These Cotswolds cottages bridge the gap between luxury hotel & home away from home (and they’re so ideal for families with young children)

If I haven’t emphasised it enough, Bruern Cottages truly are a kid’s paradise, meaning you don’t even need to leave the premises to entertain restless children, whatever the weather. There’s an incredible indoor pool with bifold doors, making it ideal for all seasons. Rubbish weather? Hole up in the wendy house or heated play cabin that houses more toys than Hamleys (including a dressing-up box, railway and crayoning easel). Older children will love the table football, ping-pong, PS4 and Xbox 360, and pool table in the Games Room. If the weather is kind to you, make use of the sprawling grounds which house a mini football pitch, pedal tractors, child-sized croquet and cricket sets.

Anyone who’s visited the Cotswolds knows how family-friendly it is, and Bruern is an ideal base for attractions such as the Cotswold Wildlife Park, the Cogges Farm Museum, Birdland, the Cotswold Motor Museum and Toy Collection, the Model Village, the Dragonfly Maze and Folly Farm Waterfowl. We also stopped by the Burford Garden Centre, which I cannot recommend enough for little ones (it even has a mini kids cinema room), and Daylesford. Restaurant-wise, we enjoyed cosy pub lunches  at The Plough at Kingham, The Wild Rabbit and The Chequers, Churchill (because dinners with a toddler are a non-starter!)

Want to emulate Cameron Diaz’s stay in The Holiday (without Jude Law but with the addition of some happy children?). This is it. 

Premier Cottages’ collection features almost 1,000 four and five-star self-catering cottages across the UK. Properties range from small, romantic boltholes to large family-friendly country estates. The collection includes pet-friendly and glamping accommodation as well as the widest range of accessible properties in the UK. A large number of properties are part of Premier’s Green Getaways collection with many having a high level Green accreditation from Green Tourism. Properties often have onsite facilities like swimming pools, gyms, spas, indoor games rooms and children’s play areas.

 Premier Cottages’ collection features almost 1,000 four and five-star self-catering cottages across the UK. Properties range from small, romantic boltholes to large family-friendly country estates. The collection includes pet-friendly and glamping accommodation as well as the widest range of accessible properties in the UK. A large number of properties are part of Premier’s Green Getaways collection with many having a high level Green accreditation from Green Tourism. Properties often have onsite facilities like swimming pools, gyms, spas, indoor games rooms and children’s play areas. A week’s stay for five guests in Epsom starts from £1296 and a three night weekend break from £1131. (www.premiercottages.co.uk, 01993 830415)