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.
Over Lemon River
Ashburton, Dartmoor, Devon, UK
Dartmoor is Devon’s wild heart; a place where heather cloaks the ground like an over-sized velvet eiderdown and granite tors scramble to meet big open skies. On fine days, ponies wander amidst the mysticism of faeries but when the swirling mists arrive, Over Lemon River is the perfect hideaway.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,295 per week, £995 per short break
Pets: Two dogs are welcome
Features: Al fresco living space with wood-fired hot tub and fire pit
The Riddle
North Bovey, Dartmoor, Devon, UK
Plot your country escape to this luxury holiday cottage in North Bovey; one of Devon's most idyllic villages set within the rugged beauty of Dartmoor National Park. The Riddle is the type of cottage you might find on the pages of a storybook.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,750 per week, £1,250 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request.
The Creamery
Abbotsham, Appledore, Devon, UK
Far from the crowds, the Hartland Heritage Coast is a halcyon world of pebble beaches and Beatrix Potter wildlife backed by a deep blue sea. Set between Appledore and Clovelly, The Creamery was made for those hidden-away self-catering holidays in Devon.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,750 per week, £1,350 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome with a third small dog on request
Features: Fire pit, hot tub
Ivy Cove
Holbeton, Noss Mayo, Devon, UK
Perfectly placed for both sun baking and storm watching, Ivy Cove is a luxury cottage near Noss Mayo where colourful modern design and spectacular coastal views go hand in hand.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £2,195 per week, £1,695 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three small dogs on prior request
Features: Wood-fired hot tub
Castle on the Well
Charles, South Molton, Exmoor, Devon, UK
Fusing luxurious shooting lodge appeal with a modern country twist, Castle on the Well hides within a patchwork of rolling Devonshire countryside, on the edge of Exmoor National Park. A unique luxury castle in miniature for a family holiday to remember.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £2,095 per week, £1,550 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 & Up to 2 guests
Pets: One small to medium well-behaved dog is welcome and two on prior request
Features: Fire pit
Novella
This cob cottage deep in Devon woodland is a storybook of a home, tucked down a lane and decked out in botanical prints, vintage embroidery and antique furniture, inviting imaginations to unfurl.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £1,895 per week, £1,395 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub, trampoline, table tennis, outdoor kitchen (year-round)
Beauport
Nestled on the banks of the River Yealm in South Devon's yachty haven of Newton Ferrers is the oh-so-stylish Beauport. This stunning self-catering luxury cottage exudes a restful ambiance echoic of the rippling river which sits at the bottom of the garden.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £1,550 per week, £1,150 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 & Up to 2 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Summerhouse, kayaks (used at your own risk, life jackets not provided), private slipway
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
Rydon
Trusham, Teign Valley, Devon, UK
Enjoy some time out at this contemporary self-catering barn dwelling squirrelled away in the picturesque Teign Valley, Devon.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £1,595 per week, £1,195 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 & Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome (must be kept on leads in the grounds)
Features: Heated pool (from 5th May to 29th September)
The Brandy Thief
Lee, Ilfracombe, Devon, UK
Awash with history and swathed in character, this luxury coastal cottage is a dreamy retreat for explorers looking to hunker down in North Devon.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £1,950 per week, £1,450 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: One small to medium well-behaved dog is welcome and two on prior request
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: £2,295 per week, £1,750 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub
Botania
Ashburton, Dartmoor, Devon, UK
All at once wrapped in Dartmoor’s mossy-hued clutches and minutes from the good-living village of Ashburton, this Arts and Crafts manor is a portrait of minimal maximalism that keeps Devon's River Dart in its backyard.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
From: £2,950 per week, £2,250 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Leopoldina
Stoke Gabriel, Totnes, Devon, UK
Once the stables to Sandridge Park and now a luxury self-catering home near Totnes, this grand Italianate manor might have housed silken steeds in its past life, but these days it beckons Devon merrymakers to grip easy South Hams highlife by the withers.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
From: £5,150 per week, £3,895 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Outdoor heated pool (available May-September), private beach on the River Dart, yoga space with roof terrace, and games room with table tennis
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: £3,450 per week, £2,995 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Wood-fired hot tub, sauna, cinema room with table football
Verte
A spectacularly grown-up treehouse, Verte seamlessly merges inside-outside living within the lush Devon estate of Chevithorne Barton. This RIBA-award winning modern home was designed to reset the soul.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests (6 adults and 4 children)
From: £3,450 per week, £2,595 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request
Features: Wood-fired hot tub, large flat lawn for croquet, football and badminton
Weddings at The Lost Music Hall
Wrapped up in an eccentric folklore all of its own, The Lost Music Hall is a luxury wedding venue in south Devon; an extravagant country manor that's no stranger to Champagne-drenched parties and sentimental revelries.
Sleeps: Up to 6 and accommodates up to 150 day guests
From: £7,495 per week, £6,995 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 100 guests
Pets: Two pets are welcome
Features: There is a heated outdoor swimming pool (May-September) and games room with table tennis and darts
