The Old Dairy – Bloxham, Oxfordshire

Tucked away down a quiet country lane in the lovely village of Bloxham in north Oxfordshire, you’ll find the exquisite Old Dairy, one of the properties in the Sand & Stone Escapes portfolio. A beautifully appointed home that sleeps up to eight adults, three children and an infant, it’s well suited to two families wanting to share a holiday together. The house is indeed an old dairy. One of the windows in the dining room was formerly the sales counter. Children are brilliantly catered for, with stacks of board games, DVDs, table football and Nerf guns, not to mention the outdoor pool, trampoline, swing and climbing frame. Adults can mellow out and relax with the papers on a sunlounger, while admiring the immaculate gardens filled with wisteria, lavender and roses. Stock up with fresh local produce from nearby Wykham Park farm shop (the home-made flapjacks are a must), and you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to fine pubs, both within walking distance (The Red Lion) and a short drive (The Chequers and The Kingham Plough). There are oodles of things to do, too: a visit to Broughton Castle or what must be the UK’s smartest zoo, the Cotswold Wildlife Park.

From £400 per night (three-night minimum stay)

+44 (0)20 8740 3097; sandandstoneescapes.com