We're Lin & Charlie Millward and we launched Staycation Holidays in October 2015. Having spent over 15 years within the holiday and tourism sectors, our passion is to deliver a friendly, fresh approach and the very best levels of service to our guests. On a daily basis, we strive to deliver on all the details, to ensure that you, our guests, enjoy a home from home experience and ultimately a memorable break. Our properties suit a wide range of budgets and we regularly feature special discounts. Everyone on our team has an in-depth knowledge of our cottages along with the local area and events to help you get the best out of your break. We’re here to offer help and advice whenever you need it, 24/7 - we aim to respond within the hour (unless it's the middle of the night!). We also take a flexible approach to bookings so that you can book from as few as two nights, up to 28 nights and offer unique arrival days too. Thank you for visiting us! Lin & Charlie

Escape awhile at Ransom Lodge where only the birds & your bubbling hot tub disturb the silence… Our luxury 5 AA star self-catering lodge offers dreamy escapism deep within the rural seclusion of N. Essex near Wakes Colne in the breath-taking Colne Valley. Lose yourself in 500 acres of secluded rolling private land & wander the woodlands that can offer a decent game of hide & seek or a preprandial ramble. While away some time by the magnificent 2 acre private fishing lake stocked with carp & rudd. A playground for wildlife, you may be lucky to catch a glimpse of a kingfisher. Your furry friends will love it too – the woods with its little stream are pooch perfect. Set at the end of a mile long private driveway, our ultimate bolthole for couples or a family of four is tucked away in an ancient meadow in undulating countryside, where in decades gone by heavy horses, cattle & sheep would have grazed. Ransom Lodge was made for making memories. You’ll approve of the well-equipped kitchen, the very best of open plan living, the sumptuous en suite bedrooms & the state of the art technology. Outside on the south-facing veranda, the lake & woodlands serve the perfect backdrop.

Although you’ll feel completely disconnected from the rest of the world, there is a wealth of attractions on your doorstep. Ransom Lodge is just a stone’s throw from the historical viaduct at Chappel where there is a shop, post office and a picturesque pub beside the River Colne that serves locally brewed beer. 20 minutes takes you to Britain’s oldest recorded town, Colchester - with attractions including Colchester Zoo and the Roman Castle. World-renowned Constable country is 30 minutes - visit to Dedham Vale, an AONB, home of Flatford Mills, made famous by John Constable’s painting, The Haywain. The beautiful village of Coggeshall, just 12 minutes’ away, is steeped in history & the back drop to TV's Lovejoy. Museums, stately homes & gardens within half an hour’s drive include the Gainsborough House museum & gallery in Sudbury, Marks Hall Gardens & Arboretum, Beth Chatto Gardens & Melford Hall. Within 10 minutes is Earls Colne Golf & Country Club plus numerous other golf courses within a short drive. Blue Flag beaches are within 50 minutes' and you can hire our family-owned beach hut at Walton on the Naze (see images) - additional daily hire fee, please ask when booking.