Baby-friendly holidays in the UK
These are places put together with littles in mind: for gatherings with grandparents-turned-sitters, or star-crossed babymooners seeking slumber. With blocks and books, cots and stairgates, luxury baby-friendly holidays in the UK can only happen in homes as curated as these.
You might be surrounded by tiny socks, wooden rattles, and bassinet blankets, but these are the days when memories are made. British babymooners, now is the time to retreat to a luxury family-friendly home in the country and make flump on a miles-deep sofa ‘til long past lunchtime. We know that baby-friendly holidays in the UK come with a longer checklist, so whether you're new to the parenting thing or three children in, these homes are kitted out for all your little one's needs; think cots and stairgates, wooden toys and story books, and cottages so close to the coast that the ocean soundscape will send them to slumber.
Perhaps now is the time for a big group gathering to introduce a little bundle to the whole clan? With grandparents chomping at the bit to have their turn holding the bottle, and siblings waiting in the wings with fairytales and fables up their sleeves, there's nothing like having all hands on deck to calm the laser-like focus that tiny babies bring. At these luxurious country houses, you'll have the option to indulge in cold water therapy in wild swimming lakes, embrace all the healing benefits of the sauna, or simply slink off for an early supper by the garden pizza oven while the big cousins do cot-side duties in the cinema room.
Filly Island
Cirencester, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Blending style with a big dose of ingenuity results in something truly quite magical here at Filly Island. This unique cottage near Cirencester is sat upon a tiny island accessed by a humpback bridge. Pre-loved finds are revivified to bring about the unique interiorscape at Filly Island.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £950 per week, £795 per short break
Pets: Two small well-behaved dogs are welcome
Elissa
Cirencester, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Surrounded by miles of undulating countryside, this luxury self-catering home is all about life’s simple pleasures; drawn-out pub lunches, rural rambles and evenings in the hot tub.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests (2 adults and 2 children)
From: £1,695 per week, £1,295 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub
Under the Yew Tree
Syde, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Enter a modernised Cotswolds homestead of Anglo-Saxon parentage; with sacrosanct paintings and limewashed walls, Under the Yew Tree is the early medieval darling of Cheltenham.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,950 per week, £1,450 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome
The Flower Press
Bibury, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Emerald green in spring and fire red in autumn, creeper-clad cottage The Flower Press is a restful self-catering retreat nestled in the welcoming arms of quintessential Bibury. Snow-white walls, candelabras, chandeliers and vibrant gardens brimming with anemones bring a feel of modern-day Provence to this gorgeous old Cotswold manse.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,995 per week, £1,595 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs over the age of 12 months are welcome
The Ruby Barn
Sandford St Martin, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, The Cotswolds, UK
Bringing a touch of Californian chicness to the Oxfordshire countryside, this luxury Cotswold stone barn conversion has been fashioned with soul.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £2,350 per week, £1,795 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Children´s play area with slide
Margot´s Townhouse
Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, The Cotswolds, UK
A greenery-infused internal courtyard brings a burst of botany to this luxury self-catering home in Bradford-on-Avon, in which storied libraries and earthen marble add an opulent timbre to an eighteenth-century weaver’s townhouse near Bath.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £2,250 per week, £1,695 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 & Up to 2 guests
Pets: One small well-behaved dog is welcome
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
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, £3,750 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
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)
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
The Aviary
Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Traditional Cotswold stone provides the golden foundations for some striking modern flourishes at this luxury farmhouse retreat.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests (10 adults and 2 children)
From: £5,995 per week, £4,495 per short break
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome
Features: Outdoor heated swimming pool and hot tub (May - September), tennis court, cinema room and playing fields with football goals
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, £7,350 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
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: £7,795 per week, £5,895 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
The Marlings
Standish, Stroud, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
A stone’s throw from the limestone grassland and fruit markets of the Cotswolds, this luxury self-catering farmhouse that’s set across five dwellings in Standish has a heated pool, hot tub, playground, and tennis court to rival any private family resort.
Sleeps: Up to 25 guests (20 adults and 5 children)
From: £7,795 per week, £5,895 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 12 guests
Pets: Three well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Heated outdoor pool (available April to October) with pool house, hot tub, tennis court, wooden playpark, massage room
