Take a relaxing short break with friends this autumn
What’s your favourite part about getting away for the weekend? Is it one of these? …..
What’s great about a weekend away?
Tag Archives: group vacation property
Have a big group weekend away
Hire a big house and have a great time catching up with friends!
With so many of us living at a distance from friends and family we often don’t see as much of them as we would like. Jobs can take us to distant parts of the world even, where we establish new connections and new lives. It’s great keeping in touch though, via technology and seeing what our loved ones are doing. Sometimes too, the years can fly by and your twenties have suddenly become your forties!
Make a plan
It’s all very well, just thinking about the idea of getting people together and talking about the “if onlys” but the first step really is to get a date in the diary, however far ahead. Get your group of family or friends to commit to the idea of meeting up and put it in the diary. Organising a big group can be very rewarding and with any luck there is probably someone amongst you who just loves that sort of thing, it’ll be worth the effort for the fun times you have.
Think about a big group holiday
Deciding what will suit your group best is really your next step. Maybe it’s just meeting up for the evening! But often, if it’s a milestone event to celebrate a birthday, anniversary or reunion a long weekend or a week’s holiday together makes for a very memorable time away.
Planning an extended break gives you all the chance to truly unwind, have fun and spend a significant amount of time together creating wonderful memories. There’s no rush; meals can be leisurely, activities can be relaxed and even a couple of days away from your normal routine can have a really re-charging effect.
Large group accommodation
There is a whole variety of accommodation to look at. Hiring a big house can work really well for a big group and be quite cost effective. It also gives you the flexibility to make your own schedule and the space to make your own fun. Some of our Big Houses have great party rooms for dancing and wonderful games rooms that can become the hub of the house for competitive after dinner challenges. Each of our houses are unique and we can guide you to which might suit your needs best. But one thing they all have in common is exclusive use – you will not be sharing with another group on site.
Make it a tradition
We usually find with groups that have come to stay in one of our Big Houses there is an overwhelming desire to do it all over again. They’ve had such a great time, they don’t want to leave! So why not make it an annual tradition? It gives everyone something to look forward to and keeps relationships with family and friends strong and those good connections can pass down through the generations. It might make sense for your group to always holiday together at the same time of year or perhaps experiment and try a different season – you might find that low season works for you, in which case accommodation will be less costly too!
At the Big House Company we helped hundreds of guests to arrange their house party events, so do get in touch if you would like to know more.
Tone Dale House – House Of Fox
It used to be the done thing for successful merchants and manufacturers to build themselves fine houses in the countryside where they could proudly display their wealth and enjoy the country life. In the late 1780’s, when Thomas Fox became partner of his families successful textile manufacturing business in Wellington, Somerset the natural thing to do was just that!
So, a few years later in 1797, he and his wife Sarah began to create their own country residence, Tone Dale House. The Fox’s chose to embrace the Palladian style of architecture that was so popular at that time, heavily influenced by the architecture of the Ancient Greeks and Romans and built their home adjacent to their thriving woollen mill.
Tone Dale House is an elegant grade II listed property, set in four acres of beautifully landscaped, immaculate gardens, centred around the millstream. The mill, which once played a key role in the family business, Fox Brothers & Co, is no longer in use.
Today this fine, 16 bedroom country property is owned by Ben and Victoria Fox and often referred to by the locals as ‘House of Fox’. Following its careful restoration by the Big House Co, the Fox´s unique country home is available for hire and has proven to be an incredibly popular choice for weddings, group holidays, corporate events and of course, parties.
Bags Of Character, Oodles Of Room
Between the main house and the renovated stables, this vast property is fully equipped to sleep a maximum of 31 guests. Inside the property, you will find plenty of space for dining, partying, relaxing and unwinding, amidst the Fox family portraits and antiques.
Tone Dale House simply oozes charm and whilst the renovation keenly observes the style of this period property, the overall design is incredibly sumptuous and comfortable, creating the perfect getaway pad for families and large groups.
With its south facing aspect, guests can enjoy the marvellous views, looking out across the landscaped gardens and babbling millstream in the foreground, to the beautiful Blackdown Hills beyond. Put simply if you’re looking for somewhere that ticks all the right boxes in then Tone Dale House and gardens are top of the list.
The Local Area
Wellington is a small market town, just 7 miles from Taunton, situated between the River Tone and the stunning Blackdown Hills. The rich heritage and thriving local economy make this welcoming little town an absolute pleasure to visit. You will notice that in addition to the larger chains you would expect to find, Wellington boasts an impressive and diverse selection of independent stores. In fact, to this day, Fox Brothers & Co are still producing fabrics including fine wool and cashmere, which is purchased by designers all over the world including Louis Vuitton.
The Blackdown Hills on the border of Devon and Somerset were first protected as an Area of Outstanding Beauty, (AONB) in 1991 ensuring that this unique and tranquil landscape, which is dotted with ancient features and home to a variety of rare flora and fauna, is preserved for our future generations.
Whilst relatively isolated, the hills are dotted with country pubs, charming villages, and farms and in this special part of the world working communities and wildlife coexist harmoniously.
The Wellington Monument sits on the highest point of the Blackdown Hills and this famous landmark, which was built to commemorate the Duke of Wellington’s victory at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, is well worth visiting. From this point, the views are simply astonishing, looking across the Vale of Taunton and Exmoor National Park to the Bristol Channel and across to south Wales.
Activities
It is not unusual for guests staying at Tone Dale house to prefer to spend the majority of their time resting, playing and being pampered on site, but the surrounding area is a great spot for all kinds of fun outdoor activities, including:
- Horse Riding
- Paint Ball
- Archery
- Clay Pigeon Shooting
- Quad Biking
- Off Roading
- Fishing
Tone Dale House is an excellent choice for anyone looking for an exclusive five star property for hire in the beautiful countryside of south west Somerset. The Big House Co can help you to plan and cater for your event and have all the tools you could possibly need to create a magical break or unforgettable event. For more information about the house and its many features then just take a look the section on our website where you’ll find everything you need.
