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.
The Hop Store
Ledbury, Herefordshire, The Cotswolds, UK
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: £1,095 per week, £825 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: 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: £1,295 per week, £995 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
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: £4,650 per week, £3,550 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Indoor heated swimming pool, two steam rooms, tennis court and games room with ping pong, gym and large TV
