The coolest group houses to book for autumn

Ready to embrace cosy season? Rosalyn Wikeley rounds up the best country and coastal boltholes in the UK to visit with your crew
From Sussex to Scotland, the UK has plenty of stunning houses to hunker down in with friends
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Rosalyn Wikeley21 August 2023

As our woefully wet summer comes to its end, and the days begin to get a little shorter, crisper and more cosy, autumnal shenanigans beckon. There is something wonderfully British about piling into a rustic country house, welly boots left by the front door, days filled with walks, roasts and board games, and evenings ritualised with pre-dinner drinks then hours of gossip and gorging around a fire.

Whether you’re looking for a spruced-up Georgian rectory, a dramatic Scottish castlette or a pared-down pad overlooking the sea for your autumn getaway, these are the best group houses to book now.

The Farmhouse, Middleton Lodge, Yorkshire

The Farmhouse is a chalky, light-filled nod to the countryside
Gasp Photo Co.

Autumn casts a particular spell over Yorkshire, where a thick morning mist, collecting on the Dales gives way to a painter’s palette of burgundy, scarlet and ochre. The countryside is a profusion of blackberries, sloes and crab apples, all fat on summer and ready for the pot. It’s here, in God’s Own Country that Georgian country estate, Middleton Lodge sits in walled gardens, with its revamped cottages and barns.

The Farmhouse is positioned right next to the Forge restaurant and Forest spa and is a chalky, light-filled nod to the countryside. Think cream linen curtains, a flagstone hall filled with tweed, and a long farmhouse table lit by fisherman’s lanterns, where you can enjoy drawn out best-of-Yorkshire breakfasts. A log burner keeps things toasty on cooler evenings and a creamy, grey sitting room lends itself perfectly to board games and red wine.

Long romps through the Yorkshire countryside are rewarded with warm baths in the standalone tubs and, while lunches and suppers can be cooked in the kitchen, guests can also opt to saunter over to the Coach House. Fare includes hearty estate-led breakfasts, imaginative plates of torched mackerel with cucumber ketchup, and pork belly with chorizo and gooseberry cream.

Book: Farmhouse starts at £1,100.00 per night (sleeps 12 adults, 2 children), middletonlodge.co.uk

Barsham Barns, West Barsham Estate, Norfolk

Breathtaking views and plentiful entertaining space make Barsham Barns ideal for groups
Barsham Barns

Make a break for north Norfolk’s vast, moody skies and endless golden fields with a trip to West Barsham Estate. It has been farmed by three-generations of Winston Churchill’s relatives, who conveniently include the distinguished interior designer Flora Soames. Folded into 2,500 acres of groomed wheat and barley fields, meadows and dense woodland is a clutch of historic barns – all artfully respun into stylish holiday stays with Soames distinctly bold and botanical prints.

Of these, The Great East (a reimagined granary) lends itself best to large groups, with enormous tables for both indoor and outdoor entertaining – the latter with amazing bucolic views – and outrageously comfortable bedrooms sleeping up to 14. Standalone bathtubs are framed by thick, rose-hued curtains, beds by playful patterned lampshades, and a modish farmhouse-style kitchen is crisscrossed by original timber beams above.

Weekends here are all about clearing the lungs on walks through the marshes, unwinding with a gin and tonic by a spitting fire and hopping between the postcard-pretty villages dotting the area (when not cooking up a feast back at Barsham).

Book: Great East from £2,650 (sleeps up to 14), barshambarns.co.uk

The Old Rectory, Northumberland

The Old Rectory is a six-bedroom country house, stylishly reworked by Emily Smoor
Susie Lowe Studio

The most handsome property in a remote Northumbrian-Cumrbian hamlet tracing the banks of the south Tyne River, The Old Rectory is a six-bedroom country house with serious design caché. Behind its tastefully reworked aesthetic is Edinburgh-based Emily Smoor of Fantoush, whose restrained eclecticism and fresh take on heritage shades is beguiling to say the least. Antique trinkets, woven chairs and statement lamps are part of a soft, cosy picture, where rich velvets and imposing period features are offset with subdued, earthy walls and a dash of modernist geometry.

With its boutique hotel good looks and sense of immense privacy, it’s hardly surprising that eminent Restauranteur Nick Parkinson and local Head Chef Connor Wilson (at the helm of neighbouring foodie-forward Kirkstyle Inn) are behind the Georgian beauty, which has just had a top-to-toe refurb. Guests can order farm breakfasts and home-cooked meals, as well as leaning into the concierge-style list of activities in the wild Northumberland-Cumbria border (shoots, fishing, whisky tastings etc).

Book: 3 nights from £3,325 at The Old Rectory (sleeps 12), crabtreeandcrabtree.com

Casa Blanca, Camber, East Sussex

Enjoy sundowners on the deck at Casa Blanca
Casa Blanca, Camber

For Nantucket-meets-East Sussex, head to Casa Blanca in Camber. The white-washed, light-filled refuge is the perfect place to inhale the salty sea air. Tipping right onto Camber Foreshore (one of the South’s most glorious stretches of buttermilk beach), the house sleeps up to 12, with two in the library, and days are pinned around a vast oak table for drawn-out feasts with the whole gang.

Highlights include a swishy Range Master oven to cook up a storm in, Sonos surround sound to fully set the mood for an autumnal seaside break, and a hot tub overlooking the beach. The sitting room’s creamy linen sofas and wicker wall accents remain permanently in the grip of that pure, beachy sunlight, while the New England-style deck is a convivial spot for sundowners, barbecues and stargazing from he sunloungers - there’s even a wooden swing suspended from the building.

Guests can meander down to the beach with Casa Blanca’s own paddleboards, and kids are well catered for here with a high chair, stair gates and other tot paraphernalia (as are dogs).

Book: From £3,840 for 3 nights at Casa Blanca (sleeps 10 with a great children’s room), airbnb.co.uk

Eden Hall Cottage, Norfolk

Eden Hall

A glorious five-minute walk from those wide, sweeping Norfolk beaches and in the thickets of the broads (think National Trust properties, ancient woodlands and the arty-foodie Gunton Arms), Eden Hall cottage is an immaculately designed stay, honouring British craftsmanship and stylish (not stuffy) period features. It’s all antique brass, inky wood panelling and cast iron, though through a more modern lens. Think: a Rowe instant hot tap, underfloor heating and reach-every-crevice power showers.

Pushing its period good looks into a modern era of comfort is what gives Eden Hall Cottage an edge over other stays – there’s nothing zeitgeisty or modish at play, it’s a tasteful, heritage-driven refresh with all the luxe details you’d expect from a swanky London home.

Bag the rather striking Boat Yard room if you can - especially if you’re footing the bill - with its king-size four poster bed and enormous free-standng cast iron bath against a moody shiplap panelling canvas.

Book: Prices from £1,400 for one week or at 75% of the price for a three-night weekend stay at Eden Hall (sleeps 10), edenhallnorfolk.co.uk

Atlanta Trevone, Cornwall

Atlanta is in one of the most stunning positions on the Cornish coast
Alex Collins

Once The Pig moved into Harlyn Bay, its previous owners scooted down the Cornish coast to Trevone Bay, where they chiselled out the tired innards of Victorian terraces gazing out to sea. The result was something to write home about – a collection of five design-forward home-from-homes with smart Neptune kitchens, cosy, creamy sitting rooms and Victorian roll top baths. Despite the spot-on aesthetics, they team has set an unpretentious tone – the kick-off-your-wellies and sink into the sofa after a cobweb-clearing walk along the Cornish cliffs kind, where children can easily be folded into the mix.

Big groups should book Atlanta House, where Victorian ceilings, open fireplaces and period features have all been pulled into the 21st century - with entertaining in mind. An open-plan kitchen makes cooking, chatting and casual breakfasts a breeze, while sunny mornings or generously balmy autumnal evenings can spill out on the private courtyard and front terrace. Don’t forget to take Atlanta’s own box of smores to roast over the firepit.

Padstow’s warren of gastro pubs and seafood haunts is a quick drive away, though ask in advance, and Atlanta Trevone can conjure up delicious rye-toast and Cornish bacon breakfast hampers, or organise chefs to take care of the evening menus so you can make the most of those chilli peppers sunsets.

Book: Atlanta House from £2,000 per week (sleeping 10), atlantatrevonebay.com

Argyll Castle, North West Scotland

Expect a dram, dinner and dancing on your first night at Argyll Castle
Kip Hideaways

Fancy playing the Scottish Laird? Head north of the wall with your crew to Scotland’s wild Northwest coast, and drop your weekend nags in Argyll Castle’s flagstone hall. While compact, it still packs a historic punch with wood burners, standalone bathtubs and stag heads lining the walls, while four poster beds crown rooms respun within the old stone walls. Original floorboards are warmed with merlot-hued rugs and crisp sheets fit for Scottish kings are layered on with sheepskins. Enjoy long breakfasts under the castle’s original gnarled beams, or cosy up around the outdoor table surrounded by the speckled brown, burgundy and deep green dramatic landscape. Guests are welcomed with a wee dram and dinner on the first night, which tends to end in a bout of Scottish Reeling or a whisky-fuelled knees up in the castle hall.

Sleeping ten, with five cosy-to-grand bedrooms, the Argyll Castle is not only child and dog friendly, but, unusually for remote Scottish rentals, has an on-call chef who can whip up candle-lit suppers or take to the barbecue for stress-free al fresco evenings.

Book: Argyll Castle via Kip Hideaways from £1,000 per night (sleeps 10), kiphideaways.com

Orchard House, Devon

A wonderful pub, restaurant and wine tasting are just a stroll away from Orchard House
Kip Hideaways

Where better to head to in autumn than a south west vineyard? Sitting amongst acres of vines on Devon’s Sandridge Barton Estate, Orchard House is a pitch-perfect period stay. It’s the genteel bolthole – mirroring the character of a posh country pub in the dining room, with contemporary accents: suspended Scandi lamps and woven wall plates, while a top-drawer restaurant, pub and wine tasting are an easy stroll away. Gastronomes will be in their element with on-site restaurant Circa, and a fresh, Daylesford-esque outdoor area providing ample space to enjoy home-cooked food, or just to soak in that glorious coastal light.

Salty air wafts in from the nearby beaches (an easy ten minute drive away, wicker bags in tow), and on crisp, cooler autumnal evenings, guests can cosy up in the sitting room as the log burner rages. Enjoy tense games of Monopoly or Nerts accompanied by the estate’s own wine.

Book: Orchard House via Kip Hideways from £278 per night (sleeps 8), kiphideaways.com

The Park House, Somerset

Nestled in parkland and countryside, The Park House is the perfect bolthole for big groups
Tor Harrison

Those hunting down the quintessential country home – not a sprawling estate, nor a spruced-up cottage, but a home-from-home tucked into acres of rolling parkland – should check the whole squad into Park House in Somerset. Sleeping 16, this grade II listed home appears to have sprung from a Jane Austin novel, with its mottled, buttery facade and mullioned windows - though inside lies a different story. Rooms are country-fresh, some veering more towards classic (original floorboards, elegant sofas and mahogany sleigh beds), and others, such as the open-plan kitchen and dining room, feeling perfectly modern and full of light. The wood-fired hot tub is a lovely touch for those cool, autumnal evenings and the wraparound gardens guarantee a level of privacy you’d hope for in a rural getaway.

Guests are encouraged to welly boot up and explore the surrounding parkland and countryside, plucking pears and plums from the orchards as they go, or sauntering home smugly with tubs of wild blackberries from the hedgerows.

Book: The Park House from £490 per night (sleeps 16), sandandstoneescapes.com

Sawcliffe Manor, Lincolnshire

This colourful home is set in a 400-acre nature reserve
Sawcliffe Manor

Too often overlooked for Norfolk or Yorkshire, lovely Lincolnshire may be flat (even featureless in places) but it’s certainly not short on grand houses. One of them, Sawcliffe Manor, lies in a particularly beautiful corner of the agricultural county, an 11th-century beauty sleeping up to 24, with an edge for wellness enthusiasts. Groups can hole up here for long weekends of balance, read: wine-fuelled dinners and hangovers offset by a natural spa and milk bath treatments in a copper tub.

Having remained in the Elwes family for over 500 years, Sawcliffe packs all the eccentricities and characterful corners of a historic English home — from Jana the housekeeper’s sessions on how to make a felt egg hat, to Reg the groundskeeper’s wild foraging trips, or romps into the surrounding countryside to find the estate’s wild Exmoor ponies.

Rooms filled with mahogany four poster beds, giant, heritage-style bath tubs and cosy window seats make for the perfect party weekend pad.

Book: Sawcliffe Manor from £1,500 per night on a bed and breakfast basis (sleeps 24), sawcliffemanor.com

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