Villas in South-East

Canterbury suits a city base for Kent, Henfield suits South Downs walkers, and Cowes suits sailors on the Isle of Wight. Most of our South East cottages are around Canterbury. Expect holiday cottages and family houses rather than villas, and short journeys: much of the region is under two hours from London.

Where

Villas: 39
From, per week: £510
Cheapest month: November
Nearest airports: Most of the region is within two hours of London by road, via the M2, M20, M23 or M3. Southeastern high-speed trains from St Pancras reach Canterbury and Faversham in about an hour. For the Isle of Wight, Red Funnel sails from Southampton to Cowes, and Wightlink from Portsmouth and Lymington. Gatwick and Southampton are the main airports.

Where to stay in South-East

Canterbury and east Kent (Hoath, Sandwich, Faversham)

Hoath, a village about 15 minutes north-east of Canterbury, has more of our South East cottages than anywhere else. Canterbury has its cathedral, the old city walls and punts on the Stour. Whitstable, about 20 minutes away, is known for oysters and a shingle beach. Sandwich is a medieval Cinque Port with a riverside quay, and Faversham has the Shepherd Neame brewery. High-speed trains reach Canterbury from St Pancras in about an hour.

Best for: A cathedral city base with oyster towns and quiet beaches nearby

Not for you if: You want hills: east Kent is low farmland and marsh, and the best walking is along the coast.

The Kent Weald (Tenterden, Appledore, Staplehurst)

Tenterden has a wide main street of tile-hung and weatherboarded houses, and is the home station of the Kent and East Sussex Railway, which runs steam trains to Bodiam Castle. Appledore sits beside the Royal Military Canal on the edge of Romney Marsh, with Rye around 20 minutes south. Sissinghurst, Vita Sackville-West's garden, is close to Staplehurst, which has trains to London in about an hour.

Best for: Gardens, castles and a steam railway in orchard country

Not for you if: You want a sandy beach close by: Camber is the nearest, around half an hour from Tenterden.

West Sussex: the South Downs and coast (Henfield, Steyning, Bognor Regis)

Henfield and Steyning are villages at the foot of the South Downs. From Steyning you can walk up to Chanctonbury Ring, and the Downs Link path follows an old railway line past both. Brighton is around 30 minutes away. Bognor Regis is on the coast further west, with sand at low tide, and Chichester's cathedral and harbour, Arundel Castle and the beach at West Wittering are all within about half an hour.

Best for: South Downs Way walking, with Brighton and Chichester in reach

Not for you if: You want a big resort: Bognor Regis is a modest town, and the nearest real nightlife is in Brighton.

Hastings and East Sussex

Hastings Old Town has tall black net huts on the shingle at the Stade, where fishing boats are winched up the beach, and two cliff railways up to the East and West Hills. Battle, where the Battle of Hastings was fought in 1066, is about 15 minutes inland. Rye and Camber Sands are around 30 minutes east. Some of our cottages here are listed by county, so check the exact village before you book.

Best for: An old fishing town, 1066 country and the dunes at Camber

Not for you if: You want a smart, tidy seafront: Hastings is a working town with run-down patches as well as its old quarter.

The Isle of Wight (Cowes)

Cowes sits on both sides of the River Medina, linked by a chain ferry, and is the centre of British yacht racing. Osborne, Queen Victoria's seaside house, is in East Cowes. The island's sandy beaches are on the east side at Sandown and Shanklin, about 30 minutes by car, and the Needles are at the western tip. Red Funnel's car ferry from Southampton takes about an hour, and its Red Jet passenger boat around 25 minutes.

Best for: Sailors, and families who enjoy the ferry as part of the trip

Not for you if: You want a cheap week in August: car ferry fares peak in the school holidays, and Cowes Week fills the town.

The Test Valley (Romsey, Andover)

Romsey is a market town with a Norman abbey, and Mottisfont, a National Trust house known for its rose garden in June, is about ten minutes north. The New Forest starts around ten minutes west of Romsey. Andover is further up the valley, close to Stockbridge, a one-street village on the River Test. Trains from Andover reach London Waterloo in about an hour and ten minutes.

Best for: Chalk-stream walks, gardens and the New Forest a short drive away

Not for you if: You want the coast: these towns are inland, and the nearest beaches are 45 minutes or more away.

Wendover and Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire)

Wendover is a small town on the Ridgeway at the foot of the Chilterns, and the monument on Coombe Hill, with views over the Vale of Aylesbury, is a short walk away. Trains run to London Marylebone in under an hour. Milton Keynes, about 45 minutes north, is a new town with Bletchley Park, the wartime code-breaking centre, on its southern edge.

Best for: Chiltern walks and a quick train ride to London

Not for you if: You want a rural village: Milton Keynes is a modern new town built around roundabouts and shopping centres.

When to go to South-East

Summer weekends are busy, when Brighton, Camber Sands and Whitstable fill with day-trippers from London. Cowes Week, in late July or early August, books up the Isle of Wight's ferries and cottages months ahead. Spring is good for Kent's orchard blossom and the bluebell woods, and early summer for the gardens at Sissinghurst and Mottisfont. Many gardens and heritage railways open less often from November to March, but the Downs and coast paths stay open and prices drop.