3 Bed Cottage in York

This is a genuine period cottage, and you feel it the moment you walk in. Dark ceiling beams run overhead from the hallway right through to the kitchen, exposed brick warms the walls, and the farmhouse-style furniture fits the character rather than fighting it. In the lounge, a large brick fireplace anchors the room. It's decorative now, with an electric coal-effect fire in its place, but it still sets the tone for the whole ground floor. Sofas and a Smart TV with SkyTV handle the quieter evenings, though the house has enough charm that you won't always want the screen on.

The kitchen-diner keeps the beams and brick going, a light-filled space that feels bigger than you'd expect from the outside. A circular table seats all six of you for meals, and the kitchen itself is properly equipped: electric oven, gas hob, dishwasher, microwave, fridge, and a Krups coffee machine that earns its keep on slow mornings. Past the kitchen, a sun room blurs the line between indoors and out, with an egg chair that nobody ever wants to get out of and doors opening straight onto the garden.

Upstairs, three bedrooms split between a super-king, a king-size, and a second king-size that converts to two singles if you need the flexibility. One bathroom has a shower over the bath, a separate shower room handles the morning overlap, and there's an en-suite WC off the main bedroom. A welcome pack is waiting when you arrive, and a travel cot and highchair are available if the youngest member of the group is still in the early years.

The garden is the quiet star. It's a mature, landscaped space that has won awards, full of flowers and enough lawn to spread a blanket and disappear for an afternoon. At the far end, a covered hot tub for six has LED lighting that comes into its own once the sun drops. Being covered means Yorkshire drizzle is never a reason to stay inside, and the LED lights give it a different feel altogether after dark.

Copmanthorpe puts you right in the middle of village life. The pub is 130 metres from the front door, with a cafe, an Indian restaurant, and a small supermarket all within easy reach. Local walks start and end at the village pub, heading out through open countryside across fields, over stiles, and past old railway bridges. York is five miles away by car or a straightforward bus ride, with Shambles Market running daily, the Minster worth a full morning, and the York Designer Outlet on the southern edge of the city. Off-road parking for two cars means you can leave the car and forget about it. The countryside around the village is quiet enough that you could spend a long weekend without ever needing to drive into town.

The kind of cottage where you keep finding another beam or another bit of brick you hadn't noticed before.