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The Landmark Trust ... continued ...

"Our style of presenting our buildings has always been distinctive. We repair them with the greatest care and with traditional methods and materials, and alter them as little as possible, so we don't lose any quirky features. We also use old, good, furniture and make the interior as comfortable as we can, so they're all heated, and all have good kitchens and bathrooms."

"We set as few rules as possible, so you can take dogs to nearly all Landmarks, unless there's a very good reason not to, such as a precious silk damask or if there are sheep nearby."

My perception of typical Landmark visitors is of a respectable middle-aged couple whose grown-up children have flown the coop � the proverbial empty nesters. Is it accurate?

"We do get empty nesters, but really there's a good cross-section. Groups of friends like to use the bigger Landmarks, because they've often got lots of space, and we get families as well. Something that makes them attractive to families is that they can be good value: you can stay in a good proportion of our buildings for less than the cost of a bed and breakfast. For example, Dollbedr in north Wales, our newest addition, can cost less than �16 per person per night when it's fully occupied. Obviously, buildings in high demand, in high summer, cost more, but a surprising number are less.

"We also ensure all of our buildings are available all year round. The only time we let by the week is the summer holidays, the rest of the time it's part-weeks and weekends. You can book at short notice, and a lot of people seem to do that, just decide to go away on a whim."

Lastly, Landmark Trust buildings are renowned for quirky features. How about some examples?

"Well, a lot of these buildings weren't originally designed for living in, so when we restore them we have to convert them as well. You have to think carefully about where you put bathrooms and kitchens. So you quite often find kitchens tucked into turrets. My favourite example is Swarkestone Pavilion in Derbyshire, a 17th century building which we've converted to accommodate two people. It's got two towers, with a tiny kitchen in one and the bathroom in the other; the only way to reach the bathroom is across the open roof, past the battlements. So if you have to visit in the small hours, it takes a walk under the stars to get there.

"But I think you can get away with that in Landmarks, something you'd never put up with in your own home, because for short periods it's quite fun. Take Tangy Mill on Kintyre in Scotland. We didn't take all the machinery out when we did the work, so you're cheek by jowl with it all. The millstones are on the first floor, with the threshing machine in a bedroom, and the mill gear is still on the ground floor. Having something unexpected there is part of the fun."

"We set as few rules as possible, so you can take dogs to nearly all Landmarks, unless there's a very good reason not to, such as a precious silk damask or if there are sheep nearby."

Quiet pursuits

There's something else that marks Landmark properties out from run-of-the-mill holiday cottages: their lack of what some people see as essentials, TVs, videos and phones:

"We don't do any of that – it's a matter of cultural policy. Anyone can bring their own TV, of course, we're not snooty about it. But the interesting thing is people respond to the absence in a very positive way, because they actually end up talking to each other, not watching a little screen in the corner! Instead, they're able to concentrate on where they are.

"There's always a carefully selected library of books in each building, both about the building (especially if it's by a well-known architect, with its place in his work) and the area, along with any links the building has with local culture and history. Novels that have a connection of some kind will be included. For example, Goddards, a wonderful Lutyens house in Surrey, has a copy of Emma on the shelf, because a picnic scene in the book takes place on Box Hill, not far from the house. So there are connections you have to tease out � it's like a little puzzle in itself.

"There's also a logbook that becomes part of the life of the house, where people staying can record their experiences and discoveries. And finally there's the history album, which gives the story of that particular building, some really heavyweight research and also the story of its restoration.

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