Next time you’re planning a getaway and want somewhere unique, you might want to consider a stay at this quirky gatehouse, which has been transformed into a romantic couple’s retreat.

Set in the picturesque sleepy village of Bolton Percy, near York, this characterful property is packed with history and comes with all sorts of highly-coveted period features, from vaulted ceilings and exposed beams to impressive doorways and carved Tudor roses.

Tucked behind timber gates in a peaceful wooded area, the gatehouse originally formed part of the medieval defences of the village and has remained completely intact since the 15th century.

Let’s take a look at what’s inside and see if this holiday let could persuade you to take a few well-needed days off.

Bolton Percy Gatehouse exterior

Image credit: Gorgeous Cottages

Here it is in all its glory – Bolton Percy Gatehouse, the coolest and quirky property we’ve seen for a while. First impressions really do count and if you’re a history lover or appreciate the charms of an old property, then this one is for you.

Sat in a secluded position just opposite the local church, you can enjoy the peace and quiet of a country getaway without any distractions.

Open-plan living area

Image credit: Gorgeous Cottages

Inside, you’ll find a large space that gives you lots of open-plan living ideas. At one end are the sofa and armchairs, while a stunning super-king-size four-poster bed stands proudly at the other end of the room.

Check out that impressive vaulted ceiling and exposed wood beams!

Dining space

Image credit: Gorgeous Cottages

On the first floor is the dining area, with a large wooden table that’s crying out for a modern-day feast. Why not sit at the head of the table and raise a goblet of wine to toast your stay?

Kitchen

Image credit: Gorgeous Cottages

Downstairs you’ll find the kitchen, which has a modern feel, although you’re still reminded of the age of the building from the wood beams and lattice windows, complemented by a rather regal ceiling light.

While it’s not a huge room, it’s great for inspiration on how to plan a kitchen, as there’s storage galore, plus a breakfast bar.

We couldn’t help but notice the splashback either, which looks as though it has a leaf print imprinted into it.

Image credit: Gorgeous Cottages

On the other side of the kitchen, you can see the staircase that leads to the large open-plan space we’ve just shown you. We love the majestic armchair that sits at the bottom – adding yet another luxurious touch.

Decked area

Image credit: Gorgeous Cottages

Outside, a decked area to the side of the property makes a sweet spot for an al-fresco drink, with countryside and trees all around you.

Prices start at £482 for a three-night stay and you can see more on how to book Bolton Percy Gatehouse at Gorgeous Cottages.

Are you tempted?

The post Feel like lord and lady of the manor at this quirky period gatehouse holiday let appeared first on Ideal Home.

The are plenty of hacks floating around the internet promising to stop you from losing your socks in the washing machine. We decided to put three of them to the test to find the ultimate hack.

If you’ve never lost a sock in the washing machine, I simply don’t believe you. Even when using the best washing machine, odd socks have been the bane of my laundry ever since I left home. From speaking to the Ideal Home team I know I’m not alone.

Over the years I have learnt how to clean a washing machine, and the best way to care for my clothes. However, keeping my favourite M&S cat socks together remains as mysterious to me as the dark arts.

To put an end to my odd sock box once and for all I decided to try three hacks that have been doing the rounds online. The contenders were the sock clipping/pinning hack, the balled up sock hack and the mesh bag hack.

Image credit: Jon Day

Each promised to put an end to my daily morning sock scavenger hunt. In the interest of fairness, I tried the hacks on multiple pairs of socks and included them all in the same wash with a number of other clothing items.

Stop losing socks in the washing machine hack

The sock clipping/ pinning hack

This hack was the most sophisticated of the three. It involved clipping or pinning pairs of socks together with a clip or safety pin.

The benefit of this hack was that once the socks had come out of the wash, they could easily be hung up to dry in pairs. However, clipping them all together could be a bit fiddly, plus you had bits of plastic and metal flying around the washing machine to worry about.

Image credit: Rebecca Knight

I didn’t have any safety pins or clothes pegs so I decided to improvise with kirby grips. I thought I’d struck gold with this solution, rogue kirby grips were as plentiful in my home as odd socks.

Sadly, it didn’t work out quite as I had imagined. While one pair of socks managed to stay clipped together. The other two pairs are still missing their other halves.

It might have been more effective if I had used safety pins. However, I am still suspicious of them springing open and causing damage to me or the washing machine.

The balled-up sock hack

This is more a hope for the best laundry manoeuvre than a full-on hack. Simply tuck your socks together like you would in a drawer, chuck them in the washing machine and hope for the best.

Image credit: Rebecca Knight

I really did hope for the best, but despite the simplicity of this hack, unsurprisingly it failed epically. It took me a lot of digging through my wash basket to eventually retrieve the full pair.

The winner – The mesh bag hack

This hack isn’t limited to using a mesh wash bag but will work with a pillowcase too. All it involves is throwing your socks into the bag, then into the washing machine it goes.

I was concerned about how long it would take me to match the socks up post-wash, but I needn’t have been. I popped four pairs of socks into a mesh zip bag I already had from Amazon for washing my bras in.

Image credit: Rebecca Knight

Its pop-up circle shape meant that when it came out of the wash it was easy to reach in and quickly sort the socks into pairs. In record time I had four pairs of matching socks, I had found the winner!

I couldn’t believe that the solution to my odd socks problem had been lying next to my wash basket all this time. Will you be trying this hack?

The post Never loose your socks in the wash again with this simple hack – tried and test by Ideal Home appeared first on Ideal Home.

Photo By garynack

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “A River Runs Through It” by garynack.

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The post Photo Of The Day By garynack appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.