Cold Cotes

Sue and Mark give you relaxation and a dollop of contemporary chic in their 1890s farmhouse on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. Smart bedrooms have sitting areas with garden views; those in the barn are just as luxuriously comfortable. There’s a sitting room to settle in too with stacks of books, squashy sofas and maps. Outside find a series of dazzling ‘zones’ with a stone-flagged terrace with clumps of thrift, miniature geraniums, euphorbias and pots of blue agapanthus. In front is a red bed made up of oriental poppies, dahlias, tulips and penstemon, then stone steps down to a formal garden. Golden hops scrabble over an obelisk, a pond is surrounded by sunny herb beds and hedging breaks it up into sections. There’s a woodland walk, impressive sweeping borders, a cobblestone walk ambling along a stream with a little bridge, planted around with gunnera, periwinkle and comfrey, leading to a thriving pond. A little lawned area surrounded by cherry trees has a perfect seating spot; a garden for quiet contemplation, filled with birdsong.