38 Large Houses to Rent UK

Set in 14 acres with the river running through the grounds, this big house to rent offers elegant accommodation for up to 20 people with the option of daily housekeeping and a variety of catering options.

Churchside Manor is a delight. Wearing its Victorian good looks with pride, it still makes space for more modern comforts such as a fabulous cinema room and a sheltered hot tub.

Carron Castle in the Kingdom of Fife is everything you imagine a Scottish castle to be - and more. It’s a magnificent, Scottish Baronial chateau, where full-length family portraits, crystal chandeliers and four-poster beds set the scene for a memorable country escape.

Cailean House, a handsome Scottish villa, sits high above Aberfeldy in the Tay Valley, with commanding views of the Scottish landscape as it sweeps towards the Highlands.

Overlooking the picturesque Lulworth Cove, sits the luxurious Lulworth House. This 10-bedroom thatched cottage is a stunning hideaway within the tranquil setting of a World Heritage Site.

Alamore Estate is a Victorian mansion that looks like a castle and feels like a fairy tale made real. Outside, it overlooks Loch Tummel and Schiehallion, an eminently climbable Munro. Inside, rich colours, bold patterns and sumptuous fabrics set the scene for an epic gathering.

If you like your manor houses classic, colourful and comfortable, Heathcote Manor is the one for you. A classic Georgian property in the romantic setting of Sherwood Forest, its mellow stone exterior and immaculate gardens set the bar high. Once you’re inside, it exceeds expectations.

Situated on the edge of the Regency spa town of Cheltenham in the Cotswolds, Crofton Lodge is a nine-bedroom dream home-from-home that has space for up to 24 guests and a private annexe for two that you can book separately.

On the shores of Lake Windermere and sheltered by majestic trees, Mereview Manor is a picture of stately Georgian symmetry. As Lake District properties go, this is among the very best – for location, for beauty and for supreme comfort for up 18 guests.

Two hot tubs, a night club and open plan space to mingle, Secret Sherwood has all the essential ingredients for spectacular celebrations. From hen parties and stag parties to weddings, birthdays and company bashes, this fabulous venue is the ultimate party house.

Whatever the occasion Longslade Hall rises to it. Gather all the generations for a family party, bring the girls for some pre-wedding zen time, or make it your base for an annual friends’ reunion. Behind the mellow Georgian façade, this is a house for having fun.

A grand country house made for entertaining. That’s Beckland Grange, designed by 19^th century architect Ewan Christian, whose other triumphs include Glyndebourne and the National Gallery. His gift to us is a 21^st century hideaway for bringing together friends, family or colleagues to celebrate, socialise and unwind.

If your picture of a Scottish hunting lodge includes ivy-clad stone walls, leather Chesterfields and a cosy piano bar, then Cromarty House will live up to your expectations. Throw in an outdoor hot tub, mirror TV and integrated music system, and ensuite bedrooms with rainfall showers, and you have all the ingredients for your perfect Highland gathering.

Set in four acres of land leading down to the shores of Loch Tay, this beautiful Victorian hunting lodge is as private as they come. Inside you can expect exposed beams, deep pile rugs along with all mod-cons.

With original Elizabethan and Georgian features, this handsome manor house has been carefully restored to provide every modern comfort you could wish for. As you enter the magnificent hallway, you know this is a special place to stay.

It’s rare to find a large, luxury holiday home with direct access to the beach on England’s south coast. And even rarer to find it in such an unspoilt location as this. The sea truly is the star at Sea Star, and you will find yourself gazing out to it from almost every room.

After driving through a sublimely picturesque 5,000-acre Lakeland estate, the sweep up a private drive brings you to Oldstone Hall, a handsome, 3-storey country house standing in its own 4-acre beauty spot.

For the true essence of Scotland, where the mountains and forests sweep down to Loch Lomond and yet Glasgow airport is under an hour away, make Loch Lomond House your Highland base. Soak up the views from the terrace before turning indoors to this welcoming sanctuary.

A stunning contemporary conversion of the original farm pig pens and dairy, The Paisley Pig is now a sociable space for 12 guests, with an array of modern comforts and entertaining diversions against a backdrop of thick stone walls and exposed timbers.

Colmers Rectory in Dorset is more a Bishop’s palace than a humble rectory, such is the scale and splendour of this Georgian gem. It evokes a bygone age while delivering on every essential for your luxury country break.

Gather your nearest and dearest and escape to Cailean Lodge in Highland Perthshire, where Scotland’s wild beauty is beamed into super-cool interiors though plentiful picture windows. As an intimate getaway, it’s perfect for a break with friends or family.

Deep in the Ceredigion countryside sits a stunning 13-acre estate surrounding a delightful, sprawling, stone and timber holiday home. The perfect setting for an intimate wedding, weekend party or corporate getaway, Mynach House sleeps up to 50 guests in three self-contained living areas and a separate farmhouse.

Wisteria House combines contemporary luxury with classic good looks. In the unspoilt countryside where Herefordshire meets Worcestershire, it’s a welcoming, wisteria-clad home where family and friends can enjoy each other’s company without fuss or ceremony. Oh, and there's a beautiful indoor heated swimming pool!

A stone’s throw from Southsea Beach in Hampshire, Galene House is an immaculately restored Edwardian villa with accommodation for 20 guests. Bring the family - children very welcome - or escape with friends for a luxury seaside break.

At the end of a mile-long private drive on the Herefordshire and Worcestershire borders, Blissfield House is a little piece of heaven. This gorgeous six-bed Medieval mansion, arranged around a courtyard with a separate four-bed cottage and an ancient barn, is perfect for a family getaway.

Garden Court is a stunning, historic property just outside the village of Bodenham in Herefordshire. Perfect for a celebration with friends and family, or an event for up to 60-100 guests (or more in a marquee).

What a spot! This Scottish retreat, on ‘Argyll’s Secret Coast’ benefits from large bay windows that frame glorious views of the Kyles of Bute. Many of the rooms are suffused with the extraordinary quality of light that has drawn artists and writers to the west coast of Scotland for centuries.

Welsh mountain air, lovely living spaces and perfect peace. The Barn at Mynach is a beautifully restored barn in the heart of the Ceredigion countryside. It accommodates up to 38 guests in three self-contained but interconnected duplex apartments, ideal for an extended family gathering or a group of families holidaying together.

Crunch up the gravel path, bordered by trim hedges and manicured lawns, and feel the tranquility envelop you as you arrive at Alvington Lodge. Glance back to the River Severn in the distance, before entering the calming interiors.

Sweep up the tree-lined driveway, loosen your bonnets and enter Madoc Manor, your temporary country residence chock full of charming Georgian details. This is a house that begs to be explored, with twists and turns and nooks and crannies leading you to a cosy snug here and a wood-panelled billiard room there.

George House, a handsome Edwardian town house for up to 12 guests, is just two minutes’ walk from the seafront at Southsea in Hampshire.

Stonemoor House is a sensitively restored, six-bedroom, Georgian home, set in an acre of ornamental gardens designed by Sir Joseph Paxton. Step into the entrance hall with its Victorian tiled floor, grand fireplace, bookcases and armchairs and the scene is set for a luxurious and relaxing holiday.

Apple Cabin is a big, rustic barn of a holiday home surrounded by 1.5 acres of outdoor space and hidden between the Quantocks and the Blackdown Hills in Somerset and Exmoor in Devon. This is the setting for a family holiday that might have fallen from the pages of a children’s adventure book.

Damson Barn pulls off the seemingly impossible with its marriage of space and cosiness, country charm and sharp style, traditional materials and modern comforts. Hidden among undulating green fields close to the Quantocks in Somerset, here you can gather up to 14 of your nearest and dearest for a carefree weekend.

If you love the great outdoors, Cairnloch Estate is for you. On the 800-acre organic farm estate, ospreys, tawny owls and red kites share the skies and you might spot wild hares, deer and red squirrels among the meadows and woodlands. If home comforts are just as important, step inside to a fire in the grate and thoughtfully decorated interiors.

Have you discovered Nottingham yet? This historic city is enjoying a renaissance as a vibrant hub, rich in culture, history and nightlife. And Wallis House, a fabulous townhouse with views of Nottingham Castle, is right at the heart of things.