Grand gatherings
“The secret, dear Alice, is to surround yourself with people who make your heart smile. It’s then, only then, that you’ll find Wonderland”.
Rally the troops, it's time to get the party back together. Country glamour prevails throughout this cherry-picked collection; a mix of golden stone manors, modern coastal marvels, enchanted millhouses and free-spirited farmhouses hidden in the hills. Formal celebration or languid weekend, live out bucolic fantasies at wooden trestle tables piled high with local fodder overlooking grounds that evoke scenes from Alice in Wonderland.
Lawn games and Champagne towers. Cucumber sandwiches and chess marathons. Swimming pool swan dives and midnight tea parties beneath a sky pinpricked with a spray of stars. This is the year to bask in all the gloriousness of a large group gathering from the environs of a lavish private house with all the bells and whistles.
The Lost Music Hall
Created by a London dandy to serve as his secret retreat from society, this former music hall has been restored in all its Arts and Crafts glory to offer unique escapes in a hidden valley of Devon's South Hams AONB.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £1,995 per week, £1,595 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 & Up to 12 guests
Pets: Two pets are welcome
Features: Heated outdoor swimming pool (May-September) and games room with table tennis and darts
Huntlington House
Great Witley, Worcester, Worcestershire, UK
A classic 17th century Jacobean hunting lodge with a glam rock heart, Huntlington House is a luxury Worcestershire manor with indoor pool and wellness spa, tennis court and children's play area.
Sleeps: Up to 14 guests
From: £8,250 per week, £6,495 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request
Features: Indoor heated pool, sauna, steam room, hot tub, gym, tennis court, hedge maze, outdoor children´s play area and outdoor kitchen
The Glasshouse
Cardigan, Ceredigion, Wales, UK
Sat on the banks of the Afon Teifi with a front row seat overlooking a nature reserve, The Glasshouse is a wildlife lover’s dream with hot tub near Cardigan and the Welsh coast.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
From: £3,850 per week, £2,895 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 & Up to 4 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Hot tub
Anthology Farm
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
With a 300-year-old history, an indoor pool that could have been lifted from a members-only health club, and surrounding acreage to thrill the young'uns, Anthology Farm is a sought-after estate made for large family gatherings.
Sleeps: Up to 18 guests
From: £9,450 per week, £6,550 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 10 guests
Pets: Pets are considered on prior agreement
Features: Heated indoor swimming pool, cinema room, tennis court, table tennis, gym equipment, purpose built yoga studio and electric car charging point
Castle India
Antony Passage, Tamar Valley, Cornwall, UK
Fantastical, extravagant and sublimely positioned at the edge of Cornwall’s luscious Tamar Valley, pass through the gates of Castle India and enter a world of pure imagination.
Sleeps: Up to 18 guests
From: £7,595 per week, £5,695 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Outdoor natural pool (available May - September), pool house, sauna, indoor skate ramp, fire pit, ping pong table, football goals and trampoline
Ariabelle
Iping, Midhurst, West Sussex, UK
Found at the end of a sweeping tree-lined drive, Ariabelle is the ultimate private country house, affording a luxury stay with lavish indoor pool and all the trimmings, all wrapped up within glorious South Downs countryside.
Sleeps: Up to 14 guests
From: £18,395 per week, £14,695 per short break
Pets: Pets are considered on prior agreement
Features: Indoor heated swimming pool, hot tub, tennis court, steam room and sauna, gym and bar
Gulliver´s Hall
Bisley, Stroud, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Blending ancestral tales with elegant maximalism, Gulliver's Hall brings spa facilities to the soulful countryside; characterful, luxurious, and daring all in one sweep, this is a playful family estate in the beating heart of the Cotswolds.
Sleeps: Up to 21 guests
From: £8,495 per week, £6,395 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 15 & Up to 6 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome on prior request
Features: Outdoor heated swimming pool (April-October), sunken spa bath, sauna, steam room, outdoor shower, outdoor kitchen with pizza oven, paella burner, games and cinema room, tennis court, croquet lawn
Rhapsody
A utopia of surreal garden sculptures, topsy-turvy architecture and glass-like pools, Rhapsody has fallen head first through the rabbit hole and landed in the heart of Wonderland.
Sleeps: Up to 12 (10 adults and 2 children)
From: £9,995 per week, £9,750 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Outdoor heated swimming pool (late April - September), with jet stream, sunken hot tub, yoga studio, glass reading room overhanging the pond, cinema room, games room (with pool table, darts, table tennis and table football)
Scarlet Hall
Warm and welcoming, grand and rural, this luxury self-catering country home with pool offers the perfect spot for family holidays and reunions.
Sleeps: Up to 22 guests
From: £6,950 per week, £4,995 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 12 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Indoor heated pool (water and air temperature heated to 32 degrees), sauna, games room, snooker table, cinema room, badminton hall, boules, golf, table tennis, croquet, rounders
Charity
Black Mountains, Herefordshire, UK
Modern rusticity, clever artistry and divine seclusion combine to make Charity the ultimate wild retreat for friends and family gatherings; set down a winding mountain road in the Olchon Valley near the Brecon Beacons.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
From: £3,595 per week, £2,695 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Wood-fired hot tub, sauna, outdoor shower, outdoor pizza oven, table tennis, snooker room, cinema barn and badminton lawn
Pearl´s Place
Hugged by a scrambling rose garden and woodland glades, this rock 'n' roll home brings together traditional country chic with gorgeous faded glamour. A unique setting for special celebrations and self-catering escapes.
Sleeps: Up to 18 (14 adults and 4 children)
From: £10,595 per week, £8,450 per short break
Pets: Two small well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Wood-fired hot tub
The Pandy House
Rowen, Conwy, Snowdonia, Wales, UK
Accessed via a private bridge crossing the Afon Roe, in a world of its own, this mill turned luxury family home in Snowdonia has a personality as big as the national park itself. A perfect cacophony of colour, flamboyance and witty details.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests (8 adults and 2 children)
From: £2,995 per week, £2,250 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome
Features: Wood-fired hot tub, summer house games room, outdoor kitchen area
Viola
Butleigh, Glastonbury, Somerset, UK
Between the rolling hills of Somerset, not far from Glastonbury, lies Viola, a luxury home of two wildly different personalities.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
From: £9,995 per week, £7,450 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 guests
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome or two on request
Features: Spa Jacuzzi, sauna, swimming pool (available May- September inclusive), a fully equipped gym, cinema room, a lake, two full motion Formula 1 racing simulators, table tennis and a tennis court
The Find
Cranham, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Dynamic pairing of luxury architect-designed properties in a beautifully secluded valley location in the Cotswolds.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
From: £6,250 per week, £5,000 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 & Up to 4 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome on prior request
Features: Trampoline, rowing boat, hot tub hire is available (please enquire for details)
Cadence
A 70’s sci-fi film was the unlikely inspiration for this playful modern retreat. Award-winning for its design and settled within poetic South Downs scenery; this architect's private home is a fine example of the new English country house.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
From: £5,750 per week
Pets: Two well-behaved pets are welcome
Castle Trinity
A luxury self-catering homestay for extended families and large parties, Castle Trinity is an exclusive kingdom of ritzy indulgence near the Peak District.
Sleeps: Sleeps up to 10
From: £4,295 per week, £3,195 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 & Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two small well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Heated indoor swimming pool, wellness and yoga room, outdoor hot tub, gym and pool table. Masseuse available by prior arrangement.
Ellesmera Mill
This enchanting 400 year old millhouse is chock-full of old-world charm. Set in the South Hams near Dartmouth, the dreamy south Devon coast is almost within touching distance and a short stroll through the valley leads to the sheltered cove of Blackpool Sands.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
From: £3,595 per week, £3,150 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Wood-fired hot tub, sauna, cinema room with table football
Kohtalo
Combe Martin, Ilfracombe, Devon, UK
Kohtalo is a grand design conceived by childhood sweethearts. Just 15 minutes from the Ilfracombe coast and with a hot tub settled under the stars, this luxury holiday home is a modern, welcoming family escape.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
From: £2,395 per week, £1,850 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub
Evania
Bentham, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Inspired by the colours and countryside of the Mediterranean, this Gloucestershire home with heated outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, is the perfect family retreat.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
From: £4,750 per week, £3,550 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 & Up to 4 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request
Features: Outdoor heated swimming pool (May - September), hot tub, outdoor kitchen area with built-in gas barbecue, games room with table football, pool table, table tennis and television
Florin
Aberaeron, Ceredigion, Wales, UK
A beautifully-appointed stylish large country house set in five acres of magical gardens near Aberaeron, Ceredigion. A luxury home for family celebrations with plenty of space for several generations to unwind.
Sleeps: Up to 14 guests
From: £3,850 per week, £2,895 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 10 & Up to 8 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, a third is welcome on prior request
Features: Hot tub, treehouse for children, library with pool table, modern garden house with pizza oven
Alba Beach House
A luxury pink cob cottage with a balcony overhanging the sands of St Ives' Porthmeor Beach, Alba Beach House is the ultimate self-catering family seaside retreat.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
From: £2,995 per week, £2,295 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 & Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two pets are welcome
Forestkeepers
Fordingbridge, New Forest, Hampshire, UK
A bespoke treehouse, zip wire and outdoor swimming pool await discovery within the grounds, while a garden gate leads straight into the New Forest, tempting picnics in woodland glades, wild swimming and Gruffalo hunting.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests (8 adults and 4 children)
From: £3,995 per week, £2,995 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request
Features: Heated outdoor swimming pool (available from the end of March to mid-October), treehouse, zipwire, trampoline, football goals, netball hoop, games room with air hockey and arcade machine, cinema room
Infinity
Gorran Haven, The Roseland Peninsula, Cornwall, UK
Infinity occupies a prime clifftop position overlooking the unspoilt cove and turquoise waters of Gorran Haven. With oodles of space, this luxury beach house sets the scene for fun-filled family holidays in Cornwall's stunning Roseland Peninsula.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
From: £4,250 per week, £3,350 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Cinema room
Clementine House
Hatfield Broad Oak, Bishop´s Stortford, Essex, UK
With a powder-blue front door, window shutters reminiscent of the Provence and delicate floral prints throughout the interiors, this luxury self-catering country home in rural Essex is postcard pretty both inside and out.
Sleeps: Up to 14 guests
From: £5,195 per week, £3,895 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Heated outdoor swimming pool (available April - September until 9pm daily), tennis court
Kingfisher Farm
Long Bredy, Burton Bradstock, Dorset, UK
Surrounded by a wild meadow and with far-reaching rural views, this luxury self-catering farmhouse near Hive Beach in Dorset is the family holiday location of dreams.
Sleeps: Up to 14 guests
From: £3,750 per week, £2,995 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 guests
Features: Lawn for croquet, badminton and bowls, table tennis, football table
Roserai
A stately house in its own lush grounds with little luxuries inside and out that every weekender wishes for, this is one dream home that guests won't ever want to leave.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
From: £3,995 per week, £2,995 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 guests
Pets: Two small well-behaved dogs or one large dog welcome on prior request
Features: Heated swimming pool (available May-September), hot tub, sauna, steam room and pool house
Mesmire
St Just In Roseland, The Roseland Peninsula, Cornwall, UK
With the Fal Estuary ebbing and flowing with the tides below and a hot tub settled within architect-designed gardens teeming with tropical plants, this contemporary self-catering home on Cornwall's soft south coast was designed to calm.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
From: £2,395 per week
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Wood-fired hot tub
Avalon Manor
Upton Scudamore, Wiltshire, UK
Superb 14th century large self-catering Manor House in Wiltshire. Stylish and historic, it's the perfect luxury country house.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests (+ 2 children)
From: £3,695 per week, £2,795 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome (aged two and above)
Features: Games room, mini gym and tree house for children, cedar hot tub, outdoor woodfired BBQ and pizza oven.
Midsummer Wood
Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
This magical Cotswolds millhouse calls you to run wild in private woodland, get lost amidst secret wildflower meadows, dive into a 12-metre indoor pool and unfurl within lavish Jacobean interiors.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
From: £5,995 per week, £4,495 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Indoor heated swimming pool, two steam rooms, tennis court and games room with ping pong, gym and large TV
Mill of Arun
Billingshurst, West Sussex, UK
A tranquil spot on the Arun River sets the scene for a grand self-catering getaway here in rural West Sussex. Throw in a magical four-story millhouse for the family, a romantic couples' barn and English topiary gardens - and the whole family are guaranteed a ball.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
From: £3,195 per week, £2,350 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub, two kayaks for the river, table football in the games room, fishing is available between June-March
Atticus
Burford, Oxfordshire, The Cotswolds, UK
Treacle-toned Cotswold stone, iron gates and heavy antique doors hint at this striking home’s colourful past. Once a court house and a later jail, Atticus can be found jostling amongst a row of fine period buildings at the end of Burfords' golden high street.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
From: £3,395 per week, £2,550 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Baby Grand Piano and fire pit
Winterfell
Windermere, The Lake District, Cumbria, UK
In a land far, far away, nestled between the majestic mountains and forested hills of the Lake District, lies this luxury private lake home near Lake Windermere in Ulverton.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
From: £3,750 per week, £2,795 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Fire pit
Northcott Beach House
Northcott Mouth, Bude, Cornwall, UK
A breathtaking cliff-top large self-catering beach house in north Cornwall offering large luxury accommodation near Bude in north Cornwall for up to 16 guests.
Sleeps: Up to 14 guests
From: £3,295 per week, £2,450 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
River House
St Just In Roseland, Cornwall, UK
Contemporary self-catering coastal pad with far-reaching views over St Just In Roseland and Mylor harbour. From your hilltop vantage point overlooking Mylor harbour, watch the kites and gulls soar and the busy oyster boats trawling Carrick Roads.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
From: £2,150 per week, £1,650 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 & Up to 4 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Gym
The Parsonage
A beautifully designed Grade-II listed old parsonage with stunning gardens, set on the outskirts of Ombersley in the rolling green Abberley Hills.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
From: £3,995 per week, £2,950 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 & Up to 4 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Tundra hot tub, gaming snug
Serpentine
Portwrinkle, Whitsand Bay, Cornwall, UK
Designed to follow the natural curve of the cliff on the western cusp of Whistand Bay in south Cornwall, this luxury self-catering beach house in Portwrinkle promises to bring a sense of freedom, escapism and pure relaxation to all who stay.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
From: £3,650 per week, £2,695 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 guests
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome
Features: Hot tub
Stella Maris
Hugging a bend of the Malpas river on a road lined with Monterey pines lies Stella Maris, or ‘star of the sea’, made for families wanting to immerse themselves in the beauty of Cornwall.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
From: £2,350 per week, £1,950 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Private quay with river access, fire pit and cinema den
Studio Fold
Nutbourne, Pulborough, West Sussex, UK
Meticulous design and eco-friendly credentials have seen this former water pumping station in Pulborough's sought-after village of Nutbourne transform into an award-winning self-catering home.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
From: £2,895 per week, £2,150 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Pool table and cinema room
Wildwood Holt
St Martin, Helford, Cornwall, UK
Enveloped in the most verdant of settings, Wildwood Holt is a haven for those seeking a tranquil and restorative escape. Within easy reach of the white sands of Kynance Cove and the fishing villages of Coverack and Cadgwith, spend days beachside before returning to your rural idyll.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
From: £2,995 per week
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 & Up to 4 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
The Art House
Sutton, Pulborough, West Sussex, UK
An idyllic private retreat where art deco architecture sits in manicured lawns and wildflower meadows, you'll feel far removed from the everyday at The Art House with its outdoor pool, tennis court and natural swimming lake.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
From: £10,495 per week
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome
Features: 17-metre heated outdoor swimming pool (June - September), sauna, 50-metre wild swimming lake with jetty, tennis court, air hockey, pool table and fire pit
Thornemead Castle
Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, UK
Be Lord of the Manor at this 240-year-old gothic castle set within manicured lawns and wildflower meadows within walking distance of the Somerset coast.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests (+3 children)
From: £3,395 per week, £2,550 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Hot tub hire is available (please enquire for details), billiard table, football table, lawn for croquet, badminton and volley ball, outdoor tennis table, library, Kadai fire bowl and pizza oven.
The Fish Store
This iconic fish store turned family home celebrates the beauty that a passage of time brings to a home, offering luxury living by the sea in Mousehole harbour, west Cornwall.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
From: £2,595 per week, £1,995 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 & Up to 4 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Cinema room, table tennis, steam room
Wool Merchant´s House
Beckington, Frome, Somerset, UK
Classic and tasteful in style, with pops of modern artwork, a heated outdoor swimming pool and immaculate attention to detail, this Frome country home is an exquisite Somerset retreat.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
From: £3,995 per week, £2,995 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome, or two on prior request
Features: Heated outdoor swimming pool (May - September inclusive)
Zephyros
Uplyme, Lyme Regis, Dorset, UK
Settled high atop a ridge on the Dorset-Devon border with a feeling of floating in the clouds, Zephyros overlooks miles of undulating valleys and arcadian hills, with the Jurassic coast sparkling to the south.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
From: £5,995 per week, £4,795 per short break
Pets: One small well-behaved dog is welcome on prior request
Features: Heated indoor pool, cinema snug, children´s play area with swings, trampoline and climbing frame, table football
The Palladian
Ampney Crucis, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Georgian in style and grand in nature, this self-catering Cotswold manor offers a true countryside escape perfect for multi-generational groups.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests (6 adults and 6 children)
From: £4,550 per week, £3,295 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Outdoor heated swimming pool and hot tub (both May - September), gym, tennis court, trampoline and small football pitch