Master Bathroom Remodeling Ideas | Master Bath Remodel

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Put yourself in this picture. Finally at home after a long day at work, you head directly for your spacious master bathroom. First, a workout on the stationary cycle. Next, a quick shower before you slip into the whirlpool for a soothing soak. But not before you've dimmed the lights, switched off the evening news and dropped a favorite CD into the entertainment unit. After you've soaked, wrap yourself in a heated towel. Or skip the soak and take a few minutes to relax in a steam shower.

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Sound like an impossible dream? Like something from a movie set? This sybaritic fantasy can be a reality if you're willing to add or borrow enough space to create an at-home haven in a master bathroom.

In the not-so-distant past, builders put little emphasis on bathroom space. The result: Full baths in many houses more than a decade old measure a minimal 5 x 7 ft. and contain a utilitarian and uninspired collection of the three necessary fixtures—bathtub, toilet and washbasin. Lighting consists of a lone fixture in the center of the ceiling. There's a single tiny window and, in rare cases, a fan for ventilation.

But, times have changed. Today's new homes offer bigger, more luxurious bathrooms—often called power bathrooms—with all kinds of comfort and convenience features that add value to the home when the time comes to sell. As a result, the owners of older homes can feel a bit more confident about jumping on the remodeling bandwagon. If you own an older home and add or expand a bathroom with the aim of creating a master suite, not only do you get to enjoy the space, but you also help your house become just as desirable to buyers as newer homes.

A new bathroom takes second place in the list of the most popular remodeling projects. A well-designed and well-executed master suite can be expected to return a nationwide average of 87 percent of the construction costs if you sell your home within a year or so. And that figure rises in hot real estate markets to as much as 135 percent in Denver, 117 percent in New Haven, Conn., and 125 percent in San Francisco.

Where to Start

Bathrooms are not only costly, they are complex to remodel. They demand lots of function packed into a small space. And there are myriad details to consider, ranging from door-swing clearances to building code requirements. Bathroom remodels demand the skills of all the major crafts. And while you might be able to take your sweet time about remodeling the family room or even the kitchen, no family can exist comfortably without at least one fully functional bathroom for even a day or two.

A safe way to minimize some of the potential problems of a bath remodel is to hire a bathroom designer. There are several ways to go about this. Look in the Yellow Pages or ask friends and neighbors to recommend an independent bathroom designer. They'll charge you a fee, ranging anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on the complexity of your job. In return, they will meet with you, discuss your needs and wishes and then draw elevations and plans that you can execute yourself or take to a contractor to have built. You can also find many bath designers at kitchen and/or bath dealerships or home centers that offer design services, products and installation. The fee for their design time is generally rolled into the purchase price of the bathroom. 

A design fee is often money well spent if it helps to maximize the space you have and avoid even one glitch in the project. But keep in mind that all bath designers are not created equal. Ask about their training and experience, and check references. 

What to Include

Everyone's idea of luxury is different. To some, it's opulent materials. For others, it's an extra bit of storage space or privacy or the space to work out at home. Begin your bath remodel by defining what luxury means to you. Make a list of everything your "ultimate bath" would include—you can eliminate some of the frills later if the cost becomes prohibitive.

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"Today's master suites are luxurious in terms of comfort rather than glitz," says kitchen and bath expert B. Leslie Hart. Instead of acres of marble and gold faucets, bath remodels today focus on space. "You won't find too many telephone booth showers in today's remodeled baths," says Hart. But you might note an effort to incorporate outdoor space into the bath via a small patio or garden shower or just a large window that takes advantage of a great view. Tumbled marble, nickel, pewter and antique brass hardware finishes are most popular. 

As a rule of thumb, the components of the luxury bath suite consist of some combination of plenty of space, a soaking or whirlpool tub, a sauna or steam generator, a large shower (with multiple massage jets and a seat) and a toilet and possibly a bidet that are separated from the rest of the bath in a private compartment. In addition, the room will have good lighting from a variety of sources (perhaps a skylight or greenhouse window), sufficient, well-planned storage so that all you need for personal pampering is right at your fingertips, and good ventilation. If space allows, designers may include a dressing room, laundry facilities, perhaps a small refrigerator, microwave oven and coffee maker, and enough space for some type of exercise equipment. And don't forget the entertainment system—with telephone, television and sound.

What You Will Spend

What will it cost to have luxury like this? The exact price is hard to pin down because you can put in an $80 faucet or $2,000 faucet, a $400 or $4,000 tub. But it's not unusual to spend $20,000, $30,000 or even $50,000 depending on materials and the scope of structural work necessary. As a rule of thumb, plan to spend about 2 1/2 times the cost of the products you choose on construction. According to Remodeling magazine, upgrading an existing 5 x 9-ft. bath with new fixtures, lighting, and ceramic tile floor and walls will set you back about $8,563. A 6 x 8-ft. full bath addition that includes a standard tub and shower, lighting, linen storage and a ceramic tile floor and walls within an existing floor plan carries an average price tag of $11,721. The average cost of adding a 24 x 16-ft. master suite that includes a separate bath with whirlpool and separate ceramic tile shower, ceramic tile floor and a double-bowl vanity over an existing crawlspace is $37,388.

Finding the Space

Obviously you can't fit all the components of a luxury bath into the typical 35 to 65 sq. ft. allotted for a bathroom in many homes. So you'll need to be creative and look elsewhere for the space. Or add the space for the new bath along with a new master bedroom.

Because so much has to do with the configuration of the other rooms near it, there is no ideal size for a bathroom. But, if you aim to include anything more than the three necessities, allot at least 90 to 100 sq. ft. of space.

If an existing bath backs into a garage it's relatively easy to steal space for a larger shower or tub. If there are neighboring hall closets you can live without, consider eliminating them. Take over all or part of an adjacent bedroom. But don't do this if it means you convert your three-bedroom house to a two-bedroom house.

What to do if this sounds wonderful, but your home doesn't have any spare space? Not to worry. Even a 5 x 8-ft. bath can offer some luxury if it's well-planned. Many of the features mentioned here, such as innovative lighting, proper ventilation and a combination steam room/shower, require very little, if any, additional space.

Use a combination whirlpool/ steam tub/shower unit. If there's just enough space for a 5-ft.-long tub, get a deeper one instead. Several manufacturers offer uniquely shaped shower enclosures made of tempered clear or tinted safety glass. For high-end function as well as appealing looks, opt for a number of pulsating showerheads that provide an all-over body massage. Storage space should be well-organized. Maximize storage potential with clever vanity design, rollout trash bins and shallow drawers, instead of just leaving a cavernous space behind two doors. Plan shallow shelves recessed between the studs and an oversize vanity top that extends over the toilet to create a bit more countertop space.

In the case of a small bath, create luxury with materials, not volume of space. Think about using marble and mirrors, decorative moldings, ceramic tile and/or glass block. Consider a skylight, or roof windows, to ensure the bathroom is bright, even on dark, dreary days. And be sure to plan for more than a single electrical ceiling fixture. Consider specifying low-voltage lighting in the vanity toe kick to provide drama and to function as a nightlight. And plan adequate lighting around both sides and along the top of the mirror so you can see what you're doing when shaving or applying makeup. A tight budget doesn't mean you can't create a power bathroom. Careful choices can keep the budget in line and still produce a luxurious personal retreat.

If cost is your primary consideration, choose laminate over more expensive solid surfacing materials, wood paneling over marble. If you decide to use ceramic tile—one of the most popular, cost-effective and easy-to-maintain options for the bath—select carefully. Tile prices start at a reasonable $2.50 to $3 per square foot, uninstalled. Or you can spend 10 times that. Other suggestions: Forgo high-fashion or custom-color fixtures or hand-painted washbasins, and choose white, which is usually less expensive. And stay away from precious metals for faucets, towel bars and other fittings.

Get Ready

Spend some time in your existing bath and see what's lacking. Notice how you use the space for things like dressing, applying makeup and drying hair. What would you add if you could? Before you order components or begin construction, check local code requirements.

For example, a whirlpool for two will require a 3/4-in. waterline instead of the typical 1/2-in. supply line so that the tub can be filled in a timely fashion. And you must plan ahead for how you'll access a whirlpool tub motor, or the steam shower generator. If you choose multiple showerheads, the contractor needs to know that before planning the configuration of the rough plumbing that will service the shower. Where is the water supply coming in? Is the line large enough? What is the water pressure like in the area?

Careful planning will help you create a bath that adds convenience and luxury to your life as well as value to your home. 

Tub Tip

A whirlpool or soaking tub is a substantial investment, costing anywhere from $200 for a basic model up to more than $20,000. Most fall in the $1,000-to-$5,000 range. Shop for one just as you would any other consumer good. Examine size, material, price, style, safety, color and optional features.

If you decide to include a whirlpool in your new bath suite (not a must, according to bath designers and real estate agents, as long as at least one other bath in the home has a tub), your first consideration is size. Do you want a unit that is large enough for two? Would your needs be better served by a smaller tub and a separate shower? Is your choice limited by available space? And remember, the larger the tub, the larger the water heater, the water bill and the cost.

A word of caution to those who enjoy an occasional soak: You wouldn't dream of buying a suit or pair of shoes without first trying them on for size. Likewise, you shouldn't buy a tub without sitting in it first. If they won't let you climb into the tub where you're shopping, shop someplace else.

Keep in mind that the slant of the backrest as well as length and depth of tubs vary. Make sure the tub fits you. Some whirlpools let you choose the number of jets, usually ranging from four to eight. If your prime interest is in therapeutic massage action, opt for a tub with at least four jets located so they reach the major muscle groups and joints of your body. Some tubs offer jets that are directionally adjustable while others allow you to adjust the air-and-water mix.

The size of the motor determines how powerful the flow of the water is. Motor size also affects how much noise the whirlpool generates. If you find the prospect of motor noise unpleasant, be sure to discuss tub and motor placement, as well as extra insulation, with your contractor or bath designer.

Because a whirlpool is both a plumbing fixture and an electrical product, both service requirements must be taken into account. Most tubs require a 15-amp, 115-volt electrical service that should be placed on a separate electrical circuit. And if you opt for a heater to maintain the water temperature (don't expect it to heat up cold water) you'll need an additional heating circuit.

Consider the faucet to fill your new tub, too. Manufacturers recommend a faucet that flows at 20 gal. to 30 gal. per minute for a standard size whirlpool. If you opt for a larger tub, consider a faucet that flows at a rate of 55 gal. to 120 gal. per minute.

If you do purchase a tub, be sure that it will fit through existing doorways and that there's sufficient maneuvering space to get it into the bathroom. Measure any tricky or tight turns in hallways and stairwells that could sabotage your plans. If you must remove walls to get the tub in, installation costs will soar.

Copyright © Popular Mechanics 2001. Reprinted by permission.

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Dispossessed in the Land of Dreams

Read article : Dispossessed in the Land of Dreams

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Sometime in July 2012, Suzan Russaw and her husband, James, received a letter from their landlord asking them to vacate their $800-a-month one-bedroom apartment in Palo Alto, California. He gave them 60 days to leave. The “no-fault” eviction is a common way to clear out low-paying tenants without a legal hassle and bring in people willing to pay thousands more in rent. James was 83 at the time and suffering from the constellation of illnesses that affect the old: He had high blood pressure and was undergoing dialysis for kidney failure and experiencing the early stages of dementia.

Their rent was actually a couple of hundred dollars more than James’s monthly Social Security benefits, but he made up the rest by piecing together odd jobs. They looked for a new apartment for two months and didn’t find anything close to their price range. Their landlord gave them a six-week extension, but it yielded nothing. When mid-October came, Suzan and James had no choice but to leave. With hurried help from neighbors, they packed most of their belongings into two storage units and a ramshackle 1994 Ford Explorer which they called “the van.” They didn’t know where they were going.

A majority of the homeless population in Palo Alto—93 percent—ends up sleeping outside or in their cars. In part, that’s because Palo Alto, a technology boomtown that boasts a per capita income well over twice the average for California, has almost no shelter space: For the city’s homeless population, estimated to be at least 157, there are just 15 beds that rotate among city churches through a shelter program called Hotel de Zink; a charity organizes a loose network of 130 spare rooms, regular people motivated to offer up their homes only by neighborly goodwill. The lack of shelter space in Palo Alto—and more broadly in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, which comprise the peninsula south of San Francisco and around San Jose—is unusual for an area of its size and population. A 2013 census showed Santa Clara County having more than 7,000 homeless people, the fifth-highest homeless population per capita in the country and among the highest populations sleeping outside or in unsuitable shelters like vehicles.

San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area are gentrifying rapidly—especially with the most recent Silicon Valley surge in social media companies, though the trend stretches back decades—leading to a cascade of displacement of the region’s poor, working class, and ethnic and racial minorities. In San Francisco itself, currently the city with the most expensive housing market in the country, rents increased 13.5 percent in 2014 from the year before, leading more people to the middle-class suburbs. As real estate prices rise in places like Palo Alto, the middle class has begun to buy homes in the exurbs of the Central Valley, displacing farmworkers there.

Suzan, who is 70, is short and slight, with her bobbed hair dyed red. The first time I met her, she wore leggings, a T-shirt, a black cardigan wrapped around her shoulders, and fuzzy black boots I later learned were slippers she’d gotten from Goodwill and sewn up to look like outside shoes. (She wore basically the same outfit, with different T-shirts, nearly every time we met, and I realized she didn’t have many clothes.) Her voice is high and singsongy and she is always polite. You can tell she tries to smooth out tensions rather than confront them. She is a font of forced sunniness and likes to punctuate a sad sentence with phrases like “I’m so blessed!” or “I’m so lucky!” She wore a small necklace and said jewelry was important to her. “I feel, to dispel the image of homelessness, it’s important to have a little bling,” she said.

In the van, Suzan was in charge of taking care of everyone and everything, organizing a life that became filled with a unique brand of busy boredom. She and James spent most of their time figuring out where to go next, how to get there, and whether they could stay once they arrived. They found a short-term unit in a local family shelter in Menlo Park that lasted for five weeks. Afterward, they stayed in a few motels, but even fleabags in the area charge upwards of $100 a night. When they couldn’t afford a room they camped out in the van, reclining the backseats and making a pallet out of blankets piled on top of their clothes and other belongings. Slowly, there were fewer nights in hotels and more in the van, until the van was where they lived.

A life of homelessness is one of logistical challenges and exhaustion. Little things, like planning a wardrobe for the week, involved coordinated trips to storage units and laundromats, and could take hours. The biggest conundrum? Where to pull over and sleep. Suzan and James learned quickly not to pull over on a residential block, because the neighbors would call the police. They tried a church or two, 24-hour businesses where they thought they could hide amidst the other cars, and even an old naval field. The places with public toilets were best because, for reasons no one can quite explain, 3 a.m. is the witching hour for needing to pee. They kept their socks and shoes on, both for staying warm on chilly Bay Area nights and also for moving quickly if someone peered into their windows, or a cop flashed his light inside, ready to rouse. Wherever they were sleeping, they couldn’t sleep there. “Sometimes, I was so tired, I would be stopped at a red light and say, ‘Don’t go to sleep. Don’t go to sleep,’” Suzan said. “And then I would fall asleep.”

A few months in, a nice man in a 7-Eleven parking lot told them about a former high school turned community center on the eastern side of town called Cubberley. He’d walked up to their van after recognizing signs of life in the car, tired faces among the junk piling up in the back. Suzan and James were familiar with the community center because they’d taken their daughter to preschool there many years before, but they hadn’t thought about sleeping there. Cubberley had a quiet back parking lot, a flat grass amphitheater with a concrete paddock for a stage, and 24-hour public bathrooms with showers in an old gym. Rumor was that the cops wouldn’t bother anyone.

Suzan’s husband, James Russaw, pictured with two of their grandchildren.

Cubberley was a psychic relief because it solved so many basic needs: It had a place to bathe in the morning, a place to charge your phone. The parking lot had also formed its own etiquette and sense of community. People tended to park in the same places, a spot or two next to their neighbors, and they recognized one another and nodded at night. They weren’t exactly friends, but they were people who trusted each other, an impromptu neighborhood no one wanted to lose after losing so much. It was safe, a good place to spend the night. But it was next door to a segment of homeowners who were fighting hard to move the car dwellers out.

Normally, wealthy people who move into an area don’t see the results of their displacement because the people who lose their homes don’t stick around; they move to cheaper suburbs and work themselves into the fabric elsewhere. But the folks at Cubberley, 30 people on any given night, were the displacement made manifest. Most weren’t plagued with mental health or substance abuse problems; they simply could no longer afford rent and became homeless in the last place they lived. People will put up with a lot to stay in a place they know. “I’ve been analyzing why don’t I just get the heck on. Everybody says that, go to Wyoming, Montana, you can get a mansion,” Suzan said. “Move on, move on, always move on. And I say to myself, ‘Why should I have to move on?’”

It’s a new chapter in an old story. In his seminal 1893 lecture at the Chicago World’s Fair, Frederick Jackson Turner summarized the myth of the American frontier and the waves of settlers who created it as an early form of gentrification: First, farmers looking for land would find a remote spot of wilderness to tame; once they succeeded, more men and women would arrive to turn each new spot into a town; finally, outside investors would swoop in, pushing out the frontiersman and leaving him to pack up and start all over again. It has always been thus in America. Turner quoted from a guide published in 1837 for migrants headed for the Western frontiers of Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin: “Another wave rolls on. The men of capital and enterprise come. The ‘settler’ is ready to sell out and take the advantage of the rise of property, push farther into the interior, and become himself a man of capital and enterprise in turn.” This repeating cycle, Turner argued, of movement and resettlement was essential to the American character. But he foresaw a looming crisis. “The American energy will continually demand a wider field for its exercise,” he wrote. “But never again will such gifts of free land offer themselves.” In other words, we would run out of places for the displaced to go.

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Suzan was born in 1945. Her father worked at what was then the Lockheed Corporation, and her mother had been raised by a wealthy family in Oak Park, Illinois. Her family called her Suzi. Though she grew up in nearby Saratoga—and spent some time in school in Switzerland—she distinctly remembers coming with her mother to visit Palo Alto, with its downtown theaters and streets named after poets. Palo Alto more than any other place formed the landscape of her childhood. “It was a little artsy-craftsy university town—you find charming towns are university towns.”

Like many women of her day, Suzan didn’t graduate from college. When she was 24, after her last stay in Switzerland, she moved to Mountain View, the town on Palo Alto’s eastern border that is now home to Google and LinkedIn. She was living off a small trust her family had set up for her when she met James at a barbecue their apartment manager threw to foster neighborliness among his tenants. James had grown up in a sharecropping family in Georgia, moved west during World War II, and was more than 17 years her senior, handsome and gentlemanly. Suzan thought: “I can learn something from him.” They were an interracial couple in the late 1960s, which was unusual, though she says her family didn’t mind. It was also an interclass marriage, and it moved Suzan down the income ladder.

For years, James and Suzan lived together, unmarried. They bought a house on University Avenue, just north of the county line and blocks from downtown Palo Alto, in 1979, and four years later had their only daughter, Nancy. It was the area’s ghetto, and the only source of affordable housing for many years. It was also the center of violence in the region, and, in 1992, was the murder capital of the country.

They never had much money. For most of their marriage, James ran a small recycling company and Suzan acted as his bookkeeper, secretary, and housewife. They refused to apply for most government assistance, even as homeless elders. “My husband and I had never been on welfare or food stamps,” she told me. “Even to this day.”

Suzan’s parents died in 2002 and 2003, and her older sister died in 2009. (“I thank God that they’re gone,” she told me. “They would die if they saw me now.”) It was a hard time for Suzan, who went to care for her dying parents and nearly left James. She felt he’d checked out of the difficulties. In retrospect, she thinks his dementia might already have been setting in; James was already in his seventies. He had taken out a second mortgage on their home, and they couldn’t pay it after he retired. They sold the house at a loss in 2005; it’s now a Century 21 office.

After they moved into the van, they settled into a routine. On the nights before James’s early-morning treatments, they slept in the dialysis center’s parking lot. Otherwise they generally stayed at Cubberley. They were still living off James’s retirement income, but most of it went to the $500 needed to rent the two storage units where their furniture remained, until they lost one for nonpayment. Finally, a few months in, Suzan was able to use a clause in a trust set up by her mother’s father to help her out in an emergency. It doubled their income—much of which was eaten up by the costs of gas, the remaining storage unit, parking tickets, and the other expenses of an unsettled life. It was a respectable income, one that technically kept them above poverty, but it still wasn’t enough for rent.

James was increasingly ill and van life was taking a toll. In addition to James’s other problems, both he and Suzan were starting to experience some of the health problems common among the homeless. The backseat of the van filled with bags of clothes, papers, fast-food detritus, pens, old parking tickets, and receipts. As the junk built up, the recline of their seats inched forever upward, until they were sitting up all the time, causing their legs to swell and nerves to become damaged, the medical consequences of not being able to raise your feet at night.

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Gentrification used to be about poor neighborhoods, usually black and brown, underdeveloped and full of decrepit and neglected housing stock, run by the occasional slumlord—often described as “blighted,” though that designation has always been problematic—and how they become converted into wealthier ones, usually through the influx of richer white people and their demand for new services and new construction. It’s a negative process for the people who have to move, but there’s occasionally an element of good, because neglected neighborhoods revive. But what’s happening now in the Bay Area is that people who’ve done nothing wrong—not paid their rent late, violated their lease, or committed any other housing sin—are being forced out to make way. Displacement is reaching into unquestionably vibrant, historic, middle- and working-class neighborhoods, like The Mission in San Francisco, a former center of Chicano power. (The Mission alone has lost 8,000 Latino residents in the past ten years, according to a report from the local Council of Community Housing Organizations and the Mission Economic Development Agency.) And it’s happening to such an extent that the social workers who used to steer people to affordable apartments as far away as Santa Rosa or Sacramento, a two-hour drive, are now telling people to look even farther out. The vehicle dwellers I spoke with said they’d heard of friends living in places like Stockton, once a modest working-class city in the middle of the state, receiving notice-to-vacate letters like the one Suzan and James received.

For the most part, the traits that draw people to Palo Alto—good schools, a charming downtown, nice neighborhoods in which to raise a family, and a short commute to tech jobs—are the very same things that made the residents of Cubberley want to stay, even if it meant living in their car. The destabilizing pressure of a real estate market is also felt by the merely rich, the upper middle class, and the middle class, because the high-end demand of the global elite sets the market prices. “My block has the original owners, a retired schoolteacher and a retired postal worker,” said Hope Nakamura, a legal aid attorney who lives in Palo Alto. “They could never afford to buy anything there now.” Most people told me if they had to sell their homes today they wouldn’t be able to buy again anywhere in the area, which means many Palo Altans have all of their wealth tied up in expensive homes that they can’t access without upending their lives. It makes everyone anxious.

The view inside a van parked outside a Palo Alto homeless organization.

The outcry from the neighbors over Cubberley was so fierce that it reshaped Palo Alto’s city government. The city council is nonpartisan, but a faction emerged that revived an old, slow-growth movement in town, known as the “residentialists.” Their concerns are varied (among them, the perennial suburban concerns of property values and traffic), but their influence has been to block any new development of affordable housing and shoo people like Suzan and James away from Palo Alto. An uproar scuttled an affordable-housing building for senior citizens near many public transit options that had been proposed by the city housing authority and unanimously approved by the city council. Opponents said they were worried about the effect the development would have on the surrounding community—they argued it wasn’t zoned for “density,” which is to say, small apartments—and that traffic congestion in the area would be made worse. Aparna Ananthasubramaniam, then a senior at Stanford, tried to start a women’s-only shelter in rotating churches, modeled after the Hotel de Zink. She said a woman came up to her after a community meeting where the same concerns had been raised by a real estate agent. “Her lips were quivering and she was physically shaking from how angry she was,” Ananthasubramaniam told me. “She was like, ‘You come back to me 20 years from now once you have sunk more than $1 million into an asset, like a house, and you tell me that you’re willing to take a risk like this.”

The trouble for Cubberley began when neighbors went to the police. There’d been at least one fight, and the neighbors complained about trash left around the center. At the time, Cubberley was home to a 64-year-old woman who’d found a $20-an-hour job after nine years of unemployment; a tall, lanky, panhandler from Louisiana who kept informal guard over her and other women at the center; a 63-year-old part-time school crossing guard who cared for his dying mother for 16 years, then lived off the proceeds from the sale of her house until the money ran out; two retired school teachers; a 23-year-old Palo Alto native who stayed with his mother in a rental car after his old car spontaneously combusted; and, for about six months, Suzan and James. “They didn’t fit this image that the powers that be are trying to create about homeless people. They did not fit that image at all,” Suzan told me. “We made sure the premises were respected, because it was an honor to be able to stay there.” She and others told me they cleaned up their areas at the center every morning.

“I said, ‘We have no place to go, and we’re staying right here.’ They were going to know about it.”

Pressured to find a way to move the residents out, the police department went to the city council claiming they needed a law banning vehicle habitation to address the neighbors’ concerns. Advocates for the homeless said that any problems could be solved if police would just enforce existing laws. Local attorneys warned the city council that such laws could soon be considered unconstitutional, because the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals was hearing a challenge to a similar law in Los Angeles. Carrie LeRoy, an attorney who advocated on behalf of the unhoused, and other attorneys threatened to file a class-action lawsuit if the vehicle-habitation ban ever went into effect. The city council passed the ban anyway, in a 7-2 vote in August 2013, and the police department and other groups in the city started an outreach program to tell people about the law. “All of them had received these notices from the city,” LeRoy said, “And it was basically like, ‘Get out of our town.’”

A few weeks later, the city council also voted to close the showers at Cubberley and give it a 10:30 p.m. curfew, which made it illegal to sleep there. On their last night there, in October 2013, Suzan and James left around 8 p.m. so they wouldn’t get caught past the new curfew. They tried some old haunts and got kicked out. The stress of living in the van was hard on James. Around this time, James decided to end his dialysis. “Of course, we knew what that meant,” Suzan said.

One night, about a month after leaving Cubberley, the police pulled Suzan and James over. Their registration was expired. “This officer, he got a wild hair, and he said, ‘I’m going to impound your car,’ and called the tow truck.” Suzan told me. They got out of the car. Without pushing and demanding, she realized, she was never going to get out of the situation. She told me she said to the officer, “This is our home, and if you impound it we will not have a home.” He insisted. “I said ‘That’s fine. You do that. We will stay right here. I will put the beds out, I will put what we need here, right here on the sidewalk.” Other officers arrived and talked to them. They asked Suzan whether, surely, there was some other place they could go. “I said, ‘We have no place to go, and we’re staying right here.’ I was going to make a stink. They were going to know about it.” Suzan told me people were poking their heads out of their homes, and she realized the bigger fuss she made, the more likely officers might decide just to leave them alone.

Because James’s health had continued to worsen, he and Suzan finally qualified for motel vouchers during the cold weather. They got a room in a rundown hotel. “It had a microwave and a hot bath,” Suzan said. In his last few days, James was given a spot in a hospice in San Jose, and Suzan went with him. “It was so cut-and-dry. They said, ‘This is an end-of-life bed, period,’ ” Suzan said. “And I never said that to James.” He died on February 17, 2014, and a few weeks later a friend of theirs held a memorial service for James at her house. Suzan wore an old silk jacket of her mother’s, one that would later be ruined by moisture in the van, and a necklace Nancy had made. They ate James’s favorite foods—cornbread, shrimp, and pound cake. Suzan had a few motel vouchers left, and afterward stayed with friends and volunteers for a few weeks each, but she felt she was imposing.

That summer, she returned to her van. It was different without James; she realized she’d gotten to know him better during their van life than she ever had before. Maybe it was his dementia, but as they drove around or sat together, squished amidst their stuff, he’d started to tell her long stories, over and over, of his youth in Georgia. She’d never heard the tales before, but she’d started to be able to picture it all. On her own, without his imposing figure beside her, Suzan was scared, and more than a little lonely. Most nights, she stayed tucked away in a church parking lot, without permission from the pastor, hidden between bushes and vans. The law wasn’t being enforced, but sleeping in the lot made her a kind of a criminal. “The neighbors never gave me up,” she said.

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Suzan told me she was in a fog of denial after James’s death, but it’s probably what protected her because homelessness is exhausting. “You start to lose it after a while,” she said. “You feel disenfranchised from your own society.” The Downtown Streets Team, a local homeless organization, had been helping her look for a long-term, stable housing solution. Indeed, Suzan told me that at various times, she and James had 27 applications in for affordable housing in Palo Alto. (When he died, she had to start over, submitting new applications for herself.) Her social worker at the local senior citizens center, Emily Farber, decided to also look for a temporary situation that would get Suzan under a roof for a few months, or even a few weeks. “We were dealing with very practical limitations: having a computer, having a stable phone number,” Farber said. Craigslist was only something Suzan had heard of. She’d finally gotten a cell phone through a federal program, but hadn’t quite mastered it.

For many months, Farber struck out. She didn’t think Suzan would want to live with three 25-year-old Google employees, or that they’d want her, either. She even tried Airbnb. Because Suzan didn’t have a profile, Farber used her own, and wrote to people who had rooms listed to say her 69-year-old friend needed a place to stay in the area for a couple of weeks. “We got three rejections in a row,” she said. Finally, in November, they found a room available for rent for $1,100—about 80 percent of her income from the trust and her widow’s benefits from Social Security. Suzan would have her own bedroom and bathroom in the two-bedroom apartment of a single mother. The mother crowded into the other bedroom with her 16-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter. The only downside for Suzan was that it was in Santa Clara, another charmingly bland suburban enclave in the South Bay, a half hour south of Palo Alto and a world away for Suzan. “It’s out of my comfort zone, but that’s OK!” she told me.

I met Suzan on the day she moved in, and the concept of being able to close a door was almost as unsettling to her as the concept of sleeping in the van had been. “I’m in this kind of survival mode,” she said, and had found a certain comfort in her van. “I’ve got this little cocoon I’m staying in, and everything is within arm’s reach.” She had a big blue mat in the back of the van, like a grown-up version of the kind kindergartners nap on, but soon she’d acquire a bed. She retrieved her old TV from her storage unit. She made a comfortable room, with chairs and a bed and a small table, and decided to eat her meals in there. She only signed a lease for three months, because it wasn’t really sustainable on her fixed income. She’d also applied for an affordable housing complex being built for seniors in Sunnyvale, one that would provide permanent housing for 60 senior citizens from among the 7,000 homeless people in the county at the time. She’d find out in April if she was selected in the lottery. All her hopes were pinned on it.

Mapping Suzan Russaw’s Life in Silicon Valley

In the first few weeks after her move to Santa Clara, Suzan spent a healthy portion of her limited income on gas, driving the Explorer back and forth to Palo Alto. After all, her post office box was there, and so were her social workers. Her errands demanded a lot of face time, and in some ways, she still filled her days the way she had before she got her room, moving around trying to solve her problems. Her car was still packed, too, as if she hadn’t let go of the need to drive in it, to move forward, to keep her stuff around her within arm’s reach, as if she were still without a home base.

Two afternoons a week she went to a Palo Alto food closet. She usually made it right before it closed, in the early afternoons. When her number was called, she went up to the counter to watch the volunteer sort through what was left on the shelves, finding the most recently expired items—these were older goods grocery stores couldn’t keep past their sell-by dates. Suzan’s politeness was, as always, almost formal, from an earlier era, when being ladylike was a learned skill. The volunteer would ask her if she wanted milk, or peaches, or a serving-size Baggie of cereal, and she’d say, “Yes, very much so!” These days, she got to take raw eggs instead of the boiled ones, a treat reserved for those with kitchens. Her requests were glancing rather than direct. “Have you any lettuce?” and the answer was often no. I said it seemed like an efficient operation. Suzan said, “I really know the drill!”

Suzan needed to visit her social worker, Julia Lang, at the Downtown Streets Team office to get the form that allowed her to go to an even better food bank. She asked the receptionist whether her social worker was in. She wasn’t, and Suzan explained she was looking for the food bank vouchers. Then the receptionist asked for her address. That stopped Suzan. The receptionist explained that the pantry was for Palo Alto residents, and Suzan was considering, for the first time, whether that counted her. Suzan explained that she and her husband had gone to the pantry the year before, and said they should be in the system. We waited while the receptionist looked. Suzan waved at someone she’d seen around for years, from her car-dwelling days. Suzan told the receptionist, again, that they really should be in the system. But they weren’t. Suzan said that was OK, and she would come back. The receptionist said, “Are you sure? I just need your ID and your address.” Suzan demurred. She needed to talk to her social worker. This is what it meant to have to leave her hometown. She was leaving the city where she and James had known people, the city where James had died, the city where she’d grown up and near where she’d raised her own daughter. It was the city where she knew where to go, where she’d figured out how to be homeless. It was the city where she knew the drill.

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That homelessness persists in Silicon Valley has puzzled me. It has an extremely wealthy population with liberal, altruistic values. Though it has a large homeless population relative to its size, in sheer numbers it’s not as large as New York City’s or L.A.’s. Some of the reasons could be found in the meeting on November 17, 2014, when the city finally overturned the car-camping ban. It had never been enforced because, as predicted, the Ninth Circuit had overturned L.A.’s ban. In the end, all but one person who’d voted for the ban the first time around voted to overturn it. The lone dissenter was councilman Larry Klein. “The social welfare agency in our area is the county, not the city,” he said. “To think we can solve the homeless problem just doesn’t make sense.”

This idea was repeated many times among city officials—that homelessness was too big an issue for the city to resolve. The city of Palo Alto itself has one full-time staff member devoted to homelessness, and it coordinates with county and nonprofit networks to counsel, house, and feed the homeless.

Suzan shows where she stored food in her car while homeless.

During the fight over the ban, the city tried to devise an alternative—a program that would allow car dwellers to park at churches—but then left the details up to the faith community to work out. Nick Selby, an attorney and member of the Palo Alto Friends Meeting House, said he and his fellow Quakers met with community resistance when they tried to accommodate three or four car dwellers on their tiny lot. Neighbors circulated a petition listing concerns like “the high prevalence of mental illness, drug abuse, and communicable diseases in the homeless population” and the risk of declining property values. But Selby said some of their concerns were fair. “People who objected were saying to the city, ‘What’s your program?’” Selby said. “And the city really had no answer to those questions.” Without a solid plan and logistical help from the city, other churches were reluctant to step forward. “The churches weren’t prepared to deal with this,” he said. After the church car-camping plan fell through, the city council said it had no choice but a ban.

Santa Clara County, too, struggles to address the problem. The county is participating in federal programs to build permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless population, the population of long-term homeless who typically have interacting mental health and substance abuse problems. But land is expensive here, and the area is shortchanged by the federal formula that disperses funds. California, ever in budget-crisis mode, provides limited state funds. There isn’t a dedicated funding stream from the cities, which don’t necessarily pay a tax to the county for these projects, and local affordable housing developments are often rejected by residents as Palo Alto’s was. In September, the city of San Jose and the county announced a $13 million program to buy old hotels and renovate them as shelters, which will make 585 new beds available. While advocates credit the county’s efforts with cutting the estimated homeless population by 14 percent since 2013, the number of people like Suzan, who hide in their cars, is almost certainly underestimated. But most such efforts are centered in San Jose. Chris Richardson, a director of the Bay Area’s Downtown Streets Team, said what needs to happen is not a mystery: Other cities have to fund affordable housing, they have to fund more of it, and they have to do it in their own neighborhoods, without relying on San Francisco and San Jose to absorb all of the area’s poverty and problems. “You can’t just ship them down to the big, poor city,” he said.

When Palo Alto originally passed the car-camping ban, it also devoted $250,000 to the county’s homelessness program. When they voted to rescind the ban, council members asked for an update on what happened to the money. The city staff was not prepared to report on how it had been spent at that council meeting, more than a year into the funding. Members of the council again reiterated their desire to help the homeless. “Helping the homeless” was tabled, as a general idea, for another agenda at another meeting, as it always seems to be, or passed off to the county, or to someone else—and so helping the homeless is something nobody does.

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Through the winter, Suzan remained ill; it was a bad flu season. She kept paying the rent on her room, on her storage units, on her P.O. box in Palo Alto, and she tried setting aside money she owed on parking tickets. Some months she’d run out of gas money to drive the 15 miles to Palo Alto and check her mail or visit her social workers. She was waiting to hear about the affordable apartment.

In May, she was denied. Suzan had bad credit, both because of the unpaid storage unit she and James had lost and because otherwise her credit history was so thin. Julia Lang, one of her social workers, told me she couldn’t even get a credit score for Suzan. Lang said people get denied on credit, or because they make too little for affordable housing that’s supposedly intended for extremely low-income people, all the time. “When you’re that destitute and have gone through so many complicated situations, what are the chances that your credit’s going to be good?” she said.

Suzan was livid and despondent, and she decided to appeal. “I wasn’t going to take that lying down,” Suzan told me. “I was proud of myself.” Catholic Charities helped her appeal. Suzan had to write a letter showing how she intended to repair her credit, and that she understood why it was bad in the first place. During the months of back and forth, Suzan bought a new Jeep, only one year newer than the Explorer, in case she needed to sleep in her car again. In July, she learned she’d won her appeal. She had two weeks to get her affairs in order, pay the first month’s rent and security deposit, and move in. Her social workers helped her with some of the move-in costs, and she signed a lease for a year.

I saw Suzan again in August, about three weeks after she’d moved in. Her hair was trimmed. She was wearing a brightly colored muumuu, blue and green with tropical flowers—“It’s a housedress but you can wear it out on the street!”—and a green sweater tied around her shoulders. She seemed relaxed and rested, and I told her so. Her bed was full of folded clothes, and her room was still in disarray. She was trying to cull her storage unit so that she could get a smaller one and cut down on rent. Most of the people in her complex had been in the same boat as Suzan, or had been worse off. She pays $810 a month, the amount determined to be affordable for her income. It had taken her more than three years, help from at least three social workers, and thousands of dollars, but she was finally stably housed. At least, for a year. 

Top RVs, campers and tents of 2014

Read article : Top RVs, campers and tents of 2014

Another year, another few dozen ways to escape urban life and set up camp in the wild ... 2014 has been an interesting year for campers. From the heavy-duty off-road machines of Overland Expo to ultralight bicycle campers, and from familiar campground designs to new concepts of sea and air camping, the year has seen a large variety of innovative designs from around the world. Here are our picks for the best tents, camper vans, trailers and mobile homes of 2014, in no particular order.

Tentsile Vista multi-story tree tent

Since we first featured Tentsile in 2012, the company has continued to impress us with its suspended tents. Other manufacturers offer hammock-based tents, but Tentsile makes large, spacious aerials that are more like canvas treehouses, none more so than the all-new Vista. The non-weather-sealed nature of the design isn't for everyone or all conditions, but the available multi-floor layout is certainly an interesting twist on the tree tent. The primary Vista tent protects three campers with a combination of detachable insect mesh and removable rain fly. The really cool part of the design is that you can add extra floors to make a suspended, multi-level "portable treehouse" for nine or more people. The basic tent without extra floors costs US$595.

SylvanSport GO-Easy ultralight camping trailer

A compact, 275-lb (125 kg) gear trailer, the SylvanSport GO-Easy is designed to give the smallest cars and motorcycles the ability to haul all kinds of sports gear and tools. To add overnighting capabilities, SylvanSport teamed with Roost tents to create a flip-top tent camper with underbody storage. When you don't need a tent, remove the foam mattress and canvas sides and Roost's innovative two-person clamshell becomes a gear box. To add some of the comforts of home, SylvanSport offers options like Goal Zero solar power systems and the Road Shower. Combine the $2,000 price of the GO-Easy with the $3,000 price of the Roost tent, and you have an ultralight, ultra-versatile camping trailer for around $5K.

Tonke Fieldsleeper International expedition vehicle

Prior to 2014, we knew Tonke as the Dutch company behind some the most stylish wooden trailers we've ever seen. This year, it added one of the most stylish aluminum trailers on the market not named Airstream. The Mercedes Sprinter-based Fieldsleeper International is built as an expedition vehicle, available in both 4x2 and 4x4 drive options. Its aluminum skin creates a more modern exterior style, but the interior still features the warmth of mahogany wood.

Tonke attempts to give Fieldsleeper International owners more off-grid autonomy by eliminating the liquid propane systems typical in RVs in favor of a roof-mounted solar array and auxiliary diesel tank. The 400- to 600-watt solar system powers onboard equipment like the refrigerator, stove, lighting and even air conditioning. The five-person camper includes a washroom with sink, shower and cassette toilet.

When we covered it earlier in the year, the International was offered with a 190-hp Mercedes Sprinter 519Cdi for $192,000, but now it's listed with a 160-hp Sprinter 516Cdi base for a bit cheaper – $154,576.

XVenture XV-2 penthouse trailer

Simple problem, simple solution. The military-grade Xventure XV-2 makes the most of its small trailer form by pushing the pop-up tent high above the cargo box below using an elevated rack system. The adjustable height opens up more storage space in the cargo box – enough for an ATV, even – and makes everything inside that cargo box easier to access. As a few astute readers pointed out, it looks like the configuration could prove quite chilly in the winter, when the thin floor of the XV-2 could use the added insulation value of a trailer directly below, but that shouldn't be as much a problem in the popular warmer months, or with a heavier sleeping pad. And if it is, you can always adjust it to one of the lower settings on the six-setting rack. The pricing information we received earlier in the year put the XV-2 with elevating rack system and roof tent at around $14,500 to start.

Wide Path bicycle camper

There are dozens upon dozens of camping trailers on the market, but the overwhelming majority of them are designed to be towed by vehicles with motor. The slim, 88-lb (40-kg) Wide Path Camper, on the other hand, is built to be towed by leg power alone. The bicycle camper offers enough sleeping space for two adults and one child and includes a basic but functional interior with a folding table, convertible bed/seats and 300 liters (79 gal) of storage capacity. Add a few select pieces of gear like a propane stove and portable toilet and suddenly you have a fully functioning mobile home on the back of your 12-speed.

The Wide Path Camper was still in the prototype stages as of last month, but its Dutch designer hopes to have it ready for sale next year, starting around $2,500.

Amok Draumr hammock tent

While not quite as common a sight at the campground as a dome tent or RV, the hammock shelter is a widely available camping option offered by brands like Hennessy Hammock and Grand Trunk. Typically, these hammocks are strung between trees end to end, but the Amok rotates the Draumr around 90 degrees, creating a side-to-side hanging structure. This construction creates a flat, sleeping pad-cushioned bed designed to deliver a more comfortable night of sleep. With a few tugs of the adjustment straps, it also turns into a suspended chair.

The ISPO BrandNew Award-nominated Draumr is available now for $379, which includes mosquito netting, straps and a rain fly, but not the required sleeping pad. All in, the Draumr weighs less than 4.5 lb (2 kg).

MVP Aero MVP seaplane camper

We're already suckers for amphibious vehicles, so throw in a convertible overnight package, and you get one of our favorite vehicles of the year. Billed as the "world's most versatile plane," the MVP, which we checked out at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2014, is part seaplane, part fishing boat and part floating/flying camper. The tri-phibious plane can land on dry land, snow or water. On water, it can motor along and act as a boat, and slide the canopy back and it offers a flat deck for fishing and observation. The wings also fold up, adding to its maneuverability on water.

At night, the MVP's instrument panel lifts out of the way, creating a large, flat floor with the help of a four-panel origami deck that slides over top the seat wells. Tent fabric secures over the entire cockpit area, providing shelter for two occupants. A fitted inflatable mattress offers added comfort, and there's also a hammock that sets up between the engine pylon and the tail.

The MVP isn't exactly a practical camper for the masses, but one can certainly dream of using it on some pretty epic adventures. The aircraft is still in the prototype stages, but for those that simply can't wait, it's available for reservation at a price of $189,000. Delivery is not expected until 2018/19, however.

Audi-Heimplanet Q3 tent camper

Two innovative German brands teamed up for something a bit different at Volkswagen's 2014 Wörthersee festival. Heimplanet custom-fit its inflatable tent technology to the hatch of an Audi Q3 2.0 TDI. The design created an extended car-tent living space with vestibule and also allowed for a freestanding tent set-up. The inflatable tent and Q3 combo certainly wasn't the most rugged camper design of the year, but it was rated up to wind speeds of 43.5 mph (70 km/h).

The Audi-Heimplanet inflatable car camper was clearly designed as an eye-catching showpiece (a role it filled quite nicely), and we don't expect to see Audi dealerships advertising the Q3 "overnight package" anytime soon.

2014 EarthRoamer XV-LTS xpedition vehicle

A beastly, intimidating contradiction on wheels, the 2014 EarthRoamer XV-LTS combines one of the more rugged 4WD expedition vehicle platforms out there with a carefully-detailed, luxury-level interior and front porch. In designing the truck, Colorado-based EarthRoamer fortified a commercial-duty F-550 chassis for rough, off-road use, bolted a composite living module to the back and outfitted it for comfortable off-grid living. The design includes a cozy six-seat living room, sleeping space for four to six and a bathroom with a sink, full-height shower and cassette toilet. Occupants are furnished with utilities by way of a solar-driven electrical system, engine-powered dual alternators and a 90-gallon (340.7-L) fresh water tank. It appears to be an extremely cozy space to retire to after hard days of fighting through mud, boulders and dust with the 300-hp V8 turbo diesel and 37-in tires. The model we stepped inside at Overland Expo even included luxuries like a wine cabinet with engraved wine glasses, slide-out Keurig coffeemaker, and exterior tailgating package with retractable 46-in TV.

The 2014 XV-LTS sold out, but EarthRoamer is now advertising the 2015 model at prices between $312,000 and $560,000.

ADAK Trailer

It's not at all rare to find a gritty, all-terrain expedition vehicle furnished like a luxury apartment on wheels. In fact, there are two on this list, including the EarthRoamer we just looked at. When you're spending six or seven figures on a large, motorized toy, there's no reason you can't have it all.It is rarer to find that mix of any-terrain readiness and luxury in the far more modestly priced camping trailer segment. Most off-road trailer manufacturers we've covered seem to put all their R&D money into building a bombproof chassis and body ready to take on everything Mother Earth can throw at it, leaving live-in accommodations to a simple fold-out tent or small, spartan teardrop interior.Built by a group of outdoorsman tired of inferior campers quitting when the road got rough, but too seasoned for a skimpy, uncomfortable shelter, the ADAK Trailer offers an admirable combination of rugged exterior and spacious, comfy interior. The design uses a mix of aluminum and composite to hold up to rough, choppy roads and off-roads. Inside the trailer's 116-sq ft (10.8 sq m) cabin, campers find three beds, a bathroom with toilet and shower, a tankless hot water system designed to work in the middle of winter, and available wood flooring and cabinetry. When we originally covered the ADAK earlier in the year, pricing started at $49,000.

Volksleisure T5 camper van

After more than a decade of focusing on camper conversions for vans from manufacturers other than Volkswagen, Wellhouse Leisure presented its first production-ready VW camper van this year. The first offering from the brand's VW-centric subsidiary Volksleisure, the little people mover packs enough versatility for both everyday and holiday use. It's Wellhouse's electric rear bench that makes the Volksleisure camper a van that you can overnight in on the weekend and get the kids to school in come Monday morning. The bench slides the length of the cabin, allowing it to work as a live-in camper, regular people mover or big-item hauler. The camper van offers sleeping space for up to four people, along with a kitchen area, refrigerator, dining table, and 35-L (9.2 US gal) fresh and waste water tanks. Volksleisure's T5 camper is currently listed at a £47,850 ($75,000) base price.

Safari Condo Alto R1723 teardrop pop-top

Combining two timeless camping-trailer concepts into one seamless family tag-along, the Alto R1723 by Safari Condo is a pop-up teardrop camper designed to get the family outdoors. The 83-in-high (2.1-m), 1725-lb (782-kg) teardrop design gives the Alto R1723 drag-cutting aerodynamic performance on the road and garage clearance during storage. The electric aluminum roof pops up at camp to offer 82 inches (2.08 m) of interior headroom, more than enough for the average person to stand up and walk around, a convenience that smaller, lower teardrops lack. The trailer sleeps three or four and includes home-like comforts such as a flush toilet and shower. The large windows let you experience the grand scenery of the outdoors while remaining under the roof.

The Alto R1723 starts at around CAD$28,500 (US$24,500), and Safari also offers the smaller R1713 for CAD$1,000 less.

Knaus Travelino camper concept

Much like automakers do at every major auto show, German manufacturer Knaus Tabbert has been using the annual Düsseldorf Caravan Salon to showcase ideas for the future of the industry. It followed up last year's much talked about Caravisio concept with the 2014 Travelino trailer.

While we aren't really sold on the odd, broadsided shape of the black-and-white Travelino, the real highlight is the interior. The caravan offers very versatile use of its limited space through carefully designed and placed equipment. In place of a dedicated bathroom, a folding-panel wall and slide-out cassette toilet provide indoor privacy without permanently occupying floor space. The indoor and slide-out outdoor kitchens share a portable camping stove, eliminating the need for fixed cooktops.

The Travelino launched as just a concept, so there was no accompanying price information, but it's easy to see how some of its features could find their way into production camping trailers.

Marco Polo Activity light camper van

Manufacturers around the world have come up with very clever ways of packing all kinds of amenities and comforts into small, portable vehicles. But there's really only so much equipment you can fit into a camper while keeping it light, spacious and comfortable. And not every overnight trip requires a full bathroom, kitchen and living room. If you're sleeping in a ski resort parking lot or adjacent to a surf break so that you're in prime position to take advantage of first tracks/early morning waves, you don't necessarily need a fully equipped RV, just a roof and a comfortable place to sleep.In that spirit, Mercedes-Benz dropped some of the usual camping equipment to make a lighter, simpler camper van in the form of the Marco Polo Activity it revealed in Düsseldorf. The Activity has a three-seat bench that extends clean across the width of the van thanks to the absence of the kitchen unit. That bench folds down into a bed for up to three, and two more people can sleep below the pop-up roof. If you need to cook your own meals, you can slide the bench forward on its rails and store a stove, cookware and plenty of other gear in back, then eat on the included folding table in the cabin. What you give up in equipment and amenities, you gain in versatility and spaciousness. The Activity was released at a starting price of €38,960 (US$49,000).

Action Mobil Global XRS 720 6x6 camper

Our second rolling, all-terrain luxury apartment, the Action Mobil Global XRS 7200 introduced at the 2014 Düsseldorf Caravan Salon was this year's exercise in no-expense-spared expeditioning opulence, the type of vehicle one only considers if the very thought of "roughing it" is a much bigger deterrent than a seven-figure price tag. The 720-hp, 18-ton MAN-chassised 6x6 is eager to travel to any part of the world and stay there about as long as its occupants can handle. Once inside the spacious, climate-controlled cabin, they'll immediately forget about whatever harsh, desolate reality surrounds the exterior walls. The cabin is appointed in materials like stone and metal, includes a master bedroom, is hydrated by a 720-L (190-gal) fresh water tank, and keeps everyone entertained with a multimedia system that's more impressive than what many people have in their living rooms – 40-in HD TV, satellite internet, Apple TV, Bose audio, and a large-capacity hard drive for storing multimedia content. There's even a bidet and washer/dryer. Not a bad living situation for the middle of $#@#$in nowhere.

Pricing info out of the Düsseldorf show put the XRS 7200 at €850,000 (US$1.1 million) to start.

Look through our gallery for a closer look at the interiors and features of each of these campers and tents. And if you're wondering how this year's designs compare to last year's, take a trip back in time with our best of 2013 camper round-up.

View gallery - 108 images

Monday Profile: Joe P. Ruthven took risks, led the way for Lakeland - News - News Chief

Read article : Monday Profile: Joe P. Ruthven took risks, led the way for Lakeland - News - News Chief

Founder of The Ruthvens warehouse business started small, building large

Marilyn Meyer @marilyn_ledger

LAKELAND — Joe P. Ruthven had been telling his children he’d retire when he turned 90, but now he’s thinking 100 would be a better age.

At 90 years and 1 month old, he walks two to three miles several times a week with his wife, Judy, and follows her lead in eating a healthy vegetarian diet. He takes only one prescription medication; his energy is strong.

A few hours behind the wheel of his car is no problem so he can easily visit any of the 85 properties built by the warehouse development firm he founded and owns, The Ruthvens. All the properties are within 25 miles of the downtown office at 41 Lake Morton Drive.

“Joe P. Ruthven’s impact on Lakeland is huge,” said Weymon Snuggs, chief operating officer for Citizens Bank & Trust. “Through his warehouse development business, he has helped bring new companies into the area, creating jobs for our community while providing space for businesses of all sizes.”

Ruthven knows what it is like to be a struggling small businessman, to dream, take risks and put in long, hard, worrisome hours. He likes to give a boost to small tenants and is delighted when they succeed.

“I know of several situations that a business was having some challenges and he was working with them,” Snuggs said. “Joe and his family are so great in the care that they give the tenants. These are not just someone leasing their property; these are people with relationships that Joe and the other Ruthven family members have built.”

Although The Ruthvens owns 3.5 million square feet of warehouse space, the company is still growing. Showing his company’s warehousing complexes near Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, Ruthven points out acreages he’s purchased, some ready to go into development, others still lying fallow.

“Have you ever seen so many trucks?” he asks, as he pulls alongside a 100,000-square-foot building leased to Forward Air, a logistics company that distributes goods to retailers, employing 100 workers and 50 drivers.

He rattles off the variety of products distributed or manufactured under The Ruthvens-leased space: cotton balls, tomatoes, Purina foods, spice packets, caskets, rum, water, pharmaceuticals, clothes, vitamins and a wide variety of suppliers to Publix.

“Joe was ahead of the curve in warehousing, before it was in vogue, long before Amazon and O’Reilly’s came to Lakeland,” said Gene Strickland, a former Lakeland city manager who became friends with Ruthven in the late 1960s and early 1970s when Ruthven was on the City Commission.

“Many times The Ruthvens puts in a small unit, a company leases it and grows into a bigger unit,” Strickland said. “I credit Joe with not only what he did in building the warehouses but the spinoff of what he did, the ripple effect.”

Ralph Allen, a financial adviser and chairman of the family-owned firm Allen & Co, “I am sure if it was not for The Ruthven efforts, many businesses would not have started business interests in Lakeland.

"The Ruthvens were able to be a partner of the city of Lakeland, the Lakeland Economic Development Council and the Chamber of Commerce to convince outside businesses that Lakeland was business friendly, a good place to open plants and businesses," he said. "Joe has always been a super salesman for Lakeland.”

Ruthven said arrival of Amazon’s million-square-foot warehouse/fulfillment center has been a huge boon to the Lakeland economy.

“When companies in New York or California or anywhere in the country or abroad hear that Amazon came here, they know Lakeland has been checked out thoroughly and they want to come too,” Ruthven said.

Keeping The Ruthvens’ buildings in the 100,000 square-foot and under range allows the company the latitude to recover if a leasee moves out, or worse, if a tenant’s business fails, Ruthven said.

The early years

Joe Perry Ruthven was born on July 9, 1927, to Agnes and Joe Ruthven, the third of five children, on a small farm in Chesterfield County, S.C. There was no electricity, no running water; chores began at 5 a.m. and picked back up after school.

He grew up during the height of the Great Depression in one of the poorest counties in South Carolina. He recalls one sharecropper family from a nearby farm so destitute their children went naked until his mother made them clothes out of flour sacks, and later, regular clothes.

And he recalls the changes that came after President Franklin’s Roosevelt’s Work Progress Administration and other relief programs came to the area.

His family did relatively well and each year his dad tried to add 10 acres to the farm where they grew tobacco, cotton and other crops, he said.

But he realized early-on that he did not want to be a farmer, staring at the rear end of a mule, he said. Still, the work ethic of a sunrise to sunset day stuck.

“I guess I carried that over into the rest of my life,” Ruthven said.

He had graduated from high school just before his 16th birthday and spent a couple of semesters at the University of South Carolina before enlisting in the Navy at 18. He was in boot camp when the Japanese surrendered, ending World War II.

While thousands upon thousands of troops were returning from overseas, he was assigned tug boat duty at Norfolk, Va., helping pull into harbor the huge ships bringing the battle-weary men back to American soil.

They would discharge 4,000 to 5,000 men as they came off the ship, pay in hand and nowhere to go, except maybe downtown Norfolk, before heading home, Ruthven said.

"We and everyone from the area knew not to go downtown after a ship had come in; it was wild," he said.

“But I’ve often thought it would have been better for the men if they would have sent them to a base for a while; let them acclimate," he said. "But they came directly off the ships and back into civilian life.”

When Ruthven was discharged from the Navy, “I stopped by the farm only three days, long enough to get my clothes and head back to the university," he said. "I knew if I stayed longer, Dad would have me behind a mule.” 

Ruthven said, that he as walked back on campus his first day, he saw a couple of girls shooting pool and stopped to introduce himself. One of them was Jeanette "JJ" Chiles of Lakeland, who would later become his wife. The couple had two sons and a daughter. JJ died in 1982. In 1984, he remarried, to Judy Story.  

The GI bill paid his tuition and, for spending money, he took a part-time job with JC Penney.

Upon graduation with a business degree in 1948, Penney's offered him a full-time job at $200 a month which sounded OK but then BF Goodrich gave him a better offer, $250 a month, he said.

So he went into the tire business. He moved his growing family three times as he went up the management ladder over the next decade.

Coming to Lakeland

In 1957, he and friend Eugene “Blackie” Black decided to start a tire store in Lakeland. Ruthven’s father-in-law Lawton Chiles Sr., gave Jeanette a lot at 600 Memorial Blvd. for the store.

After hiring an architect to design the building and a carpenter to pull permits and supervise, the two partners supplied the labor. Five months later, they opened an OK Tires.

They had spent most of their combined $10,000 on the move and construction so struggled to stock the store, but managed to do it after securing a $1,000 loan, plus securing a supply of retreads and used tires.

That first year, he and Black did all the work: sales, changing tires, bookkeeping and keeping the place shined. At the end of the year, they had made $7,500. After that, they not only survived, they grew and started hiring employees, including Ruthven’s two brothers, Jerry and William Ruthven. Eventually, the partners opened a second OK Tires store.

In the late 1960s, the home company, OK Tires and Rubber, wanted a warehouse in Central Florida and asked Ruthven if he could find a 10,000-square-foot space near a railway. 

"I was interested in branching out into real estate," he said.

After looking at available spaces, he decided to build the warehouse and lease it back to the company. A friend, Kirk McKay, agreed to sell him 10 acres on Mine & Mill Road with only $100 down and a personal note, starting Ruthven on a new career. 

The acreage was large enough that he was able to double the square footage and quickly found a second tenant for the other 10,000 square feet.  

In those early days, Ruthven bought most of his lots with $100 down and a personal note — not something anyone could do now, he said. “A lot of the people had inherited property and were paying taxes on it so wanted to get rid of the land.”

Financing the construction was another issue, especially because he was building on speculation, something others were not doing. He would go from bank to bank trying to get loans, he said.

“I would get turned down about three times more often than I was approved,” Ruthven said.

But after the loan officers realized he was able to lease the space and he was making the mortgage payments, it became easier to get financing.

“I don’t think we have ever missed a mortgage payment,” Ruthven said, although there were times when he was worried whether he could put groceries on the table.

In 1974, after 17 years in the tire business, he and Black sold OK Tires, Black’s wife wanting to return to South Carolina and Ruthven wanting to go full time into real estate.

The office

When Jeanette Chiles and Joe P. Ruthven married on Sept. 4, 1949, his parents stayed at the Lakeshore Hotel at 41 Lake Morton Plaza. Some 25 years later, Ruthven bought the old 32-room hotel.

“I thought it would be fun to run a hotel,” but it only took a day to change his mind, he said. That first morning, a retired professor, a 97-year-old man, who rented a room came downstairs and said he was going to take a bath.

Ruthven said, OK, but then the old man said someone had to sit with him.

“I told the woman who was working the desk with me, you sit with him and I’ll stay at the front desk to answer the phone."

From there as he watched the comings and goings, he realized a staff member kept coming from the back room to get clean sheets.

“It took me until 6 o’clock that night to figure out they were running a small prostitution ring out of the back room — $10 whether they stayed an hour or all night. I fired them all.”

“It was only two blocks from City Hall and no one over there knew what was going on,” Ruthven said, still amazed more than four decades later.

Ruthven was looking for an office so decided to convert the stately hotel. It took two years to reconfigure the 1920-era building. Since then, it has been renovated twice to fit the needs of The Ruthvens.

“It is challenging” to keep up a 100-year-old building, he said, recounting a recent country-wide search for tiles when the roof leaked.

Politics

When Ruthven and Jeanette Chiles married, her younger brother, Lawton, was still a student. But Lawton Chiles later became one of Lakeland’s most famous native sons, a Democratic politician who served in the Florida House and Florida Senate through most of 1958 through 1970, the U.S. Senate from 1971 through 1989, and as governor of Florida from 1990 until his death on Dec. 12, 1998.

Even before he met his brother-in-law, Joe P. Ruthven was a confirmed Democrat.

“One day when I was about 11 or 12, I came home from school and there was a truck with lumber in it," he said. "Several young men with the Civilian Conservation Corps were there to build our family an outhouse.”

Seeing what Roosevelt and the Democrats were willing to do to help his family and his community, “I decided right then I would be a Democrat for the rest of my life.”

Ruthven said he and other family members often had helped Chiles with campaign duties so it was not much of a leap when he he decided to run for Lakeland City Commission. He served on the commission from 1969 through 1971, the last year as mayor. Schools were being integrated and racial tensions were high, Ruthven said.

A 1971 editorial in The Ledger summing up the year and Ruthven's service said, “racial problems at Lakeland High School drew the mayor into the news as an intermediary. His Youth and Adult Community Relations Committees opened unprecedented links of communications between the races in the city, the school got a new principal and the year ended on a note of optimism.”

And, the editorial continued, “long-simmering tensions in the Washington Park Homes public housing project surfaced strongly this year, leading to a barrage of charges and counter-charges among tenants and Housing Authority officials. Again the mayor became involved, this time with a bi-racial investigation committee which promised to hear all viewpoints and seek long-range ways to improve the relationship between tenants and city.”

Ruthven said Dr. John S. Jackson, an African-American physician, worked closely with him; the two attended community meetings together, bolstering one another. And at the schools, Willy Speed, a coach at Kathleen High School worked alongside him.

There was a lot of unrest and “I am glad that time is behind us,” Ruthven said.

Marilyn Meyer can be reached at marilyn.meyer@theledger.com or 863-802-7558. Follow her on Twitter @marilyn_ledger.

30 Magnificent Large Cottages to Rent for Your Next Big Group Holiday

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If you are planning a trip away with a group of friends and family there are many large cottages to rent around the UK. Whether this is a birthday gathering, family reunion, corporate event or wedding celebration, there are large and luxurious properties available in the most beautiful parts of the UK. Depending on the type of break you are looking for, there is holiday accommodation for your taste, group size and budget. Find properties with indoor pools, sea views, lakes and stunning outdoor opportunities.

Discover a list of large cottages to rent in some of the most scenic areas of the UK.  Browse and book today at affordable prices. The bigger your group the more your can save per person (and the bigger your accommodation). Make your next holiday the one that will be talked about for years to come!

Find large cottages to rent around the UK. Book your holiday house today!" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.wegoplaces.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/large-cottages-to-rent.jpg?resize=480%2C320" alt="Find large cottages to rent around the UK. Book your holiday house today!" />Find large cottages to rent around the UK. Book your holiday house today!

For a quick look at the large cottages to rent that we’ll be discussing below, here’s the full list:

• Aarons, Okehampton, Devon
• The Moors House, Okehampton, Devon
• Scarlet Pimpernel, Colchester, Suffolk
• Chubbs Farm, Axminster, Devon
• Redgate Farm, Axminster, Devon
• Apple Mill, Sidmouth, Devon
• Blencowe Hall, near Greystoke, Cumbria
• Hause Hall Farm & Cruik Barn, Martindale, Cumbria
• Waternook, The Lake District, Cumbria
• New Lodge, near Penrith, Cumbria
• Kirkbride Hall, Penrith, Cumbria
• Glassonby Old Hall, Glassonby, Cumbria
• Cazenovia Hall, near Greystoke, Cumbria
• The Normans, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
• Long Barn, Norfolk
• The Oaks, All Stretton, Shropshire
• Lletty & Annexe, Colwyn Bay, Conwy
• The Old Post Office, Liss, Hampshire
• Oat Hill Farmhouse, Broadway, Cotswolds
• The Manor House, Stroud, Cotswolds
• White Willow Lodge, near Lechlade, Cotswolds
• August House, near Northleach, Cotswolds
• Barnhouse, near Lechlade, Cotswolds
• Forthampton Court, Tewkesbury, Cotswolds
• Lower Farmhouse, Moreton-in-Marsh, Cotswolds
• Bellhouse, near Nympsfield, Cotswolds
• Hunter Court, Oxfordshire, Cotswolds
• Furlong Barn, Southam, Warwickshire
• Ivy House & Reading Room, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire
• Hillside Farm, Whitby, Yorkshire

Looking for a large cottage to rent in a particular UK region? Select from the the list of locations below to find a cottage for your large group.

1. Aarons

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Aarons, Whiddon Down, OkehamptonFirst floor of Aarons, Whiddon Down

Whiddon Down, Okehampton, Devon (DV166)
Sleeps: 8 guests
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3 (an en-suite bathroom, family bathroom and shower room)
About the property: Aarons is a beautiful light and airy barn conversion in a small hamlet, based in Dartmoor National Park.
About the location: This property is perfect for exploration in Devon and Cornwall. The A30 is only a short drive away.

Layout:
The ground floor includes:

• A large hall
• Utility room with washing machine and dryer
• Shower room with wc
• Double bedroom with 5’ bed and en-suite bathroom
• Twin bedroom with 3’ beds
• Another twin bedroom with 3’ zip and links (which can convert to 6’ double)

The first floor:

• Double bedroom with 5’ bed
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Large sitting/ dining room with French windows onto a large patio

House rules:

• Pets not allowed
• Smoking not allowed
• Minimum stay two nights
• Kid-friendly
• Baby-friendly

Key features & amenities:

• Wood burning stove
• Enclosed garden with garden furniture and barbecue
• Off street parking (three vehicles)
• Wi-Fi
• Pub nearby
• Great size for groups and families

Additional features:

• Electric double oven with halogen hob, larder fridge, freezer, microwave and dishwasher
• Utility room including washing machine and tumble dryer
• Smart TV with Freeview, DVD/CD player
• Mobile telephone
• Two travel cots and two high chairs (upon request)
• Children’s table and chairs, toy box & outdoor toddler toys
• Garage available to store things (bikes & equipment)

Activities & things-to-do:

• Cycling
• Fishing
• Golf
• My personal sanctuary spa
• Walking

Nearby attractions:

• Changford: 2.5 miles away. Here you can find great shops, pubs restaurants and the famous Gidleigh Park Hotel (two Michelin Stars).
• National Trust’s Castle Drogo, Drewsteignton: You can see this from the house. This is an early 20th Century Castle.
• Exmouth: 30 minute drive away. This is Devon’s oldest seaside town and has two miles of sandy beaches. Not to mention, is a world Heritage site.
• Coasts both north and south in easy reach
• Museum of Dartmoor Life, Okehamptom: Located next to the Tourist Information Centre
• Dartmoor Letterboxing: Dartmoor is known for it’s hidden letterboxes. This is a great activity where participants search the Tors and valleys for hidden treasure, following clues or looking under rocks.
• Surfing beaches of North Cornwall and Devon
• Exeter: 18 miles from the property. Devon’s capital city and home to Exeter Cathedral
• High Moorland Visitors Centre, Princeton: Here you can find information on where to go and insight into Dartmoor.

Price: lowest price from £425

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2. The Moors House

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The Moors House, South Zeal, Okehampton, DevonGround floor of The Moors House in Okenhampton

South Zeal, Okehampton, Devon (DV134)
Sleeps: 10 guests
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 3 en-suite shower rooms and 2 family bathrooms
About the property: This is an 18th century self catering holiday longhouse. The Moors House is located in the village of South Zeal, on the northern part of the Dartmoor National Park, Devon.

Layout:

Ground floor:

• Sitting room with granite inglenook fireplace and wood burning stove
• Snug with wood burning stove
• Kitchen
• Utility room
• Dining room (dines 10 guests)
• Boot room with seating and hanging facilities and WC

Stairs to reading area leading to five bedrooms:

• Two double bedrooms with 6’ zip and link beds (can convert to 3’ twin beds upon request). Both rooms have TV/DVD
• One bedroom with 5’ bed with TV/DVD
• Two more bedrooms with 5’ beds.
• Three en-suite shower rooms, one bathroom with a bath and shower over bath, one bathroom with separate shower.

About the location: The house is a short walk to the Devonshire village of South Zeal. Here you can find two friendly pubs serving food, a store and a coffee shop. This is the perfect location for outdoor exploration as Dartmoor National Park and the Tarka Trail are at your doorstep. The home is also only four miles east from the town of Okehampton.

House rules:

• Pets not allowed
• Smoking not allowed
• Minimum stay three nights
• Kid-friendly
• Baby-friendly

Key features & amenities:

• Log burner/ open fire
• Fully enclosed garden
• Parking for five vehicles
• There are steps down to the house
• WiFi
• Pub nearby
• Great size for groups and families

Additional features:

• Thatched roof and exposed beams
• Electric range cooker with gas hob, microwave, dishwasher, larder fridge, separate small freezer
• Washing machine and dryer
• Two TVs, two DVDs and DAB radio with docking station.
• Three bedrooms with TVs and DVDs
• Cot and high chair (available on request)
• Garden furniture and gas barbecue
• My Personal Sanctuary service

Activities & things-to-do:

• Cycling
• Fishing
• Golf
• My Personal Sanctuary Spa
• Walking

Nearby attractions:

• Exeter: 15 miles west. Property is easily accessible from Exeter St Davids, Exeter Airport and the A30/M5
• Roadford Lake for sailing and angling (20 minutes away)
• Beaches are a 30 minutes’ drive away.
• The Eden Project: One hour from the property.
• Numerous golf courses in the area
• Two riding stables within five miles

Price: lowest price from £518 (for 7 nights)

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3. Scarlet Pimpernel

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Scarlet Pimpernel, Stoke by Nayland, ColchesterViews from lodges at Scarlet Pimpernel, Stoke by Nayland, Colchester

Stoke by Nayland, Colchester, Suffolk (SU061)
Sleeps: 8
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 4
About the property: This is a combination of lodges Scarlet and Pimpernel that together accommodate eight guests.

Layout:

Scarlett:

• Open plan kitchen
• Dining and sitting room
• Two twin bedrooms with 3’ zip and link beds (can be made into double). Both have en-suite bathrooms.

Pimpernell:

• Open plan kitchen
• Dining and sitting room
• Two twin bedrooms with 3’ zip and link beds (can be made into double). Both with en-suite bathrooms.

About the location: Scarlet Pimpernel is located in the peaceful Constable Country, which is near Stoke by Nayland in Suffolk. This is the perfect place for a family and friends’ reunion and golf or spa breaks.

House rules:

• Pets not allowed
• Smoking not allowed
• Minimum of two night stay
• Kid-friendly
• Baby-friendly

Key features & amenities:

• Wooden balconies
• Onsite parking
• Welcome hamper provided
• WiFi

Additional features:

• Lodge Porter on call 24/7 to transport guests to and from the spa/golf/dining facilities
• House Chef available to prepare a bespoke menu at the lodge
• Complimentary access to indoor heated swimming pool, sanarium, steam room, jacuzzi and technogym
• Onsite spa and two championship golf courses (additional charges)
• Onsite two AA restaurant, bars, clubhouse restaurant, gift and golf shops, squash court, pool, fishing, covered driving range and professional golf lessons (charges will apply)
• Underfloor heating throughout
• Electric oven and four ring induction hob, microwave, dishwasher, fridge and freezer
• Flatscreen TV, Blu-Ray DVD player, surround sound in the sitting room and iPod docking station
• Travel cot and high chair available on request (may be addition charges)

Activities & things-to-do:

• Fishing
• Golfing
• Swimming
• Walking

Nearby attractions:

• Colchester Castle: a complete Normal castle and grade II listed building
• Colchester Zoo: with over 260 rare species (may part of breeding programmes)
• Lavenham: known as “the most complete medieval town in Britain” with a fine collection of medieval and Tudor architecture
• Constable’s Dedham: where Britain’s greatest landscape artist went to school
• Flatford Mill: grade I listed watermill on the Rier Stour built in 1733 that is most famous for being painted by artist John Constable in 1816
• The Beth Chatto Gardens
• Antique shops
• Kentwood Hall in Long Melford: romantic moated Tudor mansion with extensive gardens and rare breed farm

Price: lowest price from £866 (for seven nights)

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4. Chubbs Farm

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Chubbs Farm, Axminster, DevonGround floor of Chubbs Farm in Devon

Axminster, Devon (DV083)
Sleeps: 12
Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 3 (one shower room, one en-suite bathroom and one family bathroom)
About the property: This property used to be part of a farm set and is detached and thatched. This house accommodates 12 guests and is situated at the end of a track within 10 acres with views down to and across the Axe Valley. The recent refurbishment to the property combines the original features with a more contemporary design.

Layout:

Split level ground floor:

• Large entrance hall
• Children’s snug with TV & video
• Sitting room
• Five steps down to the dining room
• Large farmhouse kitchen with breakfast table, utility room
• Large shower room with WC
• Boot room
• Double bedroom with a 5’ bed
• Twin bedroom with 3’ beds
• Bathroom with WC and small sitting area
• Galleried stairs to first floor

First floor:

• Master bedroom with 6’ bed, balcony and en-suite bathroom with shower over the bath
• Small queen-size double bedroom
• Two twin bedrooms with 3’ beds
• Bathroom

About the location: Chubbs Farm is set in a quiet and rural position, only two miles from Axminster. The property is a 10 minute drive from Lyme Regis, the regency resort. You can enjoy a day at the beach or go fossil hunting on the nearby cliffs.

House rules:

• Smoking not allowed
• Pets not allowed
• Minimum three night stay
• Kid-friendly
• Suitable for children under 5 years

Key features & amenities:

• Wood burning stove
• Two acre lawned garden with decked area
• Unfenced stream that runs around the perimeter of the garden (steep bank and requires child supervision)
• Onsite parking
• Up to two dogs welcome (small fee per dog)
• Access to the property is via a rough farm track (drivers should take care)

Additional features:

• Thatched roof
• Hall with slate floor and rest of property has rugs/ oak floors
• French doors from kitchen onto a patio
• Double electric range oven, microwave, fridge, freezer, dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer
• Additional fridge/freezer in utility room
• Flat-screen digital TV, video, DVD, stereo with iPod docking station
• Three travel cots and two highchairs (available on request)
• Gas barbecue available
• Private water supply

Activities & things-to-do:

• Fishing
• Walks
• Fossil hunting
• Boat rides

Nearby attractions:

• Close to a local beach
• Many lovely walks through nearby fields
• The nearest town is Axminster with a pub, shops, cafes and restaurants
• Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Canteen and Deli is in Axminster
• Nearby towns include: Salcombe, Seaton, Beer and Sidmouth

Price: lowest price from £833 (for seven nights)

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5. Redgate Farm

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Redgate Farm, Shute, Axminster, DevonGround floor of Redgate Farm in Shute, Devon

Shute, Axminster, Devon (DV145)
Sleeps: 10
Bedrooms: 6 (two in the annex)
Bathrooms: 3 (one family bathroom, one en-suite bathroom and one shower room)
About the property: Located in the peaceful village of Shute, Redgate Farm is a thatched, 17th century, Grade II listed farmhouse. The property has a beautiful garden and views over the surrounding farmland.

Layout:

Ground floor:

• Utility and boot room
• Kitchen with doors to breakfast room/ conservatory
• Sitting room with wood burning stove dining room
• Study/TV room

First floor:

• Double bedroom with zip and link beds (can convert to two singles)
• Two single bedrooms with 3’ beds
• Family bathroom
• Double bedroom with 6’ bed and en-suite bathroom with separate shower

Annexe with first floor accommodation:

• Double bedroom with zip and link beds (can convert to two single beds)
• Twin bedroom (access via the double bedroom)
• Shower room (access via the double bedroom)
• Annex attached to the main house (step into a lobby to access the annex)

About the location: Redgate Farm is located in the charming village of Shute, located between Honiton (seven miles) and Axminster (four miles). The National Trust property of Shute Barton is at the centre and Redgate Farm was originally part of the Shute Estate. The surrounding countryside offers you the opportunity to enjoy walks in the local area.

Also, there are two local pubs only a five minute drive away from Kilmington which serve good food. The nearest shops can be found in Colyton, a six minute drive away.

House rules:

• Smoking not permitted
• Minimum of three night stay
• Pet friendly
• Child friendly
• Baby friendly

Key features & amenities:

• Wood burning stove
• Landscaped gardens, herbaceous borders and large cobbled courtyard
• Lake only 200 yards from the house (child supervision required)
• Onsite parking
• One dog is welcome (small fee)
• WiFi

Additional features:

• Property set in six acres of grounds
• Oil-fired central heating, electric storage heaters in the annex, gas fire in the TV room
• Range cooker with gas hob, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer
• TV, CD/radio, DVD player.
• Travel cot and high chair (available on request)
• Steps between some of the rooms
• Games barn with table tennis, table football and darts board
• Garden leading to croquet lawn
• Paddock for ball games
• Covered Bothy for outside entertaining
• No barbecues permitted due to thatch

Activities & things-to-do:

• Games room
• Walking
• Fishing

Nearby attractions:

• Lyme Regis, a lovely seaside resort is within easy reach of this property
• The town of Axminster where you can visit one of the River Cottage Canteen for a delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner
• Nearest beaches at Branscombe (eight miles) or Beer (seven and a half miles)

Price: lowest price from £83

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“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain

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6. Apple Mill

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Apple Mill, Venn Ottery, Sidmouth, DevonGround floor kitchen at Apple Mill in Venn Ottery

Venn Ottery, Sidmouth, Devon (DV060)
Sleeps: 8
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3
About the property: Apple Mill is a Grade II listed property and can be accessed via its own driveway. The property has its own secluded, private garden with hot tub and courtyard.

Layout:

Ground floor:

• Large family room with wood burning stove (opens up to a kitchen with dining area/ seats 14)
• King size bedroom with a 5’ bed
• Twin bedroom with 3’ bed
• Shower room with walk in shower

First floor:

• Double bedroom with a 5’ bed and en-suite shower room
• Master bedroom with a king-size 5’ bateau lit (sleigh) bed and en-suite bathroom with a roll top bath and separate shower

About the location: This property is located in the stunning Devon countryside. Apple Mill is only four miles from Sidmouth in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty near the Jurassic Coast, the UK’s only natural World Heritage Site. It is also near to Venn Ottery Common and the Otter Valley, which are perfect for Devon countryside walks.

The Woodbury Park Golf and Leisure Club is only 10 minutes from Apple Mill (enjoy free complimentary membership during your stay). The facilities include an 18-hole championship golf course, a nine hole golf course, driving range, indoor swimming pool with Jacuzzi, sauna, gym, squash courts, tennis courts, beauty therapist and two restaurants. Green fees, court fees and beauty treatments not included.

House rules:

• Smoking not permitted
• Pets not permitted
• Minimum of three night stay
• Kid-friendly

Key features & amenities:

• Wood burning stove
• Sun trap courtyard and garden with hot tub
• Parking (four vehicles)
• WiFi

Additional features:

• Electric range cooker with gas hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washing machine
• Freeview Sky TV, further TV in master bedroom. Video, DVD & radio/cassette/CD player
• Telephone (available on request)
• Travel cot (available on request)
• Gas barbecue and patio furniture
• Private water supply
• Two adult bikes (available on request)
• Dinner delivery service from Tasmin Lear at Wild Thyme
• Free complimentary membership to Woodbury Park Golf and Leisure Club

Activities & things-to-do:

• Fishing
• Golfing
• Swimming pool
• Cycling
• Jacuzzi/ hot tub
• Tennis court

Nearby attractions:

• You can visit many of the local National Trust houses, gardens or castles in the area
• For a family day out, you can visit an adventure park, farms or steam railways which are within easy reach of the cottage
• There are many wonderful beaches nearby at Sidmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Beer, Branscombe and Exmouth

Price: lowest price from £553

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7. Blencowe Hall

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Blencowe Hall in CumbriaSitting area at Blencowe Hall, Cumbria

Blencowe, near Greystoke, Cumbria (CU037)
Sleeps: 24
Bedrooms: 12
Bathrooms:13
About the property: This is a multi award-winning Grade I listed, fortified manor dating back to the 1400s. It has undergone extensive renovations, bringing the two towers into use for the first time in more than 300 years.
Blencowe Hall has won the following awards: English Heritage Construction Conservation Award, Eden District Design Award, the NWDA Conservation Award and the RICS National Conservation Award. Visit England has also awarded it 5 stars.
About the location: Blencowe Hall is located on a bluff above the river Petteril and is surrounded by gardens, grounds and fields with access to the river. Views extend to the nearby Lakeland fells and across the rolling Eden Valley fields.
The property is on the edge of the Lake District (only four miles from Lake District National Park and seven miles from Lake Ullswater. Also nearby is Aira Force National Trust waterfall, perfect stream to paddle in. There is also a tea shop and scenic walk up to the peak of Gowbarrow Fell.

House rules:

• Smoking not allowed
• Pets allowed
• Kid-friendly
• Minimum three night stay

Key features & amenities:

• Two open fires
• Lawned garden with patio
• Onsite parking
• Up to two dogs welcome (small fee)

Additional features:

• Oak panelling and beams
• Ancient masonry walls and doorways
• Spiral stone staircases
• Ancient carde robes
• Juliette balconies
• Four poster beds
• Wood chip central heating, the Billiards Room has a gas fired open fronted cast stove
• Four door oven gas Aga, a separate Bosch hob, Bosch electric oven. Two refrigerators, microwave, two dishwashers
• Washing machine and tumble dryer
• Utility area with second sink, storage and cloakroom
• LCD TV, DVD player, iPod docking system
• Telephone
• Catering service available
• Barbeque with charcoal provided and outdoor furniture
• Bicycles may be rented

Activities & things-to-do:

• Cycling
• Fishing
• Pigeon shooting
• Horse riding
• Golf
• Walking

Nearby attractions:

• Brown trout fishing along the river
• Clay pigeon shooting within the grounds
• This property is on the edge of the Lake District, four miles from the Lake District National Park and seven miles for Ullswater
• One mile walk from the village of Greystoke, where you can find Greystoke Castle and its 3,000 acre estate. This village is perfect for public walks. Also, Greystoke has a heated village swimming pool, local post office/shop a cycle cafe and a 6th century coaching inn serving meals (The Boat and Shoe)
• The Aira Force National Trust waterfall is also nearby offering you the opportunity for a scenic walk up to the peak of Gowbarrow Fell

Price: lowest price from £3065

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Image: The Rowley Estates, Modern Heritage Matters

“Appreciate good people. They are hard to come by.” – Mark Twain

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8. Hause Hall Farm & Cruik Barn

Hause Hall, Hallin Fell, Martindate, CumbriaGround floor at Hause Hall in Cumbria

Hallin Fell, Martindale, Cumbria (CU050)
Sleeps: 14 (option to for 18 guests if you book The Stables as well)
Bedrooms: 7
Bathrooms: 7
About the property: Hause Hall Farmhouse and the Cruik Barn offers you 5 star rated accommodation in the Lake District National Park close to Lake Ullswater.
The farmstead extends several traditional lakeland stone buildings. This includes Grade II listed five bedroom, five bathroom farmhouse and the adjoining two bedroom, two bathroom Cruik Barn. These are linked across a traditional paved stone terraces along with The Stables. The Hause Hall Farmhouse can also be booked with The Stables to sleep 18 guests.
About the location: The property, Hause Hall Farm and its two adjoining cottage, is located part way up Hallin Fell at the south end of Ullswater in Martindale. Enjoy spectacular views over the fells and up into the hidden valleys of this secluded area of the Lake District.
The property is a short distance from the Howtown Hotel and its Walkers Bar, open to non residents from April to November. Also, only one mile away on the footbath is the Michelin starred Sharrow Bay Hotel. The Cruik Barn and Stables are never let independently to value your privacy during your stay at Hause Hall Farm.

House rules:

• Kid-friendly
• Pets allowed
• Smoking not allowed
• Minimum three night stay

Key features & amenities:

• Wood burning stoves
• Walled gardens and yorkstone terrace
• Onsite parking
• WiFi

Additional features:

• Spectacular views over the fells and up into the hidden valleys
• Cycle storage

Hause Hall:

• Central heating provided by ground source heat pump with underfloor heating downstairs and radiators in bedrooms
• Gas fired four-oven Aga and separate gas hob with an electric oven. Microwave, fridge, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer
• LCD TV, DVD iPod dock
• Telephone
• Catering service available
• Travel cot, highchair and stair gate (available on request)
• Garden furniture and Weber barbecue

Cruick Barn:

• Central heating provided by ground source heat pump with underfloor heating downstairs and radiators in bedrooms
• Electric hob and an electric oven, microwave, fridge, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washing machine

Activities & things-to-do:

• Cycling
• Fishing
• Golfing
• Walking

Nearby attractions:

• The property is only a short walk away from the Howtown Hotel and the Walkers Bar (open to non residents April to November)
• One mile up the country lane or footpath is the Michelin starred Sharrow Bay Hotel
• Ullswater Cruises provides two hour cruises and short trips on a daily basis
• Derwentwater Marina is close to Keswick offering the opportunity for windsurfing, canoeing, rock climbing courses, boats for hire and sailing
• Nearby historic houses: Dalemain House and Gardens, Acorn Bank Garden and Watermill, Hutton-in-the-Forest and Appleby Castle

Price for Hause Hall Farm & Cruick Barn– sleeps 14 guests: lowest price from £1790 (Book here)

Price for Hause Hall, Cruick and The Stables– sleeps 18 guests: lowest price from £2,092 (Book here)

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Image: The Rowley Estates, Holiday Cottages

9. Waternook

Waternook, Ullswater, The Lake DistrictLake view from Waternook in Cumbria

Ullswater, The Lake District, Cumbria (CU060)
Sleeps: 12 (option for 20 guests if you book The Great Barn as well)
Bedrooms: 6 double bedrooms (all en-suite)
About the property: Set within 26 acres of private grounds and gardens, Waternook provides a secluded setting with views of lake and mountain. The property is located at the base of Hallin Fell and is complimented with half a mile of Ullswater lake with boathouse and private jetty.
The property has sleek and sophisticated interior styling, making it the perfect place for a special event, wedding or gathering with friends.
About the location: The Ullswater Valley lies in the the English Lake District and is a place that offers a great escape since it is relatively untouched by tourism. Ullswater is surrounded by beautiful Lakeland fells, perfect for walks. This is an adventure destination for the family or a romantic escape. Ullswater also offers a lot of exciting opportunities for thrill seekers looking for an adventure.

House rules:

• Minimum 3 night weekend stay, 4 night mid-week stay or 7 night week long stay

Key features & amenities:

• Half a mile of lake frontage
• 26 acres of private estate grounds
• Lake view
• Terraced gardens with seating
• Boathouse with private jetty
• Infinity terrace with hot tub
• Two dogs are welcome (small fee)
• Onsite parking
• Concierge services available

Additional features:

• Stone and porcelain en-suite bathrooms with rain showers
• Designer baths in two bedrooms
• State of the art kitchen
• Wood burning stove
• Spa and wellness sanctuary
• Lake view dining
• Panoramic views of lake and mountains
• Integrated music system and iPad control
• TVs in all bedrooms
• Barbecue terrace with equipment
• Travel cot and highchair (available on request)
• Dog beds (available on request)
• Cinema with Sky movies and sports
• Secure bike and canoe storage
• Security gate entry system

Activities & things-to-do:

• Jacuzzi/hot tub
• Sauna
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Walking

Nearby attractions:

• Ullswater is the perfect destination for lakeshore walks. Hiking for the novice and more experienced mountaineers
• Ullswater Lake: Known as one of England’s most beautiful lakes. You can take a Round the Lake Pass with Ullswater Steamers. You can hop on and off at different piers around the lake and explore at your own pace.
• Lots of exciting outdoor activities: mountain biking, pony trekking, paragliding and sailing. Waternook’s concierge service can help you arrange these activities.
• Historic houses like Dalemain and Hutton-in-the Forest: both beautiful properties with lovely gardens
• Rheged Centre in nearby Penrith: This is an arts centre, cafe, cinema, farm shop and market selling local produce (with a grass covered roof).

Price for Waternook – sleeps 12 guests: lowest price from £4930 (book here)

Price for Waternook & The Great Barn – sleeps 20 guests: lowest price from £6886 (book here)

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Image: Last Minute Cottages,  lakelovers.co.uk

10. New Lodge

You can book New Lodge here
New Lodge, Watermillock, CumbriaFirst floor sitting area with views towards the lake at New Lodge in Cumbria

Watermillock, nr Penrith, Cumbria (CU056)
Sleeps: 8
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2 (and a shower room)
About the property: New Lodge was originally the gatehouse for Leeming House, which dates back to the early 1900s. The property is located in a beautiful location with incredible views of Lake Ullswater.
This is a luxurious lakeside lodge which has a stunning architecturally designed extension. This incorporates large areas of glass allowing you to enjoy panoramic views of the Lake, Barton Fell and Haling Fell from different levels of the house. The house also has its own private shore line and a small jetty at the end of the lawn making it a wonderful location to enjoy the beautiful lakeside setting.

Layout:

First floor:

• Oak staircase leading to a glass and oak mezzanine landing providing views over garden and lake
• Landing hall leads into a light contemporary open plan living area with wooden floor kitchen and wooden work top and a double ceramic sink
• Central island with breakfast bar seating
• To the front of the kitchen is  a large living area with double ceiling windows, seating and dining for up to eight guests (door out to balcony patio)
• Wood burning stove and television and external door from the kitchen giving access to the car parking area via external staircase
• Three double bedrooms: two x 6’ zip and link beds which can be made into singles on request and one 5’ double bed and an oval shaped bathroom with double shower and bath and double sinks. One bedroom with a double beam vaulted ceiling, wood burning stove, television and views over the lake

Second floor:

• Generous landing area that leads to the master suite with 6’ bed
• Large mezzanine master suite (lots of natural light and views with full floor to ceiling windows). Access a sofa and study area on the mezzanine balcony over the living space below. Walk in wardrobe leading to contemporary en-suite bathroom (free standing bath and shower).
• Separate room with single bed, which is perfect for children. Through this room you can access a game/TV room with sofa and velux windows

Outside:

• Access to the property is through a gated entrance onto a tarmaced drive with parking for up to five cars and hard standing for boats
• The flagged patio leads to a large lawn, which extends down to the private lake shower and small jetty

About the location: This is the perfect position for exploring northern parts of the Lake District National Park. Right outside the property you can enjoy beautiful walks. There are also lots of opportunities for outdoor activities like cycling, horse riding, kayaking, fishing and sailing.

House rules:

• Pets not allowed
• Minimum three night stay
• Kid-friendly

Key features & amenities:

• Two wood burning stoves
• Large garden leading to a private lake shore and jetty
• WiFi
• Onsite parking (up to five cars)
• Shoreline is fenced (child supervision still required)

Additional features:

• Stunning panoramic views overlooking Lake Ullswater and surrounding fells
• Floor to ceiling windows in the living area and master bedroom
• Wooden beam vaulted ceilings in parts
• Electric hob and oven, microwave, fridge freezer, dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer
• Charcoal barbeque and garden furniture

Activities & things-to-do:

• Walking
• Cycling
• Horse riding
• Kayaking
• Fishing
• Sailing
• Golfing

Nearby attractions:

Price: lowest price from £893

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“Never go on trips with anyone you do not love.” – Ernest Hemingway

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11. Kirkbride Hall

Book Kirkbride Hall today

Kirkbride Hall in the snow, Melmerby, Cumbriawood burning fire and double doors opening to the sanstone terraces and gardens" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.wegoplaces.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/kirkbride-hall-living-room-melmerby-nr-langwathby-penrith-cumbria.jpg?resize=862%2C574" alt="Kirkbride Hall living room with wood burning fire and double doors opening to the sanstone terraces and gardens" />Kirkbride Hall living room with wood burning fire and double doors opening to the sandstone terraces and gardens

Melmerby, near Langwathby, Penrith, Cumbria (CU054)
Sleeps: 8
Please note: Nearby properties can accommodate more guests – Melmerby hall (18 guests) and Stag Cottage (four guests).
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 4
About the property: Located in the Eden Valley near the Lake District National Park, Kirkbride Hall is a 5* rated property for up to eight guests. The property was completed in early 2015 and was designed to cater to all the comforts of a traditional Cumbrian cottage. This includes sandstone walls using stone sourced from within the estate, solid oak floors, antique furniture and a large welcoming wood burning stove in the sitting room.
The property is a sandstone terraced cottage situated in walled cherry and apple orchards of Melmerby Hall. The former orchard garden of Melmerby Hall is a beautiful setting for this property.
Kirkbride has open plan access and parking to the front, a large enclosed patio and garden to the rear. It is the perfect place to relax on a warm summer’s day with a lot of space for children to play safely on the property.
Since it is in on the grounds of Melmerby Hall (sleeps 18 guests) it is also a great opportunity for families that would like to be near each other but not in the same property. Stag Cottage is also nearby (sleeps four guests).
About the location:  Kirkbride is right next to the quiet and scenic churchyard of the Grade II listed St John’s Church in Melmerby. There is also private gated access to 20 acres of mixed woodland grounds of Melmerby Hall through an iron gate set into the orchard wall. These grounds include woodland paths, water meadows and a tributary to the River Eden.

House rules:

• Pets allowed (three dogs)
• Minimum three night stay
• No hen or stag parties
• Baby-friendly
• Kid-friendly

Key features & amenities:

• Wood burning stove
• Large enclosed patio and garden to the rear
• On-site parking
• WiFi

Additional features:

• Oak flooring
• Underfloor heating fired by an environmentally friendly wood chip boiler system
• Electric oven and hob, microwave, dishwasher, fridge/freezer, washer and dryer
• 42’ TV, DVD player, iPod docking system
• Telephone
• Catering service available
• Travel cot, high chair and stair gate (available on request)
• Barbecue and charcoal available

Activities & things-to-do:

• Fishing
• Cycling
• Golfing
• Horse riding
• Walking

Nearby attractions:

• Melmerby is set within the heart of the Eden Valley at the base of Pennine fells and the Hartside Pass (which climbs 1904 feet above sea level). This offers you the opportunity to get a beautiful viewpoint on a clear day of the Eden Valley, Lake District and even as far as southern Scotland.
• Melmerby also has a village shop, tea room, post office, antique shop. La Brocante Emporium is within walking distance of the property.
• The ‘Coast to Coast’ Cycle route passes through the village on the A686 and ascends via Hartside to Alston

Price: lowest price from £612

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Image: Holiday Cottages, The Rowley Estates

12. Glassonby Old Hall

Book Glassonby Old Hall today

Glassonby Old Hall in Cumbriaground floor dining room with stone fireplace" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.wegoplaces.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/glassonby-old-hall-cumbria-ground-floor.jpg?resize=862%2C574" alt="Glassonby Old Hall's ground floor dining room with stone fireplace" />Glassonby Old Hall’s ground floor dining room with stone fireplace

Glassonby, Cumbria (CU052)
Sleeps: 8
Please note: There are neighbouring properties that accommodate more people, Elk Cottage (sleeps four) and Jenny’s Croft (sleeps four).
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 5
About the property: Glassonby Old Hall is a 5 Star Gold Award winning traditional long house that is Grade II listed. It is one of three luxury properties in Glassonby, Cumbria. The other two properties are Elk Cottage and Jenny’s Croft, which both adjoin Glassonby Old Hall. All properties date to the 1600s.
Recent renovations brought the properties back into habitation for the first time since 1764. Glassonby Old Hall still retains many of its original features like the old ship timber oak beams, oak mullion windows, flagged stone floors, open fires and stone staircases.
Layout:

Ground floor:

• Sandstone flagged and galleried dining room with large stone and log burning fireplace
• Dining hall has double doors that open onto a sandstone terrace leading into the garden
• Sitting room with wood burning cast iron stove, a large breakfasting kitchen with four oven Aga, utility and store room and a ground floor cloak room
• The Daleraven Room, a double bedroom with a 5’ king size bed and wc and shower room. The room has original sandstone walled well preserved below the glass flooring

First floor:

• The Master bedroom suite that is accessed along the oak gallery. This suite has a 5’ poster bed and an en suite bathroom with separate rainfall shower and a cast iron roll top bath
• The Addingham Room has a 5’ carved antique bed
• The Salkeld twin bedroom has two 3’ beds
• All of these bedrooms are located next to the family bathroom which has a cast iron bath and separate rainfall shower.

About the location: The property used to be a farm and is positioned on the hills of the Eden Valley, giving amazing views toward the Pennines and the rolling countryside.

This is the perfect location to an outdoor holiday in Cumbria. There are lots of walks nearby and leading to Lacey’s Caves along the Eden River, to the Long Meg Stone Circle (second largest in England) and to the nearby Cumbrian village of Melmerby. Here you can find the nationally acclaimed organic Village Bakery.

House rules:

• Kid-friendly
• Baby-friendly
• Pets allowed (two dogs welcome)
• Smoking not allowed
• Minimum three night stay

Key features & amenities:

• Two wood burning stoves
• Sandstone terrace leading up to a lawned area
• Onsite parking
• WiFi

Additional features:

• Oak and sandstone flag flooring with underfloor heating
• Four oven Aga, electric hob and separate oven, microwave, fridge freezer, dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer
• Large screen LCD TV, DVD player, iPod docking system
• Telephone
• Catering service available
• Heated towel rails in all bathrooms
• Cots and high chairs (available on request)
• Barbecue with charcoal available to use
• Garden furniture

Activities & things-to-do:

• Fishing
• Golfing
• Cycling
• Walking

Nearby attractions:

• Village shop in Kirkoswald (one and a half miles away) which has two local pubs
• You can rent bicycles, locks and helmets locally
• Nearby fishing spots
• Great walks from right outside of the property – from Dale Raven along the banks of the Riven Eden, a walk to Lacey’s Caves along the Eden River and a walk to the Long Meg Stone Circle
• Glassonby is situated along the popular C2C cycle route and there are also many quiet lanes in the local area for cyclists. Cycling route maps provided at property.
• Glenridding Sailing Centre, where you can hire canoes and sailboats
• Rookin House Farm where you can go on a Pony trek
• Lake Ullswater at the Sharrow Bay Hotel, where you can enjoy a leisurely meal on the shoreline
• Junction 40 of the M6 is nine miles away
• Penrith the historic market town can be easily reached by taxi from the station (three hours train journey time from London)

Price: lowest price from £612

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Image: The Rowley Estates, Holiday Images

13. Cazenovia Hall

Book Cazenovia Hall here

Cazenovia Hall, Near Greystoke, CumbriaFirst floor double bedroom at Cazenovia Hall

Near Greystoke, Cumbria (CU046)
Sleeps: 8
Please note: There are neighbouring properties that accommodate more people, Riverain and Wythburn Cottage (both sleeping six guests).
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 4
About the property: Cazenovia Hall is a Grade II listed and 5 Star Gold Award winning property located in the secluded grounds of the family owned Grade I listed Blencowe Hall. This holiday home has been renovated to a high standard with light and airy four bedroom traditional stone built barn that dates back to 1726.
This property has views up over the nearby hills. It’s secluded south facing sandstone terraces are perfect to relax after a day adventuring the Lake District.
About the location: This property is based on the edge of the Lake District (four miles away from Lake District National Park). Blencowe is also close to the Aira Force National Trust waterfall, offering a place to paddle, tea shop and walk up to the peak of Gowbarrow Fell.
Cazenovia Hall is also just over a mile from Greystoke Village, with a village shop, traditional Lakeland pub (The Boot and Shoe), a heated swimming pool and Greystoke Castle with its 3,000 acres of woodland grounds for country walks.

House rules:

• Kid-friendly
• Pets allowed (two dogs)
• Smoking not allowed
• Minimum three night stay

Key features & amenities:

• Open fire
• Private garden with sandstone terraces
• Parking (four vehicles)
• WiFi

Additional features:

• 5 Star Gold Award winning conversion, part of the Grade II listed sandstone barns within the Blencowe Hall Estate
• Double height, well-equipped kitchen with four oven Aga
• Oak flooring, underfloor heating from a sustainable wood chip boiler
• Four oven Aga, gas hob and electric oven, microwave, dishwasher, large fridge/freezer, washer and dryer
• 42’’ TV, DVD player, iPod docking system
• Catering service available
• Telephone
• Travel cot, stair gate and high chair (available on request)
• Teak garden furniture and barbecue with charcoal to use
• Secure cycle storage

Activities & things-to-do:

• Fishing
• Cycling
• Golfing
• Walking
• Clay pigeon shooting

Nearby attractions:

• Clay pigeon shooting is available
• Tributary of the River Petterill for brown trout fishing (within the grounds of Blencowe Hall)
• Pony trekking, sailboat hire, and cycle tours along the popular C2C cycle route (passes through the village) all easily arranged
• Perfect for walkers who want to enjoy the Lake District (only four miles away from Lake District National Park)
• Penrith railway station is close to the property (three hours direct from Euston). The station is four miles from Junction 40 on the M6.

Price: lowest price from £612

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14. The Normans

Book The Normans here

The Normans, Wells-next-the-sea, NorfolkSecond floor master bedroom at The Normans

Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk (NO088)
Sleeps: 14
Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 4 en-suite bathrooms and 1 en-suite shower room
About the property: The Normans is a three storey holiday townhouse based in the centre of Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk. The property is only a two-minute walk from the harbour and the sea. This is a self catering luxury rental house that’s garden is enclosed by a high wall.
The bedrooms are spacious and offer impressive views across the coast from Holkham to Stiffkey.
History of the property: The house was built for the town’s wheat merchant (rumoured to be a smuggler). This is why there is a spy window at the top of the house, from where the merchant could watch boats come in. The house had tunnels running beneath which lead to different locations in the town.
About the location: Wells-next-the-Sea is a popular Norfolk town that is based in a small harbour on the beautiful North Norfolk Coast. This area is one of the UK’s designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town is known for its narrow streets, old alleys and yards with plenty of shops, pubs and cafes. Also, many impressive Victorian and Georgian buildings.

House rules:

• Smoking not allowed
• Pets not allowed
• Kid-friendly
• Baby-friendly
• Minimum three nights stay

Key features & amenities:

• Open fire
• Enclosed, walled garden
• Parking (four vehicles)
• WiFi

Additional features:

• Electric oven with induction hob, microwave oven, fridge with freezer compartment, dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer
• TV, DVD player
• Travel cot and high chair (available on request)
• Garden furniture and charcoal barbecue
• Swinging seat and petanque pit in garden
• Catering can be arranged through Julie Abbs Catering

Activities & things-to-do:

• Horse riding
• Walking
• Bird watching
• Fishing

Nearby attractions:

• You can access the beach via a miniature steam train from the harbour. The beach has pine trees, sand dunes and colourful beach huts.
• The quay has an active fishing fleet and sailing club
• North Norfolk Coastal Path, perfect for walkers and birdwatchers with many creeks and marshes

Price: lowest price from £1199

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“A good friend listens to your adventures. A best friend makes them with you.” – Amanda Bradley

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15. Long Barn

Long Barn, Felmingham nr Aylsham, Norfolkfloor drawing room with wood burning stove and underfloor heating" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.wegoplaces.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/long-barn-felmingham-nr-aylsham-norfolk-ground-floor-drawing-room.jpg?resize=862%2C574" alt="The Long Barn's first floor drawing room with wood burning stove and underfloor heating" />The Long Barn’s first floor drawing room with wood burning stove and underfloor heating

Felmingham nr Aylsham, Norfolk (NO021)
Sleeps: 10 (or 16 if you also rent the adjoining property, Dovecote)
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 1
About the property: Located on the grounds of Felmingham Hall (a Grade II listed Elizabethan manor house) are the Felmingham Hall Barns. These are two award-winning holiday properties within a stunning 18th century barn conversion. Off a country lane and located at the end of a long drive, you can find the barns set within a walled garden and surrounded by farmland. There is a grape and laburnum covered pergola leading up to the properties.
The Long Barn is light and spacious, with a 30’ high vaulted drawing room with imposing fireplace, heating and double doors to front and rear gardens and terrace. The dining room leads out to a covered loggia (via double doors) where you can enjoy a meal while overlooking the private south-facing walled garden with views to the Hall. There are inter-connecting doors between Long Barn and Dovecote (sleeps six guests)
Property history: The Long Barn was once the home of William Talman, an architect of Chatsworth House and Master of the Works to the court of James I. Felmingham Hall was constructed in 1569 and is one the earliest examples of Elizabethan architecture in North Norfolk.

Layout:

Ground floor:

• Drawing room with a wood burning stove and underfloor heating, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room
• Twin bedroom with 3’ beds and an en-suite bathroom

First floor:

• Double room with a 4’6 bed, an en-suite shower room and a window over the grand hall
• Twin room with an en-suite shower room
• Double bedroom with a 4’6 bed and an en-suite bathroom
• Double bedroom with a 5’ bed, an ornate window/ fire escape an an en-suite bathroom

About the location: This property is based in unspoilt countryside not far from the National Trust’s Blickling and Felbrigg estates. It is the perfect location for exploring the Norfolk coastline, only 20 minutes away by car.

House rules:

• Kid-friendly
• Baby-friendly
• Pets not allowed
• Smoking not allowed
• Minimum two night stay
• No stag or hen parties allowed

Key features & amenities:

• Wood burning stove
• Lawned gardens with terrace
• Plenty of parking space
• WiFi

Additional features:

• Short walk from the beach
• Shared game rooms (table tennis, table football and toys)
• Freeview TV, DVD, CD, Telephone
• Travel cot, high chair and stair gate (available on request)
• Private water supply
• Garden furniture and barbecue
• Catering can be arranged through Julie Abbs Catering

Activities & things-to-do:

• Walking
• Game Room

Nearby attractions:

• Weaver’s Way, a famous network of country walks is ten minutes from the property.
• The east coast is just fifteen minutes by car.
• Holt and Burnham Market, both picturesque Georgian towns
• Cley, a seaside village with famous bird sanctuaries
• Cromer, a traditional English resort town its Hotel de Paris
• Sheringham and Wells, both towns a short drive away and offer delicatessens, antique shops, restaurants and theatres

Price for Long Barn – sleeps 10: lowest price from £1039 (book here)

Price for Dovecote – the adjoining property that sleeps 6: lowest price from £612 (book here)

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16. The Oaks

Book The Oaks today

The Oaks, Inwood All Stretton, Shropshirelarge bay window and views" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.wegoplaces.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/the-oaks-inwood-all-stretton-ground-floor-sitting-room.jpg?resize=862%2C574" alt="The Oaks sitting room with large bay window and views" />The Oaks sitting room with large bay window and views

Inwood, All Stretton, Shropshire (SH019)
Sleeps: 10
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 3
About the property: The Oaks is a detached country holiday house based in the South Shropshire Hills. This luxury self catering rental has been refurbished to a high standard, offering contemporary, spacious and light accommodation.
The garden is two acres and surrounded by post and rail fencing and hedges. There are also two large, sunny stone patios with teak furniture facing west and south, offering views over Shropshire’s Caradoc and Lawley Hills.
About the location: The Oaks is based on the side of the Long Mynd and enjoys stunning views over the surrounding hills. This area is regarded as one of the UK’s designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

House rules:

• Pets not allowed
• Minimum three night stay
• Kid-friendly
• Baby-friendly

Key features & amenities:

• Wessex stone log fireplace in sitting room
• Aga
• Two-acre garden and stone patio facing south and west
• Parking (eight vehicles)
• WiFi

Additional features:

• Perfect celebration venue for family or friends
• Beautiful views
• Visiting organic spa treatment service available with My Personal Sanctuary
• Oil Aga plus a separate electric hob, oven and microwave
• Fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer
• 42’’ Plasma TV with DVD. 19’’ plasma TV
• Separate TV and video in games room with selection of children’s videos, children’s pool table, table football and board games
• CD player, Bose iPod speakers, radio
• Travel cot, highchair and stair gate (available on request)
• Outdoor furniture and barbecue
• Catering service available

Activities & things-to-do:

• Fishing
• Walking
• Golfing
• Mountain biking

Nearby attractions:

• Hill View Fishery nearby offering fly fishing for trout
• The front gate leads directly into National Trust land where you can go walking, mountain biking and exploring
• Golf course at Church Stretton, the third highest in the country with fantastic views
• Several country pubs nearby with great food, open fires and real ale (short car journey)
• Church Stretton, a Victorian spa resort is only five minutes away
• Ludlow, known as Shropshire’s gastronomic capital offers Michelin-starred restaurants
• Acton Scott is Shropshire’s historic working farm and is perfect for children
• Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre at Craven Arms
• Ironbridge offers many interactive museums

Price: lowest price from £944

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17. Lletty & Annexe

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Lletty located above the Eglwysbach Valley at the Bodnant Estate, ColwynBodnant Garden in Conwy, Wales

Bodnant Estate, Colwyn Bay, Conwy (CY008)
Sleeps: 8
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2
About the property: Lletty is one of eight luxury self-catering cottages on The Bodnant Estate near Conwy in North Wales. This is the perfect location for an outdoor break.
The property is a historic three-storey Grade II stone holiday farmhouse dating from the 17th century. The farmhouse has been rescued from dereliction and restored which has lead to it receiving an award from the Conwy Civic Society in 2009 for the restoration. The farmhouse has many period features and the separate annexe provides accommodation for two guests.
Layout:

Ground floor:

• Twin bedroom with 3’ beds, a vaulted ceiling and a private bathroom
• Study/sitting room with stairs up to dining room and door to the garden

First floor:

• Double bedroom with a 5’ bed
• Twin bedroom with a 3’ single zip and link beds (can be converted into a 6’ king-sized bed on request)
• Bathroom with a shower over the bath

Annexe:

• Twin bedroom with two 3’ beds and an en-suite shower room with wc
• Tea-making area including small kitchen sink and mini fridge

About the location: The Estate lies off a woodland track where there are many walking opportunities, paths, woods and farmland. It is located high above the Eglwysbach valley, with pastoral views.
Central to the Bodnant Estate is Bodnant Garden, owned by the National Trust. Also, the garden is only one to two miles walking distance from this property and open every day of the year.

House rules:

• Baby-friendly
• Child-friendly
• Pets not allowed
• Smoking now allowed
• Minimum three night stay

Key features & amenities:

• Wood burning stove
• Enclosed garden, parts on a slope with steps and a level sitting area below the house. Also, an eating terrace to one side of the house
• Parking (three vehicles)
• Access is via a single country road and graded track across fields
• WiFi

Other properties on the estate:

Additional features:

• Period features within the property – oak and slate floors, vaulted ceilings, exposed beams and a bread oven
• Gas range cooker, microwave, larder fridge, freezer, dishwasher, washing machine
• TV, Freeview, DVD, CD/radio
• Travel cost, highchair and stair gate (available on request)
• Garden furniture and barbecue
• 10% discount at Hayloft restaurant, the Tearooms, Bodnant Cookery School and Bodnant Garden Centre
• Fishing permits available at Bodnant Garden Centre
• ‘Click and Collect’ service allowing you to order food in advance and then collect on arrival from the Bodnant Welsh Food Centre

Activities & things-to-do:

• Cycling
• Fishing
• Walking

Nearby attractions:

• Access to miles of private paths that run through the woods and across farmlands
• Bodnant Welsh food where you can find the Hayloft restaurant, producing rustic Welsh food with a modern twist
• Bodnant Tearooms where you can enjoy fresh cakes and look out to the beautiful Conwy Estuary and Carneddau Hills (also 25 meters of adventure play trail for children here)
• Bodnant Cookery School, where you can hone your skills with personal guidance from culinary experts. Classes for beginners and the more advanced.
• Fishing permits can be purchased so you can fish right near the property (Roach, Tench, Perch, Eels and Rainbow Trout)
• Bodnant Garden Centre
• Bodnant Craft Centre

Price: lowest price from £471

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“With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?” – Oscar Wilde

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18. The Old Post Office

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The Old Post Office, Empshott, Liss, HampshireThe Old Post Office’s kitchen and dining room in Hampshire

Empshott, Liss, Hampshire (HA018)
Sleeps: 10
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 3
About the property: The Old Post office is situated back from the road within a unique and private woodland setting and is complemented by the beautiful landscape.
Once the old post office, this property has been transformed with restored and reclaimed pink flooring throughout, stunning entrance hall and impressive stairway leading to a galleried landing. The sitting room leads into a piano room which then leads into the kitchen/dining room.
The open plan of the property gives you a great feeling of space with bi-fold doors leading to the patio area, garden and views over the woodlands. The master bedroom has vaulted ceilings, which creates an airy New York loft feel. This room also has a balcony which provides stunning views over the surrounding Hampshire countryside.
Property history: This property was once a family run business, which included the village stores, post office and bus stop. It was built in 1907 to serve the Le Court Estate and has been extended and renovated by the current owners. The restoration retains and enhances many of the original features with lovely decor along with replacing the tilting outside the property with handmade clay tiles. This restoration was featured on a television series.

Layout:

Ground floor:

• Kitchen/dining room
• Large galleried entrance hall
• Snug
• Sitting room
• Piano room
• Utility
• Cloakroom

First floor:

• Master bedroom, featuring balcony and en-suite bathroom with shower
• One double bedroom en-suite shower room
• Three further double bedrooms
• Family room

About the location: Alton, a nearby market town offers a variety of high street shops and also a weekly market. Also, the Watercress Line runs close with its steam locomotives. You can also venture into Farnham, Winchester and Basingstoke where there are more shops and a mainline railway station with connections to London Waterloo.

House rules:

• Kid-friendly
• Pets allowed (one dog)
• Smoking not allowed
• Minimum three night stay

Key features & amenities:

• Large galleried entrance hall & landing
• Parking (six cars)
• WiFi

Additional features:

• TV with Freeview and 3D smart TV with integrated Netflix/ Talk Talk TV for movies, CD player
• Gas cooker, dishwasher, washing machine, microwave, fridge and freezer
• Cot, high chair and stair gate (available on request)
• Garden with stream along the edge of the garden

Activities & things-to-do:

• Fishing
• Golfing
• Walking

Nearby attractions:

• Hamlet of Empshott, only two miles from the historic village of Selbourne and not far from the home of Jane Austen
• Many beautiful country pubs and walks in the vicinity
• South Downs National Park sites and nearby woodland
• Southampton Airport, accessible via M3 and M27 coastal motorway (40 minute drive)
• Frequent trains from London to Liss via South West Trains
• Liss, Hawkley, WInchester, Petersfield and Haslemere all offering villages, shops and dining

Price: lowest price from £1706

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19. Oat Hill Farmhouse

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Oat Hill Farmhouse, Snowshill, Broadway, Cotswolds" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.wegoplaces.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/oat-hill-farmhouse-snowshill-broadway-cotswolds.jpg?resize=862%2C574" alt="Oat Hill Farmhouse, Snowshill, Broadway, Cotswolds" />Oat Hill Farmhouse, Snowshill, Broadway, CotswoldsOat Hill Farm House, Snowshill" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.wegoplaces.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/oat-hill-farmhouse-snowshill-broadway-cotswolds-ground-floor.jpg?resize=862%2C574" alt="Ground floor, Oat Hill Farm House, Snowshill" />Ground floor, Oat Hill Farm House, Snowshill

Snowshill, Broadway, Cotswolds (CO232)
Sleeps: 16
Bedrooms: 8
Bathrooms: 5 and 2 shower rooms
About the property: Oat Hill Farmhouse is a 17th century farmhouse located in the centre of Snowshill and full of character features. This is a Cotswold village located at the top of the slope of villages of Stanway, Stanton Broadway, Buckland and Laverton.
About the location: You can get to the nearest pub within a three minute walk (The Snowshill Arms). Also, there is a church and its manor house within the village with beautiful gardens and tea rooms which are administered by the National Trust. On the edge of the village, you can also find Snowshill Lavender Farm, where you can wander through fragrant lavender fields (35 different varieties) and enjoy their tea rooms after.

House rules:

• Pets not allowed
• Smoking not allowed
• Kid-friendly
• Suitable for children under five

Key features & amenities:

• Two open fireplaces (including a huge inglenook in the kitchen)
• Large, tiered garden patio area for dining
• Parking (eight vehicles)
• WiFi

Additional features:

• Spacious family kitchen
• Exposed beams
• Some flag stoned floors and stone walls
• South and west facing summer house
• Kitchen includes large range cooker, microwave, large fridge freezer with ice maker, two dishwashers, wine fridge and island work station
• TV room with 46’’ TV screen with HD Freeview. DVD.
• External utility room with washing machine, tumble dryer, additional fridge and space for storage
• Garden furniture and barbecue
• Travel cot and high chair (available on request). Also, rooms large enough to accommodate a travel cot

Activities & things-to-do:

• Theatre
• Walking
• Cycling
• Polo
• Cricket
• Golfing
• Horse racing

Nearby attractions:

• Broadway (less than three miles away) and offers several restaurants, tea rooms and shops
• Towns of Chipping Campden, Moreton-in-Marsh and Stow-on-the-Wold are all a short drive away with wonderful restaurants and pubs
• Stratford-upon-Avon (a little farther away) with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre
• Cotswold Way in Chipping Campden offers plenty of footpaths for walkers
• For sports lovers there are several golf courses closeby, National Hunt Racing at Cheltenham, Cricket at Worcester and Polo at Cirencester Park

Price: lowest price from £2095

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“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, to gain all while you give, to roam the roads of lands remote, to travel is to live.” – Hans Christian Andersen

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20. The Manor House

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Swimming pool and gardens" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.wegoplaces.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/the-manor-house-bisley-stroud-cotswolds-gardens-and-swimming-pool.jpg?resize=862%2C574" alt="Manor House, Bisley, Stroud, Cotswolds - Swimming pool and gardens" />An aerial view of The Manor House with it’s lovely gardens and swimming poolOat Hill Farm House, Snowshill" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.wegoplaces.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/the-manor-house-bisley-stroud-cotswolds-swimming-pool.jpg?resize=862%2C574" alt="Ground floor, Oat Hill Farm House, Snowshill" />Outdoor heated swimming pool with changing rooms available from May to September at The Manor House

Bisley, Stroud, Cotswolds (CO268)
Sleeps: 14
Bedrooms: 7
Bathrooms: 6
About the property: This is a stunning 16th century Manor house with original features like an inglenook fireplace and mullioned windows. The gardens have a swimming pool and are maintained all year round. It is perfect for a break away  in the Cotswolds for a reunion with family, friends, gatherings and celebrations.

Layout:

Ground floor:

• Hallway
• Fully fitted kitchen/breakfast room (seating for 16)
• Dining room
• Drawing room with inglenook fireplace
• Sitting room
• Utility room and wc

First floor:

• Master bedroom with 6’ bed and en-suite
• Bedroom with 6’ bed and en-suite
• Bedroom with twin 3’ beds
• Bedroom with 4’6 bed
• Bedroom with a 4’6 bed and en-suite
• Bedroom with 5’ bed and an en-suite
• Family bathroom

Second floor:

• Bedroom with twin 3’ beds and en-suite

Outside property:

• Lawns and gardens with outdoor dining terrace with seating for 16
• Outdoor swimming pool with changing rooms

About the location:The property provides breathtaking views into the surrounding countryside. This is also the perfect place for walking, cycling and horseback riding. Also, the Manor House is great at any season with the beautiful pool in the summer and the log fire in winter months.

House rules:

• Smoking not allowed
• Pets not allowed
• Minimum two night stay

Key features & amenities:

• Open fire
• Lawns and gardens with terrace
• Outdoor heated swimming pool with changing rooms (available May to September)
• Plenty of on-site parking

Additional features:

• Views across the Cotswold countryside.
• Property retains many of its original features from the 16th century.
• Inglenook fireplace.
• Four oven oil fired Aga, dishwasher, fridge/freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer.
• Multiple televisions.
• Garden furniture and barbecue.

Activities & things-to-do:

• Swimming
• Golfing
• Walking
• Gardens
• Shopping

Nearby attractions:

• The towns of Cirencester and Cheltenham Spa are both equidistant from the property. These towns have many shops, restaurants, pubs and cafes to enjoy.
• Two hours away from London.
• Sports lovers can enjoy a visit to Cirencester polo grounds or the world renowned Cheltenham racecourse.
• Golfing at Minchinhampton, Naunton or Painswick Golf Club.
• There are many stately homes and gardens such as Painswick Rococo Gardens, Woodchester Manor and Rodmarton Manor.

Price: lowest price from £2494

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21. White Willow Lodge

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White Willow Lodge, Near Lechlade, Cotswolds" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.wegoplaces.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/white-willow-lodge-near-lechlade-cotswolds.jpg?resize=862%2C574" alt="White Willow Lodge, Near Lechlade, Cotswolds" />White Willow Lodge, Near Lechlade, CotswoldsWhite Willow Lodge, Lechlade, Cotswolds" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.wegoplaces.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/interior-white-willow-lodge-near-lechlade-cotswolds.jpg?resize=862%2C574" alt="Sitting Room of the White Willow Lodge, Lechlade, Cotswolds" />Sitting Room of the White Willow Lodge, Lechlade, Cotswolds

Near Lechlade, Cotswolds (CO282)
Sleeps: 12
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 5
About the property: This property is set on a stunning lake in the centre of the Cotswolds. This is a great property for time away with family or friends. There is complimentary use of the luxury spa and outdoor facilities included in your stay. There are sleeping arrangement for ten plus an additional bunk bed for two for children only.
There are lake views throughout the property across three floor. The interiors are warm and luxurious in a contemporary design. The property has been published in ‘25 Beautiful Homes’ magazine.
Guests have access to kayaks, bikes, fishing, sailing and rowing boats, zip wires, a luxury spa on the estate with 20 meter pool, sauna, spa and fully-equipped gym. In home catering and beauty treatments are also available.

Layout:

• Master suite 1 – sleeps two, King bed
• Bedroom 2 – sleep 2, King bed
• Bedroom 3 – sleeps 2, Super king or twin bed
• Bedroom 4 – sleeps 4, Super king or twin bed and bunk beds
• Bedroom 5 – sleeps 2, King bed

About the location: Situated in a 650 acre estate of ‘Lakes by Yoo’ near Cirencester and only 90 minutes from London.

House rules:

• No pets allowed
• Minimum stay two nights
• No stag or hen gatherings allowed

Key features & amenities:

• Log fire in sitting room and master suite
• Outdoor terrace overlooking lakes
• Onsite parking
• Wifi

Additional features:

• Concierge Menu available (fridge stocking, fire lighting and bike hire)
• Security on call 24/7 at gated entrance
• Catering with a range of chefs
• On site spa offering treatments (gym, heated pool, sauna, steam and hot tub)
• Nanny services available with qualified childcare professionals. The ‘Yoo’ kids club  encourages kids to take part in outdoor adventures such as Ben Fogle’s School of Wild.
• Kitchen equipment and a Nespresso machine
• Outdoor terraces on both ground and top floor with a barbecue
• Sky TV, DVD/Blue Ray player, Sonos system and board games
• Two double kayaks available when lakes are open
• Onsite tennis courts, fishing, boating and wild swimming within the estate

Activities & things-to-do:

• Tennis
• Fishing
• Boating
• Kayaking
• Swimming
• Walking
• Children’s camp/activities

Nearby attractions:

• Many wonderful pubs nearby like: The Swan at Southrop (within walking distance) and The Five Alls in Filkin.
• Many waterways including the Thames, Avon and Severn run through the region. The Coln and Leach join the Thames at Lechlade, making the town a favourite mooring place for narrow boats and a hub for cruises. Also, there are opportunities to tour up-river on a Thames Launch or charter your own boat for the day.
• Lechlade, a market town that is home to a music festival and churchyard that inspired Shelley
• Burford, a medieval town that has been featured in Forbes list of Europe’s loveliest places to live
• Filkins, part of the estate of Sir Stafford Cripps
• Southrop with a beautiful 12th century church
• Lots of walking and hiking available with 3,000 miles of public footpaths. You can spend a few days walking the length of the Gloucestershire Way (100 miles from Forest of Dean to Tewkesbury Abbey)
• Daylesford Organics with handmade cheeses, pastries, breads and local produce
• Coln Valley Smokery in Northleach
• Benson’s Farm, delivers organic apple juice
• Cheltenham Festival, The Gold Cup (March)
• Cotswold Wildlife Park to get up close to the rhinos, camels, lions and more.

Price: lowest price from £1220

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22. August House

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August House, Hampnett, Near Northleach, CotswoldsSitting Room of August House in the Cotswolds

Hampnett, near Northleach, Cotswolds (CO300)
Sleeps: 12
Bedrooms: 7
Bathrooms: 7
About the property: Built in 1872, August house was originally the village rectory but has been transformed into a modern home. This unique property is based in one of the Cotswolds most picturesque hamlets and perfect for family holidays away.
August House is spacious and perfect for family and friends to gather together. The ground floor offers a large kitchen/ breakfast room, family room, two sitting rooms, dining room and also a children’s playroom. Upstairs the bedrooms are decorated with double beds and en-suite bathrooms.
About the location: This property is located on the edge of Hampnett and is surrounded by countryside. There are six acres of landscaped parkland to explore and large gardens with formal lawns and box hedges. Also, an outdoor swimming pool is available in the summer months.

House rules:

• Kid-friendly
• Suitable for children under 5
• Pets not allowed
• Smoking not allowed
• Minimum of two night stay

Key features & amenities:

• Kitchen, three reception rooms and dining room.
• Heated outdoor swimming pool opened daily (June to August)
• Six acres of private landscaped gardens, parkland and picturesque lake.
• Plenty of on-site parking.
• WiFi

Additional features:

• Antique furniture throughout
• One bedroom with en-suite bathroom on the ground floor.
• Children’s playroom with toys and games
• Gas range cooker, fridge with small freezer compartment, two dishwashers.
• Televisions with Freeview in playroom, snug and kitchen.
• Bose iPod docking station and Roberts radio.
• Cooking and baking can be arranged prior (additional charge)

Activities & things-to-do:

• Cycling
• Swimming
• Walking
• Gardens
• Climbing
• Historic houses
• Racecourse
• Zoo
• Spas

Nearby attractions:

• Northleach is only a mile away and includes a convenience store, butcher and post office
• Burton-on-the-Water (10 minutes drive away) and Stow-on-the-Wold (15 minutes drive) have larger supermarkets and shops
• Nearby villages include Bourton-on-the-Water, Lower Slaughter, Burford, Stow-on-the-Wold and Cirencester
• Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens is perfect for a day out
• Crocodiles of the World, the UK’s only crocodile zoo
• Far Peak Climbing, a climbing facility at nearby Northleach (all ages and abilities welcome)
• Historic spa town of Cheltenham, only 10 miles away and known for festivals (literary, music and food) and famous racecourse
• Blenheim Palace, historic house and gardens open year round and perfect for walks with friends and family
• Gardens at Snowshill, Kiftsgate, Sezincote, Batsford and Hidcote (within an hour’s drive)
• Rail services run to Kingham railway station. There is a direct service from London Paddington (one and a half hours).

Price: lowest price from £2233

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23. Barnhouse

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View of Barnhouse, Near Lechlade, CotswoldsOutside Pool at Barnhouse in the CotswoldInside Barnhouse in the Cotswolds

Near Lechlade, Cotswolds (CO290)
Sleeps: 10
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 7 (5 are en-suite)
About the property: The Barnhouse was designed by Kate Moss and pricing includes the services of a butler during your stay. This is a gated community where you receive the ultimate rural retreat. This is a five bedroom, seven bathroom barn that is tucked away in the woods with panoramic windows across Bowmoor lake.

Layout:

• Master suite: sleeps 2, emperor bed
• Bedroom 1: sleeps 2, super king bed
• Bedroom 2: sleeps 2, super king bed
• Bedroom 3: sleeps 2, twin beds
• Bedroom 4: sleeps 2, super king bed

About the location: The property is located on Cotswold Water Park and is a great spot for exploring the local area. The Barnhouse is on a private estate on 650 acres of idyllic Cotswolds countryside. You are only 15 minutes from Cirencester, 30 minutes from Cheltenham Racecourse and 90 minutes from London.

House rules:

• Kid-friendly
• Ask about pets
• Smoking not allowed
• Minimum stay of two nights

Key features & amenities:

• Price includes butler services
• Five bedrooms with one master suite with art deco four poster bed and balcony
• Log fire in the sitting room
• Private outdoor heated pool
• Playroom
• Large secluded garden
• Parking available on property
• WiFi

Additional features:

• Concierge Menu available (fridge stocking, fire lighting and bike hire)
• Security on call 24/7 at gated entrance
• Catering available
• On site spa offering treatments (gym, heated pool, sauna, steam and hot tub)
• Nanny services available
• ‘Yoo’ kids club available
• Kitchen equipment and a Nespresso machine
• Outdoor terraces on ground and top floor with barbecue
• Sky TV, DVD/Blu Ray player, Sonos system and board games
• Two double kayaks available when lakes are open
• Onsite tennis courts, boating, fishing and wild swimming all on the estate

Activities & things-to-do:

• Cycling
• Fishing
• Walking
• Golfing
• Tennis
• Boating
• Kayaking
• Spa facilities
• Swimming

Nearby attractions:

• The Five Alls in Filkin and The Swan at Southrop (both excellent nearby pubs)
• Many local waterways offering boating and cruise opportunities. The Thames, Avon and Severn run through the region and the Coln and Leach join the Thames at Lechlade.
• Lechlade, home to music festival and churchyard that inspired Shelley
• Burford, medieval town named one of Europe’s loveliest places to live by Forbes
• Filkins, part of the estate of Sir Stafford Cripps
• Many walking opportunities with the Gloucestershire Way offering 100 miles from Forest of Dean to Tewkesbury Abbey
• Cotswold Wildlife Park
• Cheltenham Festival, The Gold Cup (March)
• Daylesford Organics offering fresh produce

Price: lowest price from £4530

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24. Forthampton Court

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Forthampton Court, Tewkesbury, Cotswolds" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.wegoplaces.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/forthampton-court-tewkesbury-cotswolds.jpg?resize=862%2C574" alt="Forthampton Court, Tewkesbury, Cotswolds" />Forthampton Court, Tewkesbury, CotswoldsForthampton Court in the Cotswolds" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.wegoplaces.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/forthampton-court-bedroom-tewkesbury-cotswolds.jpg?resize=862%2C574" alt="Bedroom at Forthampton Court in the Cotswolds" />Bedroom at Forthampton Court in the Cotswolds

Tewkesbury, Cotswolds (CO186)
Sleeps: 10
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 6
About the property: Forthampton Court is a modernised and spacious self-contained wing of a Grade II listed manor house. The property has been redecorated to a high standard and is furnished throughout with decorative prints and antique furniture.
Property history: Some parts of the house date as far back as the 15th century. This includes the Medieval Great Hall built by the Abbots of Benedictine monastery at Tewksbury. Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn were also believed to have stayed at the property in July 1535. The wing was added around 1890 by Philip Webb, the Arts and Crafts architect.
Layout:

Ground floor:

• Entrance lobby with wc and utility room leading to a staircase hall, adjoins oak-panelled drawing room with open fire
• External door leading to the rose garden from drawing room
• Dining room and breakfast kitchen

First floor:

• Master bedroom with a 6’ bed, simulated coal gas fire and en-suite bathroom (roll-top bath and separate shower)
• Double bedroom with a 5;6 bed, simulated coal gas fire and en-suite bathroom with shower over bath.
• Double bedroom with a 6’ zip and link bed (can convert to two 3’ singles upon request) and en-suite shower room)

Second floor:

• Double bedroom with 5’6’’ bed and en-suite bathroom with separate shower
• Twin bedroom with 3’6’’ beds and an adjoining wc and wash basin

About the location: The property is close to the west bank of the River Severn on the Gloucestershire/Worcestershire border.

House rules:

• Children over 12 years are welcome
• A dog is welcome
• Minimum three night stay

Key features & amenities:

• Open fireplace
• Aga
• Rose garden (fully enclosed, private walled, brick paved)
• Parking space for one car outside the front door and more space in adjoining garage yard
• WiFi

Additional features:

• Drawing room with oak panels
• Catering can been arranged (please give notice)
• Open fire in the drawing room
• Gas “coal-effect” fires in first two floor bedrooms
• Four oven Aga with two hot plates and a four ring gas hob attached, microwave, huge fridge/freezer, two dishwashers, washing machine, tumble dryer
• TV with DVD player
• Garden furniture and barbecue

Activities & things-to-do:

• Golfing
• Walking
• Boating
• Horse riding

Nearby attractions:

• The Lower Lode pub is only a half a mile walk away. There are lots of other pubs only a short drive away.
• Tewkesbury, the medieval town is only a few miles away with restaurants, pubs and shops.
• Cheltenham (12 miles away) offers literary and music festivals as well as a famous racecourse
• Gloucester and Worcester offer museums and cathedrals (25 minutes away)
• Malvern Hills and Bredon Hill provides walking opportunities
• 18-hole golf course at Puckrup (6 miles) and Tewkesbury Park (5 miles).
• Boating on the Severn and Avon at Tewkesbury
• Riding can be arranged locally
• Historic houses: Eastnor Castle near Ledbury and Sudeley Castle near Winchcombe
• Gardens of Kiftsgate and Hidcote

Price: lowest price from £1119

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25. Lower Farmhouse

Book Lower Farmhouse today

Lower Farmhouse, Todenham, Moreton-in-Marsh, Cotswolds" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.wegoplaces.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/lower-farmhouse-todenham-moreton-in-marsh-cotswolds.jpg?resize=862%2C574" alt="Lower Farmhouse, Todenham, Moreton-in-Marsh, Cotswolds" />Lower Farmhouse, Todenham, Moreton-in-Marsh, Cotswoldswood burning stove at Lower Farmhouse, Todenham" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.wegoplaces.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/lower-farmhouse-todenham-moreton-in-marsh-cotswolds-ground-floor.jpg?resize=862%2C574" alt="Ground floor sitting room with wood burning stove at Lower Farmhouse, Todenham" />Ground floor sitting room with wood burning stove at Lower Farmhouse, Todenham

Todenham, Moreton-in-Marsh, Cotswolds (CO216)
Sleeps: 10
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 5
About the property: This is a 19th century stone holiday farmhouse and is a Cotswolds self-catering property with five bedrooms, all en-suite. There is also a large Inglenook fireplace with a wood burning stove and exposed beams. Also, a beautiful garden for spending times with friends and family, cooking on the barbecue or relaxing over a glass of wine.

Layout:

Ground floor:

• Contemporary kitchen with aga
• Separate electric hob and oven
• Utility room
• Dining room

First floor:

• One step down to the landing area
• Two steps down into the two twin bedrooms each with 3’ zip and link beds (can convert to 6’ doubles upon request) and each with en-suite shower room
• Double bedroom with a 6’ zip and link bed (can convert into two 3’ singles upon request with en-suite walk in shower)
• Double bedroom with a 5’ bed and an en suite-bathroom with shower over bath

Second floor:

• Double bedroom with a 6’ zip and link bed (two 3’ singles upon request) and bathroom with shower over the bath

About the location: Lower Farmhouse is located on Todenham Manor, a working farm just outside Moreton-in-Marsh.

House rules:

• Kid-friendly
• Suitable for children under five
• Smoking not allowed
• Pets not allowed
• Minimum three night stay

Key features & amenities:

• Inglenook fireplace with wood burning stove
• Aga
• Certain areas around the house are restricted since the property is situated on a working farm with livestock
• South facing garden with patio area
• WiFi

Additional features:

• Todenham Manor farm can deliver a box of fresh meat to your cottage
• Underfloor heating in parts of the cottage
• Oil-fired aga, electric hob and oven, microwave. Fridge, fridge/freezer in the utility room, dishwasher, washing machine.
• Flatscreen TV, and TVs in all bedrooms, Freeview, CD player, DVD player and iPod dock.
• Travel cot and high chair (available on request)
• Fixed stair gate on first floor
• Garden furniture and barbecue

Activities & things-to-do:

• Cycling
• Walking
• Gardens
• Restaurants
• Golfing
• Racecourse

Nearby attractions:

Price: lowest price from £1029

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26. Bellhouse

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Bellhouse, Near Nympsfield, Cotswoldswood burning stove at Lower Farmhouse, Todenham" />Ground floor sitting room at Bellhouse in the Cotswolds

Near Nympsfield, Cotswolds (CO229)
Sleeps: 8
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3
About the property: Bellhouse is a spacious house with lots of character, situated in a  quiet setting with lots of opportunities for long walks in the country. Bellhouse is the south-west wing of Woodchester Park House, a Grade II listed building. The property has private gardens and a patio area provides a great place for a meal with friends. The large lawn is surrounded by mature trees and great for children to play.
Property history: This property dates back to the 1860’s and retains many of its original features.

Layout:

Ground floor:

• Stone flagged entrance halls
• Fully fitted kitchen
• Larder and laundry room
• Large dining and sitting rooms (both with wood burning stove)
• Twin bedroom with 2 x 3’ beds
• Bathroom with bath and separate shower

First floor:

• Large double bedroom with 5’ bed and en-suite bathroom
• Large double bedroom with 6’ bed which can be made into twin beds upon request
• Smaller bedroom with two 3’ beds
• Bathroom with bath and separate shower

About the location: The garden and woodland boundary Woodchester Park, which is owned by the National Trust. From the house, it is possible to walk for miles without crossing a road or seeing a car. There is plenty of wildlife with five lakes running through the Park and the Cotswold Way passing nearby.

House rules:

• No pets allowed
• No smoking allowed
• Kid-friendly
• Baby-friendly
• Minimum two night stay

Key features & amenities:

• Wood burning stoves in both sitting room and dining room
• Access to gardens and parkland
• Two ponds on the grounds (child supervision required)
• On-site parking
• WiFi

Additional features:

• Grade II listed building with terrace and walled courtyard garden
• Lots of wildlife
• Electric cooker, microwave, fridge, freezer, dishwasher and washing machine
• Satellite TV and DVD player
• Two travel cots and two high chairs (available on request)

Activities & things-to-do:

• Golfing
• Walking
• Racecourse
• Swimming
• Bridwatching
• Cycling

Nearby attractions:

Price: lowest price from £747

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27. Hunter Court

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Hunter Court, Clanfield, Oxfordshire, Cotswolds" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.wegoplaces.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/hunter-court-clanfield-oxfordshire-cotswolds.jpg?resize=862%2C574" alt="Hunter Court, Clanfield, Oxfordshire, Cotswolds" />Hunter Court, Clanfield, Oxfordshire, CotswoldsHunter Court in Oxfordshire" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.wegoplaces.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/hunter-court-sitting-room-clanfield-oxfordshire-cotswolds.jpg?resize=862%2C574" alt="Ground floor sitting room at Hunter Court in Oxfordshire" />Ground floor sitting room at Hunter Court in Oxfordshire

Clanfield, Oxfordshire, Cotswolds (CO215)
Sleeps: 8
Please note: Hunter Cottage is also within the grounds and offers additional accommodation for two guests.
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 1
About the property: This is a luxury Cotswold holiday house set in the village of Clanfield. The property offers a lot of space and is tastefully decorated with a homely feel. There are five acres of property with two fields (often with sheep) and a half an acre of walled garden.

Layout:

Ground floor:

• Large kitchen with separate garden room for dining and sitting
• Family room off the kitchen
• Utility room
• Cloakroom with wc
• Large sitting room, dining room, conservatory, office

First floor:

• Master bedroom with a 6’ bed an en-suite bathroom with walk-in shower
• Double bedroom with a 6’ bed (can convert to two 3’ singles upon request) and an en-suite shower room
• Double bedroom with a 5’ bed
• Double bedroom with a 5’ bed
• Family bathroom with walk in shower
• Single bedroom with a 4’6’’ bed and en-suite shower room.

About the location: Hunter Court is only a two minute walk from 17th century pubs offering excellent food and roaring log fires (The Clanfield Tavern and The Plough Inn). The neighboring village of Bampton offers a supermarket, butchers, art gallery and a few pubs.

This is a great location for an outdoor break in Oxfordshire since there are plenty of walking, cycling, fishing and boating (Thames is only two miles away) opportunities. Burford is eight miles away, Cirencester 18 miles, Oxford 21 miles and Heathrow Airport one hour and ten minutes.

House rules:

• Children over 10 years are welcome
• Baby under six months is welcome
• Pets are not allowed
• Minimum three night stay

Key features & amenities:

• Open fireplace in the sitting room
• Wood burning stove in the family room
• Attractive, walled garden (half an acre with feature pond and trees)
• Parking for three vehicles
• WiFi

Additional features:

• Garden furniture and barbecue (available between April and October)
• Gas hob, electric oven, multi-functional microwave, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer
• Television with Sky
• Two fields (with sheep)
• Two minutes walk from pub with great food and open fires
• Conservatory and office
• Catering available upon request

Activities & things-to-do:

• Walking
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Boating
• Golfing

Nearby attractions:

• Clanfield, great for walking cycling, fishing and boating
• Roadcot, offers one of the oldest crossing points over the River Thames
• Burford (eight miles away), Oxford (21 miles) and Cirencester (18 miles)
• Heathrow Airport, one hour and 10 minutes
• Nearest railway station is Hanborough (13 miles) with Oxford (21 miles), Didcot (22 miles) and Swindon (17 miles)

Price: lowest price from £966

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28. Furlong Barn

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Furlong Barn, Itchington, Southam, WarwickshireSitting room at Furlong Barn in Warwickshire

Long Itchington, Southam, Warwickshire (CO244)
Sleeps: 7
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 1
About the property: Furlong Barn is a beautiful property that is situated in a secluded location and offers views across Warwickshire farmland. This property has been stylishly renovated and there is a great attention to detail in every room. The vaulted main bedroom, sitting room and dining kitchen offer exposed, limited timbers which are set off by oak or slate flooring.

Layout:

Ground floor:

• Kitchen/ dining room
• Sitting room
• Double bedroom with 6’ zip and link bed and en-suite bedroom with separate shower
• Double bedroom with 6’ zip and link bed and en-suite shower room
• Both bedrooms have french windows that open out into the garden
• Shower room

Staircase to first floor:

• Twin bedroom with one 3’ bed and one 2’6’’ bed
• Separate staircase to further twin bedroom with 3’ beds and en-suite shower room

About the location: Furlong Barn is on the edge of the village of Long Itchington, offering a pond and village green within walking distance. The Buck and Bell pub is on the green with local beers and great food. Also, Hilltop Farm is only a short car ride away where there is a farm shop and restaurant.

House rules:

• Baby-friendly
• Kid-friendly
• Pets not allowed
• Smoking not allowed
• Minimum three night stay

Key features & amenities:

• Property suitable for up to seven adults and one child
• Walled, gravelled courtyard with slate patio and lawned areas
• Parking (four vehicles)
• WiFi

Additional features:

• Electric rangemaster, fridge/freezer, washer/dryer, dishwasher, microwave
• 46 inch smart television with Freeview. DVD player, CD player with iPod dock
• Travel cot, high chair and stair gate (available on request)
• Garden furniture and barbecue

Activities & things-to-do:

• Walking
• Cycling
• Silaing

Nearby attractions:

Price: lowest price from £947

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29. Ivy House & Reading Room

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Ivy House and Reading Room, Wetton, Near Ashbourne, DerbyshireGround floor kitchen at the Ivy House and Reading Room in Derbyshire

Wetton, Nr Ashbourne, Derbyshire (DE006)
Sleeps: 10 (Ivy House sleeps six and Reading Room sleeps four)
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 3
About the property: The Ivy House and Reading Room are adjacent semi-detached holiday cottages next to the church in the centre of the village of Wetton. The property has been refurbished to modern standard and still retains many of its original features, including its exposed beams.

Layout:

Ivy House ground floor:

• Sitting room with wood burning stove
• Dining room
• Kitchen
• Utility room

Ivy House first floor:

• Master bedroom with a 5’ poster bed
• Bedroom with 4’6” bed and an additional 3’ single bed (flexibility to use room as double ro twin) and an en-suite bathroom
• Small twin bedroom with 3’ beds
• Bathroom with a separate shower

Reading Room ground floor:

• Sitting room with open fire
• Kitchen with flagstone floor and dining table
• Twin bedroom with 3’ beds

Reading room first floor:

• Double bedroom with a 4’6” bed
• Bathroom with shower over the bath

About the location: These holiday cottages are located in Wetton and are tucked away deep in the Derbyshire Dales. The property is only 100 yards from the local village pub which serves excellent food, The Royal Oak.

House rules:

• Kid-friendly
• Baby-friendly
• Smoking not allowed
• Two well behaved dogs welcome (small fee)
• Minimum three night stay

Key features & amenities:

• Wood burning stove and open fire
• Small, fully enclosed gardens
• Off street parking

Additional features:

Ivy House:

• Four poster bed
• Fridge, freezer, dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer
• TV, video, radio/cassette/CD. Payphone.
• Travel cot and high chair (available on request)
• Charcoal barbecue and garden furniture

Activities & things-to-do:

• Walking
• Sailing
• Canoeing
• Boating
• Fishing
• Cycling

Nearby attractions:

• Only a few minutes walk from the upper reaches of Dovedale and Manifold Valley in the Peak District National Park with many footpaths for walkers
• Many opportunities for sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, kayaking, mountain biking and power boating (can hire equipment from local companies)
• Haddon Hall, an English Tudor and country house
• Chatsworth House and its gardens
• Alton Towers
• Poole’s Cavern & Country Park
• The Heights of Abraham
• Rudyard’s Lake, where Rudyard Kipling’s parents met and named their son
• Blackbrook Zoo, with different species to admire

Price: lowest price from £1029

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30. Hillside Farm

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Hillside Farm, Littlebeck, Whitby, YorkshireGround floor sitting room at Hillside Farm in Yorkshire

Littlebeck, Whitby, Yorkshire (YO069)
Sleeps: 10
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 1
About the property: Hillside Farm is a detached farmhouse located in the heart of North Yorkshire Moors National Park. The property enjoys stunning views of the sea and Whitby, only a few miles away.

Layout:

Ground floor:

• Bespoke kitchen with aga and kitchen table
• Dining room, garden and utility room, boot room, wc, hall, TV room (wood burning stove)
• Double bedroom with 5’6” bed and en suite shower room
• Large beamed and galleried sitting room with wood burning stove

First floor:

• Master double bedroom with 6’ bed and an en suite bathroom
• Twin bedroom with 3’ beds
• Double bedroom with 6’ zip and link bed which can convert to singles on request
• Family bathroom with bath
• Double bedroom with 6’ zip and link bed which can convert to singles on request

About the location: Hillside Farm is two miles away from Sleights where there is a hotel and pub, both serving food. There is also a fish and chip restaurant, butcher/delicatessen, general store (open until 10pm) and a local bakery.

House rules:

• Kid-friendly
• Baby-friendly
• Pets not allowed
• Smoking not allowed
• Minimum three night stay

Key features & amenities:

• Two wood burning stoves
• Two tier garden with steps leading up to the lawned area
• Plenty of parking space
• Aga
• Access to property is steep (may not be suitable for low slung sports vehicles)
• WiFi

Additional features:

• Detached farmhouse set in centre of North York Moors National Park
• Views of the sea and Whitby
• Exposed beams
• Close to the beach
• Aga, electric hob and combination microwave/oven, fridge, freezer, dishwasher, tumble dryer, washing machine
• Two large flat screen TVs with Sky package, DVD player, CD player
• Travel cot and high chair (available on request)
• Outside furniture

Activities & things-to-do:

• Fishing (sea and river)
• Walking
• Cycling

Nearby attractions:

• River Esk (two miles away) most prolific sea trout rivers in England and the only salmon river between London and the Tees
• Salmon and sea trout fisher can be arranged with the owner (6th April to 31sts October)
• Coast to Coast and Cleveland Way paths offer amazing walking opportunities on nearby paths
• Whitby, Sandsend and Robin Hood’s Bay all nearby
• Dalby Forest offers mountain biking opportunities
• Grosmont
• North York Moors Railway
• Goathland

Price: lowest price from £713

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