Barwick Retreat

You arrive at a compact detached cottage and step straight into an open-plan living space—no stairs, everything on the ground floor. A wood burner anchors the room, with a smart TV opposite and dining area nearby. The kitchen has an electric cooker and microwave for preparing meals, a bedroom with a double bed, and a shower room with heated towel rail. Essentials like electricity, bed linen, towels and wi-fi are included, along with logs for the stove.

The courtyard outside is the main draw: enclosed and private, it holds garden furniture and a hot tub sized for two. One dog is welcome here. The cottage sits in Bawdeswell village, close to All Saints Church, and is small enough that it suits couples best—there is no space for additional guests or children. Smoking is not permitted.

Norfolk's coast and the Broads are within reach if you want to venture out, but equally this is the kind of place where settling in with the stove lit, the hot tub steaming, and nowhere particular to be feels like the better plan.