Christmas cottages with fun & games attached…

If you’re spending Christmas away from home, something that really adds to the fun is playing games with friends and family. We’ve a number of holiday cottages ideal for this, some featuring converted barns full of dartboards, table tennis tables and board games a-plenty, and some with indoor swimming pools too!

Woolley Cottage, in the Devon hamlet of Woolley, is a handsome Grade II listed, detached, thatched house which has been extended from its 18th century beginnings, making it big and roomy. The beamed living room with flagstone floor and big inglenook with oil-fired Aga makes an extremely cosy room, or upstairs is a gallery-cum-den with day bed and board/card games. The separate games shed has a table-tennis table, dartboard and assorted toys. For those keen to get active and brave the December elements, there’s also an outhouse with plenty of room for bicycles and surfboards. This is a smashing house with bags of space for everyone in a beautiful, unspoilt area.

Orchard Cottage in Stoke, close to the spectacular cliffs at Hartland Quay, north Devon, is a detached, thatched, Grade II listed 16th century house with courtyard, enclosed garden and indoor heated swimming pool. Formerly owned by the Abbey, the house has been beautifully converted and lovingly restored, with a comfortable, beamed living/dining room. Gather round the inglenook fireplace and plot your next family tournament to be played out in the separate games room with table tennis, pool and darts on offer.

Hound Tor Lodge is situated within the stunning grounds of Bovey Castle on Dartmoor (one of six luxury self-catering lodges we offer here), built in 1907 and now a renowned hotel. Many of the hotel facilities are yours to enjoy (some restrictions apply during the festive period) including indoor pool, gym, steam room, sauna, spa and its championship 18 hole golf course. Other optional activities include archery, rifle shooting, fly fishing, falconry, riding and clay pigeon shooting. If you’d rather something a little quieter, there’s the small matter of a 400 acre estate on which you are free to roam (wellies provided).

Why not browse all our cottages with availability for Christmas and filter the search results by games room and indoor pool? 

Winter breaks in the West Country…

Jack Frost’s arrival heralds a period of peace and tranquillity on the moors and coastal paths of the West Country: the perfect time to enjoy a restful break at a cottage in a pretty village, off the beaten track or by the sea.

Wander through crisp woods or along a beach. Spend a lazy afternoon with the papers beside a blazing fire at a country pub or in the comfort of your cottage. Relax and revitalize before or after the Christmas revelry.

Our portfolio remains marvellously varied and widely spread throughout Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset.

2, 3 or 4 night short breaks are available at many of our cottages from November through to the week before Easter, excluding school holidays. Don’t forget, you can relax and enjoy a late check-out for 2-night weekend breaks (Friday and Saturday nights) and stay at most properties until 6pm on Sunday.

Whether you’re looking for a cottage for a romantic retreat, a bolt hole for some bracing walking or a big house for a celebration with friends and family, our telephone team can personally recommend hundreds of warm, comfy, reliable properties.

To help you make a good choice, take advantage of our expertise and call us on 01647 433593.

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.

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.

10% off Christmas cottage breaks…

Here are some more ideas for special places to celebrate Christmas in the wonderful West Country - and we’re now offering a 10% discount!*

This beachfront property in Kingsand, south Cornwall, has fantastic sea views from every floor. A semi-detached Georgian house, it has been recently renovated and is smart, stylish and excellent quality. It has a bright nautical style with three sea-facing terraces. There’s a brilliant basement den for youngsters, complete with pool table. A large kitchen with dining table makes this an ideal base for a Christmas with a difference. Sleeps 8.

In the heart of the popular village of Boscastle, north Cornwall, this Grade II listed, stone and slate cottage has bags of character for a cosy Christmas. A very homely living room with inglenook and woodburner makes for the perfect place to eat mince pies and watch Morecambe & Wise. The cottage also has a lovely big kitchen with dining table but if you prefer someone else to do the cooking, there’s a good pub and an excellent restaurant just a short walk away. Sleeps 8.

A half-case of wine is being given away with this beautiful south Devon waterside house in Newton Ferrers to kick start your Christmas party. Friendly good food pubs are a short stroll away or you can walk the coast path to work off lunch. Otherwise, just relax and enjoy the wonderful watery views from the cosy drawing room while you sip another glass of wine! Sleeps 10.

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

P.S. We’ve 10% off New Year breaks too*

View a full list of our holiday cottages available over New Year

* This offer is for a minimum 3 night stay and cannot be used in conjunction with another special offer.