There is a particular quality to the light in Cheshire in June. It arrives early and stays late — still warm and golden at nine in the evening, casting long shadows across the fields and turning the sandstone walls of the old farm buildings a deep amber. If you have never been here in midsummer, it is worth coming for the evenings alone.

The fields at their best

By June the countryside around the properties is at its most lush. The hedgerows are full, the footpaths are clear, and the walk from The Carriage House down through the lanes towards Bunbury takes you past fields that feel genuinely untouched. We have walked this route dozens of times and it still stops us in our tracks.

The self-guided walking notes we put together for guests cover this route in detail — where to turn, what to look for, where to stop. But honestly, in June you could wander without a map and still find something worth seeing around every corner.

Eating outside

This is the time of year when the outdoor spaces at the properties really come into their own. At The Old Vicarage, the courtyard catches the evening sun until late. At The Carriage House, the garden is sheltered and private. At Foxdale, the terrace looks out over open countryside.

We always suggest guests make the most of the outdoor kitchen at The Old Vicarage in summer — it was designed for exactly this kind of evening. A long table, good food, the sound of the countryside settling down for the night.

What we have been enjoying

A few things we have been recommending to guests this month:

The Pheasant at Higher Burwardsley sits on the Peckforton Hills with views across the Cheshire Plain that are genuinely hard to beat on a clear evening. Book a table outside if you can.

Beeston Castle is at its most dramatic in the long light of a summer evening. The walk up is short but the view from the top — across to Wales on a clear day — is one of the best in the county.

The walled garden at Cholmondeley Castle is open through the summer and worth an afternoon. The kitchen garden is beautifully kept and the café is good.

A note on the hamper

If you are staying with us in June and want to make the most of the long evenings, the local produce hamper is worth adding to your booking. We put it together from farms and makers within a few miles of the properties — fresh bread, local cheese, things to graze on while the sun goes down. It is the kind of thing that turns an evening outside into something you will actually remember.

June is one of our favourite months to have guests. The properties feel at their best, the countryside is at its most generous, and the evenings seem to go on forever. If you have been thinking about booking, this is the time.