Why older farm buildings feel the cold differently

A converted barn or a stone-built farm cottage is a wonderful place to spend a week, but it rarely behaves like a modern house. The walls may be two feet thick, the windows small and single-glazed, and the floors either flagstones or bare boards laid centuries ago. Thick stone and brick take a long time to warm up, and just as long to cool down, so the building tends to lag several hours behind whatever the thermostat says.

There is also the matter of shape. Many rural cottages are long and low, with rooms in a row and doors at both ends. Warm air rises into the roof space and escapes through old chimney flues, while cold air creeps in at floor level from every direction. Once you understand that, the whole business of keeping comfortable becomes a matter of working with the building rather than against it.

Getting to grips with the heating system

Before you unpack, spend five minutes finding out how the place is heated. This single step prevents most of the misery that people associate with winter cottage breaks. Look for the boiler, the programmer or thermostat, and any immersion switch in an airing cupboard.

• Oil-fired boilers are common in off-gas villages. They usually run on a timer with a room thermostat, and they take longer to raise the temperature than a gas system, so set them to come on half an hour before you want warmth.
• LPG and solid fuel systems vary enormously. A wood-burning stove or an open fire can throw out a great deal of heat, but only in the room it sits in, and only if you know how to work the vents. Ask for a quick demonstration rather than guessing.
• Electric storage heaters charge overnight on a cheaper tariff and release heat during the day. Do not switch them off in the afternoon thinking you are saving money, because there will be nothing left for the evening.
• Underfloor heating in a stone-floored conversion is lovely but slow. It needs to be left running steadily rather than switched on and off.

If the cottage has a thermostat, resist the temptation to crank it to maximum. A steady 20°C, adjusted with the odd boost, keeps the fabric of the building warm and costs less than repeatedly blasting cold rooms.

Curtains, blinds and the art of trapping heat

Windows are where most heat vanishes after dark. Heavy curtains are not just decorative in a farm cottage; they are part of the insulation. Close them as soon as the light fades, and make sure they overlap in the middle rather than leaving a gap for draughts to pour through.

Where curtains are floor-length, tuck them behind the radiator rather than draping over the top. A curtain that sits over a radiator pushes warm air straight up the glass and out. If the windows are single-glazed, leave the curtain slightly clear of the sill during the day to let any sun in, then draw them fully at dusk.

Roller blinds add another layer on a cold night, and if a window has a deep stone reveal, drawing both blind and curtain creates a pocket of still air that makes a real difference. In bedrooms, close curtains before you go down for dinner so the room is not icy when you head up to bed.

Draughts: find them, then stop them

In an old building, draughts are usually the biggest single source of discomfort. You do not need to seal a cottage like a plastic bag, but you can make a considerable difference in a few minutes.

• Run your hand along the bottom of external doors. If you feel cold air, roll a towel or use the draught excluder provided and push it firmly against the gap.
• Check letterboxes and keyholes on any door that opens directly outside. A folded piece of card or a spare cloth over the letterbox is a simple overnight fix.
• Look at unused chimneys. If the fire is not lit, a chimney balloon or a closed damper stops warm air rushing up and cold air tumbling down.
• Do not block permanent ventilation, such as air bricks or trickle vents. In a cottage with a stove or open fire, these are there for a reason and blocking them can be dangerous.

Internal doors matter too. Closing the door to a hallway, porch or unused bedroom keeps the heat where you actually sit.

Layering bedding for snug nights

Bedrooms in old farm buildings are often the coldest rooms, because they sit above unheated ground floors and under roof slates. Rather than relying on leaving the heating on all night, work with bedding.

Start with a mattress protector or an underblanket, which stops cold rising from below. Then use layers you can add or remove: a fitted sheet, a light duvet, and a wool or cellular blanket on top. Two medium layers trap more air than one heavy duvet, and they let you adjust during the night.

A hot water bottle placed at the foot of the bed ten minutes before you turn in transforms the first half hour. So does a pair of socks and a warm jumper kept on the chair. If the cottage supplies an electric blanket, check it for wear before use and never leave it switched on overnight. On very cold nights, a folded blanket over the duvet adds useful insulation without weight.

Small habits that make a big difference

Warmth in a rural cottage is largely about routine. Keep the doors of heated rooms closed, let the sun in during the day, and draw curtains the moment it dips. Cook and bake in the evening if you can, because an oven warms a kitchen beautifully. Move rugs over bare flagstones where you sit, and keep slippers by the door.

If you are still cold after all that, contact the owner or housekeeper. A well-run cottage should have adequate heating, and there may be a simple fix such as bleeding a radiator or topping up the oil. A quiet word early in your stay is far better than shivering through the week, and most owners would much rather sort it out than have you leave disappointed.