If you’re looking for a luxury Cotswolds self-catering holiday, then Bruern Cottages are damn near perfect. The quiet hamlet of Bruern is a couple of kilometres from Charlbury (with its mainline station into London – useful for the capitally-based), Chipping Norton and the gastropub powerhouse of Kingham village so you are, in other words, situated plum in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, in all its honeystoned, wisteria clad, well-heeled gorgeousness.

Bruern Cottages themselves encompass 12 cottages, converted from the stables on the Astor estate in the Nineties, sleeping from 2-14.  They pride themselves on their family offering and certainly you can’t argue with the massive garden, a two storied full-height Wendy House, and a play cabin with comfy sofa (slouch while your kids plunder the dressing up box), and heated indoor swimming pool (coded panel entry so that little people can’t just wander in).

For older kids there’s a Games Room with table football, ping pong, pool, piano and TV/vid games. But what about us adults? How about an on-site chef if you don’t fancy cooking or a treatment from one of the spa therapists at your beck and call? Unusually for self-catering cottages you can book your stay like a hotel, anything from a single night or weeks at a time. How about forever?