We have been hosting families at the farm since 1988 and raising our own here for just as long, so we have strong views on what makes family holiday cottages in Somerset work. It is rarely the fancy extras. It is the enclosed garden, the second bathroom, the beach you can walk to and the host who answers the phone. Here are the eight things we would check before booking a family cottage anywhere.
In this guide
1. An enclosed garden
Top of the list for anyone with small children or a dog. A fully enclosed garden means the little ones can play outside while you cook, and the dog can be let out without a lead. Look for words like “fully enclosed” in the description and check the photos for gates and fences. Every cottage at our farm has one, with a picnic bench and a barbecue.
2. Real beds for everyone
A cottage that “sleeps eight” might mean six beds and a sofa bed in the lounge. Count the bedrooms and the actual beds, and check whether there is a cot and a high chair if you need them. Our largest cottage, Inglenook, has five bedrooms for ten, and Norton Court Cottage has three bedrooms including a twin room with bunk beds that children love.
3. A kitchen you can feed a family from
Cooking for six on two rings and a microwave is no holiday. Look for a proper oven, a full-size fridge, a dishwasher and a table big enough for everyone. Inglenook’s dining table seats ten, and every one of our kitchens has the basics stocked, from oil and salt to tea and coffee for arrival.
4. A washing machine
Sand, mud and ice cream mean laundry. A washing machine turns a week of packing anxiety into a small bag each. All of our cottages have one, and the bigger cottages have a separate utility room so the noise stays out of the living room.
5. Somewhere to walk to
The best family holiday cottages in Somerset put you within walking distance of something, so the car can stay parked for a day. From ours, Sand Bay beach and the National Trust headland at Sand Point are a few minutes on foot, and the village pub is a short stroll. Weston-super-Mare and its Grand Pier are ten minutes by car or bus.
6. A clear dog policy
For many families the dog is part of the holiday. Check that dogs are genuinely welcome rather than tolerated, whether there is a limit on numbers, and what the garden is like. All of our cottages are dog friendly, with bowls provided and dog friendly beaches within a five-minute drive. Our dog beaches guide shows where to go.
7. Rainy-day options nearby
Somerset weather is Somerset weather. A cottage with a log burner, board games and fast Wi-Fi helps, but so does a list of indoor days out. From the farm, The Helicopter Museum, Weston Museum, Puxton Park’s indoor play and the caves at Cheddar and Wookey Hole are all within forty minutes. Our family guide to Weston has the full list.
8. A host you can actually reach
When the boiler plays up at seven on a Sunday evening, you want a person, not a portal. Booking direct with a family-run business means the people who answer the phone are the people who own the cottages. At the farm that is Laura, Stella, Bryn or Dave, and we live on site.
Where in Somerset should family holiday cottages be?
Somerset is a big county, and where you stay shapes the holiday. The north coast around Weston-super-Mare and Kewstoke gives you beaches, the Mendip Hills and Bristol all within half an hour, which is why we think it is the best base for family holiday cottages in the county. Exmoor in the west is wilder and further from everything. The Levels around Glastonbury are flat and quiet. Bath and the east are for city breaks rather than buckets and spades.
From our cottages, children can be on Sand Bay beach in five minutes, at the Grand Pier in ten, in Cheddar Gorge in twenty-five and at Wookey Hole in forty. Few places in Somerset put so much within reach of a cottage garden.
Family holiday cottages by group size
Couples with a baby or toddler
A one or two-bedroom cottage with a cot, a high chair and an enclosed garden is all you need. Priory View and Gardeners Rest at the farm are made for this, with garden views over the fields to Sand Point and the beach a short walk away.
A family of four or five
Farm Cottage has two bedrooms, French doors onto the garden and a kitchen with everything, and Norton Court Cottage adds a third bedroom with bunk beds. Both are dog friendly with private parking.
Two families or three generations
Inglenook Cottage sleeps ten in five bedrooms with a dining table for everyone and a garden big enough for cricket. Or book two cottages on the same lane and give the grandparents their own front door. Family holiday cottages that sit together like ours make big gatherings simple.
Packing for a cottage holiday with children
- Wellies and a waterproof each. Somerset is green for a reason.
- Buckets, spades, a kite and a football for the beach.
- Swimming things for the Marine Lake and the Somerset sea in summer.
- A torch for dark country lanes and stargazing.
- Favourite bedtime books and a cuddly toy, because familiar things help in a new bed.
- Nothing for the kitchen. Ours have the lot, from cafetières to cake tins.
Questions to ask before booking family holiday cottages
How many real beds are there, and are any of them sofa beds? Is the garden fully enclosed? Is there a cot and a high chair? Is there a washing machine? How far is the nearest beach, and can you walk to it? Are dogs welcome? Who do we call if something goes wrong? Is it cheaper to book direct? A good host will answer every one of these quickly. We are happy to answer them by phone or email before you book.
What families say about our cottages
Our guests tell us the same things year after year: the gardens, the beach at the end of the lane, the log burners on cool evenings, the dog bowls already out, and the fact that Laura or Stella replied within minutes when they had a question. With more than 800 verified reviews and a 4.85 average rating, the family holiday cottages at the farm have been tested by a lot of families. Read our story to see how it started in 1988, and see the experiences page for what to do once you arrive.
Why book direct
Booking through the big platforms adds service fees on top of the price and puts a call centre between you and the host. Booking direct with us is always cheaper, and you can use the code BOOKDIRECT at checkout for a further saving. Everything else is the same: the same cottage, the same dates, the same family looking after you.
Family holiday cottages: quick answers
Do you provide cots and high chairs?
Yes, on request at every cottage. Tell us when you book and they will be set up before you arrive.
Are the gardens fully enclosed?
Every cottage at the farm has a fully enclosed garden with a gate, a picnic bench and a barbecue. They were designed with children and dogs in mind.
How far is the beach?
Sand Bay is a few minutes on foot from the cottages, and Weston’s main beach is ten minutes by car or bus.
Can two families book together?
Yes. Inglenook sleeps ten under one roof, or you can book two or three cottages on the same lane and share the gardens while keeping your own front doors.
Our cottages at a glance
- Inglenook Cottage: five bedrooms, sleeps ten, large enclosed garden, log burner. The one for big family gatherings.
- Norton Court Cottage: three bedrooms, sleeps six, a rustic cottage with a garden enclosed for dogs.
- Farm Cottage: two bedrooms, sleeps four, French doors onto the garden. Ideal for a family of four.
- Priory View and Gardeners Rest: one bedroom each, for couples or a parent and child, with garden views over the fields to Sand Point.
All five are on the same lane in Kewstoke, so larger families can book two together and still have their own front doors. Browse the cottages or read our story to meet the family behind them.
For ideas on the wider county, Visit Somerset and the National Trust both list family days out across the region, and most are within an hour of the farm.