Easthorpe Retreat

Easthorpe Retreat is a single-storey log cabin in a small village seven miles south-west of Colchester, set within the owners' grounds but with its own enclosed courtyard garden and exclusive hot tub access. Everything is on ground level: an open-plan living and dining space with a 28-inch smart TV, a kitchen with electric hob and combi microwave, a bedroom with a king-size bed, and a shower room. Electricity, bed linen, towels and wifi are included; you also have use of the owners' washing machine. There is private parking for two cars on site.

The cabin suits couples only—no children under 18. No smoking. You can arrive after 3pm and must depart by 10am. Nearby, Alberton Reservoir (the fourth largest artificial lake in England) has a nature reserve with a circular footpath and viewing hides for wetland birds. Colchester itself, three miles away, is the oldest recorded Roman town in Britain and home to the largest Norman keep in Europe. Layer Marney Tower, a Tudor gatehouse four miles off, stands 99 steps high; Tiptree, famous for jam-making since the 1860s, has a museum and tea room.