Relax and shop on a pre-Christmas cottage ‘value’ break…

Take advantage of the lower cottage holiday prices during December with a relaxing pre-Christmas break and do your pressie shopping at the same time.

Sleeping six plus your pet, King Harry’s Cottage in Feock, south west Cornwall, is available at £195 (£32.50pp) for a short three or four night break from now until 17th December. 

Set in one of the most beautiful spots in Cornwall, this former ferryman’s cottage has great views of the River Fal; it’s also within an easy drive of both Falmouth and the cathedral city of Truro for Christmas gift shopping.

Find out more about short breaks and take a look at some of our other special offers in the run up to the festive season.

Choice cottages for Christmas breaks...

Are you tempted to get away to a cottage in the wonderful West Country to celebrate Christmas? If you’re a crowd, club together for a grand house to enjoy the special atmosphere and some additional elbow room. Or if it’s peace and quiet you’re after, there are plenty of hideaways.

Here are a couple of examples to tempt you...

This award-winning contemporary detached house in southernmost Devon is simply stunning. It is architect-designed to form part of the sea wall on the Salcombe bank of the Kingsbridge Estuary, with spectacular panoramic views to East Portlemouth and the sandy beaches and bays on the opposite bank. Enormous windows along three sides and a glass-floored area give a unique ‘on-the-water’ feel. There's a large dining table - perfect for celebrating with friends and family. Sleeps 10.

There's lots to do in Salcombe - plenty of restaurants, galleries, shops and some very pleasant waterfront pubs. You can find more information on Salcombe on the official website for the South Devon Tourist Board.

In East Devon, this gorgeous thatched, detached Grade II listed cottage with 17^th Century origins is a great place for celebrating - it has its own piano! There's a very spacious kitchen with dining table for family meals together. It's cosy too - the living room has a huge inglenook fireplace with woodburner. The cottage is located in Branscombe, one of the prettiest villages on the south coast. Lyme Regis is just 10 miles away. Sleeps 6.

We'll post a couple more soon...

We’ve lots of holiday homes in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset for you to choose from. We’ve visited and star rated them all and can tell you about each one in detail. To find just the right holiday cottage for your festive break, use our advanced search or call us on 01647 433593.

View a full list of our holiday cottages available over Christmas

Festive sparkle…

We've picked out some of the best Christmas events coming up:

28th Nov: Padstow Christmas Lights (pictured) will illuminate this beautiful harbour town and the voices of the Padstow Carollers will fill the air with traditional hymns. From 3rd to 5th December there’ll be lots of seasonal treats, entertainment and a Christmas market during the magical Padstow Christmas Festival.

3rd to 5th Dec: Candlelit Dartmouth will get you into the spirit of Christmas and provide lots of ideas for stylish and unusual gifts. Enjoy the processions of beautiful handmade paper lanterns winding through the narrow streets, the street stalls, the carol singing, Father Christmas' arrival by boat, the hot chestnuts and much more.

5th Dec: Soak up the festive magic during Dulverton by Starlight when this unique Exmoor town is transformed into a twinkling delight. Explore a wealth of independent shops to find those special gifts, watch Father Christmas arrive with his reindeer and enjoy the carol singing and firework finale.

18th Dec: The famous Mousehole Harbour Lights (pictured) will be switched on with an open air carol service adding to the festive atmosphere. The tiny fishing village has retained its original character and charm and is a special place to visit, especially at Christmas.

Check our special offers for last minute deals on holiday cottages in the West Country or give us a call on 01647 433593.

Stay in an Exmoor cottage and celebrate Dunster by Candlelight from Fri 3rd to Sat 4th December

Celebrate the imminent arrival of Christmas at the magical Dunster by Candlelight weekend of 3^rd and 4^th December when the medieval Exmoor village lights its streets with candles. 

There’s also live entertainment and shops stay open late. On Friday, watch the Lantern Lighting Procession with pipe and drum music and tall stilt walkers who light the lanterns. 

Helpful Holidays has two holiday cottages at nearby Timberscombe, Burrow Cottage (F270) sleeping three and Jubilee House (F27) (pictured) sleeping six, available from Friday 3^rd December priced from £210 for a week’s stay.

If you need any help, visit www.helpfulholidays.co.uk or call our friendly booking team on 01647 433593.

A unique place to stay...

We don't do 'run-of-the-mill' at Helpful Holidays. Every one of our holiday cottages is hand-picked, rigorously inspected and star-rated. From cosy and comfortable to grand and luxurious, all of our properties are high quality and chosen because we believe (and 99% of our customers seem to agree) they are good places for a happy holiday.

Many of our holiday cottages are unique too, perhaps due to their architecture, interior design or splendid location. For example, take a look at this fine-looking gothic-style gatehouse built in 1907 (pictured above) that we have just welcomed to our portfolio. Situated two miles from the pretty village of North Bovey in Devon and just inside the main entrance gates to Bovey Castle (a renowned hotel), it enjoys views over the 18 hole championship golf course. This delightful place oozes character and has a quirky interior décor.

All guests over 16 receive a complimentary round of golf (subject to availability). You're also welcome to enjoy the hotel’s pool, sauna, steam room and gym. Other activities such as archery, fly-fishing, clay pigeon shooting, horse-riding or spa treatments are available at an extra charge.

This property can be enjoyed from just over £100 per person per week based on four sharing. It is currently available over the Christmas and New Year weeks at £261 per person based on four sharing, although please note that there is restricted access to some of the hotel facilities over the festive period.

Festive get-away by the sea...

Fancy getting away over Christmas and the New Year but need inspiration?

Perhaps a smart apartment on the south Devon coast will tempt you? Just 20 yards from Bigbury-on-Sea's splendid sandy beach is this truly excellent development of high quality apartments including a very good private Leisure Club. The views from the apartments over the sea to the south and west, and at low tide of a huge expanse of smooth washed yellow sand reaching to Burgh Island, are outstanding.


It's a good spot to enjoy the surf and the sand or to simply soak up the spectacular scenery on a cliff-top walk. If you're in a celebratory mood, how about a special meal at the famous Art Deco Burgh Island Hotel or a drink or two at the island's jolly pub, The Pilchard? It's great fun to travel to the island by long legged tractor at high tide!

Christmas and New Year weeks at this apartment are now available with a 30% discount, which is only £206 per person per week based on five people sharing. For more ideas, check out our special offers for winter short breaks and the festive season.