Houndsmoor House

Gather friends or family – the house has loads of space and is crying out for happy times with people you enjoy. Bibliophiles will find inspiration in every room and cooks will bustle happily in the enormous kitchen, but award-winning cook Diana will happily give you all your meals (including breakfast) or rustle up a picnic. Children can explore no fewer than three staircases or find a treehouse in the garden and table tennis too.

In winter you’ll be snug with open fires in the drawing room and in the dining room with its Regency table. The TV room has a big screen, there are DVDs and a Bose sound system. In summer you’ll be flinging open the doors and doing everything outside: lawns to sprawl on, a paddock with a stream for picnics, a tennis court, supper in the walled garden. Bake in the sauna, jump in an ice bath.

Walk half a mile along a safe path to the village shop and a good pub. Visit the organic farmers’ market every fourth Saturday. Cleaning, housekeeping or babysitting can be arranged.