Guide to best cottage rentals in the UK
Why not rent a cottage for your next holiday? These self-catering solutions enable you to have the freedom to eat and drink what you like and when you like, at a price that’s generally much lower than booking an all-inclusive holiday. One great thing about finding cottages to rent is that there’s an incredible range of different types of properties available including unique cottages, National Trust cottages, cottages and castles, farm, manor, and wilderness cottages.
Unique Cottages
A range of unique cottages are available, from very small ancient cottages to beautiful barn conversion with incredibly modern facilities. The key to unique cottages is that there are no other properties quite like them available. These types of properties can mainly be found in countries such as France and Italy but also in the U.K. Any area that has a long national history will probably have some beautiful unique properties. However, don’t expect that a unique cottage has to be old; there are also some newly built properties that have been selfdesigned and self-built, making them completely unique.
Holiday cottage in Clarbeston Road, Pembrokeshire
National Trust Cottages
National Trust cottages are cottages based in one of the National Trust areas in the U.K. The range of areas covered by the National Trust includes forests, beaches, downs, farmlands, islands, and moorlands, and you can very easily find a fantastic cottage in any of these areas. The National Trust relies completely on volunteers, so if you’ve booked a cottage in a National Trust area or find that there are excursions you could take to a site of national interest, why not take the opportunity to visit that too?
Holiday cottage in Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Cottages and Castles
For the ultimate romantic holiday, you could look into cottages and castles. Many castles have old coach houses or servant quarters that are rented out for holidaymakers, mainly in the U.K. and in France. However, it’s also sometimes possible to rent out an entire chateau or castle, mainly in France. This would be ideal if you’re going on a holiday with a large group of people, as these places generally have many bedrooms. You could even organise a themed party, for example, although you do need to check with the owners as to whether they agree to this first.
Holiday castle in Aberfoyle, Stirling
Farm Cottages
Farm cottages are also available across the world, but there are some great ones to be found in the U.K. Many farm cottages are pet friendly, meaning you could also bring your 4-legged friend on your holiday with you. Sometimes it’s possible to rent an entire farm, generally a non-working one, but very often the owners of working farms will have an extra property on their grounds that they’re happy to rent out. You may even be able to have your own fresh, free-range eggs every day.
Farm cottages often offer ecologically friendly packages, meaning that they run on sustainable technologies such as biomass boilers, solar panels, or wind turbines. The owners will generally encourage you to actively take part in recycling and focus on eco-tourism. On the other side of the coin, old farmhouses can be incredibly luxurious as well; it all depends on what type of property you’re looking for.
Holiday cottage in Paxford, Gloucestershire
Manor Cottages
Manor cottages are generally very old properties, either comprising an entire manor house or part thereof. You may be lucky and find a haunted property, so do ask the owners of the manor house about the history of the cottage that you’re renting. You could imagine yourself as lady and lord of the manor while being in one of these sumptuous properties. Again, an entire manor cottage generally sleeps a whole range of people, so it could be ideal for a larger party of friends or members of your family.
Manors were originally owned by the very rich and wealthy. A real manor is built out of natural stone and was initially built to show the standing on the social ladder of the occupants. Although a manor house need not be particularly big, in the days they were built they were probably the biggest type of property before castles. As manors needed to impress not just outside but also inside, the interior architecture and decor is incredibly intricate and built to show off. Generally, you’ll find impressive features such as enormous open fires and sometimes even a door within a door, which was, in medieval days, a real show of wealth and power.
