Family Self Catering Cottages

Looking for a new experience? Wake up in the country with nature as your neighbour! Fabulous views, rolling hills, lush meadows, lazy rivers, wide-open spaces, picturesque villages and lots of fresh air.

Rural environments offer numerous options for a family self-catering holiday. Cottages on working farms are popular with families who have young children. Lots of freedom and the fun of climbing on a gate to watch the farm animals go by. You will find settings amongst orchards where sheep are grazing and you can still watch the farmer and his dog at work.

As with all rural pursuits, you can’t expect the children to stay clean, so self-catering accommodation is perfect for this type of holiday. A fitted kitchen with room to prepare picnics and meals, and a washing machine to help with muddy clothes. Lots of space for the children to play, room to store bicycles, rucksacks, outdoor gear, and barbeque facilities in the garden.

Venture into the villages and market towns. Visit the farmers markets – buy your produce here and enjoy fresh eggs, cream, locally-produced cheeses, jams, chutneys, pies, home-grown vegetables and locally-produced cider.

So many of Britain’s counties have beautiful rural landscapes with breathtaking scenery, so the choice is yours when looking for your holiday idyll.

Shropshire, an inland county, boasts walks along old Roman roads, through forests and woods, by rivers and streams and past Iron Age forts. There are well-marked, safe routes for cyclists. Peaceful bridleways criss-cross the countryside providing horse-riding for all ages. Visit the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre, the market town of Shrewsbury - with its black and white timbered buildings, castle and museum, or Ludlow, famous for its food festival, books, antiques and castle.

On the doorstep: Powis Castle, Acton Scott Working Farm, Severn Valley Railway, Ironbridge Gorge.

Somerset, a county with varied landscapes and stunning scenery. The wetlands of the central Somerset Levels are unique in Britain and a haven for wildlife. Local stone, clay and willow – a landscape which has provided for the many potters and nourishes the “withies” – harvested and hand-crafted into basket ware. Hidden crafts, potteries, artists’ studios and galleries. Countless long and short-distance walks and cycle paths. Tantalising local fare – cheeses, jams, chutneys, and Cider from Somerset’s famous orchards. If you have a young family, you will receive a warm welcome in Somerset.

On the doorstep: Mendip Hills, Cheddar Gorge, Quantock Hills. Wells (with its famous cathedral), Bath (with its Abbey, Pump Rooms, Roman Baths, Holburne Museum, and much more).

Norfolk, where time seems to stand still - agricultural country with huge horizons and open fields. Visit the famous Norfolk Broads, a land of windmills, rivers and smaller waterways, offering plenty of wildlife, canoeing, sailing, motor-boating, and fishing. Cycle tracks and walks meandering through pretty villages and the marshlands. Museums dedicated to rural life, steam trains, and quaint pubs and restaurants. Attractive market towns with numerous historical buildings.

On the doorstep: Downham Market, Swaffham, King’s Lynn, Norwich.

Of Interest: Castle Acre Priory, 15C Oxburgh Hall, Sandringham House & Gardens, Castle Rising & 12C castle, Holkham Hall. Church Farm Rare Breeds Centre (nr Downham Market), and Welney Wetland Centre.