Stately Homes

 
Take your pick of contemporary architecture or a house steeped in centuries of history.
 
In Derbyshire, Swiss Cottage is the prettiest house you can rent on the Chatsworth Estate. Overlooking its own lake, it was designed around 1840 as an ‘eye-catcher’, something for Chatsworth’s visitors to admire as they passed by in their carriages. Staying here means unique access to Chatsworth Fishery’s four miles of River Derwent where you can fish for brown and rainbow trout – the Fishery is only open to a select few and there’s a waiting list of several years to join.
If you would like to experience a private tour or peer behind the closed doors of properties not normally open to the public and really get a feel for the way life has been lived in England for centuries, specialist tour company More than Good Manners will be delighted to help. Founder Veronica Joly de Lotbinière has access for private tours to stately homes across the country, including royal residences Sandringham and Windsor Castle.
For something completely different, philosopher Alain de Botton has created Living Architecture, a concept in which top architects and artists, including renowned ceramicist Grayson Perry, design fabulous contemporary houses to rent. The Balancing Barn is a thrilling, semi-cantilevered, 30m-long structure, hidden in a nature reserve in Suffolk. It’s tiled with polished steel and the living area has a glass floor – and, love it or loathe it, it’s certain you won’t find another house in the country like it.