Large Holiday Cottages in Somerset for Groups of 8 to 18

Large holiday cottages Somerset: which area suits your group?

Somerset packs a lot into one county. Moorland runs down to the sea in the west, the Mendip Hills hold Cheddar Gorge, the flat Somerset Levels spread out below Glastonbury Tor, and the south is golden hamstone countryside rolling up to the Devon border. Choosing between holiday cottages in Somerset is mostly about choosing the scenery and the location, because with the M5 down the middle, nowhere is far from the motorway.

Minehead and the Exmoor coast

The pick for walkers and dog owners. Exmoor National Park comes right down to the sea here, with views across the water to Wales from the hill paths, Dunster's castle a few miles inland and Porlock tucked under the hills to the west. Lanes are steep and narrow, so parking for several cars matters.

• The Old Manor: room for 12, with a sauna
• West Wing and Selworthy: 12 and 11, both with a pool

Browse all nine of our big group houses around Minehead.

Cheddar, the Mendips and Weston

The Mendips suit a party that wants a bit of everything: the gorge, Wookey Hole, the sands at Weston and Brean, and Bath for a day out. The hilltops give long views over the Levels, and it's the easiest base to reach when friends and family are driving in from different ends of the country.

• The Big Old Dairy: sleeps 16, with a hot tub, sauna and games room
• The Stables: for 10, under a mile from the gorge

Compare our houses for groups in Cheddar with the five around Weston-super-Mare.

The Levels and the cathedral city

Big skies, willow-lined rhynes and cider orchards. The Tor rises out of the moors like an island, and on winter evenings huge flocks of starlings swirl over the Avalon Marshes before they roost. It's flat, peaceful countryside for walking and cycling, and the houses tend to come with big gardens.

• Crickledown: sleeps 14 near Langport, with a hot tub
• Trident Funhouse: sleeps 12 near the Tor, with a hot tub and games room
• Dronefield Lodge: for 11 by Somerton, with a hot tub

For England's smallest city, see our group houses in Wells, where Rock House sleeps 8 right in the centre.

The county town and the Quantocks

Somerset's county town sits on the M5 with fast trains to London, which makes it the simplest meeting point for a scattered family and a handy base for a reunion or a celebration. Just north, the Quantock Hills were England's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with red deer, beech woods and ridge walks. Our biggest house here takes 16 and has a hot tub, a pool and a games room.

Chard, Ilminster and the Blackdown Hills

The south has the biggest houses on our list and the quietest lanes. It's hamstone country, with honey-coloured barns, long countryside views, the National Trust estate at Montacute close by and the Jurassic Coast at Lyme Regis about half an hour's drive away, a fine location for a quiet retreat. A few houses share estate land near Ilminster, which is worth asking about if you need two places side by side.

• Woodhayne Farm: sleeps 18 on the Devon border, with a hot tub
• Quietreach Cottage and The Dairy House: 16 each
• King Ina's Palace: sleeps 9 at South Petherton, with a hot tub

See all of our large houses around Chard and Ilminster.

Matching the house to the party

• A family celebration with grandparents: the county town or the Levels, flat and close to the motorway. Look for a spacious farmhouse with a kitchen table that seats everyone together.
• Friends on a night out: the Mendips, with Bath and Bristol close by.
• A luxury hen or birthday celebration: look for a sauna, hot tub and games room, as at The Big Old Dairy.
• Walkers and dog owners: the moorland edge near Minehead, with hills, views and sand from the door.
• A quiet countryside retreat: south Somerset, where the lanes empty out and the biggest houses sit.
• Young families: Weston and Burnham-on-Sea for the sands, or any of the 13 houses with an enclosed garden.

The biggest houses in Somerset

Ten of our holiday homes in Somerset sleep 12 or more, and five take 16 or more. All ten welcome dogs.

What are the big houses in Somerset like?

Most luxury holiday cottages in Somerset at this size are converted farmhouses, barns, lodges and estate houses rather than seaside villas. Hot tubs are common, but wood burners are even more so: 21 of the 39 have one, which counts on a wet February weekend. Nine of the ten biggest have at least one bathroom for every two bedrooms, which matters more than anything at 8am.

• 32 are dog friendly cottages in Somerset
• 13 have an enclosed garden
• 6 have a swimming pool, so ask if you need an indoor pool
• 10 have a games room
• 11 are close to a beach

The cheapest large holiday cottages Somerset has on our books start from around £80 a night, and the middle of the range is about £264. Split ten ways, that's roughly £26 each.

Days out that work for a big group

Cheddar Gorge and Wookey Hole

England's largest gorge is nearly 400 feet deep and three miles long. Walk the clifftop path on the National Trust side of the gorge, then head underground in the show caves at the bottom, or save Wookey Hole, a few miles east, for a wet day.

Moorland walks and a steam train

Dunkery Beacon, at 519 metres the highest point in Somerset, is a short climb from the road, and on a clear day its views reach across to Wales. Tarr Steps, a 17-span stone clapper bridge over the River Barle, makes a gentle riverside stroll for the whole family. For three generations at once, the West Somerset Railway runs 20 miles of steam between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard, the longest independent standard gauge heritage line in the UK.

Castles, cathedrals and cider

Dunster Castle looks out over the Bristol Channel from its wooded hill. Wells Cathedral and the moated Bishop's Palace sit side by side, and Montacute House has a long gallery hung with Tudor portraits. In between, you'll pass cider farms selling from the barn door.

Sand and sea air

Weston's Grand Pier and wide sands are the lively choice for families. Brean Down, a National Trust headland just south, is a breezy walk out into the estuary.

Getting there

The M5 runs the length of the county, and most of our houses are 20 to 40 minutes off it. Minehead is the exception, so allow about an hour from junction 25. Trains from London Paddington reach the county town in about 1 hour 45 minutes, with Castle Cary handy for the east.

When is the best time to book?

Summer and the school holidays go first, especially houses for 14 or more. A midweek short break outside the holidays is the easiest to book. Late June is the pinch point. Glastonbury Festival takes 2026 off but returns from 23 to 27 June 2027, and houses across mid Somerset fill months ahead.

Winter makes a cosy retreat and a cheaper winter break, with starlings over the Levels from November to February and a log fire waiting after a wet walk.

Tips for a group of 10 to 18

• Count the dining chairs as well as the beds.
• Book a supermarket delivery for arrival day, as village shops are small.
• Taxis are scarce outside the towns, so pick a house near a pub or agree a driver.
• Ask about noise rules before a hen or stag weekend, as some houses don't take hen parties.
• Allow four or five parking spaces for a party of 16.

Need something smaller for a weekend break? Compare our holiday cottages for 10. Or look over the border in Devon and Dorset, or explore the UK destinations guide if friends and family are coming from further afield. If none of these Somerset cottages fits, our big group houses homepage searches the lot.