The school holidays have passed and crowds have thinned. Beaches are quieter, orchards are heavy with fruit and gardens glow in the warmth of a mellower sun - all the pleasures of summer, with a little more space to enjoy them. For those reluctant to let the season slip away, we’ve rounded up homes that invite you to savour its final, sun-drenched weeks. From a storybook cottage tucked deep within Shropshire woodland to a turreted castle overlooking the Tamar Valley, these are places where days can still be spent swimming beneath open skies, kayaking along quiet canals and exploring ancient woodland, before sinking into a hot tub as dusk settles in. | 
