25 seriously stylish houses for UK party weekenders - The Times

It’s surprisingly hard to spend proper time with friends and family these days, unless you happen to live with them. There’s the fleeting dinner, the snatched coffee, the weekend at someone’s house — but then whoever lives there is still knee-deep in the drudgery of their own life (piles of laundry, piles of homework, piles of unopened post) while everyone else gets to put their feet up. The beauty of renting a house is that nobody has to play host.

The UK has some extraordinary places to do this, from great castles and rambling country piles to compounds of cottages and converted barns, in all of which the kitchen inevitably becomes the headquarters. A romantic Cornish estate that has been home to three prime ministers, a 19th-century Scottish country house with a two-Michelin-starred restaurant next door, a Georgian rectory in Co Antrim hosting gangs in search of adventure, an 18th-century Palladian hall in Yorkshire that’s more modern Zen than stately home — we have all these and more.

Days have a way of sorting themselves out, often outdoors. Close to home there are saunas, plunge pools and firepits. Grander houses have formal gardens and parterres, with hunting, shooting and fishing attached. There are beach stays, riverbank residences and hilltop hideaways, so some guests can head off for a walk or a swim while others make straight for the nearest pub. Or you can just stay put in pyjamas — because that’s what a cosy weekend is all about. The secret is having room for everyone to come together and space to escape when you’ve had enough. Get the house right and the rest takes care of itself. Here are 25 of the best.

All recommendations within this article are informed by independent expert editorial opinion. This article contains affiliate links and links to our in-house travel agency, Times Holidays, all of which will earn us revenue. Some of these properties are still available for Christmas and new year, as stated in the entries, and correct at time of going to press.

Sleeps 20 in the lodge, 10 in the cottageOnce the retreat of the celebrated sporting artist Richard Ansdell, Moy Lodge, completed in 1870, has undergone a recent renovation to create a new-but-here-for-generations feel. The large Victorian house on Loch Laggan’s shores sleeps 20 in 10 whimsical bedrooms. Upstairs is a riot of charming, faintly old-fashioned wallpaper and rich colours echoing nature beyond the windows. Downstairs is more trad, with Victorian tiles and a good few antlers knocking about. The kitchen, with its herringbone brick floor and curtained cupboards, will have you mentally restyling yours at home. Breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner can be included, fires crackle in the drawing room and the old servants’ hall becomes a dancefloor for ceilidhs and reels. Any overflow friends and family can spill into the five-bedroom cottage at the end of the night.Three nights’ self-catering for 20 from £5,200 (moylodge.com)

Sleeps 18 On the Surrey-Hampshire border, Millbridge Court is the real deal for a proper party. And while it shouts loudly about its weddings, it’s worth peeking beyond the vaulted halls to see how good the setup is for a low-key private takeover. A sibling to Kin House in Wiltshire, it’s in a family of exclusive-use places that feel like mini boutique hotels. The main house at Millbridge is extremely well done, with the interior designer Helen Pike — previously at Soho House — delivering a level of polish that draws on Victorian architecture and local crafts without lapsing into pastiche. Beata Heuman, Pierre Frey and Studio Ashby all feature. The nine bedrooms include a garden hideaway with a four-poster, freestanding tub and log burner. There’s still availability on New Year’s Eve.Two nights’ self-catering for 18 from £8,500 (millbridgecourt.co.uk)

Sleeps 10 On the eastern fringes of Fife, where the region of East Neuk meets the sea, the 16th-century tower estate of Wormistoune has been brought back to life by James and Gemma McCallum. The Coach House is impeccably decorated, a dramatic mix of beams and stags’ heads, flagstone floors and antiques, plus a few tartan armchairs lest you forget where you are. Make a beeline for the panelled Oak Room, which, as well as being the biggest and prettiest of the five bedrooms, has huge French doors opening onto a little seating area. Being outside is the point: you can potter in the magical walled garden, with its topiary, box parterre and blousy planting, roam the woodland and take a dip in the lochan. Three nights’ self-catering for 10 from £3,644

Sleeps 12 Part gardener’s cottage, part mid-century modern lair, this six-bedroom house within the grounds of Leuchie House has belonged to the Dalrymple estate since 1698. Generations of family portraits, photographs and antiques give it the feel of a place with tales to tell, while huge glass walls bring the kitchen gardens right into the low-slung living spaces. Browse the library, settle any family rivalries in the snooker room or tinkle on the baby grand — no one’s going to tell you to be quiet. The 60 acres are all yours for long rambles and bike rides, with tennis and a two-hole pitching range for competitive souls. For a proper round, North Berwick’s championship golf courses are just down the road.Three nights’ self-catering for 12 from £3,900 (airbnb.co.uk)

Sleeps 12 This 19th-century country house, styled like a rather cool hotel, comes with an extraordinary neighbour: the Glenturret Lalique, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant inside Scotland’s oldest working distillery. It’s a five-minute stroll away and led by the chef Mark Donald, who plays with local produce and global influences. Tattie scones are dressed up with wagyu, truffle and caviar, while Orkney scallops are served with roast pork butter sauce. This part of the country marks the threshold between Lowlands and Highlands, so you can prepare for a feast by venturing out on one of the walking trails, or go slow — fireside whisky-drinking is encouraged. Breakfast is included, though the Damsel Bakery in Crieff makes a compelling case for its mulberry and custard sticky buns. There’s still availability at Christmas and on New Year’s Eve.Two nights’ B&B for 12 from £3,992

Sleeps 12 Loch na Bo has been in the Tennant family for more than a century, and has hosted both Queen Elizabeth II and Anne Tennant, Baroness Glenconner. Today, Andrea Tennant and her children Flora and Andrew run the estate, keeping the period quirks and original character of the Edwardian house very much intact — the kitchen Aga has been going since 1950. It may be heavy on the chintz but that’s the charm. A lochside sauna will warm the cockles after a brisk swim, or you can fill one of the deep baths to the brim and vanish for hours. Speyside’s celebrated distilleries are within easy reach when the mood calls for something more spirited.Three nights’ self-catering for 12 from £2,793

Sleeps 17 A six-year restoration has given this Georgian rectory a new lease of life as a gathering place for large groups. The Ward family have created a future-facing space that keeps everyone happy, with bunk rooms and pods as well as more grown-up suites. The look is tougher than the average country house, with industrial kitchens, exposed brick, steel staircases and a muted monochrome palette. Three houses hunker around a central courtyard, each with its own kitchen and sitting room, which means everyone has space to peel off, while two long dining tables bring the gang together for supper. It’s an awesome outdoorsy weekend waiting to happen, with cliff walks by the Giant’s Causeway, puffin-spotting on Rathlin Island, afternoon surfs at Portrush and a pint of Guinness at the Boyd Arms in Ballycastle.Three nights’ self-catering for 17 from £2,930

Sleeps 10 The classical musicians Tim Hugh and Katerina Nazarova have a well-tuned appreciation for architecture and design. Once the water bailiff’s cottage, Otters Holt was bought by the couple in 2019 and given a thoroughly modern overhaul. With its wraparound glass walls and polished concrete, it’s a head-turner. Ash trees from the garden have been turned into floorboards, with slate quarried further up the river. Bedrooms have a Kelly Hoppen calm and the kitchen could be the setting for a cookery show. All the while, nature remains very much in the frame. Outside, choose between the wood-fired sauna and the hot tub, or leap off the pontoon into the River Teifi. Canoes are available, while Poppit Sands and Mwnt, for coasteering and dolphin-spotting, are both a short drive away.Three nights’ self-catering for 10 from £2,245 (ottersholt.co.uk)

Sleeps 24 A Welsh homestead with an eye for design, the Milk Wood is a cluster of four properties in a wooded bend of the Nevern Valley: Huckleberry Cottage, its two-bedroom barn, Hiraeth Cottage and a one-bedroom bothy. It’s a great place to get together without being on top of each other. There are bedrooms to suit everyone, kitchens in which to hover over tea and Welsh cakes, and hammocks, sun loungers, fire pits and saunas to spread out across. The Reader family have had fun creating spaces that work for parties and for wellness, for friends and for families. And they’ve thought of the practicalities too, from underfloor heating to laundry rooms for muddy clothes. This is a place for toasting smores and river swimming, or just slowing right down.Four nights’ self-catering for 24 from £7,795 (uniquehomestays.com)

Sleeps 10 In the heart of Flintshire farmland, this family house must have seen some amazing Christmases, with a baby grand piano for bashing out carols and ceilings high enough to accommodate a towering tree. The sisters Angharad and Teleri have brought their childhood home up to speed without losing its character. Rooms are crisp and considered, generously proportioned yet cosy. Welsh art, antique miners’ lamps, traditional stick chairs and tapestry throws nod to local heritage, and deep bathtubs look out over the fields. You can pick fruit from the trees or head out to the farmland beyond. Mold and Hawarden are close by, the Clwydian hills 20 minutes away and the coast 15. It’s a house for gathering the generations, with something given back — £10 from every stay helps the Woodland Trust reforest Wales. Two nights’ self-catering for 10 from £1,920 (eincynefin.co.uk)

Sleeps 12The Kirkstyle Inn is just the sort of pub you want to stumble into after a day’s fishing on the Tyne or a walk along Hadrian’s Wall. And the menu offers grouse, hen of the woods gnocchi and smoked eel croustade. Next door the 18th-century rectory has been given a deft refresh by Studio Fantoush, marrying the building’s bones with Pennines-inspired tones and textures. The drawing room has a generous open fire; in the orangery-style dining room, an oak table looks across the garden to the South Tyne valley. Bathrooms are stashed with potions from the sustainably minded Cumbrian maker Bath House. All six bedrooms have their charms but the blue twin tucked into the eaves, wrapped in Sandberg wallpaper, is the one to bag.Two nights’ self-catering for 12 from £1,270 (crabtreeandcrabtree.com)

Sleeps 12 It might modestly call itself a farmhouse but this hideout in the Hambleden Valley is as smart as a dandy’s cap. The six-bedroom 15th-century hall is the beating heart of this pristine 500-acre estate. The interior designer Fleur Liversidge has gone to town with fabrics and wallpapers, mixing punchy colour, pattern and layered textiles without sanding away the house’s character. Play tennis on the court behind the house, explore the grounds and whip up lunch in a kitchen that means business (two dishwashers, a separate sous kitchen). The Farmhouse is one of six places to stay on the estate (each equally handsome), so there’s room to scale up for a bigger gathering. There’s still availability at Christmas and on New Year’s Eve.Two nights’ self-catering for 12 from £5,672 (burrowfarmestate.com)

Sleeps 10Parnham Park is a grand old house with an improbable second act. Built for the Strode family in the 16th century and remodelled by the Regency architect John Nash, the Dorset manor was gutted by fire in 2017. Now James and Sophie Perkins are bringing it back to life, with the restored five-bedroom west wing offering the first taste of their vision. To call it theatrical is an understatement: a racing car driving up the kitchen wall, damask swagged four-posters, glitterballs alongside fossils that nod to the Jurassic coast. There’s a grand dining room, library and secret cellar speakeasy to explore at night and a lake to venture out to in the morning. The walled-garden restaurant has hand-dived Lyme Bay scallops and a wicked chocolate nemesis pud.Two nights’ self-catering for 10 from £11,500 (parnhampark.co.uk)

Sleeps 30ARC is reimagining the group stay as a meeting point for design swagger and the great outdoors, with retreats in Norfolk, Suffolk, the Cotswolds and Cornwall. Peaks occupies a 200-year-old post office and printworks, with the River Dane curling around three sides. Here the landscape is part of the appeal: walking trails and open moorland begin nearby. The architecture firm Parti has preserved the building’s rugged stonework, adding charred-timber extensions. There are ten bedrooms and an amazing attic space with ten curtained alcoves, plus a heated pool and a dining room that doubles as a yoga studio. Through ARC Salon, the curator Anna Woodward brings contemporary art into the mix, with rotating exhibitions. It’s a Peak District base with architectural bite.Two nights’ self-catering for 30 from £1,963

Sleeps 21There’s serious historical clout at Ashby Manor. It was here in the gatehouse that Robert Catesby and Guy Fawkes plotted to blow up Parliament — we all know how that went. Four hundred years on Henry and Nova Guest have reimagined the place as an 11-bedroom stay. Older architectural details lend heft, but it’s the influence of Sir Edwin Lutyens that impresses most. At the turn of the 20th century he was commissioned to enlarge the house, incorporating an entire Tudor wing transported from Ipswich by truck. Seventeenth-century oak panelling and carved fireplaces are offset by contemporary furniture, with B&B Italia sofas beneath ancestral oil paintings. The hand of Lutyens is evident in the landscaping while the Victorian walled garden supplies dahlias and cosmos alongside fruit, vegetables and herbs.There’s still availability at Christmas and on New Year’s Eve.Two nights’ full board for 21 from £13,500, including staff (ashbymanorhouse.com)

Sleeps 20There’s nothing quite like Denton Reserve. Rewilding 2,500 acres is one thing, rethinking how an ancient estate can work for the 21st century is another. Regenerative farming is improving soil health, boosting biodiversity and producing sustainable food. Inside, the ambition is equally bold. The 18th-century Palladian hall has been reimagined as a contemporary retreat, more modern Zen than country pile. There are ten bedrooms to start with but if you reach into the east and west wings, there’s space for up to 52 of your nearest and dearest. That’s before adding six lodges, off-grid woodland cabins, a barn and a farmhouse — oh, and the Penny Bun, a proper pub with five rooms that does a cracking Sunday roast. There’s still availability at Christmas.Two nights’ self-catering for 20 from £10,000

Sleeps 12On an unassuming residential street behind the marina is this curveball of a house, a Malibu villa that has landed in Brighton. The six-bedroom space offers sleek Japandi styling: lots of natural stone, clean lines and warm textures. But all of that is secondary to what’s outside. Floor-to-ceiling windows slide back to let in the breeze sweeping up from the English Channel and the blue-grey sea horizon dissects every view. The garden transports you too with its dark-tiled pool and sunken firepit. The restaurants and bars of the Lanes are a 15-minute cycle away but the seafront is closer still. Two paddleboards get you out on the water, with the South Downs behind for a fresh-air stomp. Two nights’ self-catering for 12 from £2,400

Sleeps 14The interior designer Rita Konig has transformed her husband’s Co Durham farmhouse, making the old-fashioned feel thoroughly fresh. The house is straight out of a House & Garden feature, which is fitting given Konig’s magazine column. Thick rugs and proper eiderdowns, feather-stuffed cushions and deep sofas bring a layer of softness that contrasts with the 400 acres of arable land outside. Shelves brim with well-thumbed paperbacks and collected curiosities. The Plain English kitchen is designed like a dresser, with a washing-up room off to the side. And while it’s all beautiful, this is not a best behaviour type of place: children can knock about in the playroom, with its huge sleigh-shaped daybed. The tiny details are the ones that stand out: Roberts radios beside the beds, Wiberg’s Pine Essence by the baths. There’s still availability on New Year’s Eve.Two nights’ self-catering for 14 from £2,200 (northfarmdurham.com)

Sleeps 18Rescued from ruin, this grade II listed 19th-century manor in the West Midlands found a new lease of life as a TV location for Joan, starring Sophie Turner. When the crews aren’t filming, it opens its doors as a holiday hangout for 18. The interiors have drama: a galleried entrance hall with eight-metre ceilings, the confectionery-pale mint-and-pink drawing room, a deep oxblood sitting room that feels more contemporary members’ club than country house. Even the kitchen has a fresco of cherubs peering down at you. The grounds might look like a continuation of the formal with gravel underfoot, clipped planting and 21 acres of private parkland, but there’s a hot tub, barbecue and fire pit for the grown-ups and a trampoline and treehouse for the children. There’s still availability on New Year’s Eve.Two nights’ self-catering for 18 from £2,223 (coolstays.com)

Sleeps 12This wonky 17th-century townhouse in the middle of Chipping Norton is perfect for those weekending without a car. A bus from Kingham railway station goes almost to the front door. The house is quite the Tardis, unfolding with six bedrooms, three sitting rooms and a party dining room. Sloping floorboards, original shutters and servants’ bells preserve its timeworn character. The kitchen is made for sociable cooking and the larder is stocked with herbs, spices and condiments. Sourdough and local cheese are waiting on arrival and if you’re thirsty there’s a showstopping wine wall with bottles to buy. Seek out the pizza oven in the lovely garden. The brilliant MOR Bakery is opposite the house for morning flat whites and an unmissable bacon and maple syrup Canadian swirl.Two nights’ self-catering for 12 from £1,467 (airbnb.co.uk)

Sleeps 14 At the northern edge of the Cotswolds, Kiftsgate Court is a grand old country house with seven traditional bedrooms. Sticking closely to its 19th-century roots, fires blaze and four-posters stand to attention but it’s the five acres of romantic gardens that steal the show. Created by three green-fingered generations of women, they’re a horticultural wonderland of romantic planting, mature trees, water features and winding paths — and in May and June the famous Kiftsgate Rose fills the air with scent. The gardens open to the public for part of the week but guests have them to themselves outside visiting hours. Between strolls, the brave can take a dip in the 13.5m coldwater swimming pool. There’s still availability on New Year’s Eve for family celebrations only.Three nights’ self-catering for 14 from £3,500 (kiftsgate.co.uk)

Sleeps 16 Over the past decade Freddie and Nanna Brun have revived buildings on the family farm while investing in organic production, woodland restoration and wildlife habitats. The Walled Garden’s three cottages including the magical Potting Shed can be booked together, giving extended families and friends their own front doors around a shared garden. There’s an outdoor pool for summer months, a tennis court and acres of wildflower meadows and woodland to roam. The Peddars Way Roman road runs straight through the estate and the coast is 15 minutes away for beach walks. The cherry on the top is the on-site Old Store microbakery for a steady supply of honey-butter toast and miso-toffee cookies.Two nights’ self-catering for 16 from £3,178 (fringestate.co.uk).

Sleeps 12The Forest of Bowland has an excellent claim to fame: the Ordnance Survey officially declares it the “centre of the kingdom”, marking the middle of the British Isles. Laneside House sits right between the forest and the Yorkshire Dales National Park, with its excellent walking and cycling routes. This 17th-century grade II listed farmhouse is a retreat after all that fresh air. The six bedrooms have a monastic calm, with dark wood furniture against white walls and nothing to distract from the far-reaching views. The kitchen, with its wood-burning stove, is the natural gathering place. For a sprawled-out afternoon, there’s an oak-beamed sitting room with deep sofas, warm as toast. Books and board games are on hand if the weather turns. There’s still availability at Christmas and on New Year’s Eve.Two nights’ self-catering for 12 from £1,800 (lanesidehouse.co.uk)

Sleeps 24Winterbourne is the sort of country estate that makes you want to invite everyone you know. The journalist Geordie Greig and his wife Kathryn bought the 18th-century Strawberry Hill gothic rectory in 2018, transforming the main house, three cottages and outbuildings into an incredibly special retreat. Kathryn has not only filled every room with textiles, antiques and auction finds from Welsh blankets to Scottish dairy bowls, she has also commissioned pieces including a vast sculptural light by the artist Jess Wheeler. There’s substance behind the pretty interiors too. The wellness programme at Winterbourne spans personal training, Pilates, breathwork and Japanese ice baths. With 11 bedrooms across the cottages, the estate works equally well for a fitness-focused reset or a weekend with friends. There’s still availability at Christmas and on New Year’s Eve.Two nights’ self-catering for 24 from £9,500 (atwinterbourne.com)

Sleeps 14It’s impossible not to be drawn in by the stories. This amazing Cornish estate has had more than its share over the past 900 years, as home to three prime ministers: two William Pitts and William Wyndham Grenville. Boconnoc passed to the Fortescues in 1864 and in 2002 Anthony and his wife Elizabeth began the task of restoring its grade II listed main house and the seven-bedroom Stewardry. One daughter, Sarah, brought in charmingly peppy, contemporary interiors and the other, Clare, now oversees things with her husband, Phil. You’ll have the run of the place: 600 acres of parkland — spot the deer — a boating lake and, in spring, an outrageous display of rhododendrons and azaleas. There’s still availability on New Year’s Eve.Three nights’ self-catering for 14 from £3,435 (boconnoc.com)

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