Gooseberry Fool

Just outside the village of Little Bentley, a five-minute walk from the local pub and a ten-minute drive from Colchester, this rustic barn is nestled on a working farm. Previously a popular children's café with fun play areas both indoors and out, it's an ancient barn that retains a great deal of rustic charm.

Quirky and imaginative, it's a family home with an emphasis on keeping the little ones entertained (and safe – it's fully child-proofed). The huge living space is dominated at one end by a log burner, with aged leather sofas and throws perfect for cosying up on winter nights, while the other end features a super cool, Scandi-style kitchen – complete with a professional café coffee machine that's been left in situ so you can play barista. Fun things about this room include the chalkboard wall, a movie projector for film nights and an indoor hammock chair.

One of the bedrooms is aimed at kids, with twin beds, funky lights, chalkboards, toys and books. But as if that wasn't enough, they have a whole play area in the main space, where imaginations can run wild thanks to a wooden teepee, a wooden shop and a range of homemade superhero capes to choose from. There's more outside with a willow tunnel and mud kitchen. As the sun sets, toast some marshmallows around the fire pit before heading to your cosy beds.

Home truths:
*This is a rustic home on a working farm
*If you're bringing little ones, there's plenty to keep them occupied, as well as equipment like a baby bath, a cot and a high chair provided upon request
*There's plenty of private parking on the premises
*Small events like a children's birthday or a baby shower may be permitted but please speak to the host first
*You're asked to keep the noise down after 10pm
*The skylights in the bedrooms make them quite bright in the morning so you may want to bring a sleep mask
*Although it technically sleeps six, there's a cot and a sofa bed so that can go up to nine
*We'd advise you to bring slippers as the floors can be quite chilly
*The third bedroom is on a mezzanine over the main living space