It is tempting, in an age of constant connectivity, to think of switching off as an act of deprivation. Perhaps the opposite is true. Once the screen disappears, the world becomes busier: birdsong becomes audible; weather becomes theatre; food tastes better after gathering it yourself; darkness becomes an invitation to look up.
Across some of our most characterful retreats, the antidote to digital overload is wonderfully analogue. Days are measured not in notifications and a stacked digital calendar but in swims, walks, games, fireside meals and the changing light. Here are five ways to leave the screen behind – and let the real world take centre stage.
Forage
The pleasure of foraging is partly in the food, but mostly in the noticing. A walk becomes a treasure hunt; hedgerows, woodland floors and coastal paths suddenly reveal themselves as a larder.
In Pembrokeshire's Nevern Valley, The Milk Wood is surrounded by ancient sessile oak woodland, making it an ideal base for a morning spent wandering beneath the canopies with a basket in hand. Depending on the season, you might gather wild garlic, sorrel, elderflowers or blackberries, then bring your finds back to the kitchen. A handful of wild garlic can transform butter or a sauce; ripe blackberries need little more than cream, sugar and a warm oven.
At Morwell in Cornwall, the Tamar brings a different kind of abundance: a mile and a half of private riverfront, an orchard centred on a giant mulberry tree, and a market garden lovingly tended by gardener Helen. Raised beds brim with onions and rainbow chard; raspberries tumble gently from their canes and chives bloom in soft purple pom-poms. Seasonal produce might find its way from garden to kitchen in the form of chard baked with Parmesan or raspberries spooned over warm almond tart. Farm-to-table, in the truest sense: grown here, eaten here.
Then there is the coast. Overlooking the Camel Estuary, Kober puts the shoreline within easy reach, where seasonal seaweeds and coastal plants can be discovered alongside mussels, cockles and clams, where local permissions and regulations allow. In the open-plan farmhouse-style kitchen, you might prepare samphire steamed with butter, sea beet wilted with garlic and lemon, or mussels opened in cider and cream. The pleasure is in the immediacy – salt on your skin, the smell of the sea still on your clothes, dinner dictated by what the Cornish landscape has given you.
Rejuvenate
Wellness is rarely found in a single treatment; it is the cumulative alchemy of movement, rest, fresh air and good food.
At The Shearling, an infinity pool – heated year-round and fitted with a swim jet – appears to spill straight into the horizon, framed by a garden designed by Chelsea Flower Show judge and winner Bunny Guinness. Here, the view stretches towards Rutland’s Eyebrook Reservoir, with the surrounding countryside providing a peaceful backdrop for languid swims. In winter, steam rises from the warm water into the crisp air; in summer, the pool becomes a place to float beneath open skies, where red kites and ospreys might be spotted overhead. An outdoor kitchen and generous seating extend the experience beyond the water, inviting slow meals and sundowners as the light turns a honeyed gold.
For a luxury private spa day, Ariabelle in West Sussex has the full repertoire – think a workout in the home gym before laps in the heated indoor pool, or a spell in the sauna and steam room, letting the heat soothe tired muscles. Treatments can also be arranged in the massage room, be it a warm-oil massage infused with heady lavender and rosemary, or a restorative deep-tissue treatment. Round off the ritual with a soak in the hot tub, before heading to the bar for a cucumber Collins.
Beyond the wood-fired hot tub and tennis court, a woodland walkway at The Gallerist in West Sussex, lined with fragrant bluebells in spring, leads to a private sauna and cold plunge. After a dose of contrast therapy, you might swim lengths in the outdoor pool, framed by cabana-striped loungers. Nearby, an al fresco kitchen lends itself to leisurely lunches and, come evening, the fire pit draws everyone together for sundowners.
Observe
Leave the screen behind and let the landscape take over.
By day, waterfall-splashed valleys and tangled woodland invite exploration around Celestia, a traditional farmhouse and converted barn tucked into the solitude of the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park. As night settles over the peaks of Pen y Fan, the landscape gives way to an even greater spectacle: a sky alive with stars. Designed by Chelsea gold medallists The Rich Brothers, its sculptural stargazing bowl offers a secluded place to linger beneath the heavens, with little to distract from the vastness above.
At The Beach Shack, the weather is part of the spectacle. Perched above Portwrinkle Beach in Cornwall, the cabin looks straight out across the sea, where storms might sweep in from the horizon and roll dramatically across the water, or summer light turns its surface to glitter and sets the sky ablaze at sunset. Every detail has been carefully considered to create an elemental experience, from window nooks and a telescope offering front-row seats to the ever-changing tableau, to the chrome bathtub with soul-stirring views across the sea.
Romany in Kent was conceived as a place to write and paint, its surroundings – sweeping coastline, historic towns and open marshland – providing ample inspiration. Nearby Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, is particularly rewarding for birdwatchers, with its unusual flora and abundant birdlife. “Vast numbers of birds winter here, while in spring reed buntings, corn buntings, linnets and lapwings come here to breed. You might catch sight of the rare honey buzzard and purple heron,” says Lucy Gillmore from The Times. “This romantic cabin on the edge of the marsh, near Camber Sands and charming Rye, is the perfect birder’s bolt hole,” she adds.
Play
Rediscover the art of play, an antidote to the well-worn routines of adult life and a welcome source of joy, movement and connection.
At Gulliver’s Hall, 320 acres of private Gloucestershire farmland make an expansive playground. You might start with a game of tennis or padel, before taking a refuelling picnic in the surrounding woodland, eaten in the dappled shade of the trees. Then return for a leisurely game of croquet or a few shots on the basketball court.
Nightjar in the Cotswolds takes the art of staying in seriously. Beneath the house, a dedicated chill-out space offers a velveteen cinema room alongside vintage arcade machines, a pool table and table tennis, with a bar on hand to keep game night well supplied.
Tucked into 11 acres of pastoral Somerset countryside near Butleigh and Glastonbury, Viola has its own self-proclaimed “man cave”, complete with flight and racing simulators. The F1 simulator offers all the adrenaline of the racetrack without requiring you to leave the valley. Similarly, at Fawn Wood in East Sussex, a golf simulator brings the game indoors, so you can practise your swing whatever the weather.
Create
At Inkwell Cottage, creativity has its own room. Tucked into the courtyard, the artist’s studio is warmed by a woodburner and set up for afternoons spent painting, drawing or making. A chaise longue and stack of books invite lingering between projects, whilst the quiet of the Cotswolds provides the perfect backdrop for letting the mind wander.
A luxury pink cob cottage with a balcony overlooking the sands, Alba Beach House is filled with the distinctive light of St Ives, the kind that has drawn artists to this corner of the coast for generations. With the sea stretching out below, inspiration is never far away, whether painting, sketching or putting pen to paper at Alba’s writing desk, which faces Porthmeor Beach in Cornwall.
At Pomona, the line between private home and gallery is blurred. Curated as a retrospective of British artist Terence Coventry’s work, its collection ranges from early self-portraits to bold abstract paintings and the figurative sculptures for which he later became renowned. The result is a home that feels as much a living exhibition as a place to stay, offering the chance to live among art and perhaps see the world a little differently.
Feeling inspired? Peruse our full collection of unique private rental homes.
