cottages4you blog: inspiration for your cottage or villa holiday in UK, Ireland and Europe

Like proud parents we showed off our new range of Baby and Toddler friendly cottages last week, so it seemed fitting to showcase something equally new but a bit more grown up this week. And that’s where our new Boutique Cottages collection comes in.

Our Boutique Cottages range showcases properties that go the extra mile to ensure complete relaxation and unrivalled luxury. In short, they’re a bit special. But we think that much is clear from the pics of The Old Bakery in Norfolk.

This lovely property – a wing of the owners’ house – dates from the 16^th century and offers a host of historic features. You’ll find exposed beams, wooden floorboards, an inglenook fireplace, woodburning stove and brick floors combined with some nice country style accoutrements such as a Belfast sink, range cooker and farmhouse style kitchen.

Spring and summer highlights include an outdoor heated pool (avail 9am to 6pm, May to Sep) and shared enclosed garden with furniture and BBQ. There’s also an unfenced pond in the garden. All-weather entertainment includes an exterior games rooms with pool table, air hockey and table football. You’ll also find a TV, DVD player and CD player in the main house.

The surrounding area is no slouch when it comes to charm either. Set beside the River Little Ouse, the village of Blo’ Norton is a delight, with ancient history (Blo’ Norton Hall, St Andrew Church), contemporary events (Frogstock Festival), lovely views and practical needs met with a shop and pub both within 2 miles. The region’s tranquility also makes it perfect for cycling, bird watching and walking.

If you’d like to enjoy a luxurious break at The Old Bakery please take a look at the property’s listing on cottages4you. You can find more luxurious holiday properties on our Boutique Cottages website.

We’re already seeing a lot of interest in short breaks as 2012 gathers pace. We’re not surprised really; taking a short break allows you to ease yourself into the New Year and may also help you stick to your resolutions – especially if they involve getting out and about and staying active!

The Nursery, our new Cottage of the Week, offers the kind of stunning location and property you might expect from this feature, but it also has plenty of short break availability over the next few months. And thanks to its stunning location in the Highlands of Scotland you won’t be short of things to see and do on your break!

Located close to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, The Nursery is set amid 20 acres of mature woodland close to beautiful Loch Awe with stunning views of mountains and glens. Opposite Ardbrecknish is majestic Ben Cruachan, and further north are the impressive Glen Coe and Ben Nevis ranges, a mecca for hill walkers all year round.

Both regions have ski centres and within an hour’s drive is the busy town of Oban, ‘Gateway to the Isles’, from where modern ferries take you to Mull and Iona, the cradle of Christianity, Staffa, inspiration for Mendelssohn’s Fingal’s Cave Overture and other Hebridean gems. Loch Awe is just 10 minutes’ walk away and there you can hire motorboats, rowing boats and canoes to explore the waters, or if you fancy something a little more passive you can fish the loch for salmon, char, monster pike and brown trout.

The Nursery itself is one of several properties at the lovely late 16th century Ardbrecknish House. It’s tastefully decorated and offers plenty of character and comfort. You’ll find a bar, restaurant, children’s play area and games room on-site so there should be plenty to keep every member of the family happy! And if you fancy going away with more than six holidaymakers, you’ll find the other properties can accommodate various sized parties, from 2 to 12.

If you’d like to book a short break at The Nursery or any of the other properties at Ardbrecknish House please visit the property’s listing on cottages4you. We’ll be back next week with another Cottage of the Week.

Today (18 Jan) is Winnie the Pooh Day. To celebrate our love for A.A. Milne’s creation we decided to choose a cottage near to the real-life inspiration for Pooh’s adventures.

Not that we needed much prompting to choose The Old Stables in Kent as Cottage of the Week. This lovely listed barn boasts oak beams and exposed oak floors throughout. The spacious living room offers a lovely wood burning stove (fuel included) and rugs to snuggle up on in the winter months. There’s a modern fitted kitchen with everything you could need to cook up a storm and the latch doors serve to convince that this property is one unique and wonderful countryside retreat.

And what a countryside it is! The surrounding 10 acres of land belong to the property’s owner and offer a wealth of tranquility. You’ll find two well-stocked lakes, where coarse fishing is available by arrangement with the owner – not to mention a flush of ducks enjoying their idyllic surroundings.

Further afield you’ll find Hartfield Village, where Milne lived with his family. Ashdown Forest is where he found inspiration for the ‘Hundred Acre Wood’ while taking walks with his son, Christopher Robin. Lovers of Pooh’s adventures will recognise real-life locations such as Gills Lap (Galleon’s Lap in the books) where you will find the Enchanted Place and Wren’s Warren valley, where Eeyore’s Sad and Gloomy Place is located. There’s also the Poohsticks Bridge, renamed in honour of Winnie the Pooh!

Other attractions in the surrounding area include National Trust properties: Wakehurst Place, Sheffield Park and Standen (home of William Morris), as well as Chartwell, Chiddingstone, Hever Castle and Penshurst Place. Tunbridge Wells is close by and offers plenty of seasonal events along with a host of opportunities for some serious retail therapy.

If you fancy a base from which to explore the Hundred Acre Wood, or just fancy taking a peek at some more lovely pics, then take a look at the property’s listing on cottages4you where you can check availability and make your booking.

We love properties that stand out on cottages4you and from our bookings we know that our customers like them too. So when we took a look at the pics of Château de la Vauguyon we knew we had to make it Cottage of the Week. Not only does this unique property offer stunning architecture and a lovely standard of accommodation, it does so in one of France’s most stunning locations.

Château de la Vauguyon’s striking architectural appearance is thanks to its former occupants. In the 12^th century it was a dovecote, which means you get a literal birds eye view of the surrounding landscape. This includes spectacular views of the Chinon château and vineyards.

Thankfully, while it still offers a stunning 12^th century exterior, the inside of the property has been sympathetically restored and renovated in a lovely rustic style.  You’ll find beams, high ceilings, expansive stone walls and a large stone fireplace. The first floor has two very large bedrooms, lovely wooden floors and bright furnishings. If you fancy watching the day’s end to the relaxing accompaniment of birdsong, there’s a lovely little sitting out area outside the property.

The surrounding area is bursting with beauty and a wealth of things to see and do. The stunning villages of Montsoreau and Candé St. Martin are close by and, since you’re in the heart of the of the Touraine wine-growing district, it would be remiss of us not to recommend paying a visit to one of the famous local vineyards. If you fancy something a little more energetic we’d recommend the cycle tracks alongside the river Loire. Horse riding, boating and golf are also easily available close to the property.

We would say more but we suspect you’re probably too busy looking at the pics of this beautiful property! If you fancy taking a look at more then visit the property’s listing on cottages4you, where you can also make a booking and read some lovely customer comments.

What’s your favourite after-dinner party game? This question is given extra topical relevance as Christmas approaches. For us it’s Cluedo. We love a good whodunit. Whether it was Colonel Mustard in the Library, Professor Plum in the Conservatory or someone tripping over a carelessly discarded lead pipe in the Billiard Room, it always keeps us on our toes and keeps us wanting more.

The obvious appeal of The Manor House at Coombe Hall in Drewsteignton, Devon is that it’s like a real life Tudor Mansion, give or take a few changes. We have to get the main one out of the way first: it’s a little safer than its cardboard counterpart, so the only thing you’ll be doing in the Games Room is enjoying the full-size snooker table or free Wi-FI. Likewise the Library is for relaxation and enjoyment, not accusations against other members of your party involving colour-coded characters and candlesticks.

We doubt relaxing is going to be too much of an issue. After all, the double bedroom with 5ft four-poster bed is obviously built for comfort. So too is the South facing drawing room with open fire, or the cosy morning room with wood-burning stove. And what could be more perfect than declaring your intentions of retiring to the Drawing Room?

As you’ll see from some of the pics, the house offers stunning views of the surrounding countryside. Located down a half-mile of private drive, on a captivating corner of Dartmoor, there’s plenty of privacy but, equally, if you want to get out and about you’ll find the region’s man attractions are all easily accessible. Devon’s beaches are just a short drive away and it’s only ten minutes to Exeter.

Drewsteignton boasts the Fingle Bridge pub, which overlooks the River Teign. There’s also the Egon Ronay award winning Drewe Arms, the National Trust’s Castle Drogo, the Mystic Sculpture Garden and more. As it’s situated in an AONB you won’t need to travel far to find rocky tors, wild ponies, exquisite walks, horseriding, fishing, cycling, falconry and golf at Bovey Castle’s award winning course.

There’s far more to see and do at The Manor House, Coombe Hall than we can do justice to in this blog post. If you fancy becoming lord or lady of the manor, or just want to see some more pics, you can take a look and make a booking on the property’s listing on cottages4you.

Notable events of the 16th Century: Da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa, Nostradamus and Shakespeare were born, Francis Drake began a round the world voyage, the toilet flush was invented and our new Cottage of the Week was built. While it may seem like faint praise to compare one of our featured properties to a toilet flush, we’re hoping you’re going to take away the fact that the Leny Estate, like the Mona Lisa, has a heritage and legacy that few can equal. And like Da Vinci’s materpiece, it may have been restored and had minor preservation work over the past half a millennia but it still offers a beautiful, unique and well-preserved window to the past.

The Leny Estate, in Leny Park, is a baronial country mansion set within beautiful parkland and gardens. Surrounded by picturesque countryside and hills, north of Callander, it is located within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. The Buchanan family have called the estate home for 1,000 years and, despite a significant rebuild around 1845 and some restoration in 1998, the property retains a wealth of historic charms.

As the name suggests, our new Cottage of the Week is the North Wing of this majestic property. There’s oak wood panelling, a wood burning stove, four-poster beds, stone floors and period furnishings aplenty. Outside you’ll find a delightful shared orchard garden and woodlands with a lovely babbling stream only 300 yards away.

There are a number of modern features that will make your stay more comfortable without comprising that all-important historic atmosphere. These include electric central heating, digital TV, DVD player, Nintendo Wii and an array of white goods. If you fancy a break for more than four then there are also two self-contained cottages within the grounds (details on the main property listing).

The surrounding area is also filled with extensive activities  including walking, fishing, pony trekking, golf, wildlife, cycling and adventure sports. Callander, 1 mile, has a good range of shops and restaurants. You can explore the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park in Aberfoyle and a short cruise on Loch Katrine is a great way to pass the time.

If you fancy becoming lord of the manor, for a very reasonable rate, then take a look at the property’s listing on cottages4you where you can find out more info, check availability and make a booking online.

One of the greatest pleasures of our Cottage of the Week feature is highlighting somewhere a little bit different and sharing it with our blog readers. We have loads of stunning unconventional properties but with over 10,000 searchable properties in the UK alone, it can be a little hard to find them amongst the wealth of more traditional holiday hideaways.

Just one look at the pictures above should be enough to convince you which group The Chapel Gallery in Wiveliscombe, Somerset belongs to. It’s a hard enough task to modernise a property that’s over 150 years old, let alone repurpose a building for a completely different use, but we’re sure you’ll agree the owners of The Chapel Gallery have done an incredible job. Not only does it offer a tasteful décor throughout but it manages to turn the interior into a vibrant, contemporary living space that’s bursting with personality.

You’ll find an expansive open-plan living space, including a well-equipped kitchen with breakfast bar, a comfortable seating area and a spiral staircase alongside period features like stained glass windows, beamed ceilings and a wooden floor. There are three double bedrooms and a third with two single beds (that can be combined) so there’s plenty of scope to enjoy this wonderful property with a large group of friends and family.

There’s plenty to see and do in the surrounding area too. Wiveliscombe itself is a friendly little market town offering independent traders, historic buildings and pubs offering local ales. Sandy beaches are just a short drive away, as is Exmoor with its stunning scenery, great walks and National Park. If you fancy somewhere a little more civilised there are several National Trust properties nearby.

The Chapel Gallery is a new arrival to our holiday cottage portfolio. If you fancy staying at this beautifully unique property then it currently has availability over Christmas. To book a festive break or find out more please take a look at the property’s listing on cottages4you. In the meantimr we’ll try and find a worthy follow-up for next week!

One of the best things about having such a large number of featured properties in the UK (10,000 at the last count!) is that we can write about practically anywhere. It allows us to shine a little spotlight on some of our favourite locations and share them with our loyal blog readers.

One such location is the Ribble Valley in Lancashire. This beautiful part of the north west of England is located near to both the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, so as you might imagine the traveller isn’t exactly short of surrounding beauty and fantastic ways to have their breath taken. But the Ribble Valley’s loss is the visitor’s gain; you can explore miles and miles of rolling greenery – including a large part of the stunning Forest of Bowland – in matchless tranquillity.

As unlikely as it may seem, the surrounding area is only a small part of the attraction of our new Cottage of the Week. Dating back to the early 17th century, The Old Rib Farm is a detached Grade II listed building. Outside you’ll find landscaped gardens with patio and furniture, inside you’ll find a wealth of original features including oak floors, stone mullioned windows and exposed stonework. If you want more then we haven’t even mentioned open fires, wood-burning stoves or slipper baths. In short: it’s a bit nice.

If you fancy venturing out – and can drag yourself away from the comfort – then along with the aforementioned Lakes and Dales, you’ll find nearby Longridge is well served with boutiques, galleries, delicatessens and gift shops. There is also the Longridge Heritage Trail to explore, allowing you to uncover the bygone times of this historic market town.

Old Rib Farm is a new addition for next year and we have a whole lot more that we can’t wait to share with you. In the meantime if you fancy starting 2012 in complete comfort then you’ll find this property currently has availability for New Year. Check out the property listing on cottages4you to book your stay and find out more.