Renaissance Village

A copper pot hangs over the fire beneath a carved stone mantel lined with candles, pumpkins and dried herbs. Tall leaded-glass windows look out on wet cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses, glowing lanterns and a church spire in the mist, while rain falls steadily over the village.

The music is led by a warm penny whistle over delicate lyre, with a subtle touch of sitar: gently lilting, unhurried and full of old-world charm. It sits alongside the rain on the windows and the occasional low roll of thunder outside, easy company for reading, writing or studying.

Renaissance Village is a stone-and-timber house at the edge of the square, with bread and apples on the table, sheepskins on the floor and the evening's fire already lit. Put it on for a stormy autumn night, a long reading session, or whenever you want somewhere old and quiet to sit out the rain.