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Special Escapes: Self-catering in the UK

cottage with turf roof
Veranda of cabin in woods by mountains and a lake
Living room with log burner looking through a picture window to a lake and mountains
Brightly coloured living room sofas by fireplace

Alastair Sawday's Special Escapes has unearthed quirky, comfortable, independent self-catering places run by people who care. Each has been visited by and written about by us - we like them all and we don't include ones we wouldn't stay in ourselves. Don't spend another moment trawling through the insanely complex and unreliable world of self-catering websites. Special Escapes has what you're looking for...

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Latest escapes...

Old Manor Cottage, Warwickshire

Close by the timbered Tudor Old Manor House, where Jane enthusiastically welcomes her B&B...See the full entry »

Halford, Shipston-on-Stour, CV36 5BT

St John's Cottage, Rutland

Swans sunbathe by the River Gwash, Ryhall bustles with village life and, facing a magnificent...See the full entry »

Church Street, Ryhall, PE9 4HR

Lower Hedge Farm, Somerset

Lapped by waves of green hills and rural tranquillity, a 17th-century farmhouse sparkles with...See the full entry »

Hedge Lane, Pylle, Shepton Mallet, BA4 6SU

Editor's picks...

The Old Village Hall, Caerhays Estate, Cornwall

In a village on the Caerhays Estate is this restored granite building, constructed in 1900 as a...See the full entry »

Caerhays, Gorran, St Austell, Cornwall, PL26 6LY

The Martyn Room, Cornwall

Attached to the courtyard of a peaceful Cornish inn, the Martyn Room has been transformed from...See the full entry »

Crosstown, Morwenstow, Bude, Cornwall, EX23 9SR

Pen Fistla Cottage, Vale of Glamorgan

Join the dots between sheep, horses and cows and sniff the grass-scented air as you enter the...See the full entry »

Pen Fistla Barns, Penllyn, Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan, CF71 7RQ

A selection...

Lanyon Manor, Coswyn Barn and The Coach House, Cornwall

Off the beaten track, at the end of a half-mile lane... and there stands Lanyon, an immaculate...See the full entry »

Gwinear Lane, Gwinear, Hayle, TR27 5LA

Farthingwood Barn, Somerset

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall eat your heart out! Julian, Rachael and the kids have lost themselves...See the full entry »

Wheddon Cross, TA24 7EX

Mulberry Cottage, Norfolk

Every detail is perfect, from the waffle-clad hotties to the chocolates and wine left for you....See the full entry »

14 High Street, Blakeney, Norfolk, NR25 7NF