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.