Big Houses Directory - Seasonal Offers

	Warwickshire, England
	Arden Hill Farmhouse Calling all Shakespeare fans! Arden Hill Farm House is only three miles from Stratford-upon-Avon and therefore very close to the RSC theatre and all the popular Shakespeare tourist attractions. This large country farmhouse sleeps up to 16, and is ideal for family celebrations, holidays, events, conferences, hen parties or any other special occasions. There are additional self-catering cottages available close by, if required. And plenty of good pubs and restaurants to visit locally, as well as Warwick, Kenilworth and the Cotswolds. The house has six spacious bedrooms and four bathrooms, a lovely living room with a large plasma TV with Sky, a good-sized, well-equipped kitchen and a snooker room. There's also a hot tub on the south-facing patio, where guests can soak up quintessentially English views over the grounds and beyond. Walking is an absolute delight from Arden Hill – there's an abundance of wildlife, a natural environment with historic tracks and canal towpaths nearby.

	Wrexham, Wales
	Argoed Hall Argoed Hall is a Grade II listed, Victorian mansion house, overlooking the river Dee and the beautiful Vale of Llangollen. Each of the four wings that make up the Hall have been painstaking refurbished and converted into modern townhouses by the present owners. Each Wing can accommodate between 7 and 11. You can hire one or more of the Wings – together they create a superb and unusually large venue for groups of up to 36. Many original features have been retained, including feature fireplaces, stairways, mosaic-tiled or parquet flooring, ornate plasterwork, oak wood panelling and carved stonework. Guests can also enjoy full 21st century comforts, including sophisticated kitchens and gorgeous bathrooms. Each room has views over the grounds or down the river valley.

	Gloucestershire, England
	General Stores and Malt House The General Stores is a large, medieval property in the Gloucestershire village of Mitcheldean. Together with its adjoining converted Malt House, the property dates back to the 15th century. It is a fabulous big space, available for holidays or business lets, full weeks or weekends/midweek breaks, for team building and training, for weddings, for photo shoots, as a film location and for families and friends. Family get-togethers and hen parties are particularly well catered for, and a lot of thought has gone into facilities for these particular groups. The property sleeps between 10 and 30, including an additional self-contained family unit, called Jovial Colliers Apartment which sleeps six. The General Stores is a 45 minute drive from Bristol, and has easy access from London, Birmingham, Cheltenham and Gloucester. Being on the edge of a village gives guests immediate access to a late shop and off-licence, a take-away, a family butcher, two pubs and a post office.

	Surrey, England
	Heron Hall A beautiful country estate on the Surrey/Sussex border, comprising a large Gothic style manor house with a commanding hill top setting (360 degree views), set in five acres of park-like grounds and a further 15 acres of paddocks. The house is approached along a one-kilometre private driveway and is just one hour from London. This is a fantastic place in which to celebrate a special occasion, combining the facilities of a sumptuous hotel with the privacy of a private house. A superb reception hall leads onto a large contemporary living room with an open fireplace, a dining room with comfortable seating for 14, a well equipped kitchen and a sunny breakfast room. Within the grounds is a large York Stone, south-facing terrace with gorgeous views leading onto a stunning (50ft long) swimming pool with a twisty water slide and diving board. There's also a hot tub with LED lights and an inbuilt iPod docking sound system overlooking fabulous views, and a new Finnish pine sauna/steam room with soothing fibre-optic lights. Relaxing facials, massages and manicures can all be arranged.

	Cheshire, England
	Home Farm Home Farm is a wonderful, wisteria-covered family home, situated at the base of Beeston Castle, near Tarporley, Cheshire. The house, which can sleep 12, is beautifully decorated, with large sunny reception rooms and bedrooms and a traditional farmhouse kitchen. Downstairs there are two substantial sitting rooms, both of which have large open fireplaces. One of the sitting rooms has a large flat screen TV with SKY and DVD player. The other is quieter and more formal. A separate breakfast room leads onto a covered terrace with an enclosed garden suitable for croquet and other outdoor games. This garden has wonderful views across to the Peckforton hills, where more than eight miles of woodland walks lead through the Sandstone Trail. The main dining room in the Stone Hall adjoining the house can seat 12 guests comfortably and has a large open fireplace and French doors opening onto an expansive terrace at the back of the house. This terrace is equipped with a table, chairs and sun loungers and is perfect for barbeques. This secluded area has unrivalled views across open fields to the Welsh hills and the sun setting on the historic castle of Beeston behind the house is a memorable sight.

	Vendée, France
	Les Chardonnerets What better venue for young families looking for a house party holiday in France? Les Chardonnerets is a traditional Vendéen farmhouse, on the edge of the village of Mouzeuil St Martin. It has been beautifully converted, together with a neighbouring barn, to provide a perfect Gallic base. In total, the two properties sleep 20, with ten comfortable and well decorated bedrooms, and six bathrooms. This house is particularly suited to those with young children and babies. Besides a host of useful cots, high chairs, stair gates and toys etc, it also has a large play area, a trampoline and a fully-fenced heated outdoor pool (with an adjacent paddling pool area). The downstairs space in the barn is a huge, open-plan kitchen area, with space for 20 to dine together.

	Provence, France
	Notre Dame du Val Notre Dame du Val provides an opportunity for a group of up to 14 to holiday in style. Standing just outside Aix-en-Provence, amongst 25 private acres of lavender, olive plantations and fruit orchards, the house has large, grand rooms, a gym within an orangerie, a hard tennis court and, the pièce de résistance, a beautiful big pool, surrounded by teak loungers and wooden decking. This is, without doubt, a highly desirable Big Domain, furnished in impeccable fashion. Huge mirrors, chandeliers, antique paintings, and ornate fireplaces are offset by more contemporary fixtures and fittings. An ornate fountain greets guests at the front of the house and the mature gardens provide plenty of shady spots for sitting with a glass of French wine and enjoying views of the Massif de l'Etoile. Guests can be as active as they like, taking advantage of the tennis, gym, the 18-hole golf course that's almost next door and doorstep walks through the olive groves; or reading and sunbathing around the pool.

	Suffolk, England
	Pettistree House A majestic, Georgian country manor house, near Woodbridge in Suffolk, available to hire as an exclusive house party venue. Refurbished to boutique hotel standards, the house and grounds offer a stunning backdrop for a special celebration with friends and family. There's a brand new Fired Earth kitchen, nine gorgeous CP Hart bathrooms, various sumptuous bedrooms including four four-poster beds, and a wonderful dining room blending of the minute transparent Louis chairs with classic crystal chandeliers. An opulent ballroom is available for partying, with a bespoke sound and light system, and every conceivable entertainment facility around the house, including a games room for all ages, a piano, a pool table and masses of books and games. The house is skirted by 13 acres of scenic parkland, which incorporates a newly landscaped terrace. An additional 3-bedroom carriage house, sleeping four, will be available from spring 2011.

	Suffolk, England
	Street Farm, Suffolk Street Farm is a five-bedroomed farmhouse in the Suffolk countryside, under two hours from London and an ideal venue for large family groups. The original part of the farm, the hall, dates from the late 14th century and you'll notice some fine original features including exposed oak beams, large fireplaces, an original medieval staircase and an exposed Crown Post. To quote from an historical survey of the property, '… remarkably few alterations have taken place at Street Farm since the 17th century, excepting the new facade of 1880 and the rebuilding of the chimney stacks at the turn of the millennium .... Street Farm is an extraordinary survival that offers important insight into the nature of medieval life'. Despite its age, the property is light, airy and spacious, as the majority of the rooms are dual-aspect with good height ceilings. It has been completely renovated and is furnished throughout in a simple, comfortable, modern way.

	Cornwall, England
	Trefreock Farmhouse, Port Isaac The scenery in this part of North Cornwall is amongst the most rugged and breathtaking in the county. Here you'll find Trefreock Farmhouse, an exceptionally attractive, Grade II listed, seven-bedroomed Georgian farmhouse. The house dates from the 1840s and is set in its own grounds of approximately 1.5 acres. It is situated down a farm lane with uninterrupted views over open countryside to the sea, linked by numerous footpaths to the South West Coastal Path and gorgeous beaches. This is a remarkably spacious house, ideal for families. It has a full games room, a badminton lawn that doubles as a small football pitch and, for older children, a pond with its own rowing boat. Inside, it easily sleeps 14 and is fully renovated with new central heating and bathrooms, original flagstone floors, and a quintessential farmhouse kitchen. It's just the place for large group family gatherings and holidays – walking, birdwatching, golfing, surfing or simply relaxing.

	Denbighshire, Wales
	Trevor Hall Trevor Hall is a Grade 1 listed Hall of stately proportions, three miles east of Llangollen, just over the Welsh border. The house offers a group of up to 14 the chance to enjoy an eclectic mix of styles, ranging from traditional to wildly eccentric. Cook meals on an Aga in a superbly equipped historic kitchen, enjoy a Regency style cinema room, sleep in sumptuous four poster beds and roam around 165 acres of private woodland, parkland, ponds and bridle paths. If your party numbers bewteen 14 and 20, you may be interested in booking the Coach House, situated down a small gravel track, approximately 300 yards from the Hall. Recently converted from stables, it looks the part but inside is thoroughly modern and stylish.

	Gloucestershire, England
	Tythe House The Tythe House is a small, elegant Cotswold manor house, built in the Queen Anne William and Mary style circa 1700. It has been the home of the Benton Family for over two generations, and has recently been lovingly and superbly restored by the current owners, Julian and Bernadette. Situated in 200 acres of Cotswold farmland, the house is approached up a mature, tree-lined driveway. It's a fine example of classical Georgian symmetrical design, delightful in its practical simplicity, with a homely arrangement of rooms. These include three elegant reception rooms, a contemporary kitchen and eight individually-designed en-suite bedrooms. With log fires, oak floors, antique furniture and high-end bathrooms, and an Orangery suitable for functions, The Tythe House welcomes families but has very much been designed with adult relaxation in mind.