Looking through the turquoise lacquered kitchen and out into the
white stucco kitchen terrace takes us straight back to Mykonos. Of course, hopping it here will be a fraction
of the price and effort. Deal itself is an idyllic place to spend a weekend –
it’s regularly ranked one of the best places to live in the UK and
is just a scooch down the coast from vibey Margate.

This place right in the higgledy-piggledy heart of historic
Lancaster is somewhere between a cottage and a cabin. It’s all
whitewashed walls, exposed-wood floors and luxurious fixtures (note
the gleaming, freestanding bathtub). The garden dining table is
begging to be strewn with wildflowers and used for long, somnolent
evening dinner parties.

Space isn’t everything. We’d rather have a small but
immaculately refurbished hideaway than a sprawling old pile that
isn’t up to scratch. From the outside, this tiny terrace looks like
any other, but inside it’s a class-A exercise in economising on
space. What we’d give to spend the morning whipping up lunch (fresh
fish from Whitstable harbour, naturally) in that spotless
kitchen.

It might self-identify as a beach house but there’s no confusing
this place with a seaside shack. Fitted with an integrated sound
system, an open-plan sea-view dining area and a heated outdoor
shower made for rinsing down after days spent hitting the surf,
it’s the type of cottage that would cater as well for a quiet
getaway as for a rambunctious party.

More than anything, we love the ethos behind Fforest Farm. Since
this earthy-chic cluster of cabins and cottages first opened, it
has played a central role in helping to rejuvenate the old mining
town of Cardigan. Ty Fforest, its cottage property, still has some
availability for summer 2020. Outdoorsy types will have a field day in
Cardigan. It’s also home to Hiut Denim Co., outfitters to some of
the world’s most discerning denim lovers.

Having a little bit too much space to lounge is one of those
delightful problems you can’t really complain about. This barn is
one long, open-plan setup, starting with the Aga-equipped kitchen
at one end, leading to a book-lined snug at the other, with bulbous
contemporary sofas speckled in between. This place is just a short
walk into the antiques haven of Tetbury. Bring a roof-rack; you’ll
need it.

Okay, we might be stretching the parameters of “cottage” a bit
here, but this magnificent country mansion is scored with wobbly
beams and decorated with all the rural trappings and paraphernalia
you could want in a cottage mini-break. It sleeps eight and comes
with a glass-clad reading room which hangs over a reed-fringed
pond, a heated pool and pool house, as well as a yoga studio. It’s
taken for August, but September is still relatively clear.

The mish-mashed chintzy interiors of this 19th-century home
could have been plucked from the pages of a Tim Walker photoshoot.
Antique chandeliers, palatial sofas upholstered in zingy citrus
shades and a secret walled garden smothered in roses make this spot
high on our to-visit list. It sleeps 14 adults and four children;
just the place for that long-awaited family reunion…

The Hebridean climate can be temperamental at the best of times,
so it’s best to invest when picking out a place to rest your head.
We’re eyeing up Supernova, a luxuriously converted chapel out on
the Isle of Skye. It’s a romantic little bolthole
big enough for two, surrounded by rippling island scenery and an
ever-shifting herd of cloudy-white sheep. Did we mention it has its
own sauna, too?

This quintessentially English cottage is almost fully booked for
August and September – and there’ll be no prizes for guessing why.
White-washed, traditionally thatched, set on the verge of a
pocket-sized Cornish village and decorated in a stylish but homely
way, this place is a no-brainer for those who want to sample
Cornwall’s north coast. Wetsuits at the
ready.

It might be set within the immaculately turfed grounds of a
Georgian mansion, but we’d give up a bed in some rambling country
pile for a night at this modern retreat any day. Like any Airbnb
Plus property, it’s stacked with hotel-style amenities, has a
kitchen that would get a lot of pins on Pinterest and a handful of
beaches just a short drive away.

The Cornish and Devonshire stone foundations of this 200-year-old barn
conversion give it a warm glow which belies its thoroughly modern
interiors. Expect Italian marble, slate panels and polished
concrete floors. After making tracks through the 22 acres of
private countryside, you’ll find us in the rowing boat, with a
spritz in one hand and a book in the other. It’s capacious, with
enough space to sleep between 12 and 20 people.

This one’s a 17th-century cottage, with all the trailing vines,
low-slung windows and bulky stone foundations you’d expect, slap
bang in the middle of Cirencester, itself one of those
“chocolate-box villages” of which the Cotswolds is famed. We’re making the most of
Cirencester’s sleepy disposition, but the lively hotspots of
Bath, Bristol and Cheltenham are closeby if you crave a
little more zhuzh.

Framed by a gabled roof and whimsical stone masonry, this
cottage in rural Suffolk is about as fairytale-esque as cottages
get. While it’s blessed with irreverent, gothic design features
such as the gaping fireplace and round-headed ogee mouldings, it
doesn’t feel dated. It sleeps between six and 12 people, and guests
have full access to the tennis court which is etched into the
estate’s grounds.

This 12-person rustic idyll still has vacancies in September.
The house itself is a wizened old, 15th-century beauty, pimped out
for 21st-century luxury mavens. The beaches of Exmouth are nearby,
along with Haldon Forest Park and a glut of restaurants. Book a
table at The Manor Inn in nearby Ashton or, if you’re feeling
flush, pull up a chair at two-Michelin-starred Gidleigh Park.