Travel: Bricknell Cottages, York

ROMANTIC hotel breaks are a tricky proposition when your children are too old to be safely tucked up in a cot with a baby listening service and too young to be left to their own devices.

So it was a joy to discover Bricknell Cottages near York, a collection of four and five-star luxury properties that welcome children while offering parents boutique chic and a wealth of unashamedly romantic touches. Owned by former dairy farmer Gerald Carter and his wife Ros, the cottages have been lovingly converted from Pear Tree Farm's old milking parlour, granary and stables, and named after their former residents (Ethel's Escape, Peach's Place, Roxy's Roost and, ours, Ruby's Retreat).

Original timbers have been retained along with rustic wooden doors and crackling log fires while the bedrooms are more than a match for any boutique hotel I've ever stayed in. Ruby's Retreat also featured a chunky staircase with bannisters crafted from branches, and a funky solid oak dining table wrapped around the wall beneath the staircase. A large stable door led from the open-plan kitchen to a private country garden courtyard area that's a suntrap in the summer months: perfect for al fresco dining or a relaxing glass of wine when the kids are in bed.

Wining and dining? The kitchen was small but perfectly formed with everything you could wish for in a self-catering getaway. If you want a break from cooking, however, there's an abundance of traditional olde worlde pubs all within a ten-minute drive from Fangfoss. The nearest pub serving hearty fare, the Carpenter's Arms, is actually just a three-minute stroll from the cottages. But for those who like a longer walk before and after dinner, the bridle path adjoining Pear Tree Farm leads to the village of Bishop Wilton (1.5 miles away) and the Fleece Inn, which offers a warm welcome with open fires and a good range of cask ales.

Budget or boutique? The luxurious bedrooms put Ruby's Retreat firmly in the boutique camp. All three bedrooms had contemporary en-suite shower rooms but two featured massive free-standing double-ended baths for the ultimate in luxurious relaxation.

Room service? As well as the free-standing bath, our room featured a king-size four-poster bed on an underlit raised wooden plinth, flatscreen TV, floor-to-ceiling windows and original beams spanning the high cathedral ceilings. Bliss.

Worth getting out of bed for? In nearby York there's everything from the races to the town's famous maze (which opens for a new season on 16 July). There's also the award-winning Jorvic Viking Centre, York Minster and plenty of retail therapy to be had. The cottages are also ideally placed for walking, cycling, horse riding, golfing and fishing. Just four miles away is Allerthorpe Lakeland Park, which has a lake with watersports facilities, a separate lake for fly fishing and a BMX trail. For high fliers, Wolds Gliding Club at Pocklington offers lessons/flights for as little as half an hour to a whole afternoon.

Little extras? A warm welcome awaited us, courtesy of kitchen tins brimming with home baking, a wood-burning stove and fluffy bathrobes in the bedrooms. For older children there's a games room complete with pool table, table tennis, air hockey (1970s holiday heaven for the bigger kids among us) and table football.

Guestbook comments? The enchanted forest-meets-boutique chic in an inspired mix of old and new. A relaxing romantic getaway, even with the kids in tow. Prices start from 417 for a low season weekend break to 547 for high season. Details of midweek prices and the other cottages are available on the website. Bricknell Cottages, Pear Tree Farm, Fangfoss, York (01759 368588, www.bricknellcottages.co.uk).

• This article was first published in the Scotland on Sunday on March 13, 2011