Curious country homes
Here lies a kingdom where chandeliers hang from trees, bookcases lead to secret rooms and real-life wishing wells await. No dream too big no dreamer too small.
Homes of makers, artists and bon vivants, here lie escapes made by those who dare to dream beyond the realms of normality. Each home within this collection holds a story. Some that can be told and others that will remain unearthed, like diamonds buried deep beneath the earth's surface. In one, an eccentric Welsh stamp collector lived, his hundreds of stamps purportedly lost in a house fire and last seen billowing out of the chimney like confetti over the hills of Snowdonia.
In another, concealed by Italian-inspired gardens, a famous London dandy created his secret retreat from society, only discovered decades later in a forgotten Devon valley. Like all fairytales, in each narrative lies a moral to be discovered. So throw caution to the wind, dive down that rabbit hole and explore wonderlands created by some of Britain's biggest dreamers.
The Pandy House
Rowen, Conwy, Snowdonia, Wales, UK
Accessed via a private bridge crossing the Afon Roe, in a world of its own, this mill turned luxury family home in Snowdonia has a personality as big as the national park itself. A perfect cacophony of colour, flamboyance and witty details.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests (8 adults, 2 children)
From: £4,150 per week, £3,095 per short break
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome
Features: Wood-fired hot tub, summer house games room, outdoor kitchen area
Charity
Black Mountains, Herefordshire, UK
Modern rusticity, clever artistry and divine seclusion combine to make Charity the ultimate wild retreat for friends and family gatherings; set down a winding mountain road in the Olchon Valley near the Brecon Beacons.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
From: £2,995 per week, £2,295 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Wood-fired hot tub, sauna, outdoor shower, outdoor pizza oven, table tennis, snooker room, cinema barn
Eirianfa
Llanbedr-Dyffryn-Clwyd, Ruthin, Wales, UK
Cradled within a peaceful valley near Ruthin, this heart-stirring luxury cottage in Denbighshire boasts a games room with hot tub and a private lake, all set within 17 acres in North Wales.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,895 per week, £1,395 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: One medium or two small well-behaved dogs are welcome on prior request
Features: Hot tub, bar, 50" TV, pool table, private lake
Alchemy Hill
Blending seamlessly with the dramatic scenery of the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains, Alchemy Hill is a peaceful and stylish retreat set in the rolling hills of Hay on Wye.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
From: £2,295 per week, £1,850 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Outdoor wood-fired eco hot tub, outdoor kitchen
The Wilds
Crickhowell, Brecon Beacons, Wales, UK
This family home sat beneath the peaks of the Brecon Beacons has been sympathetically renovated into a countrified yet stylish abode, complete with a hot tub on the private sun terrace.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
From: £3,250 per week, £2,350 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 guests
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome
Features: Hot tub, electric car charging point
