Tag Archives: large houses for rent

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.

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.