Start with the bones of the building

A wood burner can make almost any room feel welcoming, but it cannot rescue a cottage that loses heat faster than the stove can produce it. Before you fall for the inglenook fireplace in the photographs, look at the fabric of the place. Thick stone walls, low ceilings and small windows hold warmth beautifully. Single-glazed sash windows in an exposed valley, with a sitting room open to a galleried landing above, will be a different proposition entirely.

Ask the owner a few direct questions. Is the wood burner the main source of heat, or is there central heating as well? Are there radiators in the bedrooms, or will you be filling hot water bottles at bedtime? Where is the thermostat, and has the loft been insulated? A cottage that has been thoughtfully winterproofed will usually say so: heavy curtains, draught excluders on the doors, a thick rug over cold stone flags, a lobby or porch to trap the wind before it reaches the sitting room.

Room layout matters more than you might expect. A bedroom directly above a well-used stove will stay comfortable; one above an unheated outhouse or a garage will not. If the cottage is listed or very old, expect some draughts and pack accordingly — a woolly jumper and a pair of thick socks are part of the pleasure, not a failure of the accommodation.

Judging the stove itself

Not all wood burners are equal, and the difference shows up on the second evening, once the novelty has worn off. A stove that is too small for the room will run flat out and still leave you cold; one that is too large will force you to open windows. As a rough guide, a 4–5kW stove suits a snug sitting room, while an open-plan barn conversion may need 8kW or more.

Look for a stove with a decent-sized glass door, so you can actually watch the fire, and a flat top that will take a kettle. A riddling grate and an ash pan make cleaning far less of a chore. If the cottage sits in a village or town, ask whether the stove is a DEFRA-exempt or Ecodesign model, as smoke control areas restrict what you may burn. And do ask when the chimney was last swept — a sooty flue is the usual reason a fire smokes back into the room.

Logs, kindling and the practical kit

The single biggest cause of a disappointing fire is damp wood. Properly seasoned logs contain less than 20 per cent moisture; unseasoned ones hiss, smoulder and blacken the glass while giving off very little heat. Kiln-dried hardwood is the reliable choice for a holiday let, where you cannot afford to wait two winters for a stack to dry.

• Hardwood logs — ash, birch and oak burn long and hot. Oak needs at least two years to season properly.
• Kindling and firelighters — softwood splits, dry and thumb-thick, plus a few natural firelighters.
• A moisture meter — inexpensive, and it settles any argument about whether the logs are ready.
• Tools — poker, ash bucket, heatproof gloves and a long lighter or matches.
• A log store — covered, raised off the ground, with air moving through it.

Never burn treated, painted or varnished timber, and never tip coal into a wood burner. If you are staying for a week, buy in two loads rather than one: it is easier to dry a small amount near the stove than to dry a wet heap in the rain. A top-down fire, with kindling above the firelighter and larger logs on top, lights cleanly and needs far less fiddling.

The sheltered garden matters more than the view

A garden with a view but no shelter is a garden you will admire through the window and never sit in. Shelter comes from walls, hedges and mature trees, and it is worth as much as any panorama. A south- or west-facing bench tucked behind a stone wall will be usable on a bright February afternoon when an exposed terrace is not.

Look for somewhere dry to leave boots and wet coats — a boot room, a covered porch or at least a sheltered step by the back door. A drying rack near the stove is a small detail that transforms a walking holiday. A table that seats four, a tap for rinsing muddy boots and a path that is not a bog after rain all earn their place on your checklist.

Walks from the door

The best cottage is one where you can pull on your boots and be on a footpath within minutes, without moving the car. Check the map before booking: are there public footpaths, bridleways and quiet lanes leading straight from the gate? Is there a village pub within a comfortable walk for the evening? In winter, lanes that look charming in June can be treacherous in frost, so a route that stays on higher, well-drained ground is a bonus. Dark skies are another quiet luxury of the countryside — step outside after the fire has burned down and look up.

A short checklist before you book

• Secondary heating in the bedrooms, not just the sitting room.
• A stated log supply, with kiln-dried wood included or easily bought nearby.
• A stove of the right size, with glass door and ash pan.
• Boot storage, a drying rack and somewhere to hang wet coats.
• A sheltered outdoor seating area facing the afternoon sun.
• Footpaths, a shop and a pub within walking distance.
• Curtains, draught excluders and rugs already in place.

Get those things right and the burner becomes what it should be: the warm heart of a slow, unhurried week. Walk in the hills until your legs ache, come back muddy and chilled, light the fire, and let the evening take care of itself.