Top 5 Holiday Cottages for Families
Here at Historic UK, we know all too well that planning a family holiday can be a rather stressful time. As well as the planning which can often feel like you’re about to mobilise a small army, there’s also the worry that the kids won’t have enough to keep them occupied or – perhaps worst of all – the extra cost that comes with all of the attractions to keep them busy!
Fear not though, as we’ve found five fantastic family-friendly holiday cottages from across the UK, all of which are affordable and have enough to keep the children busy for an entire holiday.
1. Leeds Castle Holiday Cottages, Kent
Sleeping between 2 and 10 people, this small collection of cottages are nestled within the 500 acre estate of the world famous Leeds Castle. Guests have unlimited access to the castle and grounds throughout their stay, including The Knights’ Realm Adventure Playground for children (and big children alike!). This adventure playground includes an aerial runway, secret tunnels, turf maze and much more to keep the whole family occupied… there’s even a free flying falconry display! Additional activities which are available at cost include golfing, hot air ballooning (seasonal) and a zip wire adventure.
In terms of the properties themselves, many of them are historic including Keepers House which dates back hundreds of years, and the Guards House which was originally a Napoleonic soldier’s barracks.
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2. Watermouth Castle, North Devon
Staying true to our focus on heritage accommodation, our next entry in this top 5 list are the self catering apartments at Watermouth Castle.
Guests enjoy free entry to all the entertainments, including an indoor swimming pool, museum and displays, a model railway and an arcade of pier slot machines. In the underground theatre is the fantastic Water Spectacular fountain show, a thrilling mix of lights, music and water. Outside in the grounds there are traditional rides and slides, children’s play areas, ‘Gnomeland’, themed crazy-golf and much, much more all.
Some of the rooms in the castle boast fabulous views over the bay and cliffs, and all are decorated to a good standard with four poster bed, half tester or brass beds.
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3. Beech Farm, near Pickering, North Yorkshire
Situated on the edge of the North York Moors, the award winning Beech Farm Cottages have been designed with families in mind with facilities including an indoor swimming pool, sauna and children’s play area. There are even two llamas, chickens, duck and ponies to meet!
The cottages themselves are actually converted from Grade II listed structures and are full of character and charm. The larger of the properties have also been awarded 5 stars by Visit England.
Being situated near to the Moors, it almost goes without saying but there are a host of fabulous walks in the nearby area, as well as the heritage coast to explore. For railway fans, the Yorkshire Moors Steam Railway runs from the nearby town of Pickering.
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4. Robin Hill Farm, near Bideford, Devon
The facilities at Robin Hill Farm are almost too long to list, but we’ll give it a good try anyway… There’s a heated indoor swimming pool, hot tub, games room with 60 inch plasma TV, a play area with a climbing frame and playhouse, a play area with ball games, a woodland walk through the farm’s 14 acre estate… oh, and the cottages are all within 3 miles of the nearest beach!
The properties all sleep between 4 and 6 people, are well decorated and boast views across the local countryside. For more information about the individual cottages, please click on the link below.
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5. Brewlands Cottage, near Blairgowrie, Perthshire
On the 4,500 acre Blairgowrie Highland Estate next to the Cairngorms National Park, this selection of period properties can sleeps between 2 and 6 people. With spectacular hill walks from the door, shooting, fishing, mountain bike hire, tennis lessons and wildlife Landrover safaris can all be arranged. For the less energetic a beauty therapist can also be made available, as well as a cook and even a bagpiper.
The shared games room includes table tennis and table football.
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Disclaimer: The properties listed above are only suggestions from Historic UK, and Historic UK takes no responsibility for any facilities and descriptions that may have changed since the writing of this article.