Euridge: The Courtyard Cottage

The arrival down a long tree-lined drive is rural and splendid. At the end you find a cluster of very old buildings – the main house was said to be Sir Walter Raleigh’s hunting lodge and it has medieval roots. At Courtyard Cottage you walk straight into the dining room with low lighting and a wooden table for convivial meals. The conservatory has gorgeous views – a good spot for a quiet read or watching out for birds.

Relax in the sitting room on comfy sofas, be warmed by the merry wood-burner and thickly lined curtains. Cook in the good-sized kitchen, drink tea from pretty Oka china, find all you need to rustle up suppers. Bedrooms, one downstairs, one up, have well-dressed beds, spoiling robes and slippers and gleaming bathrooms with Bamford soaps and lotions.

On sunny days you can spill out to your own private garden but you’re welcome to roam the rest: water features, topiary, rose gardens, smooth lawns, a lake and boathouse.