Mother’s Day 2026 is fast approaching and if you’re thinking about planning a UK holiday with your loved ones then we’ve got you covered with some beautiful cottages that are free to book
Six vintage-style “luxury huts” spaced out around a lake make up The Shepherds Hut Retreat in south Somerset. They have modern kitchens and bathrooms, private areas with hot tubs, and fancy features such as telescopes, gin bars, pizza ovens, fire pits and hammocks. There is also a woodland sauna on site. The newest hut, 1898, is the grandest, and is inspired by the Pig hotels. It is a mile’s walk to the Lord Poulett Arms, a thatched 17th-century pub in the village of Hinton St George, and half an hour’s drive to the beaches of the Jurassic Coast in east Devon and Dorset. From £169, coolstays.com
A Jacobean manor in Kent
Photograph: Russel West
Boys Hall, a gorgeous Jacobean manor house near Ashford, is now a restaurant with rooms. The pub area has comfy chairs and a wood burner; lounges with inglenook fireplaces, sofas and books; there’s more than a hectare (2½ acres) of grounds, including a rose garden. The restaurant is a light, oak-framed space serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, including a weekly changing set menu of Kentish produce (three courses for £30; perhaps venison terrine, braised beef cheek stew and winter berry trifle). The nine rooms feature original stone mullion windows, oak panels and beams, plus rolltop baths and four-poster beds. From £220B&B, boys-hall.com
A fairytale farm cottage in the Malvern Hills
Photograph: Mark Watts
Wishbone is a 16th-century, fairytale cottage hidden away on an ancient fruit farm. The stone and timber barn is half-covered by foliage on the outside, but the inside has been beautifully restored and converted. There is a vaulted ceiling above the open-plan kitchen, dining and living areas, a bedroom with a king-size bed and an en suite shower room. Original wattle and daub panels, brick floors and beams add to the charm, and barn doors open on to the patio. Beyond the orchard in front of the cottage are fields with oak trees and a lake. From £850 for two nights, uniquehomestays.com
A thatched pub in Bedfordshire
The Sun Inn is a 17th-century, recently refurbished thatched pub in the riverside village of Felmersham. It has open fires, guest ales and food sourced from its own farm. Its curried kid goat offal with fermented chilli might not be everyone’s idea of a date-night dinner, but there are steaks, pork chops and veggie options too. Upstairs are two rooms: a deluxe, dual-aspect double, or, for those really pushing the boat out, a two-storey suite. The latter has exposed stone walls, wooden beams and a freestanding copper bath. Couples can visit Felmersham’s 13th-century church, St Mary’s, and take strolls along the River Great Ouse. From £135 room-only, thesunfelmersham.com
An arty cottage in the Scottish Borders
Photograph: Tracey Bloxham
A single-storey stone lodge on a private track between parkland and a wood, Lilylaw was once home to the gamekeeper of the Minto Estate. It is not for shy couples, being largely open-plan, with a low wall separating the bedroom from the living area, and a clawfoot bath in the bedroom (there is a separate bathroom too). The decor is inspired by English country house hotels; there is a wood burner, large windows and lots of contemporary artworks; and a garden with a partially walled terrace. Perhaps best of all, guests can request a key to explore Fatlips Castle, a 16th-century reiver’s tower on top of Minto Crags. From £559 for two nights, crabtreeandcrabtree.com
Off-grid cabins in West Yorkshire
Photograph: Sean Knott
Three off-grid cabins have just opened at Denton Reserve, a 1,000-hectare rewilding estate near Ilkley in West Yorkshire. The decor is pared-back and calm, and cabins have floor-to-ceiling windows, large skylights, king-sized beds and rain showers. Couples can stargaze from their cabin or around the fire pit (blankets and astronomy books are provided), and look out for the resident tawny, little and barn owls. The cabins are powered by solar batteries and named after plants now sown on the estate: Cotton Grass, Peat Moss and Cross Leaved Heath. It is a 10-minute walk to the Penny Bun gastropub, which serves Denton produce. From £220, dentonreserve.co.uk
A Welsh Chateau
Photograph: Visit Wales
Lovers don’t need to cross the Channel to stay in a chateau – there is one on the south coast of Ynys Môn (Anglesey). Chateau Rhianfa was built by John Hay-Williams in the mid-19th century as a gift to his wife Sarah, inspired by her sketches of chateaux in the Loire Valley. The fairytale Grade II-listed property has a restaurant, wine cave, banqueting hall, drawing room and music room, and gardens with views over the Menai Strait to Eryri (Snowdonia). The 27 bedrooms are in the main chateau, lodge and cottages, and include a suite with a four-poster bed. From £145B&B, chateaurhianfa.co.uk
A treehouse in Powys
What could be more romantic than staying in a treehouse? Ty Coedwig (Forest House) is in a patch of ancient oaks, surrounded by farmland and four miles from Newtown in Powys. A wooden walkway leads to the open-plan kitchen and living room, which has a chesterfield sofa and French doors on to the decking. The bedroom has a vaulted ceiling and a kingsize bed, and the bathroom has a two-person shower and double sinks; both have huge windows. There is an outdoor bath and a slide down to the forest floor, where there is a fire pit and a swing. The nearest pub, the Dolau Inn, is 1½ miles away. From £346 for two nights, uniquehideaways.com
A Gloucestershire barn
The Lavendrye Barn is at the end of a tree-lined lane in the grounds of a Tudor manor house in Lydney, near the Severn estuary. The ivy-clad stone barn has a snug with a log fire, a vaulted kitchen, a mezzanine bedroom and a modern shower room. It has been recently renovated but is still full of original features, including exposed stone walls and oak beams. French doors lead out on to the walled garden, where there is a wood-fired hot tub with views over the Severn. The wildflower meadow beyond has recliners, hammocks, a fire pit, barbecue and pizza oven. Walking trails lead from the door through the surrounding ancient woodland. From £180, hostunusual.com
A country house hotel in Wiltshire
Photograph: Jake Eastham
The former rectory of All Saints’ church in the village of Crudwell, north Wiltshire, is now the Rectoryhotel. The early 18th-century, Grade II-listed building is made from pale Cotswold stone, and has a simple, relaxed country house vibe. There are 15 bedrooms in the main house, all with rolltop baths, and a three-bedroom cottage in the grounds. Couples can sip cocktails at the bar and dine at the restaurant where the new head chef, Damian Clisby, serves set lunches (£25 for three courses) and candlelit dinners (mains include roast partridge with cauliflower, chanterelles and madeira sauce, and Cornish sea bass with shellfish sauce). The hotel has a sister pub just over the road, with log fires and local ales. From £160B&B, therectoryhotel.com
IF you want incredible coastal views head to this spaceship-looking retreat – it’s one of the best in the UK.
Called The Observatory, the holiday home is perched high above the beach in Tyne and Wear – it even has an indoor sauna and outdoor bath.
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Inside The Observatory a cosy living area with wrap around windows made from windscreensCredit: Holiday CottagesUpstairs is the kitchen with a balcony overlooking the beachCredit: Holiday Cottages
The Observatory was picked as one of the ‘most-loved cottages for 2026’ by holidaycottages.co.uk – and for good reason.
Near Whitley Bay in North Tyneside, The Observatory sits up on the third and fourth floor with views across the North Sea.
You can see the coast from anywhere thanks to the holiday cottages’ wrap around windows which are made from car windscreens.
And if you’re lucky, you might be able to spot dolphins and seals – which one lucky visitor did.
They wrote in their review: “Absolutely fantastic accommodation, a perfect location for exploring the area, lots of great restaurants especially for fish lovers!!
“Spectacular views, we were lucky enough to see a pod of dolphins very close within the bay.”
Another added: “Absolutely incredible views, all day and night, you don’t need to move from the windows! I did have a little run down to the water and a walk into the high street but other than that the sauna and views were enough.”
On the first floor of The Observatory is a cosy sofa and a hanging egg chair – it’s also where you’ll find the bedroom with a super king-size bed.
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There’s also a shower room, alfresco bathtub, and an indoor sauna with a sea view.
On the very top floor is an airy kitchen, another lounge area with a woodburner, and an outside balcony with thirty-mile all-round sea views.
If you fancy a sweet treat, head down to the cafe on the ground floor which serves up coffee and ice cream.
Also on the ground floor is a private, enclosed patio garden with a table and chairs.
It sleeps two and is pet-friendly too.
A seven-night stay at The Observatory in March costs £1,143 – or £81.65pppn.
Inside the holiday home is a comfy king size bed tooCredit: Holiday CottagesOne visitor was lucky enough to see a pod of dolphinsCredit: Alamy
This village is a hidden gem of a holiday spot, perfect for nature lovers and those who want to escape the hustle and bustle of city life with walks through the North York Moors
When it comes to villages, this Yorkshire treasure, nestled 20 miles from York, offers picture-postcard perfection with its honey-hued stone cottages and undulating countryside.
Coxwold attracts many visitors who embark on walks and cycling routes across the North York Moors, amongst England’s most breathtaking expanses of open landscape.
Stunning woodland, waterways and lush heather moorland encircle the village, providing ample opportunity for exploration as you pass through and pause here.
Upon arriving in the village, the striking 15th century church of St Michael’s immediately catches the eye, perched atop a hillside – making for a delightful stroll.
Once you reach the summit, panoramic vistas of the village sprawl before you in all its cobbled magnificence.
The Fauconberg serves as the village’s focal point, a pub catering to both residents and visitors in a classic Yorkshire establishment atmosphere, offering wholesome, satisfying meals.
It doubles as a well-established inn featuring the cosiest log fires, timber beams and stone-flagged floors, providing the perfect retreat following a day of exploring.
One diner posted their review on TripAdvisor, saying: “Sunday lunch was very tasty with generous portion sizes. The service was quick, efficient and very friendly. I would thoroughly recommend a meal here in this lovely pub/restaurant. We will definitely be returning.”
A delightful way to spend time here is by strolling from the village through the Beacon Banks to Husthwaite – a straightforward route with minimal effort required.
It’s recommended that you leave your car on the main street, walk past the church for half a mile until you spot a footpath on your left, where your journey commences.
Each village boasts a pub, making them ideal refreshment stops, whilst the true highlight of the trek is the mile and a half stretch along Beacon Banks, providing breathtaking panoramas.
Your return to Coxwold winds through serene countryside, completing what should amount to a three and a half hour ramble covering five miles.
Nearby sits the magnificent Byland Abbey, formerly celebrated as one of the most significant Cistercian monasteries in the north and still stands at great height.
The ruins identify it as amongst the earliest examples of Gothic architecture in the area, featuring remarkable medieval floor tiles that earn it international recognition.
At the location, visitors can explore the museum, which contains countless artefacts discovered on the grounds. Alongside these are exquisite illustrations offering deeper understanding of monastic life before its dissolution.
One recent visitor shared: “Absolutely blown away! English heritage site which was free admittance. We spent over an hour exploring this stunning 12th-century church, nothing was out of bounds and a real feel for this wonderful construction. Car parking was free and opposite the church.”
Save on the best holiday cottages in Yorkshire
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Famous for its dramatic landscapes, historic cities, hearty food, and rich cultural heritage Yorkshire is just waiting to be explored. Sykes Cottages has a large number of properties to choose from with prices from £31 per night.
