Forgoing the usual cream and oatmeal colour palette usually associated with a house in the country, this 19th-century hideout is big on colour, and it’s all part of a British peer’s vision to bring the history of this stunning rural property back to life. Located on the Shaftesbury Estate in Dorset, it’s undergone a refurb by owners, Lord and Lady Shaftesbury. They've expertly incorporated a colour palette reflective of the period—think duck-egg blue, moss green and bronze-red, plus hand-picked vintage furniture and intricate, floor-to-ceiling tapestries. And there are plenty of modern touches too, including a Smeg fridge and luxurious electric AGA. If that wasn’t enough, the roll-top baths, bespoke shower units and Egyptian cotton bedding are sublime—it’s more boutique hotel than groom’s cottage. It makes the perfect cosy base to explore the grounds and beyond, especially the beaches of the Jurassic coast, the New Forest or traditional seaside in Bournemouth, all well within a forty-minute drive from your front door.