Woodpecker Cottage is situated in Warren Row near Maidenhead and is a comfortable, friendly house standing in an acre of pretty garden, surrounded by woods which are carpeted with bluebells in spring. There is a rich variety of bird life (including woodpeckers), with fallow and muntjac deer, foxes, badgers and other wildlife often seen.

The house started life as the outbuildings for Woodpecker Farm, and the old flint walls have been incorporated into the present building. During the Second World War, emergency rations for airmen were manufactured here - though only the foundations of the machinery shed can be seen.

The small village of Warren Row is set in rolling wooded countryside, and has a tiny church (used twice a month), a handful of houses and no public transport, so a car is a necessity. Heathrow is within a half hour's drive, and yet the setting is unbelievably rural and tranquil.

If you are a golfer, there are two courses nearby, and there are superb walks straight from the house. The ancient Thames-side settlement of Hurley is just down the road, as is the village of Wargrave, with its antique shops and riverside pubs. Or you may prefer to relax with a quiet game of croquet on the lawns.

We are only a mile away from the A4, and the A404(M) motorway link is three and a half miles - which takes you to the M4 (Junction 8/9) and the M40 (Junction 4).