5. The Chorister's House, North
Yorkshire
Sleeps 10 (three
doubles, two twins)
Chorister’s is one of six rental houses on
the National Trust’s Fountains Estate, adrift in
400 acres of deer park atop a mile-long drive.
It is stone-built, and furnished to match
William Burges’s 1870s design, with squashy
sofas and lots of antique furniture, but comes
with 21st-century mod cons. Nearby, on the banks
of the River Skell, stands Fountains Abbey, the
mightiest monastic ruin in Europe. It’s the
dramatic focal point of landscaped Studley
Royal, famous for its water gardens, ornamental
temples and follies. Not enough for you? Ripon,
with the largest cathedral in Britain, is a few
minutes’ drive away.
We liked it for: the lawns,
trees and deer on every
side.
But: by day, trippers
roam, and the small garden lacks
privacy.
The details: a week
starts at £648. No pets allowed. Call 0870 458
4422 or visit http://www.nationaltrustcottages.co.uk/.
DW
6. North Lees Hall,
Derbyshire
Sleeps 4 in one
apartment and 2 in another
This is like staying in your own thumb-sized
castle: a restored “tower house” from the 1590s,
complete with 3ft-thick walls and a battlemented
parapet. North Lees’s claim to fame, though, is
as the model for Thornfield Hall, home of Mr
Rochester in Jane Eyre.
Thrillingly, Charlotte Brontë’s description
of the house is still bang on today — though the
Vivat Trust hasn’t got round to hiring a
madwoman for the attic. The set-piece “state
rooms” have museum-quality fireplaces and
four-posters hung with authentic Elizabethan
drapery. When the sun shines, the wide,
mullioned windows turn the house into a
light-filled lantern, suspended above the most
delectable Derbyshire dale.
The ramparts of Stanage Edge buttress the
near horizon, promising some of the breeziest
walks and biggest panoramas in the Peak. If it
rains, you can tour the show caves at Castleton,
excavate English history at Chatsworth House or
dig into the menu at the Miners Arms in Eyam:
the best meals for miles.
We liked it for: being
Britain’s most romantic literary hideaway — and
not just because of the Brontë connection. The
views will make you
swoon.
But: don’t expect a
garden.
The details: a week
starts at £485 for two, or £620 for four; three
nights (off-season only) at £265/£340. No pets.
Call 0845 090 0194 or visit http://www.vivat.org.uk/.
Vincent
Crump
7. Trevor Hall,
Derbyshire
Sleeps 12 (six
doubles)
From the outside this is a Grade I-listed
Georgian mansion in 85 acres above the River
Dee; from the inside, it’s a spacious playground
specialising in unbuttoned grandeur. The decor
is what you might call eclectic, including a
Chinese-inspired bedroom with a four-poster bed,
and a white bathroom watched over by a Dalek.
The Regency salon doubles as a cinema, and
Trevor Hall has a billiard room and a music room
(with instruments). There’s even a chapel — it’s
ideal for a wedding. The house is near
Llangollen, and all its bedrooms overlook the
valley — full of appeal for walkers, with the
Offa’s Dyke path cutting right through the
grounds. There are great trails for cycles,
motorbikes and horses, too. If you must go
further, Chester, Snowdonia and Alton Towers are
well within day-trip range.
We liked it for: the fact
that everything’s laid on, including a daily
maid service (cleaning for 12 is no kind of
holiday) and the option of a shopping and/or
cooking service.
But:
smokers are confined to the smoking
room.
The details: £2,750
for a week, £2,255 for Friday-Monday stays. Pets
£15 per week extra. Call Stately Holiday Homes
on 01638 674749 or visit http://www.statelyholidayhomes.co.uk/.
Anthony
Sattin
