Cottage to rent with a hot tub in Shaftesbury (3mls N)

Accommodation details

Spend quality time with your family and friends when you stay at this superb barn conversion in Sedgehill, Wiltshire, 3.5 miles from the Dorset town of Shaftesbury. Sleeping six guests, the single-storey, three-bedroom property sits in an enclosed garden with farmland views and comes with a hot tub to bubble in after your enjoyable days out in the surrounding area.

Make your way into the welcoming property, which is next to the owner's home but enjoys its privacy. At the heart of the retreat, discover an impressive, open-plan lounge/kitchen/diner, with exquisite decor, a high vaulted ceiling and wooden beams. Spread out in here to enjoy the separate areas while also remaining together.

Light the wood burner in the lounge space, for example, then find a film to watch on the Smart TV. Prepare hearty feasts for your party in the kitchen area then gather round the central island to enjoy it together. There is a useful utility room, a family bathroom and a hallway giving on to all the bedrooms.

These include a twin bedroom and two king-sizes, one with an en-suite shower room and a dressing area. Throw open the French doors on to the garden from the lounge/kitchen/diner on warm days and spill outside into the sunshine. Dine out here, fire up the hot tub and watch the children play on the lawn.

There is ample off-road parking. Venture into charming Shaftesbury to potter in its shops, dine out in eateries, serving fresh Dorset produce, and visit picturesque Gold Hill. Head 6 miles to see the ruins of 14th-century Old Wardour Castle, set beside a lake. Head 7 miles to walk through the National Trust's beautiful Fontmell and Melbury Downs, bought in memory of Dorset author Thomas Hardy, to protect the landscape in which his novels are set.