Where to celebrate your engagement

Apart from Jeeves the luggage butler (a converted mobility scooter), you won’t meet a single other resident while At The Pond unless you count the wildlife. Once you’ve unpacked, you can marvel at the steam room, outdoor fireplace and gorgeous spring-fed pond before daring each other to take a running leap into the swimming water from the long jetty. Afterwards, warm each other up in the sunken tub on the deck and chat late into the night under starry skies. Inside the cabin, the huge windowed doors welcome in the stunning scenery and you’ll find a king sized bed, modern kitchen and comfy living space. At the end of your stay, you’ll float away from your oasis of tranquillity in Gloucestershire feeling loved up and ready to start the next chapter.

Get in the mood for the impending nuptials with a vineyard tour and wine tasting at Black Chalk vineyard near The Fallow Treehouse. Perhaps a special vintage will take your fancy for the big day, but either way make sure you grab a bottle to take back for an engagement toast in the outdoor bath. The treehouse is part of four incredible spaces at Wild Escapes in Hampshire that have nature woven through them – literally in this case, with the deck built around an artfully positioned sycamore branch. The living space is stylish and cosy with brushed wood and dashes of turquoise but you’ll want to tear yourselves away for at least a few hours to explore the beautiful river landscapes and chalk hills of the Test Valley. Enjoy the obligatory stop off in one of the excellent local pubs as your reward.

Transport yourselves away from normal life and chill out in total seclusion with nothing to do except gaze into your fiance's eyes. An eight-acre private Devon woodland is yours to explore or you can just relax and appreciate the incredible views from the comfort of your deck (and from the outdoor shower). You might spot foxes, deer and badgers foraging below you if you’re quiet. When you’re ready to work up an appetite for a romantic BBQ, Haldon Forest Park is perfect for a stroll or cycle or head to the coastal paths and Exe estuary. Experiment with a few new shared hobbies by having a go at canoeing and paddle boarding locally. Just try to reign in that competitive spirit until after you say “I do”.

A sumptuously feathered nest for newly-engaged love birds, The Bird Box is a bijou hideaway straight out of the pages of a fairytale. The romantic Canadian cedarwood hot tub is the perfect place to celebrate your engagement with a glass of fizz under ‘candlelit’ trees while the huge windows in the bedroom ceiling allow you to gaze at the stars from the comfort of your rustic four poster bed. The whole place feels like a tactile, cosy cocoon with deer skins, plump cushions and warm wool carpets to sink into whenever you want to relax. If you fancy flying the nest for an outing, head to the cafes and shops of pretty, eclectic Okehampton or explore the surfing beaches and rugged coves along the Devon coastlines.

An engagement can feel like a whirlwind of excitement and planning so if the pair of you need a bit of time out to recharge, the team at Wrinklers Wood offer a range of holistic treatments and activities. These include couples massages, Reiki, Reflexology, Yoga, Pilates, Mindfulness and Meditation (plus High Intensity Circuit Training if you’re feeling energetic). Once your vibe is more zen, hire bikes to explore the gorgeous Cornish countryside or simply sink into the hot tub in a little orchard at the back of Chui Treehouse and gaze out over the canopy. The peace, the birds and the light will soothe frazzled nerves and put you in the mood for some extremely relaxed romance.

An award-winning design by Akin Studio, Drover’s Bough in Herefordshire is light, feminine and utterly romantic – the perfect place to start planning a wedding in comfort and tranquillity. With underfloor heating and a wood burner it’ll be hard to drag yourselves away from your cosy treehouse, but the surroundings are too good to ignore. Star in your own movie montage as you go birdwatching, walk in the foothills of the Black Mountains, stand under waterfalls and swing in the hammock – it’s good to set the bar high for married life! If you’re really out to impress, book a table at The Walnut Tree, an iconic local eatery boasting a Michelin star.

Boost your awe and wonder quotient at The Hog House deep in the wilds of Cumbria. A momentous milestone deserves to be celebrated in a spectacular setting and the dramatic peaks of the Lake District definitely fit the bill. The Hog House is a cosy, comfortable ex-shepherd’s bothy – simply but charmingly furnished – but the star attraction is the breathtaking majesty of the fells that sprawl in every direction from the front door. There’s nothing better than setting off together to discover a wild paradise of mountains, rivers, lakes, caves and tarns – with barely another soul around to disturb you. Plus, there’s the added bonus of a pub a couple of miles walk away if you want to dip your toes back into civilisation for an hour or two.