Belchamp Hall Mill

The Belchamp Hall estate sprawls across rural Braintree, a working landscape of fields and ancient woodland that has drawn wildlife and visitors for centuries. Deep within its grounds, down a private track, Belchamp Hall Mill has been converted into a compact retreat for two. The mill sits beside a reed-fringed pond, with views from its upper floor stretching across the estate's rolling land.

Inside, a ground-floor bedroom with a super-kingsize bed and walk-in shower opens onto the main living space above: an open-plan room combining lounge, dining and kitchen in one. A woodburner, smart TV, range cooker and all essentials for self-catering are here. Electricity, heating, wi-fi, bed linen, towels and initial fuel for the burner are included. A garden with sitting areas and a barbecue looks out over the grounds. One car can park on site. The entrance involves 14 steps.

This is a no-smoking property and welcomes one pet. An unfenced pond lies five yards away. The estate's long history as a film location—it featured as the setting for the BBC's Lovejoy in the late 1980s and early 1990s—adds a layer of curiosity to any stay here, though the main draw remains the isolation and the landscape.