Large Holiday Cottages in the Cotswolds & Gloucestershire

Why the Cotswolds work so well for a big group

Picture twenty of you round one long kitchen table in a converted barn, the wood burner crackling, frost on the countryside outside and nobody needing the car keys until Sunday. That's the appeal of a large holiday home in the Cotswolds, whatever the occasion. The hills spill across six counties (Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Somerset), yet the biggest slice of this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty sits right here.

It's easy to reach, too.

The M5 runs up the western side past Gloucester and Cheltenham, and the M4 skims the south. When half your family drives from Bristol and the rest from Birmingham or London, few places split the miles more fairly.

Large holiday cottages Cotswolds by area: where should your group stay?

Our group accommodation isn't spread evenly across the Cotswolds and the rest of Gloucestershire. It gathers in six pockets, each with a different feel.

North Cotswolds: Bourton-on-the-Water and Chipping Campden

This is postcard country, with the River Windrush running under low stone bridges, Stow-on-the-Wold on its hilltop and the picturesque weavers' cottages of Arlington Row in Bibury a short drive south. If you picture a Cotswold cottage, you're picturing this. Our North Cotswolds houses are barn conversions for eight, so a party of 16 simply books two. Bears Court Unit 5 and Bears Court Unit 6 sit side by side a couple of miles from the village, each with its own hot tub and games room.

Further north, Orchard House is a three-minute walk from the high street in Chipping Campden, and Huckleberry Barn, a pet friendly barn just north of the town, is around ten miles from Stratford-upon-Avon for a theatre night. Browse the big cottages around Bourton-on-the-Water for the rest.

The Five Valleys and the Cotswold edge

Steep wooded valleys fall away from the Cotswolds escarpment here, with long views west, and this is where the really big houses are. Flagstone House, a former pub, takes 21 in nine bedrooms, with a hot tub and a games room with a proper bar. Cotswold Escarpment Manor is for 16 and adds a cinema room, while Cotswold Valley Court Manor takes 17 and has an enclosed garden. All three welcome dogs. Walkers are spoilt, with Selsley Common, Painswick and Laurie Lee's Slad Valley close by.

See all the large houses around Stroud.

South of Cirencester and up to Lechlade

Below Cirencester, more than a hundred flooded gravel pits make up the Cotswold Water Park, which straddles the Wiltshire border. Several of our houses stand on Lower Mill Estate near Somerford Keynes, an idyllic private nature reserve where guests share a spa with an indoor pool, an outdoor one and a sauna. Plovers Nest (for 10) opens straight onto a lake, so it's the pick for a family whose children would rather swim than walk.

Shearwater Lake House, also for 10, has a private hot tub with views over the lake. Up near Lechlade, the Glass Pavillion is a luxury cottage for eight with a hot tub and sauna, and Lechlade House takes 12 in the middle of a small Thames-side town.

Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury

Want restaurants and a night out within a short taxi ride? Stay in the Vale, below the Cotswolds edge. The Lodge takes 16 in eight bedrooms, all on the ground floor, so it's a natural fit for grandparents or anyone who'd rather skip the stairs. Robinswood House is for 14 with a hot tub and a cinema room, and Apperley Cottage near Tewkesbury, close to the Worcestershire border, is a Grade II listed 17th-century house for 10 that takes dogs and has generous parking. Find more large holiday cottages near Gloucester.

Berkeley and the southern Vale

The Berkeley family have lived in their castle for almost 900 years, and two houses on the estate let a family reunion or big occasion spread across neighbouring roofs. Brook House at Berkeley Castle has nine bedrooms for 18 and Salt House beside it takes 14, so book both and there's room for 32. Both are pet friendly, too!

A few miles south, the Historic Farmhouse for 12 in Charfield has a hot tub, a pool, a games room and a garden, and Bath is under an hour's drive.

The Forest of Dean

Cross the Severn and the honey-coloured limestone of the Cotswolds gives way to oak woods, old mine workings and peaceful lanes. The Manor House near Lydney is the largest, with 18 guests in ten bedrooms, a hot tub, a pool and an enclosed garden. Paradise has six en-suite bedrooms for 12 and a dining table for 16, and there are more large houses around Coleford.

Near Huntley, Go Cart Barn, The Grain Dryer and Rusty Barn share one spot, each with a hot tub (Rusty Barn's looks out over open countryside), which gives you 35 beds across the three.

The biggest houses side by side

These are the twelve largest from our own Gloucestershire listings, and you can tap a column heading to sort them.

Which house suits which kind of group?

• A big birthday, anniversary or special occasion: Flagstone House for 21, with a bar in the games room, or both Berkeley houses for up to 32.
• Three generations together: The Lodge, all on the ground floor, or a holiday home on Lower Mill Estate with the pools on hand.
• Walkers with dogs: 32 of our 44 houses are pet friendly, and the Five Valleys manors are close to the commons.
• A hot tub weekend with friends: 17 houses have one, and our group cottages with hot tubs page covers the rest of the UK.
• Watching the budget: prices start from around £106 a night for the whole house, and the typical one here is around £272.

Planning a hen or stag celebration rather than a family get together? Read each listing's house rules first, as not every large holiday home here is a party house.

Days out in the Cotswolds for 10 to 20 people

Walk a stretch of the Cotswold Way

The Cotswold Way National Trail runs 102 miles along the edge from Chipping Campden to Bath. Leave a car at each end of a day's section. Then finish at a pub with a table booked.

Westonbirt in October

Maples blaze red and orange through October and early November at Westonbirt, The National Arboretum. Dogs are welcome in Silk Wood, though not in the Old Arboretum.

Race week in March

The Cheltenham Festival runs from 16 to 19 March 2027, and if the Gold Cup is the reason for your trip, book the house before you buy the tickets.

Puzzlewood and the Forest

Mossy gullies and twisting paths made Puzzlewood near Coleford a filming location for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Children love it, and so do most grown-ups.

Shorter trips:

• Birdland and the model village in Bourton
• Broadway Tower in Worcestershire, for views across the hills
• The Cotswold Wildlife Park near Burford in Oxfordshire
• Diddly Squat Farm Shop near Chipping Norton
• A tour and tasting at Three Choirs, a vineyard near Newent

When to go to the Cotswolds, and how early to book

Spring brings lambs and bluebells, and the villages are quieter than in summer. July and August suit the lakes and gardens, but the largest houses go months ahead for the school holidays. For Christmas or New Year in a house for 16 or more, book as early as you can.

Practical tips for a large group in the Cotswolds

• Count the cars. Paradise has parking for six and Apperley Cottage has room for several cars, but many Cotswolds village houses have less parking, so share lifts.
• Order the food shop for arrival. Villages such as Stow-on-the-Wold have small shops only, so a supermarket delivery saves trips.
• Book taxis home in advance. Rural cabs are scarce on a Saturday night, and a large group fills two.
• Check the dining table. "Sleeps 16" doesn't always mean 16 seats round one table.

Of all the large holiday cottages Cotswolds visitors ask us about, the hot tub houses in the Five Valleys and around Bourton go first, so check your dates early. Browse large holiday cottages across the UK, or compare regions in our UK destinations guide, such as large holiday cottages in Derbyshire and the Peak District.