Is this Britain’s best holiday cottage for families with young children?
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a British family in possession of a bit of spare time and cash must be in want of a weekend break.
But where should they go?
Whether for a big group celebration or a mid-term escape en famille, the tens of thousands of choices are overwhelming. And what constitutes “the perfect cottage house for families”, anyhow?
There are lots of thoughtfully designed properties on the higher end of the market that cater beautifully to groups with young children. On a hill overlooking the sea in St Mawes you’ll find the stunning Penolva, which sleeps eight and where you’ll find dressing up outfits in the children’s closets and myriad rockpools to explore. At The Freeth, in Herefordshire, there’s a giant playroom tucked away upstairs for children to have hours of fun. The Wow House Company offers plenty of piles, from baronial to bling, which would suit a big birthday or any other showy event.
Location helps, certainly, but if it's Britain, there will be some sort of weather niggle during your stay. So the interior matters, too.
What do families want?
Children are more pragmatic than their parents; it was a humble door knocker that caught the fancy of my children on a recent trip to the Cotswolds. They breezed with their cousin and some young friends through mature gardens, down a tunnel of climbing pear trees, even around a beautifully designed pool house, to focus on a knocker - the sort you can buy for about £7 at B&Q.
Great design, of course, is all down to placement; this knocker was on a small door that led to a Potter-style hideaway under the staircase at the heart of Weir House, a five-bedroom stone cottage that is the largest of a dozen units housed in 19th century stables, cottages and farm buildings just south-east of Chipping Norton.
We had come for my 40th birthday - an escape with family and friends to celebrate, and while I was looking forward to leisurely meals and country walks, my children wanted to play from dawn till dusk with their dog and the young people that matter most to them. A friend had recommended Bruern as England’s most family-friendly cottages, a claim I found worthy of investigation.
Bruern Cottages
This stunning collection of cottages in the heart of the name-dropping Cotswolds would be easy to parody (Daylesford and Soho Farmhouse are within minutes; the owners are Astors) if it weren’t so finely crafted. From the mature gardens to the on-site playground, Wendy house, tasteful pool, and miles of countryside surrounding you, this is an oasis for young families (ages 2-8 will get the most out of the facilities, though there is a fun games room and DVD collection for older kids, too).
Cottages, especially the largest - Weir - have unprecious children’s play areas filled with fancy dress, doll’s houses and a much-loved old rocking horse, plus great interior design for their parents (it’s all Colefax & Fowler, White Company, Sanderson and Fired Earth), Elemis products in the bathrooms, and plenty of scope for catering and spa treatments if your party is in the mood to celebrate.
For us, this was the perfect spot to celebrate a big birthday: the cottages are so well spread out, and the outdoor playspace for children so well landscaped, that one adult could supervise a large Wendy House expedition while other adults slept in, or read books.
Unlike most family-focused cottage collections, the wealth of entertainment for children does not dominate the properties - this is not like booking a stay in a soft-play room - so adults will find plenty of space to relax, too.
You could go as a couple with a child and stay in the smallest cottage, but the campus accommodates up to 62 and would be a smashing place to take over as a giant group.
Bruern Cottages (bruern-holiday-cottages.co.uk) has two-night stays in a two-bedroom cottage sleeping four from £1,294.
