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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Has anyone ever hired a cottage for Christmas?

56 replies

missyB1 · 21/12/2018 14:16

Just that really. It’s a sort of fantasy I’ve always had, going to stay in a countryside cottage for Christmas. Maybe in the Yorkshire dales for a chance of Christmassy weather! Nice pub nearby perhaps to enjoy a drink or two.
Dh says the reality would be a load of hassle and not worth the hard work- but he’s a bit of a stick in the mud about Christmas!
So anyone ever done it? If so how was it?

OP posts:
everygalaxy · 21/12/2018 20:08

We did it for new year in the Cotswolds - it was lovely and not as expensive as we thought. The owner had decorated it for Christmas and we got a big online shop delivered.

Toomanybaubles · 21/12/2018 20:17

I have done this a few times but not for a few years as my parents are 80 and don’t want o go away with us anymore!

We will do it again one day. The Yorkshire dales has had three really mild christmases - melting ice rinks, temps in double figures.

MrsPear · 21/12/2018 20:19

We do every year. None of us live in a big enough house and we like to be together. Me and mum always say it’s like we have won the lottery! This year it is 6 bedrooms detached with utility and cellar - Victorian. Near the sea for walks and exploring. I know for many on mn that this is normal but not for us. There are 6 adults and 2 kids.

Sauvignonblanket · 21/12/2018 20:24

We do this every other year - if can be great but my top tips are: don't go bargain basement it will just be uncomfortable, double check the kitchen spec if you're self catering, and be prepared to book more than a year in advance for really good places over Christmas if you're a bigger party.

Upupupwithafish · 21/12/2018 20:30

I would highly recommend Coquet Cottages in Northumberland. A lot of their cottages allow dogs. The cottages are of an exceptionally good standard, decorated for Christmas and many are near to beaches and local pubs. We’ve used them many times including Christmas and have never had a bad experience.

Gentlygently · 21/12/2018 21:53

What are prices like? Anyone done one for about 20 people, 7 beds minimum? I always presume it would break the bank!

OhTheRoses · 21/12/2018 22:04

We did once. Had hosted IL's for years and they did little to help and all organisation, getting pur home ready was on me and I put my foot down.

It was a lovely house in Yorkshire and very well equipped with fantastic kitchen (they live in Yorkshire so we could say "arrive Xmas Eve and go home day after Boxing day, rather than their usual week. And they were asked to bring pud, cake, crackers, napkins compared to their usual nothing.

We arrived 22nd and had a pub dinner. Next day DH took DC for an early breakfast and I did the food shop. Very stress free and made hosting much easier. So we booked again for the following year.

Sadly FIL died suddenly that summer and we felt unable to go again. That Christmas we went out for Christmas lunch to avoid looking at the empty chair.

HammerToFall · 21/12/2018 22:06

Every year we do the dales
Over Christmas and new year on a cottage. We're heading off on Sunday.

HundredMilesAnHour · 21/12/2018 22:17

I rent a cottage in the Pennines (so Lancashire rather than Yorkshire) every Christmas. I take minimal supplies (my preferred ground coffee and Hario V60, Vogel bread, Burford Brown eggs, San Pellegrino, apples and red/sparkling wine) as my father only lives 15 mins drive away so he arrives at the cottage on Christmas morning with everything needed for Christmas lunch. Easy life for me! Smile It's a lovely stress-free Christmas. Get to spend time with family but everyone also has their own space.

PinkAvocado · 22/12/2018 03:10

gentlygently it is definitely worth looking at as 20 people must be roughly 4 families? And split between that many is not as expensive as I thought. We stayed in one that sleeps about that recently and paid a couple of thousand. I think it was £6k for Christmas week which is a lot but not as bad when you look at it pp.

TheBaltictriangle · 22/12/2018 07:27

My colleague and her extended family hire out a YHA hostel on exclusive use a weekend or so before Christmas. My friend, her 4 brothers and their families, parents plus multiple in-laws if they want to come along. So it can be any number of people from 30 to 50 plus for the weekend. They have great fun with kids, adults and pets in tow, like a giant house party. It's a way for them to have a Christmas celebration before everyone does their own thing for the main day.

TheBaltictriangle · 22/12/2018 07:30

@Gentlygently

exclusive-hire.yha.org.uk

BertrandRussell · 22/12/2018 07:33

We once rented a fort in the Channel Islands that you could only access at low tide. It was utterly amazing. Loads of people and lots of random food (not massively well planned!).

missyB1 · 22/12/2018 08:15

Feeling really excited about doing this next year! It’s awful to say Christmas has become boring but I feel like we’ve got stuck in a rut. Definitely need to try something different.

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Toomanybaubles · 22/12/2018 08:18

That cottage firm looks lovely Upupupwithafish, if I can get one for three or four days near a beach I might have a short break before the schools go back.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 22/12/2018 08:21

Not a cottage, but a converted pub in Devon, near the sea. Family from abroad were coming so there were 12 of us, 10 adults, 2 tinies. Took it for a week (couldn't book for less at Christmas) though not everyone stayed the whole time

It wasn't near shops, and I didn't want to rely on online ordering (didn't want any substitutes) so it meant very organised lists of who was going to bring what.
It worked very well - very nicely converted plus was in a hamlet with a lovely pub within staggering distance!

SandunesAndRainclouds · 22/12/2018 08:24

I’m on my way to a Christmas Cottage!

Family aren’t that impressed as we’ve got the only DCs in both DH and my families but I’ve refused to be guilt tripped.

The car is completely full of food and gifts for the DCs, I’ve no idea how we’ve managed to squash it all in. I can’t wait to get there and settle in.

LeonoraFlorence · 22/12/2018 08:32

This sounds amazing. Furious, the thought of you and your little nephew sneaking out to the snowy hills with his new bike is lovely.

BiddyPop · 22/12/2018 08:46

We’ve done it when staying “down home” for Christmas - we need our own bolt hole at that manic time of year, and it means we can host for DDs birthday. Never needed to cook the turkey though.

I bring some decorations, fairy lights, and some tea lights and holders.

I have a box of things for both camping and self catering kitchen, just in case. It’s strange how many don’t have a corkscrew or a wooden spoon... So I have a box gathered over years with things like a decent sharp knife, whisk, small ikea chopping board, little silicon oven mitts, and things to use up like tin foil roll, cling film roll, a salt and pepper grinder, 250ml bottle for olives oil ;filled before we go), 100ml squeeze bottle of washup liquid (travel bottle), handful of dishwasher tablets....for Christmas I usually add a couple of baking trays and a cake tin, just I case.

I make a very detailed list before we go - I know the local supermarket and farmers market, so there are a couple of things I really want that I need to bring from home and I buy the rest there.

And I always throw in hot water bottles, in case the heating isn’t great.

But otherwise, i don’t do much ahead of time to prep.

When dd was small, I would bring a box of strips of different colored paper and let her make paper chains that we could dangle around the place.

Always have a pack. Of cards in my box, and make sure to bring some books. If a large group, id bring some board games too.

Just be prepared to have to do more on the stove and juggle than at home with a full on dinner and have tin foil tins and a roll to make packets, just in case. Or know how to do more on the stove top. Or do 1 roasties per persons with turkey and have another tray on cooking to be ready in time for seconds - that kind of things.

Or to press milk jug into service as a gravy boat, and have to wash it before tea/coffee is served.

Rosalise · 22/12/2018 08:53

We arrived at ours yesterday. 8 adults (family and partners) in the back of beyond. We've done it several times now, always successful.

My top tip is to spend a weekend (in the cottage if possible but definitely in the area) in the cheap season. You get a nice break and can suss out the facilities and the local pubs, restaurants, supermarkets and attractions.

We get as cheap a cottage as we can but it must have a blazing log fire.

missyB1 · 22/12/2018 09:44

Rosalise that’s a good idea to suss it out beforehand.

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PurpleTigerLove · 22/12/2018 14:52

www.lustybegisland.com/en/christmas
My son’s best friend and family are just headed off to Lusty Beg this morning . Not jealous at all !

Sitranced · 22/12/2018 16:34

We've done both a Christmas and a new year at cottages. Christmas was DH and I so we found somewhere small and new year we invited friends and hire a bigger place through air BnB. We love being remote enough for no WiFi just music, long walks, good food and a fire.

AlaskanOilBaron · 22/12/2018 18:26

We've hired a B&B/manor house in Yorkshire that closes over the holidays. Beautiful, relaxed, huge, kitchen is v separate so I don't care if it's chaotic.

GlassLantern · 22/12/2018 21:00

Oh yes they did an online shop for delivery for ease too.

Nothing like supporting the local economy.

First the post office goes, the the shop closes , then the school.