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HOLIDAYS FOR REALISTS

With summer set to take place on home turf, here are some of your best, most stylish rental bets…

18.02.2021
 

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Cancelled holidays have left us with a real sense of loss; for the places unseen, the food uneaten and the people unmet. And while the vaccine provides hope that we’ll soon travel again, the fact that Matt Hancock is summering in Cornwall this year does not. But even if borders do reopen, YouGov reports that 70 per cent of people wouldn't travel abroad if it meant quarantining on return. It's time therefore, to reacquaint ourselves with the idea that England is glorious, and that we need nothing more. There are the flint villages of Norfolk and the wild and rugged coastline of Yorkshire, the chocolate box towns of the Cotswolds and the craggy coves of Devon. Bath has sweeping Georgian crescents while Brighton teems with eccentricity. And if you live outside of the M25 then there’s London… London, with its stately parks, hopefully open museums and assortment of neighbourhoods. So go on, haul yourself out of this hogwash by booking one of these eight rentals. 

AIRBNB:

Carmarthenshire Cottage, from £80 per night Sleeps: 4 people

In rural Carmarthenshire, this cottage has, unsurprisingly, given its flag floors, ticking stripe linen and charming sleeping nook, been featured in design bible The World of Interiors. You won’t find remote controlled lights or a HD TV, but you will be plunged into rustic bliss.

Kip Hideaways:

Waterlily, Cambridge from £100 per night Sleeps: 2 people

Located just outside of Cambridge, this tiny and primitive cabin is as fashionable as they come. If you’re overburdened, addled by tech and pissed off with people, you must start packing now. Once there, strip down to your birthday suit and dive straight into the lake. Afterwards, sit on the deck with a cold glass of Sancerre, trying desperately not to get bitten.

The Landmark Trust:

Bridge Cottage, North Devon, from £275 for 3 nights Sleeps: 3 people

The fact that this salmon pink cottage has a thatched roof and pistachio windows is only half of its charm. Yes, it looks like it belongs in a snow globe, but it's also perfectly situated, a 10 minute walk from Peppercombe’s rocky beach, where you can go and cast cobwebs asunder.

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Kip Hideaways:

Wool Cottage, Burford, from £709 for 3 nights Sleeps: 4 people

In Burford, one of the Cotswolds’ many lost-in-time villages, sits this quintessential, sandstone cottage. With low ceilings and oak beams, you’ll need to watch your head, but its green kitchen and terracotta tiled floor more than make up for it. Local shops sell antiques and homemade cakes and there are plenty of fields to walk off the latter. 

Unique Homestays:

Ukiyo, Coverack, Cornwall, from £1,450 per three nights Sleeps: 4 people

Despite its unmistakably Cornish setting, in a fishing village on the southeast of the Lizard Peninsula, this eco-friendly hideout feels part Japanese, part Scandinavian. With silvery larchwood and polished concrete, you’ll do a lot of gawping, whether out of the wrap-around windows or from the al fresco cedar hot tub.

AIRBNB:

Penthouse Apartment, Shoreditch, from £285 per night Sleeps: 4 PEOPLE

In the heart of East London, this lofty and light-flooded penthouse is conveniently close to some of Shoreditch’s best restaurants, from St Leonards and Brat to Smokestak. It’s a stone's throw from Columbia Road which is famed for its flower market, and in the other direction there's Borough Market, where you can pick up fresh ingredients before heading home to cook up in the clouds.

AIRBNB:

St John, East Sussex, from £400 per night Sleeps: 8

Polish architect Marta Nowicka has ingeniously upgraded this former ambulance station into a four-bedroom holiday home. Brushed stainless steel in the kitchen nods to the building’s original function, while reclaimed timber from the beach has been used for dining table. With a double-sided log burner inside, and fire pit outside, whatever the weather, it’s the perfect place to entertain.

AIRBNB:

Luxury Highland Lodge, Aberdeenshire, FROM £1,100 PER NIGHT SLEEPS: 16 PEOPLE

Situated in the Highlands, this lodge offers thrilling views onto the Muir of Dinnet, and has walking routes right out of the door. Oak beams and floorboards make it feel homey, which is a feat considering its grandeur (see the medieval lounge and chalet-style kitchen for proof). With Monty Python proportions, this is the Holy Grail of holiday lets.

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