Secret garden escapes
Far from the madding crowds, with tangled trees, walled gardens and fragrant rose arches, our secret garden escapes are the stuff of green-fingered dreams.
Luxury isn't bound by bricks and mortar, and while velvet sofas and linen sheets make for romance, it's the setting which can really set our souls on fire. We've thoroughly enjoyed the 'task' of scouring the back gardens and extensive grounds of luxury country homes right across the UK to find secret boltholes with the emphasis on green. Think pretty fences hiding scrambling clematis and romantic swags of purple flowering wisteria, scarlet creeper and heavenly scented roses; our secret garden escapes celebrate the pruned and re-wilded, the perfectly manicured and wildly unkempt. Retreat to a self-catering idyll where al fresco living is the name of the game, walking barefoot across the dewy lawn with the morning paper and a basket of croissants, enjoying a quiet coffee in the dappled light of your own private orchard.
Wishbone
Malvern, Malvern Hills, Worcestershire, UK
Tranquillity and romance unfold in the heart of the Malvern Hills at this rough-luxe self-catering barn conversion set in 16 acres of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Wishbone is perfect for couples wanting to go off the radar into their own little paradisiacal land.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,450 per week, £1,095 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Fishing lake and fire pit
Dragonwood Boat House
A boutique boat house designed with romance in mind, Dragonwood Boat House is a traditional Victorian bolthole with a modern Italian twist. This lakeside abode near Oakham, Rutland offers luxury self-catering breaks in the most magical of settings.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,250 per week, £995 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Kayaks, well-stocked fishing lakes
The Hop Store
Set within 150 acres of perfectly aligned hop yards, rolling meadows and juicy apple orchards, The Hop Store is idyllically situated on one of the last remaining hop farms in the UK.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,695 per week, £1,295 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Hot tub and fire pit, heated garden room, games room with bar, pool table, dartboard and giant jenga
The Walled Garden
Dyrham, Bath, The Cotswolds, UK
Perhaps the most ornate vegetable store in the whole of England, The Walled Garden began life as a potato house for Dyrham Park. This romantic retreat sits on the western edge of the Cotswolds, not far from Bath and all its gleaming treasures.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,450 per week, £1,095 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: One small well-behaved dog is welcome
Features: Fire pit, use of the owners´ tennis court
Tangle Belle
St Martin, Helford, Cornwall, UK
Situated in acres of private woodland with the pretty stream meandering along beside, this wooden-cladded self-catering cottage near Helford is the epitome of rural charm and exudes oodles of rustic country character.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,295 per week, £995 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
The Hamptons
Nestled within the grounds of a country estate, The Hamptons is a New England-style cottage flaunting chic interiors, lying within easy reach of the blue waters and golden sands of Kynance Cove on the Lizard Peninsula.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,050 per week, £795 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Fairlea Lodge
Hidden within the grounds of one of the Great Gardens of Cornwall, there couldn’t be a finer self-catering cottage in which to while away the days on the Lizard Peninsula.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,595 per week, £1,195 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Hot tub
The Stack
The Stack lies within a secluded valley overlooking the upper reaches of the magnificent Fal Valley. This 19th century engine house is sure to inspire those with a love for unique architecture, rough-luxe interiors and beautiful gardens.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £2,250 per week, £1,650 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 & Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Sunken hot tub, cinema room, al fresco kitchen with pizza oven
Mulberry Mill
Billingshurst, West Sussex, UK
There’s something quite special about this romantic old mill on the River Arun. Sandwiched between the High Weald and South Downs AONB with beautiful topiary gardens, this charming country home on the edge of Billingshurst is a rural idyll.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £1,750 per week, £1,150 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 guests
Pets: Two pets are welcome
Features: Canoes for the river, foosball room
Pollyanna
Birlingham, Worcestershire, UK
This whimsical thatched holiday cottage in Birlingham is plucked straight from the pages of a storybook and exudes beauty and charm in bountiful measure.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £1,395 per week, £995 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 & Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two small well-behaved dogs considered on prior request
The Lost Music Hall
Created by a London dandy to serve as his secret retreat from society, this former music hall has been restored in all its Arts and Crafts glory to offer unique escapes in a hidden valley of Devon's South Hams AONB.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £1,995 per week, £1,495 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 & Up to 12 guests
Pets: Two pets are welcome
Features: Heated outdoor swimming pool (May-September) and games room with table tennis and darts
Valency Wood
Lesnewth, Boscastle, Cornwall, UK
This stunning family-friendly self-catering cottage is in a rural location, yet within striking distance of the Cornish coastal villages of Tintagel, Boscastle and Crackington Haven.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £1,695 per week, £1,250 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 & Up to 2 guests
Pets: Three well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Jacuzzi hot tub
The Carriage House
A stylish luxury home for all the family to enjoy some time out close to Dorset's Jurassic coast in quaint Litton Cheney.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £1,350 per week, £1,050 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Use of tennis court
Midsummer Wood
Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
This magical Cotswolds millhouse calls you to run wild in private woodland, get lost amidst secret wildflower meadows, dive into a 12-metre indoor pool and unfurl within lavish Jacobean interiors.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
From: £5,495 per week, £4,150 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Indoor heated swimming pool, two steam rooms, tennis court and games room with ping pong, gym and large TV
The Hatch
Beach Road, Crantock, Cornwall, UK
Taking guests on a tactile journey through earthen tones and organic textures, this luxury self-catering cottage has been crafted with soul. A cool coastal retreat just a short stroll from Crantock beach.
Sleeps: Up to 9 guests (+ 1 in trundle bed on prior request)
From: £3,450 per week, £2,595 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 & Up to 4 guests
Pets: Three well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Games room with table tennis and cinema loft, plus garden home office
Morwell
Calstock, Tamar Valley, Cornwall, UK
Tenderly cosseted by the arms of the Tamar Valley AONB, this stylish luxury self-catering farmhouse with natural outdoor swimming pool enjoys 1.5 miles of private river frontage.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
From: £2,995 per week, £4,450 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 & Up to 4 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Table tennis, natural outdoor swimming pool (available July - September)
Castle Trinity
A luxury self-catering homestay for extended families and large parties, Castle Trinity is an exclusive kingdom of ritzy indulgence near the Peak District.
Sleeps: Sleeps up to 10
From: £8,650 per week, £4,595 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 & Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two small well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Heated indoor swimming pool, steam room, wellness and yoga room, outdoor hot tub, gym, pool table and piano
Cadence
A 70’s sci-fi film was the unlikely inspiration for this playful modern retreat. Award-winning for its design and settled within poetic South Downs scenery; this architect's private home is a fine example of the new English country house.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
From: £5,950 per week
Pets: Two well-behaved pets are welcome
The Parsonage
A beautifully designed Grade-II listed old parsonage with stunning gardens, set on the outskirts of Ombersley in the rolling green Abberley Hills.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
From: £3,750 per week, £2,650 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 & Up to 4 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Tundra hot tub
Rhapsody
A utopia of surreal garden sculptures, topsy-turvy architecture and glass-like pools, Rhapsody has fallen head first through the rabbit hole and landed in the heart of Wonderland.
Sleeps: Up to 12 (10 adults and 2 children)
From: £10,995 per week, £11,250 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Outdoor heated swimming pool (May - September), with jet stream, sunken hot tub, yoga studio, glass reading room overhanging the pond, cinema room, games room (with pool table, darts and table football)
Avalon Manor
Upton Scudamore, Wiltshire, UK
Superb 14th century large self-catering Manor House in Wiltshire. Stylish and historic, it's the perfect luxury country house.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests (+ 2 children)
From: £4,195 per week, £2,995 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome (aged two and above)
Features: Games room, mini gym and tree house for children. A cedar hot tub and outdoor woodfired BBQ and pizza oven.
Atelier Rose
This luxury riverside home is a wonderland of vintage charm. Ring the old pull-string bell and push open the door to botanic coving, four-poster beds, an orangery with giant tin spa bath and secret topiary gardens.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests (10 adults and 2 children)
From: £3,250 per week, £2,450 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Large William Holland spa bath, cinema room, pool table room
Forestkeepers
Fordingbridge, New Forest, Hampshire, UK
A bespoke treehouse, zip wire and outdoor swimming pool await discovery within the grounds, while a garden gate leads straight into the New Forest, tempting picnics in woodland glades, wild swimming and Gruffalo hunting.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests (+ 4 children)
From: £3,650 per week, £2,750 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Heated outdoor swimming pool (available 4th March to end of October), treehouse, zipwire, trampoline, football goals, netball hoop, games room with air hockey and arcade machine, cinema room
Florin
Aberaeron, Ceredigion, Wales, UK
A beautifully-appointed stylish large country house set in five acres of magical gardens near Aberaeron, Ceredigion. A luxury home for family celebrations with plenty of space for several generations to unwind.
Sleeps: Up to 14 guests
From: £3,295 per week, £2,395 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 10 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub, treehouse for children, library with pool table, modern garden house with pizza oven
Benetfeld
Ablaze against the green and pleasant fields of Berkshire, this unique country home is experiential, immersive and extraordinary; unlike any luxury private house rental before it.
Sleeps: Up to 16 guests
From: £5,995 per week, £4,795 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 10 & Up to 6 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Pool table, croquet, golf net, gym equipment, yoga mats
The Sculptor´s Gardens
A luxury country escape overflowing in vintage fizz, this unique pairing of riverside properties offer the perfect retreat for large groups and families.
Sleeps: Up to 18 guests (16 adults and 2 children)
From: £5,250 per week
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: William Holland spa bath, tree house, cinema room, games room with pool table. From March 2022, there will be a second William Holland spa bath and an outdoor kitchen
Castle India
Antony Passage, Tamar Valley, Cornwall, UK
Fantastical, extravagant and sublimely positioned at the edge of Cornwall’s luscious Tamar Valley, pass through the gates of Castle India and enter a world of pure imagination.
Sleeps: Up to 18 guests
From: £8,995 per week, £6,750 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Outdoor natural pool (available May - September), pool house, fire pit, ping pong table, football goals and trampoline
