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.
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: £8,995 per week, £6,750 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Outdoor natural pool (available May - September), pool house, fire pit, ping pong table, football goals and trampoline
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: £2,895 per week, £2,195 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 & Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two pets are welcome
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
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Cinema room
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: £2,495 per week
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Wood-fired hot tub
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: £1,995 per week, £1,550 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 & Up to 4 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Gym
Saphir Beach House
A soothing escape on top of a cliff at Mawgan Porth, Saphir Beach House is a relaxed self-catering retreat where the fresh sea air will cleanse the mind and ease the soul.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests (6 adults and 2 children)
From: £3,795 per week, £2,850 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 guests
Pets: Two small well behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub, outdoor kitchen area with built-in barbecue and pizza oven, outdoor shower
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: £2,250 per week, £1,695 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
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: £3,450 per week, £2,250 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 & Up to 4 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
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: £2,495 per week, £1,950 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
