Family Self Catering Cottages

Planning a special celebration, friends’ reunion, or just a chance to get the whole family together for a break? If so, the chances are that you will be looking for a spacious and comfortable self-catering property in an attractive location, with activities to suit all ages and abilities within striking distance. Click on the image to view holiday cottages that can accommodate ten people.

Many of England’s beautiful counties have large properties to rent, hidden away on the edge of picturesque villages or in a more secluded location, with easy access to a village or town.

Big holiday home sleep up to 10

There are numerous spacious, beautifully furnished holiday properties available, from ultra stylish country houses and barn conversions to large cottages, all sleeping 10 or more. Most have luxurious accommodation, their own grounds and amazing views. Some have a games or media room and/or swimming pool and almost all offer 3-day breaks in addition to 7-night stays.

Rural Dorset offers a real chance to escape the humdrum of everyday life. Miles of footpaths for ramblers and off-road tracks for cyclists, historic market towns with cobbled streets leading to hidden courtyards, and welcoming pubs and restaurants. Pretty villages with tiny tea rooms and farm shops offering fresh locally-grown produce. Hill forts at Hambledon and Hod Hills and Badbury Rings, with fabulous far-reaching views, butterflies and wild flowers. For anglers, well-stocked lakes and rivers, and for golfers, a great choice of challenging courses. Pretty villages nestling in the lovely Piddle Valley, an Area of Outstanding Beauty, just eight miles from Dorchester.

Nearby: Moors Valley Country Park (activities for all), Cerne Abbas Giant, 17C Kingston Lacy House, Corfe Castle, Dorchester, Wimborne (Minster & model town), Isle of Purbeck, Sherborne (Abbey & delightful small shops).

Holidays for 10 people in Wales

Take the bikes to the Gower Peninsula, where the Afan Forest Park offers plenty of pedal power. Pull on the boots and walk on the spectacular Wales Coast Path, or join the rural cross-country Gower Way. Enjoy beautiful beaches – long stretches of golden sand at Langland and Caswell Bays, small sheltered coves at Limeslade and Bracelet Bays and the Blue Flag beach of Port Eynon. For history buffs, there’s the medieval fortress, Oystermouth Castle near Mumbles and maritime history at Swansea. For avid shoppers, there’s plenty to choose from in Mumbles and Swansea.

Nearby: Swansea Museum, Dylan Thomas’ birthplace - Swansea, Oystermouth Castle, Aberdulais Tin Works & Waterfall - Neath, Parc-le-Breos Pony Trekking - Parkmill, Plantasia (monkeys, snakes, chameleons) - Swansea.

Cotswolds for big family breaks

There are numerous large houses and cottages in the Cotsolds that sleep ten or more people. It is a fabulous holiday cottage destination at any time. The Oxfordshire Cotswolds is both scenic and rich in history and tradition. It is a county blessed with lively towns and historic villages, built from the local honey-coloured stone. Once you have reserved a place to stay, plan your amazing Cotswold break.

To excite walkers, a network of public footpaths and bridleways extends across the countryside, including the Wychwood Way, the D’Arcy Dalton Way, the Oxfordshire Way and the Glyme Valley Way. There are walks along the banks of the lovely the River Windrush and 35 miles of paths on the Thames Path National Trail. For family fun, explore the 2,000 acres of parkland at Blenheim Palace with its giant Marlborough Maze. Children will love Cotswold Wildlife Park and Crocodiles of the World. Little changed over the years, the market town of Burford is a delight to visit, renown for its antiques and exclusive gift shops. Rest a while in one of the tea rooms and take in the vista of old stone cottages and attractive Tudor and Georgian frontages on many of the town’s buildings.

Nearby: Kelmscott Manor (Home of William Morris), Blenheim Palace (Winston Churchill’s birthplace), Batsford Arboretum, Chastleton House Garden, Bicester Village (luxury outlet boutiques), Aston Pottery, Cotswold Wildlife Park, Hardwick Parks (water sports), Oxford & its Museums, Witney, Chipping Norton.

Read more about country cottages in the UK