Why choose between coastal and rural settings for your holiday when you can have both? That's what you get at this serenely quiet Cornish retreat. A collection of three beautifully presented homes – including two former barns and a Victorian Gothic-style cottage – it’s located in forty acres of private countryside. On the farm estate, you'll find your own private riverside shingle beach to walk to, and further afield, sandy beaches just 13 miles away. Highlights of the estate include three hot tubs (two electric, one wood-fired), three wood burners, and three flat-screen satellite televisions and DVD players, along with a selection of books, board games, and DVDs. You’ll also have use of the tennis court, orchard picnic area, basketball hoop, communal games room with table tennis, woodland, and nature reserve. For that extra special touch, the hosts can organise private wild food foraging workshops, stand-up paddle boarding tuition, spa treatments, or afternoon tea. Basically, it’s a fantastic group trip destination, whether you’re a party of four or fourteen.

Home truths:
*This is not a party venue but a location for a quiet getaway, best for groups with younger children
*There's parking for up to five cars
*During school holidays, there is a minimum seven-night booking
*Plenty of child-friendly amenities are available on request
*There is a surcharge for use of the hot tubs from November to March
*If you’re bringing your dog (for a small charge), bear in mind there are farm animals also running around
*Thirteen is a comfortable number for a stay here – the barns and cottage sleep thirteen guests in proper beds, three babies in cots, and three guests on single sofa beds
*The one-bedroom cottage has step-free access
*Your hosts live in the farmhouse which is part of the courtyard complex of buildings