Big Houses in the West Country for Christmas…

Why spend Christmas tripping over relatives when you can rent a splendid house for a large party?

To that effect, we enjoyed some excellent coverage recently in The Times, with our property Sandridge Barton appearing as one of “20 fabulous festive boltholes”. That property is now booked up for Christmas 2011, but we still have numerous others…

  

Lilleby, which sleeps 12, is beautifully positioned high on the cliffs above South Sands near Salcombe, with spectacular views. You’ll find a large, elegant drawing room, a sociable dining room and a beautifully fitted kitchen perfect for preparing a festive dinner with all the trimmings. After lunch, step outside into nearly two acres of landscaped garden with mature trees, and walk off those calories along gravel paths winding down through terraces to woodlands and a footpath down to the beach.

As its name would suggest, The Old Mill is a charmingly converted, Grade II listed mill in the hamlet of Blakewell, north Devon. Sleeping 11, it’s full of comfort and imagination inside. There’s a homely living room with a woodburner in a huge fireplace, and a wood floor with a rug to sprawl on. There’s also a games room, with table tennis, pool, air hockey, table football, and even a Nintendo 64 – plenty to keep the children happy while the adults enjoy a bit of peace and quiet as the Christmas pud goes down! There’s even professional catering available if you want to take a break from cooking that turkey.

If you fancy spending Christmas away from it all amongst sheep, cattle, ponies, pigs, chickens and ornamental pheasants, The farmhouse at Burnville Farm, two miles south-west of Lydford, sits amid 250 acres of working farm – where you can roam free and even help out if you wish. There’s also a games room with a pool table, table tennis and a skittle alley, and even a well-equipped gym should you eat too many mince pies! We very much like this farm, and it’s been much praised, with tremendous freedom and an impressive number of things to do for children and adults.

Why not browse all our cottages sleeping 10 or more with availability for Christmas? Or if you’ve a smaller brood, here are all our cottages with availability for Christmas.

What’s on your Christmas and New Year checklist?

Are you one of those people who likes to rigorously plan their Christmas & New Year? Do you have a long to-do list of present-buying, food-shopping and card-writing? Sometimes it can seem too much like hard work!

For a truly magical Christmas and New Year, why not get away to a cottage in the wonderful West Country? Whether you’re looking to escape or entertain, you can be sure of making it memorable with a change of scene.

If you’re the type who likes to escape, we’ll help you find hideaways. Once there, grab scarves and hats for a blustery moorland walk and a pint at a fire-warmed pub. Try this for a more enjoyable checklist: stroll coast-path; ice-skate at Eden; grab your wetsuit and brave the Christmas Day surf, or just toast your toes beside the fire, put on the TV and relax.

We have lots of properties ideal for entertainers too - If you’re a crowd, book with us to enjoy some additional elbow room. Here your checklist is slightly different but just as much fun: set the table, cook the goose, fluff the potatoes, mash the swede (plenty of black pepper and butter) and light the candles.

So if either of those checklists sound appealing, do browse our cottages with availability at Christmas and New Year.

Our big houses are popular for family gatherings and get booked up fast so it’s also worth taking a look at our holiday homes sleeping 12 or more available for Christmas and New Year.

Go large in 2011 with one of our big houses…

For those with bigger broods or grand ambitions, a big house can provide enough space for a special family reunion, a weekend with friends, or even a wedding. The West Country has a fantastic array of huge houses in beautiful locations, and we're lucky enough to have a wide variety of them on our books.

Secluded farmhouses, historic manor houses, vast converted barns, seaside houses overlooking delightful beaches - all are available to rent through Helpful Holidays for your exclusive use.

Don't be fooled by the name, because Little Bocombe in north Devon sleeps 14 in a big detached house and separate cottage chalet. This Arts and Crafts style Grade II listed house is comfortable and very welcoming. It has a proper big house feel, with a big hall-cum-dining room with original floorboards, and an equally big fitted kitchen with an oil-fired Aga. Two sitting rooms, both with open fires, have lovely garden views. Upstairs there's four bedrooms, with another two in the cottage chalet. There's a spacious feel outside too, with the property surrounded by 9 acres of mature gardens, daffodil woods and pasture.

Sheafhayne, in east Devon, is a superbly positioned, Grade II listed, Elizabethan manor house, formerly Sir Francis Drake’s shooting lodge. This is an incredibly grand place. As soon as you enter through the big stone entrance porch and heavy ribbed oak door, you'll see why it was likened by the Sunday Times to ‘a full-sized game of Cluedo’. 24 people can be easily housed amongst these regal surroundings, which include a huge, medieval, walk-in ornamental fireplace, a billiard room, William Morris-designed wallpaper, a piano, a four door Aga, a proper old-fashioned larder/wine store and former butler’s pantry, four staircases, eleven bedrooms, five bathrooms and four shower-rooms. You could easily get lost in here!

Brimpts Farm is set on the hillside above Dartmeet, Dartmoor, and is one of five ancient tenements of the moor, passing to the Duchy of Cornwall in 1307. 700 acres of forests, tors, stone circles, East Dart river and open moor encircle a farmhouse and a huge, L-shaped, detached barn which has been converted into accommodation for as many as 32 people if you are prepared to bunk up, otherwise for 20 very comfortably. Part of the joy of staying here is the range of activities available, including farm tours by Landrover, climbing and abseiling instruction, guided walks, mountain biking tours, pony riding and orienteering, all set in the most beautiful countryside. If you prefer more gentle recreation, the farm has a number of scenic walks and a large hot tub and sauna to relax in.

Read more about our big houses and find one that's just right for your special occasion. They are very popular throughout the year, so be sure to book well in advance.

Tretawn, a gem in north Cornwall...

Tretawn is a handsome 16th/17th century manor house surrounded by five acres of garden and woodland, just outside St Kew in north Cornwall.

Sleeping 14, the house is spacious and comfortable with a warm, homely atmosphere. It is steeped in history with many original features and has retained all of its charm and character despite modernisation.

Its caring owners have just added a brand new swimming pool, complete with changing room and shower, for guests to enjoy. The pool is connected to the original games room, and together with the lounge, creates an excellent recreation area. Outside, there's more than enough space for energetic youngsters or a gentle stroll.

There's plenty to keep you entertained at this property, but you're also in an ideal spot to explore further afield. Spend a day on the beach at splendid Polzeath or more intimate Port Gaverne, visit legendary Tintagel Castle or perhaps cycle along the Camel Trail from Wadebridge to Padstow?

Tretawn is an exceptional family house, very private and ideal for large gatherings and celebrations.

Read the comments of holidaymakers who have stayed here.

Christmas dinner with a difference...

Should you want to try something a little different with your Christmas dinner this year, we’ve noticed a couple of suggestions in the media recently…

Heston Blumenthal launched his ‘Hidden Orange Christmas Pudding’ in Waitrose – as the name suggests, a traditional Christmas pudding but with a whole candied orange inside.

Demand for the pud proved so great that it has practically sold out, leading to some enterprising souls offering them up for sale on eBay. Not really the Christmas spirit?

We’re guessing that you won’t want to fork out unnecessarily, so perhaps have a go at making it yourself?

The recent cold spell has played havoc with this year’s sprout crop with reports of frozen solid sprouts impossible to harvest. But that’s not all - cauliflowers are also at risk from the snow and frost. You’d be forgiven for being confused, however, as other reports suggest that the cold weather is a Godsend, and that this year’s sprouts will taste sweeter than ever!

If you’d rather give the sprouts a miss, another supermarket chain is suggesting we experiment with our veg on Christmas Day to brighten up the table. Sainsbury’s is selling Spanish-grown bunches of golden, white and Chioggia (candy-striped) varieties of baby beetroot, once popular with the Victorians.

Are you planning to try anything new this Christmas? Or are you a staunch traditionalist? Let us know!

It's not too late to get away this Christmas. We've big houses with large dining tables for grand gatherings or cosy cottages for peaceful indulgence.

View a list of our holiday cottages available over Christmas.