On Track for Greatness in Herefordshire
The Hyde | Herefordshire | Sleeps 20
On the mile-long approach to The Hyde (our House of the Month), through extensive gardens and grounds, if the overall impression isn’t enough to inspire a sudden desire to leap from the confines of the car and run to explore every corner, rest assured that around those corners wait a world of wonder for all ages and the leisurely time with which to enjoy it in your own way. You’ll discover the private tennis court, the cottage, the secluded garden, the maze, the Elizabethan barn, the Wendy house, the tree house… and the private railway. This last is undoubtedly one of the key features of the house, and has been a constant source of excitement and joy for children throughout the years. This railway is one of the longest and highly regarded narrow gauge steam railways in the country and meanders its patient way through tunnels, over bridges, turntables and viaducts and effortlessly demonstrates why it is the trademark on the tongues of every person lucky enough to have experienced the world of The Hyde.
Poetry at the Pink House of Salcombe
The Moult | Salcombe | Sleeps 16-24
Much has been written on the relationships between the poets of the 19th Century and the cherished English counties they visited in their day, but some facts remain comparatively unclear to us. Alfred, Lord Tennyson was a very popular poet in his day and sure enough eventually became one of the few immortalised Poet Laureates, thanks to the very qualified recommendation of his even more famous, elder contemporary, William Wordsworth (who himself turned down this highest of honours in the world of poetry). Tennyson stayed for a short spell in the summer house at The Moult and it is clear to anyone lucky enough to have experienced the property how such a location and atmosphere might inspire creative words of the highest order. Before following the link to learn more about this amazing house, check out Tennyson’s poem below.
‘Crossing the Bar’
Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,
But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.
Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;
For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar.
Keeping it Fresh and Heated in Cornwall
Tregulland | Cornwall | Sleeps 22
Approaching the pool at Tregulland with eyes closed but attention finely tuned must be special in itself. The sound of the large, wide jets tumbling water constantly into repeated depths might conjure up the soft, smooth sounds of your favourite spa. But let’s take things further still: think the idyllic sounds of a natural spring and you’re almost there. This pool is one of the only freshwater pools in the world. Imagine swimming, wading and dipping to your heart’s content in a natural spring, only this pool has the added luxury of being heated. No chemicals, and fresh water, which is frequently controlled and purified to provide guests with one of the most special pool experiences possible. When you’re pooled-out, slip through the large open doors and into the warm day or the cool night for continued indulgence in the wood-fired hot tub. There’s still so much more to learn about this special house. Click on the house name or photos to see what we mean!
Of Cornish Slate and Garden Magic
The Slate Beach House | Cornwall | Sleeps 12-16
Slate, glass, unique style – and more slate. This is the house just minutes from the Camel Trail, a house made of something special, something different but perfectly subtle in all the right places. In the day, the materials used so precisely stand out with their edges that still seem to promise the perfect balance of the comfortable and the rustic. At night, no matter how far away you stand looking back longingly to this house high on the hills, its glass fronts glow like a beacon, at home in the silence of the surrounding darkness and beneath the vast star-filled skies. The real treat here, though, has to be its famous designer garden, like something from Alice in Wonderland, and all thanks to Mary Reynolds, winner of the Gold Medal at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2002. With spiral walls of slate, an incredible Cedar Wood hot tub, Myburgh-designed swinging pumpkin seat and Sophie Ryder sculptures, it won’t take long before you fall in love with the magic of The Slate Beach House.
