A stay at a charming VRBO cottage in a lesser-known magical English region

A common British pastime is complaining about the endless rain. It has its moments though. If there ever was a way to celebrate wet conditions, it is as I did, nestled inside an adorable cottage as classical music plays, listening to droplets tap on the roof of the garden room while snuggled up sipping tea. Never mind that across the street wild horses are frolicking in the forest, only to emerge days later with ferns wrapped up in their manes in a sort of fairy-like daydream.

Both setting and connection are an integral part of the VRBO process. When my GPS failed to take me to the right spot and Google posted a photo of the wrong fence, I was able to phone my host who was in the middle of the road waiving me in the right direction. Arriving famished and tired, she’d arranged a personal touch – a locally sourced spread of homemade bread, butter, wine, chips, cheese and, for dessert, a lemon drizzle cake which I devoured.

Curation differentiates this from other types of stays. My host provided a personal tour of the property, recommended I read a beloved book that she had in the house, which turned out to be a philosophy of life that was a mash-up of Le Petit Prince and Winnie the Pooh in the form of aphorisms. She also refilled the bird feeder while I was away sightseeing, knowing that I would return to beautiful entertainment provided by nuthatch and house Martins flitting to and fro, and chirping cheerfully. And, importantly, that I could look them up in the bird watching book carefully placed within my sight line.

A cottage like this allows you to participate in country life – weekend strolls in the New Forest, visits to the pub, gazing out at the neighbouring farmland. It also allows you to catch up with the everyday conveniences of washing clothes after weeks on the road, of sleeping in and reveling in the quiet of the countryside but, every so often, the experience is punctuated by delightful surprises like opening the freezer to discover lime and lemon popsicles, seeing favourite spices in the kitchen cupboard and sitting on a window bench peering out at lavender still growing at this time of year.

Close to the villages of Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst and the town of Lymington, the red-brick cottage with wooden A-frame portico dates to the 1760s but with all the modern comforts: a full kitchen and dining area, 3 bedrooms and bathrooms, and a living room with inglenook fireplace. The decor mixes hues of mint green with blue and white toile accents for a calming feel. The holly and ivy (exactly like the song) form hedges around the perimeter of the spacious acre of gardens (from which I picked apples straight from the tree). In a word: cozy.

Forests are known for their magic, and this was one magical stay.

This original article first appeared in the WINTER 2024/2025 issue of City Style and Living Magazine.

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