The UK's best holiday cottages for spring

Embrace the season with a getaway amid wildflowers and, if you're lucky, newborn lambs

Oast House, East Sussex

Oast House, near Rye, East Sussex

There’s no surer sign that spring is here than the sight of newborn lambs. During March and April at Hare Farm Hideaways, more than 1,000 ewes are lambed, just a stone’s throw from the beautifully decorated Oast House. Guests can peek in at the sheds or just sit back and be entertained by the lambs in the surrounding fields. Lambing courses are available separately for £90 per person (including lunch at the local). Sleeps 10, plus two on a sofa bed. From £1,250 for three nights. harefarmhideaways.co.uk

Neadon Cottage, Manaton, Dartmoor, Devon

Part of a 17th-century, 50-acre working farm, there are views of Dartmoor in all directions and a different walk for every day of the week from the front door. Plus fishing on the property’s private reaches of the River Bovey, opportunities to bottle-feed the spring lambs at the breakfast table, explore the farm, climb craggy tors, watch newborn Dartmoor foals from the gate and generally get away from it all. Inside, it’s well decorated and cosy, with woodburners to keep you warm. Sleeps eight. From £495 per week. toadhallcottages.co.uk

Spring Cottage, Cliveden, Berkshire

There really is no time of year that this cottage disappoints, thanks to the exquisite interior design and the charming terrace, balcony and gardens, with river views. But, as its name suggests, this cottage really comes into its own in spring. Set in the Cliveden estate and originally built in 1813 as a summerhouse and tea room, it’s a lovely walk, or short drive, from the main house, where guests have full use of the recently renovated luxury hotel. Sleeps six. From £1,550 per night. clivedenhouse.co.uk

The Net Store, Ardhesleig, Highlands, Scotland

No matter if it’s a stormy spring; this house, located just 10ft from the shores of Loch Beag, provides views out of the floor-to-ceiling windows right across the Minch to the Hebrides and the mountains on the far side of Loch Torridon. The wildlife – which includes nesting sea birds, otters, seals and sea eagles in spring – provides non-stop entertainment and if you do venture out, sea tours start at Easter, including a full day tour to the Isle of Rona. Expect minimalist, Scandinavian style interiors with top-notch furnishings and masses of light. Sleeps four. From £420 for three nights. sawdays.co.uk/thenetstore

Dodds Howe Cottage, Lyth Valley, Lake District

Set in a valley famed for its damson orchards, which have stunning white blossom in spring, this cottage is ideal for walks and hikes for all abilities right from the front door. Inside, the cottage is Laura Ashley-esque and very homely, with no shortage of character, including beams and wood-burners and a nice big garden. If you can, visit Sizergh Castle, just 15 minutes’ drive away, where the wild daffodils in the ancient woodland are spectacular. Sleeps eight. From £620 for three nights. sallyscottages.co.uk

Heather View, Studland, Dorset

Studland is exquisite in spring, with seemingly endless deer and rabbits, while the sandy beaches are quieter than usual. Check out the birdlife at the RSPB reserve at Arne and Durlston Country Park and don’t miss a daytrip to Brownsea Island, when you can watch red squirrels basking in the spring sunshine. This cottage is set on Godlingston Heath with sand lizards, damselflies, wild orchids, and warblers on your doorstep. It’s family friendly, including for babies. Sleeps six. From £400 for three nights. ilovestudland.co.uk

Brinkburn Mill, Northumberland

Next to the River Coquet in a quiet wooded valley, Brinkburn Mill feels remote. But that’s the whole point, making it the ideal spring getaway for those after some peace and quiet. Beaches, picturesque scenery and castles (including Alnwick) are all within a few miles, and just 30 minutes’ drive away is Wallington Estate, where you can spot frogs and their spawn in the magnificent lakes before strolling through ancient woodlands and secret gardens, where you might see the first butterflies of spring. Sleeps four. From £285 for four nights. landmarktrust.org.uk

Pitts Deep, Lymington, Hampshire

New on the holiday rental market, this is a fabulous find for anyone in need of some fresh sea air. With the beach as your back garden, it overlooks the shimmering waters of the Solent, and as it’s at the end of a remote country track, it’s nice and private. The New Forest setting also means you’ll have no shortage of woodland to explore. Inside the cottage, expect lots of character, seaside chic and quirky features – and there’s a conservatory for enjoying the views. Sleeps nine. From £1,500 per week. coolstays.com

Pitts Deep, Hampshire

Woodlands Cottage, Haywards Heath, West Sussex

There’s so much to see at Nymans, a national trust property, in springtime, not least the collection of magnolias with their gorgeous goblet and water lily flowers. So why not make a weekend of it, staying in this nearby cottage, created by Ludwig Messell in 1863 and once home to the estate’s gamekeeper. Admire the garden’s herbaceous borders, walk through the woodland and enjoy the tranquil lake and bird watching just a short walk away. Sleeps four. From £299 for two nights. nationaltrustholidays.org.uk

Seabrook, Broadhaven, Pembrokeshire

This newly built four-bedroom house is chic and contemporary, and is located just a few yards from a large sandy blue-flag beach and is near plenty of pretty coves and bays. A must for springtime visitors is a day trip out to the island of Skomer, one of the Pembrokeshire Islands that is carpeted in bluebells in April and May. Sleeps eight. From £515 per week. welsh-cottages.co.uk

Hillcrest Cottage, Ripon, Yorkshire

In springtime, the Yorkshire Dales are a patchwork of lush green and yellow fields, crossed by traditional dry stone walls, hillside streams. This characterful cottage, set in a pretty village in the heart of the dales, has an Aga cooker, open fire and country garden and is great for kids of all ages. It’s also less than a 10-minute drive to Hackfall Wood, which in spring is covered in a blanket of bluebells. Sleeps six. From £285 for three nights. holidaylettings.co.uk

Home Farm Cottage, Barnsley, Gloucestershire

Barnsley House is one of the loveliest and prettiest hotels in Britain, with a garden full of snowdrops, hepatica, hellebores and daffodils in spring, and a superb restaurant – The Potager - where the food is seasonal and comforting. Beyond the sumptuous hotel rooms, the best option for families is the charming three-bedroom Home Farm Cottage, with two elegant sitting rooms,a shaker-style kitchen, gorgeous artwork and garden with swings. Sleeps six, or eight including children. From £900 for two nights. barnsleyhouse.com

Martindale, Padstow, Cornwall

The quaint Cornish harbour of Padstow can be horribly crowded in summer, but in spring visitors can enjoy the cobbled streets lined with independent shops, cafes and restaurants without the crowds. Known locally as “Padstein” because of the chef Rick Stein’s influence, you’ll fit right in this latest addition to the Stein holiday properties, six miles from the harbour itself. Designed by business partner and ex-wife Jill Stein, it is exceptionally furnished with luxurious and quirky coastal-themed interiors, large living areas, wood-burner and all the mod-cons you could think of, and more. Sleeps eight. From £830 for three nights. rickstein.com

Temple of Diana, Weston Park, Shropshire

Spring is when the celebrations for Capability Brown’s tercentenary will really get underway, so what better time to stay within the 1,000-acre grounds he designed at Weston Park? Springtime is also when the bluebells will be out along the scenic woodland walks. Only opened as a holiday let last year, this former summerhouse was originally created in the 1760s for Sir Henry Bridgeman and has now been luxuriously refurbished, with a particularly magnificent former orangery and tea room area. Sleeps six. From £1,300 for three nights. weston-park.com

Temple of Diana, Shropshire

The Lodge, Droitwich, Worcestershire

This beautifully proportioned cottage is just a few minutes’ drive from Trench Wood, a nature reserve famous for its butterflies and bluebells in spring. Guests who stay here will also have free access to Hanbury Hall, where you can enjoy the historic walk – an easy stroll of just over a mile around Hanbury Park. The views of the estate from the house are fabulous and the furnishings and features are simple, but homely. Sleeps three. From £228 for two nights. nationaltrustholidays.org.uk

The Cob, Holsworthy, Devon

Farm stays are becoming increasingly popular, but such a modern one is unusual. Kids will be encouraged to collect eggs from the resident hens, pick organic vegetables from the kitchen garden, build dens in the woods and play in the meadows of this seven-acre smallholiding. Not for those after rustic lodgings, but there is a wood-burner and beams. Sleeps nine. From £1,050 for two nights. kateandtoms.com

The Shed, Isle of Skye, Scotland

This modern, architect-designed timber-and-glass house offers amazing views to the Cuillins, the small isles, and on a clear day further still. Warm spring days bring an abundance of wildflowers and it’s a lot quieter than the busier summer months. If you’re brave enough, there’s climbing, kayaking, cycling, swimming, horseriding and whale-watching. Sleeps eight. From £900 per week. skyeshed.com

Erne View, Crom, Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland

Once winter’s out of the way, migrating birds return from milder climates for the summer months and on the Crom estate – which is one of Ireland’s most important nature conservation islands - you can spot chiffchaffs from March; house martins and swallows usually from around April; and swifts from late April or early May. The estate has over 2,000 acres of ancient woodland and islands to explore, complete with nature trails, kids’ play area and observation hide. National Trust owns seven well-appointed cottages here; Erne View, the largest one, has a dual aspect of woodland and Lough Erne. Sleeps six. From £235 for two nights. nationaltrust.org.uk

Sonamara, St Ives, Cornwall

St Ives is another spectacular Cornish town that can be hellishly busy in summer, whereas in spring, you can explore the beaches, quays, galleries and gardens in relative peace. Artists flock here for the beautiful light at this time of year, when the winds of winter have – with luck – passed. This cottage, decorated in seaside-chic décor, is a great base, and if for any reason the weather doesn’t hold, you can watch the storms roll in across the ocean by the woodburner. Sleeps six. From £395 for three nights. cottage-boutique.co.uk

Sonamara, Cornwall