Leskernick Cottage

Bang in the middle of Bodmin Moor, Leskernick is as wild and remote a place to stay as you could find in England. With seven acres of its own, but also surrounded by hundreds of acres of open moorland, its location is more reminiscent of the furthest-flung corners of Scotland than Cornwall. It's situated between the tiny villages of Five Lanes and Codda Downs, close to the source of the Fowey river, and is accessed via a track that starts on the edge of the moor (4-wheel drives only!) and leads for about a mile-and-a-half to the shallow valley where you'll find the cottage. If you've been browsing remote holiday cottages for walking holidays – look no more!

Built in the 17th century and now grade-II listed, it was originally a single-storey mineworker's residence but has been extended over the years, with an extra floor added and an extension that makes the most of the wonderful views across the moor. The cottage has been thoroughly modernised and comfortably sleeps six people in three bedrooms (2 doubles and 1 twin); there's an Aga that supplies hot water and wood burners (with a generous supply of wood) to keep things even more cosy, along with oil-fired central heating. On the ground floor, the kitchen is a good size, plus there's a utility room, family bathroom and a spacious bedroom with en-suite wet room as well as a comfy living room with stairs to the two first-floor bedrooms. There's also a fabulous dining room with bi-fold doors that open onto a terrace.

It feels off-grid, and strictly speaking it is, although electricity provided by a generator in an outbuilding fires up all the mod cons you might need, including a dishwasher, washing machine, TV and DVD. There is a mobile reception, but it's erratic, and wifi too, although it's not really up to much more than checking emails. But then you don't come to the middle of Bodmin Moor to watch movies. Indeed you could walk in almost any direction and find something interesting: the cottage sits within seven acres of its own grounds and the landscape is special, with ancient field systems and bronze age settlements and stone circles to explore, not to mention 'Brown Willy' – at 420m above sea level, Cornwall's highest peak – which is just an hour's stroll away. It's great for families (though probably not for under-5s), and one well-behaved dog is welcome. It's also worth remembering that despite the bumpy journey to to get here, you are only fifteen minutes from the A30, Cornwall's main arterial road. Quite the perfect escape, then, for those who want to get away from it all – but not too far.