Large Holiday Cottages in Shropshire

Large holiday cottages Shropshire: which area suits your party?

Shropshire is a quiet, rural county of rolling hills, picturesque villages and market towns. Most of our big houses are farms, barns and country houses out in the Shropshire countryside.

Craven Arms and the south Shropshire Hills

West of Craven Arms, Little Brampton Farmhouse takes 32 guests with 13 bathrooms, a hot tub, a sauna and a cinema room. A few miles north-east, The Old Farmhouse (14), The Milking Parlour (11) and Trooper's Barn (11) share one working farm, each with its own tub. That's 36 of you on one farm!

On a budget? Halford Big Barn takes 18 from around £157 a night, and Lower Dinchope Big Barn takes 15 from around £115. Browse 16 big houses around Craven Arms, a mile from Stokesay Castle.

Church Stretton and the Long Mynd

Walking groups, start here. Park at Carding Mill Valley and follow the trail up to Lightspout Waterfall, or climb on to Pole Bank on the Long Mynd. In countryside east of the town, Upper Home Farm (16) has a swimming pool and a games room, and The Olde Cow House (11) close by adds a hot tub. See all six houses near Church Stretton.

Ludlow

Book here for the food. The medieval market town has butchers, bakers and independent restaurants, and the food festival fills the castle every September. Stoke Court Farm Barn is a peaceful stone barn conversion for 14 with an enclosed garden. There are three big houses around Ludlow.

Towns, the Severn and the Welsh border

North of the hills, houses sit near towns and castles.

Shrewsbury and Attingham

Timber-framed streets, riverside pubs and the Quarry park make this the town for a hen or stag weekend. Shrawardine House (16) is two cottages side by side, each with a hot tub, and Cronkhill Farmhouse (14) sits on the Attingham estate. Browse ten big houses near Shrewsbury.

Ironbridge and Bridgnorth

On Dinney Farm above the River Severn, The Rookery takes 20 and Kingfisher Cottage next door takes 14. The Industrial Revolution's history is on the doorstep, from the Iron Bridge to the Severn Valley Railway out of Bridgnorth. See our big houses near Ironbridge.

The Welsh border

Nineteen houses sit around Oswestry, the most in Shropshire. Brookside Manor House near Chirk takes 30 with a pool, a sauna and a tub, and Gaer Hall (16) is one of five more near Welshpool.

North Shropshire

Flat countryside, meres and canals suit a gentle break. Rosehill Manor near Market Drayton takes 22 with facilities to match, from a pool to a hot tub and a games room. Willington Lodge, a Georgian house west of Whitchurch, takes 23.

The biggest houses in Shropshire

Hot tubs, pools and space for pets

Of our 85 properties, 33 take 12 or more guests, and these are the facilities to filter for.

• 40 with a hot tub, plus our group cottages with hot tubs across the UK
• 54 dog friendly cottages and 32 with an enclosed garden
• Nine with a pool, 29 with a games room and 36 with a wood burner

Which houses suit a celebration?

Whatever the celebration or occasion, group accommodation works best when everyone fits round one dining table.

• Big birthdays and wedding parties: Little Brampton and Brookside Manor House put 30 or more under one roof
• A family reunion: farms with houses side by side give a multi-generational family a quiet corner each, a big kitchen and a garden for a BBQ
• Friends on a budget: the spacious barns near Craven Arms

Days out and attractions for a crowd

• Stokesay Castle, a medieval fortified manor house run by English Heritage
• Blists Hill Victorian Town, one of ten museums in the gorge, with a Victorian pub and a fair
• The National Trust estates at Attingham Park, Powis Castle and Chirk Castle
• The Stiperstones, a rocky ridge walk near Bishop's Castle with views into Wales

Getting there and getting about

The M54 runs from the M6 past Telford, and the A49 runs south through the hills. Trains on the line to Hereford stop at Church Stretton, Craven Arms and Ludlow. Taxis are scarce, so pick a country pub you can walk back from.

When to go

Spring lambs and long evenings suit walkers, and August brings the Shrewsbury Flower Show. Winter is quieter and cheaper.

What does a big Shropshire holiday cottage cost?

Prices start from around £65 a night for the smaller self catering houses, and the middle of the range is about £168 a night. Split 14 ways, large holiday cottages Shropshire wide often cost less per head than a pub with rooms, though a luxury holiday cottage with a pool costs more. See our UK destinations guide or all our big group holiday homes.

Tips for booking a big house

• Count the cars. Hill lanes are narrow, so share lifts and check the parking.
• Bring boots. Paths on the Shropshire Hills get muddy from autumn to spring.