I had a Rye smile on my face that lasted all weekend.

I’m not sure whether travelling 50 miles and simply crossing the border from Kent to Sussex can be considered a mini-break? If you can load the car, get there and be sitting in the sunshine enjoying your first cold beer, all within an hour can it be justified as a holiday?

Well, whether it was officially a weekend away, a mini-break or a holiday it matters not a jot because it felt like I was a thousand miles away, and at least the same distance from, all the hassles you always get at home.

When Bramley&Teal invited me to enjoy a weekend away at one of their fantastic cottages ‘I’ was spoilt for choice. After ‘I’ carefully went through all the details and checked out all the fantastic places the final decision was remarkably easy – because my wife made it.

Not that I was complaining, three days in the gorgeous surroundings of Rye was right up my winding cobbled street.

So where were we staying? The address was simply West Street, it could not have been positioned better and was right at the heart of everything. On top of this, everything was within a stone’s throw and was at least four or five hundred years old. I was happy just wandering around, popping into the occasional pub and sampling the local restaurants, but Rye has stacks more to offer.

However, I’m sure you can check out all this great little town in East Sussex has to offer online and I want to concentrate on spending a few paragraphs describing our excellent little cottage.

Stepping off the cobbles and through the front door you’re immediately free to start enjoying your stay. Bramley & Teal had already done all the preparation and hard work. We’d been supplied with all the details we required, everything we needed to know about the cottage, its facilities and the town. We knew where to park, how to collect the keys, where to leave the rubbish, where everything was – we even had a map.

The living room was perfect, warm and welcoming. It was perfectly decorated for the age of the cottage and very homely. The kitchen was the perfect mix of old-world and modern, equipped with everything you could possibly want. Though, with restaurants on offer, I had no intention of eating in. That said, we had some great fish and chips from Marino’s Fish Bar on The Mint.

Stepping through into the downstairs bathroom you suddenly wouldn’t have a clue about the house’s age. It might have some original features but is a fantastically modern wet room, complete with a heated floor – you will not be disappointed.

Up the narrow staircase you will find two great bedrooms, the second one at the back of the house has bunkbeds, the master at the front is really spacious with loads of storage. The main bedroom has a really cute extra little room off it, which is just big enough for a child’s bed.

It might have been built in the 1600s and have all the uneven floors to prove it, but this cottage comes with wi-fi and a TV with HD Sky+. One word of warning, if you’re taller than 5’ 8” mind your head, particularly on the stairs!

You will need to choose the cottage that will suit you best for the break you’re planning. I can only speak from experience of the one we visited in West Street, but if the others are anywhere near as good, then you are in for a treat. Take a look at what’s on offer right now.

Bramley & Teal Holiday Cottages www.bramleyandteal.co.uk bookings@bramleyandteal.co.uk 01580 713669