Tag Archives: large holiday homes

Somerset Manor – a wonderful large holiday house to hire in Somerset

Recently, we had a field trip away from The Big House Company office, to visit Somerset Manor and meet Jenny, the new house manager. Somerset Manor is one of our most popular party houses in Somerset and feedback from guests is always glowing! So, it was great to be going to have a look around.

It was a former rectory, so this gives you an idea of the fine Georgian proportions that greet you as you approach up the tree lined driveway. This felt very much like, to the manor born. The house is on the edge of the village and the local pub is just a stone’s throw away – ideal for a pre-dinner drink or when you want to have supper out and about.

Elegant group accommodation in Somerset

The hallway is laid with flagstones, made smooth by the passage of time, giving an air of something rather special lying beyond. From here, we walked through the sitting rooms with large floor length sash windows, letting in beautiful south light and overlooking the splendidly tended herbaceous borders. We felt that these rooms would be wonderful in the winter too, with a log fire to enjoy, original shutters to close and a cosy atmosphere for your group.

The dining room with its handsome grandfather clock, has a long, antique table – perfect for candlelit, birthday celebration dinner parties. Jenny, the house manager, can recommend excellent local chefs, should you wish to make an evening into an extra special event and enjoy the best of locally sourced fare.

One of our favourite rooms was the Orangery. A large open and airy space with great views over the garden and very versatile for either sitting or dining in – with twinkling fairy lights in the evening, it is a magical space. From here, the stairs go down to the entertainment zone, with a cinema room and table tennis. For a family group, this could be your teenagers favourite spot.

A party house to rent in Somerset with 10 bedrooms

“Boutique hotel” is what came to mind as we wandered around the bedrooms. Calm colours, beautiful furniture and high-quality bedding, textiles and cushions. The interior design and fit out of Somerset Manor is stylish and tasteful – there’s a skilled eye watching over this lovely large party house.

The bedrooms were spacious and elegant on the first floor – with a very special en-suite for the master bedroom, with its large clawfoot bath. We loved the bedrooms on the second floor too, again spacious, comfortable and very tasteful. It was hard to say which was our favourite – we’ll leave that up to you!

Over in the Dovecote, just across the courtyard are 2 bedrooms, with its own very stylish kitchen, sitting and dining area. This could ideally be used for a family suite, or perhaps, for elderly relatives, who want a little peace and quiet on the odd occasion. All the accommodation in the Dovecote is on the first floor, so bear that in mind for your room allocation.

A large holiday home with plenty of outdoor entertainment

When renting a large holiday home for a big family group, it’s ideal to have a property that’s got onsite fun and we think Somerset Manor has this in spades. The gardens are superb and extend to 15 acres – a gardener’s delight. Within this well-tended oasis, the outdoor heated pool is sure to be a summer focal point for enjoyment (open May – October), there are sun loungers around it, or the lawns to spread onto.

Next to the pool is the hot tub and sauna – which are open year-round. Children will love the trampoline on the far side of the garden. There are new garden games of Jenga to enjoy, 13 bicycles for pedalling peacefully around the lanes and a football pitch & tennis court – probably not so peaceful, if you’re the competitive types.

It was a pleasure to visit Somerset Manor. It’s a beautiful, big house to rent for all sorts of occasions that is cared for by a dedicated team and Jenny, the house manager, was extremely welcoming and knowledgeable about the area.

Large Holiday Homes with pools

Book a holiday in the UK and there will be no Brexit worries of long airport queues this summer. It also gives you the chance to explore a part of this country that you may never have visited before. When you holiday with a large group of friends or family having entertainment at your large holiday home is ideal. It gives everyone the chance to have some great fun without having to leave your big house. With that in mind, we’ve brought together a few of our top picks among our houses with pools.

Widcombe Grange – Big House to rent

For a long summer holiday break, a house with plenty of acres to roam through is a great idea, especially if you have high energy children or if you are bringing your dogs with you. Widcombe Grange, with 22 acres fits the bill and is a wonderful house for a big family group. The large outdoor pool is set in the walled garden and provides a perfect sun trap for warm afternoons; sun loungers for relaxation and the lawns beside the pool for extra games or a barbecue. The grounds also contain 2 lakes, one with a rowing boat and one with a pergola, which is a lovely spot for quiet reflection beside the water. Another welcome feature of the house is the hot tub in the courtyard.

The main house with 7 bedrooms and the cottage with 5 bedrooms are close together, but provide separate sleeping accommodation, which works well for several families together and often gives grandparents a quieter space for a little downtime.

Tatham House – Large holiday home

This is a really popular house with an indoor pool, so whatever the weather your fun in the pool will not be interrupted! The pool house has indoor seating and the bi-fold doors open out into the walled garden with terrace, extra seating and tables and a level lawn for garden games. The walled garden often becomes the focal point of a summer’s day of fun and relaxation, with beautiful views of the Quantock Hills. There are plenty of wonderful features at Tatham House – outside there is the tennis court which has a basketball net too and the hot-tub is perfect for some after dinner chilling and star gazing.

With so much to do outside, it’s easy to overlook the indoor entertainment, but these will come into their own at certain times. For a movie night, there’s the cinema room and for some competitive games, there is table tennis and a pool table. All this and ten en-suite bedrooms.

Somerset Manor – Large country house to rent

The handsome, mellow stonework sets the scene at this quintessentially elegant manor house in Somerset, which is a fabulous back drop to an idyllic summer break. The gardens and grounds of this extremely well cared for property are a beautiful setting for the swimming pool, which sits adjacent to the main house, overlooking the herbaceous borders. Poolside is a great spot to enjoy the sun loungers, where you can chill out, relaxing in the hot tub too. For some extra fun, there is the tennis court, the sauna and a football pitch. Unique to this property, is the on-site horse riding that’s available, by pre-arranging with the owner.

The interior of the house is delightful; an orangery, a farmhouse style kitchen and elegant, spacious bedrooms. There’s so much to entertain you at this house, you may never leave – but, if you decide to, we have plenty of suggestions for great day trips.

Large holiday homes

Large holiday homes with pools are fabulous for a spring and summer break – it’s the hub of the entertainment and often means that you don’t need anything else, whether you are travelling as a group of friends or family. But the best part is that all these houses have so much else besides! There really is something for your entire stay, all you need to do is book up and bring your group.

Romantic settings to propose at our large holiday homes

So with Valentines day upon us, our minds have turned to romance and the possibility of a proposal, of which, there have been plenty at our big houses. It’s actually a great idea because you’re away with all your friends and loved ones – so it’s perfect that they can help you celebrate your engagement. Remember to pop some bottles of champagne to chill – because we’re assuming the answer will be a BIG yes.

Here’s our pick of the perfect places to pop the question, if you’re staying at one of our large houses to rent.

Ilminster Manor – a romantic BIG House to rent in Somerset

This is a house to woo your loved one in. It’s a fabulously stylish, country manor house with a church next door – hey, you could return and get married there! This is where we can just picture a proposal, a picture-perfect spot by the lake to pop the question.

For more information about our Romantic Manor House to hire click here

Somerset Manor – a Mansion to rent, to make your valentine’s dreams come true

This is one of our most popular houses, it just has so much wow factor. So it’s hard to choose between all the romantic spots for a proposal, but we’ve gone with this charming circular seat underneath the dappled light of the oak tree, overlooking the fragrant walled garden. All you have to do is supply the right words, straight from the heart.

For more information about our Somerset Manor House to rent click here

Widcombe Grange – love is in the air at our large country house to rent in Somerset

We’re a sucker for a waterside proposal and this house has 2 lakes for you to choose from. This is our top spot, with the gazebo giving it an extra romantic element. We could imagine a string quartet appearing here, to serenade you while you celebrate with a glass of champagne. Afterwards, a barbecue beside the swimming pool, with all your friends, would be the icing on the cake to make it the best day ever.

For more information about our Large Country House to rent click here

With 10% of marriage proposals happening on Valentines Day, we hope that if you’re planning to ask for your loved one’s hand in marriage, that you have a special place in mind. Have a great day!

Great family days out in Somerset

Fabulous days out in Somerset

If you’re hiring a large holiday home in Somerset for a family break, you’re bound to want a few ideas for a day out or two, especially if you’re having a week-long staycation. Here are some of our suggestions for our favourites that we hope you will enjoy.

West Somerset Steam Railway

Steam and Diesel trains run along this beautiful 20 mile line from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead on the North Coast for a fabulous step back in time. There are quaint stations along the way for stopping off points, if you wish, with plenty to do in the surrounding areas. The line takes you through gently rolling fields beside the Quantock Hills, beside charming villages to the open landscape of the coast and views of the Bristol Channel. The end of the line at Minehead is ideal for beach fun, cafés and walking.

Dunster Castle

Set on top of Dunster hill in Somerset, it’s a picture perfect castle – easy to imagine it defending against invaders. Today you can approach more gently, even by steam train if you feel like adding to your adventure. The Castle is worth exploring to discover more about it’s 1000 year history, dating back to William the Conqueror. In the winter months, the Castle is open for behind the scenes tours of areas and aspects of it’s upkeep that visitors don’t often get to peek into!

For summer time visits, the subtropical gardens are ideal for children to roam in and there is a rare working watermill in the grounds dating from medieval times. Since an extensive restoration, the mill has been producing wholemeal flour that is available to buy from the shop.

Fleet Air Arm Museum

There’s a fabulous array of aircraft of all types here in 4 large exhibition halls. It’s well laid out and imaginative in its use of display, with lots of facts and play areas. The first Concorde to fly is housed here, as well as very early planes, Hawker Jump jets and the largest collection of Royal Navy aircraft in Europe.

The Aircraft Carrier experience is very engaging as you walk down corridors which are created from the interiors of 3 carriers, to see the control rooms and flight Ops. There’s a simulated helicopter ride that takes you onto the flight deck itself, which is recreated with a number of exhibits and big screens showing a landing and take-off.

There’s an indoor and outdoor picnic area, a café and a play area based on the new HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier.

Wookey Hole Caves

These stunning caves are the largest and most spectacular show caves in England. Within the caves, the Witches Kitchen houses the largest stalagmite in the world, where legend has it that a witch was turned to stone. The Great Hall is over 70 feet tall and is one of the tallest chambers, there are more stalactites to marvel at in here. In areas of the caves, you’ll find yourself over 200ft underground with more than 11,000 tonnes of rock overhead.

Hauser & Wirth

Is a world class contemporary art gallery set in delightful Somerset countryside with a rolling programme of exciting, innovative exhibitions. Situated within a working farm that provides produce for the restaurant, the buildings are a work of art in themselves, the new and renovated elements blending stylishly. Piet Oudolf, the internationally renowned landscape gardener created the landscaping scheme for the entire site, with his trademark swathes of soft planting, creating an enchanting outdoor area and meadow with all year round appeal. The restaurant is definitely worth stopping in, (booking essential), decorated with quirky works of art it has an eclectic vibe and delicious food!

Noahs Ark Farm

We particularly love the zoo keeper experiences here. So, if you’ve ever dreamed of looking after giraffes, big cats, bears or elephants, this is a really fun treat that can be arranged on a one to one basis with a keeper. For a more general look around the zoo, you can enjoy over 100 species of animals, both large and small. Within the farm animal section there are animals to pet, feed and cuddle, and depending on the time of year, cute chicks or other babies to admire.

Glastonbury Abbey and Tor

It’s not just famous because it can be seen for miles and miles around, but also because it has huge spiritual significance for many people. The conical shape of Glastonbury Tor is natural and thousands of years ago it was an island. It’s worth climbing for the views and if you start from the western side of the tor will take you about 15 minutes, if you decide to walk from the town, the whole journey to the top will be about an hour.

The abbey was founded in the 7th century. It was destroyed by a major fire in 1184, but subsequently rebuilt and by the 14th century was one of the richest and most powerful monasteries in England. It is the legendary resting place of King Arthur and Guinevere, and for centuries people have visited to see the grave of the mythical fifth-century King of the Britons and his bride.

If you are heading to Somerset for a summer holiday or a weekend with friends or family and are looking for large houses for rent do have a look at our collection, by clicking here – they are ideal for big group accommodation with plentiful entertaining spaces, delightful bedrooms and plenty of on site entertainment too.

Think BIG for 2019?

It’s that time of year, when the Christmas panic hasn’t yet descended (or are we in denial!), and there’s the anticipation of the next year approaching. Exciting plans come to mind, things that we’ve always wanted to do, family events that are to be celebrated, milestone birthdays and just general good stuff that sounds fun and seizing the moment seems the right thing to do. Let’s make 2019 a year to remember, no more same old…..

If you’ve got one of these coming up in 2019, a BIG house offers lots of possibilities….

A stag do or a luxury hen party weekend

The big, fun event, before the even bigger event! We’re seeing the dynamic for stag and hen groups getting older and an increase in the number of requests for something a bit more chilled and luxurious. A big house to rent in the country can be an ideal way of getting all your friends together under one roof, in a very special and memorable location. Hen do houses give you lots of opportunity for pampering, such as enjoying lounging in the hot tub at Tone Dale House, having some beauty sessions organised for you and making the most of the party room for some after dinner dancing.

For stag do accommodation, one of the big advantages of booking your stay in a BIG house is the flexibility it offers. There is no timetable to follow and you can design your own itinerary, entirely to suit yourselves. Activities are often really popular with UK based stag weekends and Berry House offers an ideal location for some surf action at some of North Devon’s finest beaches. Lessons and equipment are easy to book, and there’s the added bonus of a hot tub at the end of the day to soak any aching muscles.

A family / group staycation in the UK

Whatever your politics, 2019 might prove the ultimate year for a staycation, given continued uncertainty over Brexit. A holiday in the UK is certainly proving good value for money with the pound falling against other currencies.

However, there are lots of great reasons to hire a large holiday house. Travelling from different parts of the country to a central destination for all your group can be easier and less stressful for families with young children, than the hassles of the airport. Once you’re in your BIG house, it’s exclusively yours, no other guests or hotel timetables to limit your plans and it will really feel like your own home for your large family holiday. That informality creates a very relaxed atmosphere – chilled out breakfasts that merge into lunch, evenings spent soaking in the hot tub, space for everyone to be together and cosy corners for a little quiet time too.

Having plenty to do at a large house is a ideal for families with children. Then there isn’t always the need to load up in the car and go out for a day trip. A wonderful large country house to rent in Somerset is Tatham House, with an indoor pool, games area, tennis court and hot tub. You might find you never leave it! Although that would be a shame, given the steam railway line just down the road and all the other delights that Somerset has to offer.

A special wedding day

A BIG house makes an unusual wedding venue in Somerset and because you hire the entire property you can create the atmosphere you have always dreamed of and set the pace to match – relaxed picnic hampers on the lawn or fully served meals in a marquee. You stay in the house for the entire weekend with close friends or family and the rest of your guests join you for the wedding day.

One of the beauties of the weekend house party wedding is that come the morning after the wedding, you’re not saying your goodbyes and heading home. The fun carries on all weekend. You could have a “chill out brunch party” the following day with volleyball and croquet competitions, hot tubs and head massage in the garden. Widcombe Grange works very well for a boho themed wedding with a tented village for guests in the extensive grounds and a swimming pool for fun during the weekend.

A corporate away day

Team building days can be challenging for the organiser to come up with an original idea that suits the goals of the event and meets the budget. Hiring a BIG house can be a great solution that’s not a hotel and therefore provides a different experience, something unique and a creative atmosphere.

The flexibility of staying at your own big house means the only schedule you follow, is your own and your entire stay can be a team building exercise, if you want it to be. Everything about having a large group of people staying together requires co-operation, even making the tea! But a total DIY event might not be entirely your thing and that’s where a big house gives you the best of both worlds – catering and a wide range of activities can all be arranged for you, if required. Tone Dale House is a great example of this, where the concierge service can tailor an event to your needs. It’s a very popular house for corporate parties in Somerset.

2019 is fast approaching, so spare some time to think BIG about what your wish list is for the next year and whatever you end up doing, have a great time!

What’s great about large holiday homes

A big group needs a large house to rent

It might be stating the obvious, but one of the best ways of having a summer holiday with all your family is to be under one roof. Unless you’ve struck lucky, most of us don’t have a relative with a big pad in a convenient location for a summer holiday with the whole family. Or even if you do, perhaps they might not want to host!

A great choice of big houses to rent

These days many big houses aren’t lived in by their owners. We know – we found the heating bills way too high! So, the upside is that there are a fantastic number of properties around the country where you can have a memorable big house experience. Manor houses and castles, barn conversions and farm houses – take your pick. Locations can often be memorable too, but sometimes convenience is the main factor when your group are coming from far flung locations.

Large houses to rent for parties

If you are planning a special celebration, a big holiday house can be the perfect location to base yourselves. With that as your starting point you can plan your guest list, organise your activities and fine tune the itinerary. Having helped many groups with their house parties over the past 22 years we would suggest, it’s never too early to start. Pick our brains, we love it….ask us about local top notch chefs, unusual activities, the best pubs, where to take the dog for a walk – or what kitchen equipment you’ll need to bring – in our houses, the answer to that is usually none. They are very well equipped.

Big house rentals

A large holiday home can be an ideal alternative to hotels or cramming all your guests into your own home; more relaxed, in charge of your own timetable, plenty of space to be together and apart! Often these big group holidays can turn into an annual event that’s looked forward to by all generations with great anticipation.

If we can help at all, with your selection of a large house to rent as the starting point for your big house experience, do get in touch and make the most of our friendly impartial advice.