Holiday cottages for self-catering holidays in July and school holidays

The summer school holidays begin in early to mid-July in Scotland, a couple of weeks earlier than the English ones, and the great summer stampede for holiday cottages accelerates. It's always best to book ahead to obtain the cottage you would really like for your summer holiday but don't despair if you have left it to the last minute, send us an email and we'll check for cancellations for you or check out those on the cottage availability list for July, plus a few extra below. We all like messing about by a river or beach holidays. How about a spot of fishing or golf, or if you have very young children you may prefer toddler friendly cottages? Families with older children may want to gather ideas for family holidays or self-catering with sports activities like tennis, football or swimming. The Go Ape aerial assault courses are an exciting and challenging activity for older children and adults. These can be found in Thetford Forest in Norfolk, Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, plus a few other locations. A swimming pool is always a boon except when there are very young children to watch. A farmstay holiday may be a safer option where children can feed and pet the animals. Alternatively you may consider visiting a place with interesting events in July - perhaps there is something you have always wanted to see. At the very beginning of July there is the massive Westpoint Antiques and Collector's Fair in Exeter, Devon, with over 500 stalls. During the last week of July there is the Torbay Carnival Week in Devon with traditional entertainment and craft show. Keen gardeners may be interested in Floors Castle Gardeners' Festival, near Kelso, in the Scottish Borders. It's on on the second Saturday and Sunday of July, from 10 am. to 5 pm. and features many garden stalls, garden games such as croquet and quoits, market stalls, garden advice, willow weaving and live mmusic. Tel: Emma on 01573 224530 If you like all things historical then do try to visit Kentwell Hall in Long Melford, Suffolk for their Tudor re-enacments; it's a fascinating day out for the whole family. Volunteers in costume act out their daily lives for your pleasure, demonstrating various arts like spinnning, weaving, tent making, archery and so on. They will talk to you and your children in character. It's just like stepping back in time - complete with a hog roast. The Crich Tramway Village in Matlock in Derbyshire holds an Edwardian Festival with suffragettes, period vehicles and miltary from that time. This can be your opportunity to ride on a horse drawn tram. If you have a young family, you may wish to consider a small cottage complex with play areas and cycle paths, or there are also cottages near places of interest for children like Woburn Safari Park, Alton Towers and so on.

Pretty country cottage in Suffolk has availability for July - sleeps 2-3
This charming Suffolk pink 18th century cottage is set in its own pretty garden providing a quiet and peaceful setting. Here the use of your own patio, BBQ and garden furniture can be enjoyed. The large double fronted sitting/dining room with traditional Suffolk brick flooring and tasteful decoration create a light airy atmosphere. The log burner and quality soft furnishings provide a warm and cosy feeling, giving the room the relaxed comfort and style of period living. It's the ideal place to leave the troubles of the world behind you and simply enjoy the moment. Telephone Don on 01708 250676, or 07711 526252 or click on a cottage photograph for more information and interior photographs.


3 double bedroom house for 6 in Essex - available during July
This 3 bedroom self-catering house is in a quiet street in the pleasant and friendly riverside town of South Woodham Ferrers in Essex. This 3 bedroom house offers living room, dining room, cloakroom, kitchen with gas hob, dishwasher, bathroom with bath and separate shower. Two of the bedrooms have a double bed, the third a super king bed. The house is 7 minutes walk from the railway station. The town centre is within easy walking distance where there is a good selection of Indian, Chinese and other restaurants, a 24 hour Asda superstore, a small range of shops and various leisure facilities including an indoor swimming pool, gyms, tennis courts, badminton courts, snooker hall, park with skateboard ramps, and library. The house is available for flexible lets from a few days to several weeks. There are numerous excellent visitor attractions nearby including the largest antiques centre in Essex, a family farm and country park, sailing, a butterfly farm and playpark, RHS Hyde Hall gardens, and the Essex coast - Southend-on-Sea is only half an hour's drive away. A traditional seaside resort, Southend-on-sea offers all the fun of the fair, fish and chips and the Uk's longest pier. Constable Country with pretty villages like Dedham is just 45 minutes away. Telephone 01245 325273 or click on photo for more information.

A Holiday Farmhouse in a rural setting yet within half an hour of London
We are pleased to offer for rent this beautifully maintained 4 bedroom holiday Farmhouse cottagefor weekly lets in July. It is in St. Albans, an affluent former Roman Town lying just north of the M25 and London in Hertfordshire. The train journey into London's Kings Cross takes just 20 minutes. The house sleeps up to six and would be perfect for a family wanting to enjoy day trips to London with the peace and quiet of the countryside. Places you might want to visit in London could be: the museums Greenwich with maritime museum, Cutty Sark, GMT and Thames Barrier Theme Parks such as Thorpe Park or Chessington World of Adventures St. Alban's itself has much to offer; a cathedral with a visitor centre, a bustling town centre with a good selection of shops, pleasant high class cafes and restaurants for a bite to eat. For visitors, there are various places of interest in St Albans including the Verulamium Museum of Roman life with re-created rooms and interactive displays, the nearby well-preserved Roman Theatre and foundations of Roman shops and house. Nearby attractions are Woburn Safari Park, Whipsnade Wild Animal Park. The accommodation comprises: Living room, dining room, breakfast room, kitchen, 4 bedrooms, master ensuite shower room, bathroom. Gated access to off street parking. The farmhouse backs onto open farmland so that you have privacy and feel that you're in the countryside even though so close to town and London. Take a tour of the holiday farmhouse by clicking on one of the cottage photographs.

Somerset - luxury cottage to sleep 12

Kingsland stands in its own grounds in the conservation village of Milverton which nestles between the Quantock Hills and the Brendon Hills.

Kingsland provides extremely spacious accommodation including a spectacular Chalon breakfast/ kitchen room, drawing room, dining room that can sit up to 18 people, playroom/snug with large plasma TV and stereo surround sound system.

Up stairs there are 5 large bedrooms, one en-suite, a further family bathroom and a shower room.

Milverton is a thriving village with a well stocked local shop, two pubs (one with excellent food) and a post office. The village is only two miles from the small town of Wiveliscombe, with its open air swimming pool and international award-winning butcher and eight miles from Taunton with fast trains to London. The village is just six miles from the M5.

The surrounding countryside is renowned for its walking and cycling and the beaches of Dunster and Blue Anchor are 30 minutes away. There are many historic houses and gardens in the area including Dunster Castle (NT), Cothay Manor and Hestercombe Gardens. For railway enthusiasts there is the West Somerset Railway at Bishops Lydeard. Please click on the photograph for more information, prices and contact details for this luxury large cottage in Somerset.

Self-catering in the Isle of Wight

Take the family to explore the Isle of Wight with its beaches, coasts and cliffs. Good value summer holidays at Creek Gardens, Wootton, Isle of Wight.

Choice of one, two or three bedroom, from 23 purpose-built cottages and apartments, situated in a secluded wooded dell nestling on the banks of Wootton Creek. All cottages and apartments are fitted to the high standard expected from a premier resort. One bedroom units have a lounge, kitchen ,bedroom with double bed, en-suite shower room, WC and wash-hand basin. Two bedroom units have in addition, a bedroom with 2 single beds. Three bedroom units have an additional bedroom with bunk beds. All have sleeping facilities in the lounge.

On-site facilities: Pool Table in Lounge Bar, Weekly/Buffet night (Subject to demand) Weekly/Barbeque night (Subject to demand), Information centre.

Telephone 01983 883100 or click on cottage photograph for more information.

Family house in New Romney, Kent - sleeps up to 10 in 5 bedrooms

Newly available this year, from July onwards! Capri is a bright and spacious chalet, tucked away at the end of a cul-de-sac in its own private garden. It has views to the rear over fields, and on a clear day you can see Dover's white cliffs! New Romney station, model railway and cafe, with its 15 inch gauge steam railway is a 2 minute walk from the house. The trains run past the garden fence to the side - become 'the railway children' for a week!

The enclosed garden has a sunny terraced area, a small area of lawn, and a 'secret garden' under a weeping willow, with a wooden wendy house and a swing.

From the garden you have a good view of the trains, railway and engine shed. As the house is still being prepared and furnished for letting, internal photographs are not yet available. They should be ready by late May/early June - contact the owner for more details.

The ground floor of the house has a bright and airy feel, with a comfortably furnished sitting room and seating for nine. The sitting room has Sky TV, dvd, video and stereo system, and we provide a small library of videos and dvds for your enjoyment, suitable from small children to adults. Off the sitting room is a conservatory, which is a haven of warmth and sunshine, especially good for breakfasting in on sunny mornings. The conservatory also has roof blinds for those very hot days, and doors out to the garden.

Please click on the images ofthis cottage in Kent, available from July 2007 onwards, for more details and interior photographs.

More cottages for railway enthiusiasts, near rail, steam and train attractions are listed here......

Cottages in Scotland

Available during July . There are castles and whisky distilleries to visit, Highland Games to watch, traditional festivals, beaches, golf, and parks to enjoy. The new Archeolink Centre near Insch is a brilliant place to take the family, especially if your family has Scottish roots. Take a look at the cottages in Grampian and other parts of Scotland to see what's on offer.

Honey Cottage is a delightful semi-detached dwelling situated up a quiet lane in the village if Dinnet, in the heart of Royal Deeside. Built out of granite in the 19th century, Honey was originally used as a cottage to accomodate workers from the local estate.

Nowadays, Honey Cottage offers clean and cosy accommodation to tourists and vistors, providing an excellent base for exploration, adventure or relaxation. Furbished to a very high standard throughout, Honey Cottage has an open-plan kitchen/sitting room with wood burning stove. Upstairs are 2 bedrooms - one double and one with 3/4 sized bed - and a bathroom with bath and shower. The cottage also has a clematis clad patio area to the back with seating for four with barbecue and chimniere. Rent is inclusive of all linen and towels, fuel and logs.

For the hill walker, the hills of Deeside start at the front door; for the skier, the cottage is conveniently placed for both The Lecht and Glenshee ski slopes; golf, hunting, shooting, fishing, pony-trekking, gliding and many more outdoor and water sports activities are all available locally and can be arranged.

Click on the cottage photograph for email link and prices of this self-catering holiday cottage in Royal Deeside that's available in July and August.

Wonderful setting for summer holidays - in Scotland

Our Gamekeepers Lodge and Norwegian chalets at Loch Monzievaird offer four star standards of self catering comfort, in beautiful, mature and extensive grounds of oak and beech.

The chalets are private and well spread out, and all take advantage of differing elevated positions to enjoy the magnificent views over the loch. There are a variety of sizes, each sleeping 2-8 people. Do click on the image to explore this superb location with its wonderful views. If you are looking for peace, seclusion and privacy, then you will find it here.

Telephone: 0176 465 2586 or click on image for more details and photographs.

Click here for more cottages in Scotland for July and the school holidays.

Holiday cottages in Ireland for July


The beach, Kerry, Ireland	Conservatory views of sea	Lios Dana - self-catering

Lios Dana Lodge - a large self-catering country house near the sea sleeps up to 18, is ideal for families, parties, groups, re-unions, corporate events, school or college summer camps or university field trips. The Lodge comprises a day area downstairs with large activity room (600 sq. ft.), sun lounge, conservatories, dining room, large kitchen, all with full services, and upstairs 8 bedrooms 2 with en-suite bathrooms and 6 twin bedrooms all with sinks and fitted carpets throughout. To keep you warm there is central heating and a peat burning stove.

Telephone Michael Travers on +353-66-9158189 or view additional details here.

Sunnybak House on the west of Ireland - fabulous for holidays in July

Sunnybank House is a nineteenth century Period House of immense character whose history is part of the history of Clifden Town itself. It is uniquely situated in its own mature gardens yet only 100 meters from Clifden town centre. A lovely house for families or extended groups - it can sleep uo 17 people.

The Drawing room is the main room in the House, adorned with paintings and antique furnishings. The gracious room is made intimate by its large roaring turf fire around which friendships are made and stories are told as visitors relax and drink tea or read a book in the evenings.

The bedrooms are all individually decorated with a combination of antiques and modern day conveniences such as tv, direct dial telephones, central heating, large Kingsized orthpaedic beds where possible and ensuite bathrooms. The Gardens with their blend of rockeries, lily ponds and mature plants offer a calming respite after a long days sightseeing. Our outdoor heated swimming pool is open from June 1st to September 20th. There is also a sauna and tennis court.

Places to visit include unspoilt beaches, the Connemara National Park.

Telephone 095 21437, or 086 8587391 or click on photograph for details about holidaying in Ireland during July or the school holidays.

Click here for more cottages in Ireland

Click for more cottages available in July in the Uk and Ireland
Holiday cottages and self-catering accommodation in England

If you're looking for a cottage during July and the school holidays, please contact owners directly for details with your requirements (number of people, dates from and to, preferred location, special requirements, e.g. pet-friendly) to check availability in July for you. Please note that your telephone number is essential.

Click on the cockerel at the top left of the page to return to the Country Cottages home page and extra self-catering accommodation options at any time.