River Lodge at Egton Estate

Hole up here as an escape from city life, with plentiful owls to hoot you to sleep, curious otters to watch and, if you sit quietly for long enough, darting kingfishers. You have a deck to admire it all from, comfortable outdoor seating and no light pollution so star gazing on clear nights will be revealing. But there are also 6,000 acres of woodland, river, moors and meadows to explore.

With the exception of the odd passing fisherman you are completely isolated, but you can also walk five minutes to two excellent pubs and a good farm shop selling everything from wine to home baked cakes. Waiting for you are homemade bread, butter, Baytown coffee from a local roastery, eggs and honey from the estate when available and REN shampoos and soaps.

Catch the train to Whitby from the local station. On chilly evenings you can light the log-burner (first wood bag provided) and feel very cosy indeed. There’s a telly, books, board games and jigsaws in case you need them.