Country weekend breaks near London

In a couple of hours, you could be reclining on the veranda of your very own beach house, rosé on ice, sea salt on your lips and lobster on the barbecue – with the hubbub of the concrete jungle a distant memory. The luxury private homes that form this collection of country weekend breaks near London have all been hand-picked, nitpicking-ly examined, and granted the Unique Homestays stamp of approval, meaning a swift self-catering escape from the city has never been so easy and carefree.

As the crowds shuffle in for their weekend revelries, London locals are slyly departing. From gathering with all the family in lavish mansions with swimming pools, to holing up with their beaus in romantic cottages where Champagne and real fires reign, city-escapers (often with dogs in tow) are turning to out-of-towners in as little as three hours. Go big with indoor bowling alleys, at-home cinemas, and secret gardens, or take the hygge highway to hot tubs. The coast and country are calling.