Christmas house parties in England’s West Country

Larger parties of families and friends planning a get together in England's West Country this Christmas will need to book fast as specialist cottage agency Helpful Holidays has only thirteen big properties left sleeping ten guests or more.

For parties of ten, and the family pet, the original farmhouse at Burnville Farm, near Lydford on Dartmoor’s western edge, Devon is available for a week from Saturday, 22 December priced at £1,298 for the week (£130pp). Guests can wander the 250 acre farm with its sheep, cattle, ponies, pigs and chickens, they also have shared use of a hard tennis court and a games barn equipped with table tennis, snooker, darts and table soccer.

Clay pigeon shooting can be arranged, there are bikes to hire and ready meals are available from the owner. Log on to Helpfulholidays.com, ref A121, for further details.

Also sleeping ten and near St Kew in North Cornwall is Ogas Pol, a handsome detached stone and slate house. Inside there’s a large beamed room with a farmhouse style kitchen/dining room and living room with a cosy inglenook fireplace. Golf course nearby and the sea at Port Isaac is around 4 miles. It’s priced at £1,378 (£138pp) for Christmas week from Saturday, 22 December.

Log on to Helpfulholidays.com, ref P322, for further details.

For those seeking Christmas by the sea, groups of up to twelve can revel in luxury with Helpful Holidays at Ash Park, an exceptional 1982 built house on the coast imaginatively designed to take full advantage of superb 180 degree views out to sea at East Prawle, South Devon. Nestling in the hillside, it has luxurious accommodation in five bedrooms, five bathrooms, all fitted to an exceptionally high standard.

The elegant drawing room with its adjoining sunroom, and the dining room, all have huge picture windows designed for maximum appreciation of the view, even if it’s chilly outside. Ash Park is £3,629 (£302pp) for Christmas week from Friday, 21 December.

Log on to Helpfulholidays.com, ref L12, for further details.