A new home for Sawday's Special Self-Catering Places in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Eire, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal

Friendly, civilised self-catering in your own smart little wing, with a sunny courtyard and a gentle garden. Extra beds in the owner's house

This must be one of the smartest cottages in the country and Barbara will tell you about all the hidden places to visit, might even drive you round herself, or put up overflows in her own house. In a totally independent wing of a lovely Victorian house on the Carlow-Wicklow border, the granite cottage has French windows that lead onto a secluded courtyard where you can sit and relax in striped deckchairs. The pale-floored, soft-furnished open-plan living room has some nice antiques, the odd bit of racing memorabilia, landscape and botanical prints with a granite fireplace and log fire. You will find every 21st-century convenience in the modern kitchen and the central heating works well. A wooden staircase leads up to a large light bedroom with views to green fields, oak trees and misty mountains. There's a great big cream covered bed and a cornflower-blue bathroom with bath and separate shower; a 1930's dressing table and floral prints add a touch of class. Lastly, a door opens onto a gentle garden with a pond, trees and peace. A thoroughly civilised place and landlady – and so much to visit nearby.

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