Villas in England

• What a villa means here: In England the word signals a large, high-spec house rather than a Mediterranean poolside retreat, so expect converted barns, rectories and coastal properties with room to spread out.
• Space and privacy first: Enclosed gardens, hot tubs, wood burners and farmhouse kitchens are the features guests mention most, which suits families and couples travelling together.
• Every corner of the country: From Cornwall and the Cotswolds to the Lake District, Yorkshire and the Norfolk coast, each region gives a very different holiday.
• Eating out is a highlight: England's best-rated kitchens are scattered nationwide, from Padstow and Marlow to York, Ambleside and Norwich.
• Plenty to fill the days: Coast paths, fells, ancient stone circles, the Broads and historic cities are all within a few hours' drive of one another.

In England, villa is really shorthand for the larger, higher-spec end of the self-catering market rather than a Mediterranean pool house. Expect converted barns, Georgian rectories, coastal houses and country retreats sleeping eight or more, usually with an enclosed garden and generous living space. If you want something smaller or more traditional, the same destinations also offer classic cottages and luxury rentals. Most of the houses listed here share a familiar set of features:

• Enclosed gardens, terraces and outdoor dining space
• Hot tubs, and occasionally a heated indoor pool at villas with a pool
• Wood burners or open fires for autumn and winter stays
• Farmhouse kitchens with a table that seats the whole group
• Reliable Wi-Fi, off-road parking and, at many houses, a dog-friendly policy

Together these turn a rental into a base the whole group can genuinely settle into.

What are the best areas to stay in England?

For sheer choice, the South West is hard to beat, and villas in Devon put both Dartmoor and two coastlines within a short drive. The table below details regions for specific interests:

What do our guests say?

Guests who rate large English holiday houses most highly tend to praise the same handful of things: space, privacy and a proper welcome. Because England has very little stock listed as villa, the filter has been relaxed and the best-rated larger houses across the country are shown below.

1. Rookley Farm Lodge - 10.0+: Large detached holiday house for ten on the Isle of Wight, with a private pool, garden and parking in a quiet rural setting.
2. Water Edge House & Boathouse - 9.9+: Riverside house sleeping ten at Dittisham in South Devon, with a pool, garden and its own boathouse looking over the Dart.
3. Heath Farm Holiday Cottages - 9.8+: Converted stone farm buildings in the Cotswolds sleeping eighteen, with a hot tub, lake views and extensive grounds for large family gatherings.

England fills the southern and central two-thirds of Great Britain, bordered by Wales and Scotland and ringed by the North Sea, the English Channel and the Atlantic.

🥗Where to eat in England?

According to Google Maps data and reviews, Skosh is the best rated restaurant in England. Below is a table showing the top 5 highly-rated restaurants hand-picked by our travel experts.

⭐Our guests' recommendation: Our guest traveller Charlotte recommends the Salt Room in England: a seafront table in Brighton, barbecued Cornish monkfish and a slow sunset over the water, easy to book for two or for the whole family.

1. Walk the South West Coast Path
2. Climb a Lakeland fell
3. Stand among ancient stone circles
4. Wander the Cotswold villages
5. Cross the Yorkshire Dales and Moors
6. Sail the Norfolk Broads
7. Spend a day in a historic city

1. Walk the South West Coast Path

   Britain's longest waymarked trail runs 630 miles from Minehead round to Poole, and you do not need to walk all of it. Pick a single day section instead: the cliffs between St Agnes and Chapel Porth in Cornwall, the smugglers' coves near Lulworth on the Jurassic Coast, or the long sands at Woolacombe in North Devon. Most stretches end at a village with a pub, and a good number are reachable on foot from a holiday house.

2. Climb a Lakeland fell

   The Lake District packs England's highest ground into a compact corner of Cumbria. Scafell Pike at 978 metres is the summit everyone knows, but Catbells above Derwentwater and Loughrigg near Ambleside give the same lake-and-mountain views for a fraction of the effort. Afterwards, Keswick, Grasmere and Ambleside all have tearooms and inns built for muddy boots. Take waterproofs whatever the forecast says, and start early in the summer months.

3. Stand among ancient stone circles

   England's prehistoric monuments are older than almost anything else you can visit here. Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain is the famous one, but nearby Avebury lets you walk right between the stones with a village pub inside the circle. Further west, Cornwall has the curious holed stone of Mên-an-Tol, and the Stanton Drew circles sit quietly in a Somerset field. Combine two or three on a single day out from a base in the South West.

4. Wander the Cotswold villages

   An hour or two west of London, the Cotswolds deliver the English countryside of postcards: limestone cottages, dry stone walls and market squares. Base yourself near Stow-on-the-Wold or Painswick and drive between Bibury, Bourton-on-the-Water and Broadway, or link them on foot along the Cotswold Way. Antique shops, farm shops and gastropubs make it an easy region for a group with mixed energy levels, and it works just as well in autumn.

5. Cross the Yorkshire Dales and Moors

   Northern England's two great national parks sit within an hour of each other. In the Yorkshire Dales, limestone terraces above Malham and the viaduct at Ribblehead are the set pieces; on the North York Moors, it is heather, steam trains and the abbey ruins above Whitby. Both are dotted with stone villages and long-standing inns. If the weather turns, York's Minster and Shambles are a short drive from either park.

6. Sail the Norfolk Broads

   The Broads are a network of shallow lakes and rivers stretching across Norfolk and into Suffolk, and the easiest way to see them is from the water. Day boats leave from Wroxham, Potter Heigham and Horning, and no experience is needed. Expect windmills, reed beds and a great deal of birdlife, including marsh harriers and, in winter, huge flocks of geese. Pair it with a day on the wide beaches at Holkham or Wells-next-the-Sea.

7. Spend a day in a historic city

   Wherever you stay, a proper city is rarely far away. Bath has its Roman baths and Georgian crescents, York its medieval walls and Viking history, and Bristol a harbourside of galleries, street art and independent restaurants. Further north, Durham and Chester reward a slow wander. A single day trip breaks up a week of walking or beaches nicely, especially with older children or on a wet afternoon.