Little Longmead

Couples and families after a rural base will find Little Longmead works well. The cottage sits on the ground floor of a house in Findon, a village in the South Downs National Park surrounded by walking trails and the 100-mile South Downs Way. One dog can stay free. The layout gives you a living and dining room with a Smart TV and DVD player, a kitchen equipped for proper cooking, two bedrooms—one with a kingsize bed, one with singles—and a shower room. Parking for two cars is on site, and essentials like wifi, heating, bed linen and towels are covered.

The property opens directly onto a garden with a decked area, lawn, terrace and barbecue. Nearby you can spot racehorses on the gallops, see barn owls and kestrels, or walk in woodlands that fill with bluebells in spring. Worthing's seafront and pier are five miles away. The RSPB reserve at Pulborough Brooks (eight miles), Arundel Castle (ten miles) and Parham House with its gardens (seven miles) are all within reach. The village itself has a shop, pub and open-air pool, open May to September. An open-tread staircase leads to the garden from the patio area.