24 Unusual & Quirky Large Holiday Houses To Rent

Seamlessly blending old Cotswold charm with contemporary elegance. A characterful Manor, a modern Barn and three additional quirky buildings make up this wonderful Estate; one of our favourite large houses to rent.

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.

Surrounded by 30 acres of natural beauty in the heart of the Peak District, High Peak Manor is a manor house that thinks it’s a castle. Mellow Derbyshire sandstone walls are the backdrop to luxurious living spaces, where light suffuses through stained-glass coats of arms on stone mullion windows, and rich furnishings wrap you in a warm glow.

This truly luxurious property has been dubbed ‘Britain’s coolest party pad' by the Sunday Times. Includes a private hot tub, games room and wonderful gardens.

Riverbank Inn is a thatched south Devon pub that has been sensitively converted into a unique country retreat which is particularly well suited for large groups. Sleeping up to 29 guests, it retains its welcoming air, along with a fully functioning bar, a large dance floor/socialising area, a plethora of traditional pub games and a nature-rich, two-acre garden on the banks of the river.

If you have an idea in your mind of the perfect Cotswold manor house, all mellow honeyed stone, deep fireplaces and formal gardens, it won’t be far different from The Manor at Windrush. 700 years have gone into the making of this stunning and luxurious country escape and it shows in every little detail.

Waterside near Chichester is a cool eco-retreat with a laid-back California vibe. Featured on Grand Designs, this silver timber-clad hideaway is set in 1.5 acres of artfully landscaped grounds, inviting you to relax and enjoy its serenity.

This is the place for lazing around with friends or family, in a gorgeous restored thatched roof cottage. This quintessential English farmhouse has fabulous views of both countryside and a lake.

When Dick Whittington set off for London, this gorgeous country house in Gloucestershire was reputedly the childhood home he was leaving. Now available for exclusive use for up to 24 guests, contemporary comforts bring the story right up to date. 

Horseshoe House, just outside the beautiful city of Bath, is a house for celebrations. In a previous life it was a welcoming pub and now it has been restored above and beyond its former glory.

On a forest-clad mountain in the West of Scotland, Glenlochan has the most amazing views. Full-length windows, bifold doors and a terrace sweeping the length of the house are designed to make the most of them. Its upside-down design and modern glamour echo the set of a James Bond film.

Smart, modern…and fun! If you’re looking for a luxury pad for you and your besties, a happy hideaway to treat your family, or a business bolthole, Whitestones in Hertfordshire is just the place.

Dip your head as you enter beneath ancient beams and low ceilings, run your hand along the exposed Welsh stone walls, and warm yourself in the glow the log burner. This cottage may be cosy but it has room for up to 16 guests in seven luxury ensuite bedrooms.

If your idea of the perfect Welsh cottage is old oak beams, solid stone walls and home-from-home comforts, you’ll love The Wholehouse. Especially as it has a host of additional delights, including its setting in the Dark Sky Reserve of the Brecon Beacons.

Barlemoor House is full of happy contradictions. A large manor, cosy as a cottage. A traditional country house, newly built with all mod cons. A moorland hideaway, close to the bustling North Devon coast.

Utterly delightful. No other words will do. Merbach Hill House is a dream hideaway in the beautiful Wye Valley, close to the border of England and Wales.

Hidden in a Lakeland idyll with far-reaching views, it’s a surprise to find that Beckstone is just a walk away from the bustling lakeside town of Bowness. 

Reconnect with those you love in a place that connects you all with the real world of nature. Greenmarsh Farm, on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, is warm and welcoming, colourful and cosy – and surrounded by a beautiful 3,300-acre National Nature Reserve.

As you head into the beautiful Suffolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, you are hoping for a property that lives up to its surroundings. And The Priory doesn’t disappoint. Cathedral-like vaulted ceilings and tracery windows are the backdrop to a style and elegance lifted straight from the pages of Country Life magazine.

A stunning 14th century manor house that has been exquisitely decorated and furnished, set in the heart of the Kentish countryside.

In an area that is steeped in English history, this is the perfect base from which to explore the area while experiencing the joys of living in a house that has been part of that history over the years.