and Judy puppet shows, a pop up pub, stalls offering trades and crafts from days gone by and much more. Henley enjoys beautiful riverside walks and plenty of boating opportunities. The town’s own artisan gin, Mr Hobbs Gin, stems back to 1879 when Mr Harry Hobbs, founder of Hobbs and Sons (now Hobbs of Henley) and publican of The Ship Hotel was often seen about the town with his high-spirited nature and flamboyant beard or on his punt at 11am enjoying his home-distilled gin. He held parties along the banks of the river and hired out his boasts for like-minded locals to host their own gatherings. To mark the 150th anniversary of the family business, the family started to look at local botanicals and embarked on creating their own gin in honour of the man that started it all. The town is also famous as a location used in the popular series Midsomer Murders. Fans will recognise some of the locations used such as Gabriel Machin’s butcher shop, Tudor House Antiques and the Argyll pub.
Not far away is the university city of Oxford where you can tour the hallowed halls of Britain’s oldest and most famous university and follow in the footsteps of famous poets and Prime Ministers. Several scenes from Harry Potter were filmed at various sites in the town including Oxford University’s Bodleian Library which is known to fans as Hogwarts Library. Visitors enjoy hop-on hop-off bus tours to explore the town’s architecture, its culture and its museums. The ancient Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers Museum are all very interesting. Visitors can step back in history among the Norman ruins of Oxford Castle, wander beneath the Bridge of Sighs or simply enjoy the town’s fantastic array of eateries and bars. Oxford offers meandering waterways, lush green spaces and an outstanding shopping experience.
Thame is another very pretty, thriving market town within easy reach. It is situated at the foot of the Chiltern Hills, just 14 miles from Oxford. Thame boasts fascinating historical buildings, beautiful parks, a museum, a theatre, excellent shopping and a wonderful array of restaurants and bars. Thame grew from Anglo-Saxon roots to become a very characterful town with plenty of medieval buildings standing aside those from the Georgian and Victorian periods. Thame enjoys an iconic boat-shaped high street and a buzzy market place. It is also frequently used as a filming location for ‘Midsomer Murders’. Thame hosts regular markets and arts and crafts fairs in the town hall. The town’s programme of events includes their Easter Country Show, music festivals in May and July, a bustling carnival and fete in June, the Towersey Festival in August, the Horse and Country Show, a food festival and fun fair in, the Arts and Literature Festival in October and a fun-filled Christmas lights fair.
Within, very easy reach, the Cotswolds is a stunning area brimming with super attractive towns and villages including Chipping Norton, Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold, Tetbury and Chipping Campden. Many of the picturesque market towns are old wool towns with amazing architecture, much of which features the gorgeous honey coloured Cotswold stone. Bourton-on-the-Water, like most of the Cotswolds, lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is the Venice of the Cotswolds with beautiful bridges crossing the River Windrush. Gorgeous cosy cafes line the pretty streets together with attractive houses. Stow-on-the-Wold is a delightful market town, one of the highest of the Cotswold towns, exposed on the 800 feet high Stow Hill at the crossroads with the Roman Fosse Way. The town boasts a fascinating history. At the height of the Cotswolds wool industry, it held annual fairs where as many as 20000 sheep were sold at one time. The Market Square is very attractive with its ancient cross, town stocks and an elegant array of Cotswold town houses and shops. You will find many fine antique shops, art galleries, gift and craft shops. Tetbury is another historic wool town. It is an architectural gem with many of the wool merchant’s houses remaining the same as they were in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Parish Church of St Mary’s has one of the tallest and most elegant spires in the UK. Tetbury is popular for its independent shops including antique shops, vintage and interior shops, exclusive boutiques and the Highgrove shop. Tetbury holds many regular events including the May Day Wacky Races, the Spring Bank Holiday Woolsack Races when contestants carry 65lb woolsacks up and down the 1 in 4 hill, the August Summer Show, the September Food and Drink Festival, the October Tetbury Music Festival and the Christmas Lights Switch-on. Close to Chipping Norton, you can visit Soho Farmhouse. Spread across 100 acres of Oxfordshire countryside, it offers many attractions including fabulous eateries from Japanese grill dishes at Pen Yen to Hay Barn’s delicious wood oven pizzas, horse riding, tennis, a fantastic spa, the Soho Health Club, an indoor-outdoor pool, clay pigeon shooting, boating on the lake and lots more. Daylesford Organic Farm is also very popular with its clover-rich pastures and organic animals roaming freely. You can buy fresh vegetables, fruit and herbs which are picked daily from the market garden and visit the award-winning farmshop and cafe. Beyond the farmshop is the Bamford Barn, Wellness Spa, Workshop, Cookery School and several options for indoor and outdoor dining.
Hereford, Herefordshire, Heart of England
From £434
Availability
This timber clad detached cottage is located close to the Herefordshire village of Abbey Dore and can sleep four people in two bedrooms.
Hill Farm Cottage is a detached single storey cottage on the owner's 80 acre sheep farm near to the village of Abbey Dore in Herefordshire. This timber clad cottage has two bedrooms, one double and one twin. The cottage also has a family bathroom, a fitted kitchen with a dining area and a sitting room with a woodburning stove and doors which lead to the garden. Outside the cottage is off road parking for three cars as well as the garden which has outdoor furniture, a barbecue and a bike store. Being just a couple of miles from all modern conveniences and with stunning views, Hill Farm Cottage is in a perfect location for a rural retreat.
Amenities: Oil central heating with wood burning stove in sitting room. Electric oven and hob, microwave, fridge, washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher, TV with Freeview, DVD player, WIFI. Fuel, power and starter pack for wood burning stove inc. in rent. Bed linen and towels inc. in rent. Off road parking for 3 cars. Garden with furniture and BBQ. Shed for bike storage. One well-behaved dog welcome. Sorry, no smoking. Shop, 2 x pubs serving food, fish & chip shop, butchers, post office and ATM all 10 mins drive. Please note: Bookings must fall between a Friday and Friday only.
Region: Herefordshire offers visitors the chance to journey through lush green countryside, enjoying splendid black-and-white timbered villages, a magnificent cathedral city, a fairytale Georgian castle at Eastnor or books galore in famous Hay-on-Wye.
Town: The village of Abbey Dore is situated on the River Dore, at the southern end of the beautiful Golden Valley, close to the Brecon Beacons National Park and the Black Mountains. The village is home to the Abbey Dore Court Gardens, open to the public between April and September, Dore Abbey, founded in 1147 by Cistercian monks and restored to its present form in the 18th and 19th Century, and the Neville Arms, a pub serving local ales and ciders. Surrounded by pleasant orchards and cornfields, the village is also close to the Offa's Dyke and Wye Valley walks - a wonderful all year round location with plenty to see and do for all the family.
Located in Hereford, this cabin is in a rural area. Hereford Museum and Art Gallery and Cider Museum & King Offa Distillery are cultural highlights, and some of the area's attractions include Battlelands Paintball and Oldfield Forge. Fishing offers a great chance to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with cycling and hiking nearby.
Sitting in the quaint village of Highmoor, in Oxfordshire’s glorious Chiltern Hills, Holly Grove House is a fantastic new property with six generous bedrooms, fabulous living spaces and a hot tub in the garden!
Highmoor is a charming village with an inviting pub surrounded by natural countryside. The village is just four miles west of the 13th century market town of Henley-on-Thames, famous for its regatta. Henley sits on a picturesque stretch of the river full of delightful unique shops, atmospheric pubs and wonderful eateries. The Henley Royal Regatta is the most famous in the world and a highlight on the sporting calendar. Featured in Midsomer Murders, the town is one of the most beautiful in England. Henley now even has its own special gin, Mr Hobbs Gin. Guests staying at Holly Grove House also enjoy very easy access to Oxford, Thame, Bicester Village and the Cotswolds Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Chiltern Hills is another area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ready of exploration and offering the pure natural beauty of rolling English countryside and tranquility. You will discover tucked away villages, chalk-fed streams, ancient woods, superb scenery, intriguing attractions and gorgeous market towns.
Holly Grove House is excellent for groups of friends or a large multi-generational family. If you care to use the sofabed in the main living room, the house can sleep up to fourteen guests. The house is located in the heart of the picturesque countryside surrounded by lush woodland and fields. Being detached, guests enjoy complete privacy and seclusion. Holly Grove House enjoys a large fenced garden which offers a hot tub, alfresco dining and lounging and a large lawn, perfect for children to play in.
This modern home boasts two living areas, one a formal lounge with comfy furnishings and a feature fireplace with a log burning stove and the other with a gorgeous corner sofa and Smart television. The main living room is very generous in size and very sophisticated with its decor. A delightful patterned wallpaper sits above the dado rail and gorgeous sofas and chairs sit in front of the fire. It is more traditional in styling than modern with some interesting artworks and huge mirrors. One of the sofas is a sofabed which you are welcome to use as extra sleeping space. The second living space is actually also very generous in size, boasting a luxurious corner sofa and direct access to the patio where you can indulge yourselves in a pampering session in the hot tub. The kitchen and dining area is open plan in design. It is an extremely sociable space where guests can easily keep the chefs in your group company. The appliances are exceptional and include an American style fridge freezer, a double oven and an induction hob. There is a separate utility room with a microwave, more storage and laundry facilities. The huge dining table and chairs sit in front of the bi-fold doors enjoying lovely countryside and garden views. You can open the doors to enjoy a soft summer breeze or dine alfresco on the patio. In addition, the ground floor is home to one of the bedrooms, a sizeable one with a comfy super kingsize bed and a sofa. It also boasts a large bay window drowning the room in natural light.
Upstairs you will discover five more bedrooms, three offering super kingsize beds, one with a kingsize bed and two with twin beds. Like the downstairs bedroom, the beds are super comfy and beautifully dressed. The bedrooms enjoy gorgeous views of the rolling Oxfordshire countryside and two boast ensuite bathrooms. There is another family bathroom and a separate toilet. Two also offer Smart televisions.
Outside there is a huge parking space and a lovely lawned garden. You can connect your Bluetooth device to the built in speakers and laze away in the hot tub listening to your favourite soundtracks while children play on the lawn. Just make sure you grab a chilled bottle of wine or fizz before you get in! Once you are fully relaxed, the village enjoys independant shops and a fantastic pub.
Holly Grove House is located on the outskirts of the village of Highmoor. Surrounded by heavenly countryside, it is an idyllic spot where you can quickly enjoy the charms of Henley-on-Thames, Thame, Reading, Oxford, the Chiltern Hills and the Cotswolds.
Henley-on-Thames is the international home of rowing, sitting on a beautiful stretch of the River Thames and enjoying a picturesque sprinkling of shops, restaurants and cafes along its streets. It is a very stylish town that becomes packed during the Henley Royal Regatta, the Thames Traditional Boat Festival and the Festival of Music and Art. Thousands of people flock to the town during the five day regatta to be entertained by the 200 plus races with Olympians participating. The Thames Traditional Boat Festival was first held 37 years ago. It is a fun day out for the whole family with Punch and Judy, a pop up pub, trades and crafts from days gone by and much more. The gorgeous riverside walks and boating opportunities are very much part of the town. Fans of Midsomer Murders will recognise some of the locations used in the series such as Gabriel Machin’s butcher shop, Tudor House Antiques and the Argyll pub.
Thame is a very pretty, thriving market town situated at the foot of the Chiltern Hills, just 14 miles from Oxford. It boasts many historical buildings, beautiful parks, a museum, a theatre, wonderful shopping and a fabulous array of restaurants and bars. Thame grew from Anglo-Saxon roots and has become a very characterful town with plenty of medieval buildings standing aside those from the Georgian and Victorian periods. Thame enjoys an iconic boat-shaped high street and a market place. It is also frequently used as a filming location for ‘Midsomer Murders’. Thame hosts regular markets and arts and crafts fairs in the town hall. The town’s programme of events includes their Easter Country Show, music festivals in May and July, a bustling carnival and fete in June, the Towersey Festival in August, the Horse and Country Show, a food festival and fun fair in, the Arts and Literature Festival in October and a fun-filled Christmas lights fair. There are some wonderful trails in and around the town.
Oxford offers a trip into the brains of the nation. You can tour the hallowed halls of Britain’s oldest and most famous university and follow in the footsteps of famous poets and Prime Ministers. Several scenes from Harry Potter were filmed at various sites in the town including Oxford University’s Bodleian Library which is known to fans as Hogwarts Library. You can take a fun hop-on hop-off bus tour to explore the town, its culture, museums and fabulous architecture. You can delve into the past at the ancient Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers Museum. You can step back in history among the Norman ruins of Oxford Castle, wander beneath the Bridge of Sighs or simply enjoy its fantastic array of restaurants and bars. It offers meandering waterways, lush green spaces and an outstanding shopping experience.
Fashion lovers and bargain hunters might want to head to Bicester Village, an impressive designer shopping outlet selling big name brands such as Ralph Lauren, Nike, UGG, Coach, Soho Home, Armani, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana and many more.
If you have time, you can also head into the Cotswolds to visit some wonderful towns and villages including Chipping Norton, Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold, Tetbury and Chipping Campden. Many of the attractive market towns are old wool towns with amazing architecture, much of which features the gorgeous honey coloured Cotswold stone. Bourton-on-the-Water, like most of the Cotswolds, lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is the Venice of the Cotswolds with beautiful bridges crossing the River Windrush. Gorgeous cosy cafes line the pretty streets together with attractive houses. Stow-on-the-Wold is a delightful market town, one of the highest of the Cotswold towns, exposed on the 800 feet high Stow Hill at the crossroads with the Roman Fosse Way. The town boasts a fascinating history. At the height of the Cotswolds wool industry, it held annual fairs where as many as 20000 sheep were sold at one time. The Market Square is very attractive with its ancient cross, town stocks and an elegant array of Cotswold town houses and shops. You will find many fine antique shops, art galleries, gift and craft shops. Tetbury is another historic wool town. It is an architectural gem with many of the wool merchant’s houses remaining the same as they were in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Parish Church of St Mary’s has one of the tallest and most elegant spires in the UK. Tetbury is popular for its independent shops including antique shops, vintage and interior shops, exclusive boutiques and the Highgrove shop. Tetbury holds many regular events including the May Day Wacky Races, the Spring Bank Holiday Woolsack Races when contestants carry 65lb woolsacks up and down the 1 in 4 hill, the August Summer Show, the September Food and Drink Festival, the October Tetbury Music Festival and the Christmas Lights Switch-on. Close to Chipping Norton, you can visit Soho Farmhouse. Spread across 100 acres of Oxfordshire countryside, it offers many attractions including fabulous eateries from Japanese grill dishes at Pen Yen to Hay Barn’s delicious wood oven pizzas, horse riding, tennis, a fantastic spa, the Soho Health Club, an indoor-outdoor pool, clay pigeon shooting, boating on the lake and lots more. Close to this is the famous Diddly Squat Farm Shop which was opened in 2020 by Jeremy Clarkson and Lisa Hogan, a small barn with delicious foods and a full bar with cool draft beers, lagers, ciders and rose. Everything is produced on Diddly Squat Farm or by neighbours in the Cotswolds. It is just a few minutes from the house. Daylesford Organic Farm is also very popular, the iconic flagship Daylesford Organic location surrounded by clover-rich pastures where organic animals roam freely. You can buy fresh vegetables, fruit and herbs which are picked daily from the market garden and visit the award-winning farmshop and cafe. Beyond the farmshop is the Bamford Barn, Wellness Spa, Workshop, Cookery School and several options for indoor and outdoor dining.
