Warwickshire,

from £2,200, including service charges A magnificent Edwardian country house is the focal point at Lime Tree, in Dunchurch, a village of more than 200 properties set in 26 acres of landscaped gardens, wildflower meadows and woods. It is the community’s social hub, with a restaurant, bar, shop and library. Lime Tree is a vibrant village with much on offer, from fitness classes to book clubs, a choir and art and crafts groups. There’s a games lawn for a round of bowls or croquet and allotments to grow your own fruit and vegetables. Residents also organise regular trips. The development now offers the newly built Polo Field cottages, as well as the apartments and houses in the original part of the village. The Retirement Villages Group (01788 462202; www.retirement villages.co.uk)