Oakhurst Cottage

Oakhurst Cottage is a small timber-framed labourer's dwelling beside the cricket green in the Surrey village of Hambledon, built in the 16th century and lived in continuously until the mid-1980s. Nothing has been altered since the mid-19th century, so the inglenook fireplace, bread oven, rush light holders and patchwork quilts show how an agricultural labourer's family lived in the 1850s, and the front garden of fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers matches the paintings Helen Allingham made of the cottage in Victorian times. Every visit is a pre-booked guided tour of no more than six people, members included, and reviewers say the volunteer guides bring the story of each room and its occupants to life. Tips from visitors: there is no car park, so leave the car on Vann Lane opposite the green; the site has no toilets and the stair to the upstairs rooms is narrow and winding; and the National Trust signage is easy to miss. Winkworth Arboretum nearby has the closest cafe and loos.