Lyveden Cottage, Nr Oundle

Northamptonshire. Sleeps up to 5

Lyveden Cottage sits in a secluded landscape, accessible via a lane. Stay here and step into a tranquil oasis of calm waters, ancient forests and green gardens, nestled in rolling farmland. On one side, a curving moat divides the cottage from the mounts and orchard trees of an Elizabethan garden. On the other, the unfinished Lyveden Garden Lodge lies virtually untouched since the last workman laid down their tools in 1605. Escape the noise and whirl of modern life in an Elizabethan retreat that escaped time.

This old-world grandeur is reflected within the cottage’s heavy curtains, velvet upholstery, and inglenook fireplaces. Both the dining room and sitting rooms contain log burners, and a kitchen, two entrance halls, shower and utility room complete the downstairs. Upstairs there’s a bathroom and three bedrooms: two doubles and one single.

Sit in the private front garden to soak up the atmosphere of this enchanting place or have a meander around the moat located just outside the cottage garden. Once the surrounding woods and pastures have been wandered, and every inch of the gardens explored, the Lyveden Way is well worth a ramble and is accessible from the cottage’s doorstep. This eleven-mile circular route passes through wildlife-filled woodland and countryside.

The market town of Thrapston is 10 minutes’ drive from the cottage, and from here you can access the lakes of the River Nene Regional Park. Higher up the river, a 15-minute drive away, the Barnwell Country Park surrounds the village of Ashton, where local pubs can be found. Another 15 minutes to the west, Corby contains more options for food and drink. Cambridge and Northampton are within an hour of the cottage, and Peterbrough and Kettering are 30-minutes away.