Dorset
The Old Rectory
- 22 Guests
- 11 Bedrooms
- 9 Bathrooms
A gorgeous, sunny-stoned rectory, near the world-famous Jurassic Coast and the Dorset countryside.
Weekends From £4,500
Weeks From £7,000
Dorset and Somerset houses
From coastal locations to countryside retreats, having facilitated large holiday house bookings in Dorset and Somerset for 16 years, we know these properties have it all. Choose from Jurassic Coast heritage, beaches minus the Devon crowds, and countryside that feels genuinely rural. All within two or three hours from London, Bristol, and Birmingham.
Wiltshire
Henge Estate
- 24 Guests
- 11 Bedrooms
- 11 Bathrooms
A stunning country estate, set in 25 acres of Wiltshire countryside with two luxury, restored and sustainably-minded properties.
Weekends From £4,200
Weeks From £11,500
Dorset
Smedmore House
- 24 Guests
- 12 Bedrooms
- 7 Bathrooms
A stunning Georgian country house on the Dorset coast for weekends, holidays, weddings, and all kinds of corporate and private celebration.
Weekends From £2,950
Weeks From £6,600
Somerset
Tone Dale House
- 31 Guests
- 16 Bedrooms
- 10 Bathrooms
A big, friendly party-house with plenty to keep everyone entertained, set beside a lazy mill stream.
Weekends From £3,900
Weeks From £7,350
Somerset
Earnshill House
- 20 Guests
- 10 Bedrooms
- 9 Bathrooms
A luxurious Grade 1 listed manor house set in 700 acres of glorious Somerset countryside. Close to Langport, Taunton and the Quantock Hills.
Weekends From £4,916
Weeks From £6,828
Dorset
Lorton House
- 18 Guests
- 9 Bedrooms
- 8 Bathrooms
A stunning Victorian country house set in 11 acres of rolling parkland overlooking the sea. Close to Weymouth and the iconic Jurassic Coast. Sleeps 16 guests in the main house with an additional annex available for an extra 2.
Weekends From £2,100
Weeks From £3,250
Somerset
Cholwell Hall
- 34 Guests
- 10 Bedrooms
- 6 Bathrooms
A fine generous country house near Bath, excellent value-for-money, perfect for fun-packed weekends.
Weekends From £2,900
Weeks From £3,800
Dorset
Upwey House
- 24 Guests
- 9 Bedrooms
- 4 Bathrooms
A stunning 17th Century Manor House with 23 acres of private land.
Weekends From £2,825
Weeks From £4,025
Dorset
Warmwell House
- 20 Guests
- 10 Bedrooms
- 9 Bathrooms
A Jacobean manor with the most beautiful of faces, deep in the Dorset countryside
Weekends From £4,000
Weeks From £6,000
Somerset
Sparkford Hall
- 36 Guests
- 15 Bedrooms
- 12 Bathrooms
Dozing in the sun at the gate of the West Country, Sparkford Hall is a place of peace and quiet - unless you'd prefer otherwise...
Weekends From £4,600
Weeks From £6,000
Somerset
Somerset Manor
- 20 Guests
- 9 Bedrooms
- 6 Bathrooms
A large Georgian manor with an outdoor pool, tennis court, games, media room and karaoke bar. Sleeps 20, add the Stables & bring another 4/6 guests.
Weekends From £4,200
Weeks From £7,050
Somerset
Knowle Manor
- 50 Guests
- 20 Bedrooms
- 20 Bathrooms
A most elegant Elizabethan country house, tucked within the wilds of Exmoor.
Weekends From £5,750
Weeks From £10,950
Dorset
Symondsbury Manor
- 22 Guests
- 11 Bedrooms
- 9 Bathrooms
A lovely, gentle house with its own beautiful ballroom and impressive modern art.
Weekends From £2,850
Weeks From £5,600
Somerset
North Cadbury Court
- 82 Guests
- 42 Bedrooms
- 38 Bathrooms
An incredible stately home that feels like the very best sort of country house.
Weekends From £15,850
Weeks From £26,200
Somerset
Little Cheriton House
- 18 Guests
- 7 Bedrooms
- 5 Bathrooms
An elegant Georgian manor near Wincanton, Somerset
Weekends From £2,350
Weeks From £3,200
Somerset
Northmoor House
- 28 Guests
- 14 Bedrooms
- 7 Bathrooms
A beautiful Victorian country house, deep in Exmoor National Park - an escape out of time.
Weekends From £3,400
Weeks From £5,600
Somerset
Tatham House
- 22 Guests
- 10 Bedrooms
- 10 Bathrooms
Tatham House is a large light-filled house, with an indoor pool, hot tub, tennis court, cinema room and 10 ensuite bedrooms.
Weekends From £4,500
Weeks From £6,900
Where coast meets countryside
Dorset and Somerset offer something that’s increasingly rare: unspoilt coastline and beautiful countryside within reasonable distance of each other. Welcome to the undiscovered side of southern England. Where you can take a morning swim on a Jurassic Coast beach, followed by an afternoon walk through the Somerset Levels, before spending the evening in a real country pub. The geography’s compact enough that you can please everyone without spending half your holiday in the car.
Our Dorset and Somerset group accommodation sleep 16 to 30 or more guests coastal locations near Lyme Regis and Weymouth to countryside properties in the Blackdown Hills and the Quantocks. You’ll find farmhouses with valley views, coastal properties within walking distance of beaches, converted barns with contemporary interiors, and thatched cottages in sweet little villages with only one shop and a pub.
These properties reflect that true West Country character: thick stone walls, wood burners, muddy boot rooms, and gardens that give way to rolling countryside. They’re houses designed for British holiday weather, when you’re planning to brave the elements no matter what but need somewhere cosy to retreat to. As one family told us: “Lovely residence. Facilities were great, including a lovely swimming pool. On the doorstep of the lovely trails and footpaths around Exmoor.”
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Book early
Coastal properties and summer weeks sell out fast, especially for larger groups.
Escape the crowds in Dorset and Somerset
Dorset and Somerset are a bit of a well-kept secret. The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site: 95 miles of dramatic coastline with fossils, rock formations, and hidden coves. You’ve got Durdle Door’s limestone arch, which appears in a thousand Instagram feeds for good reason. Then there’s Chesil Beach’s 18-mile pebble bank. Lyme Regis is brilliant for fossil hunting; dedicated families still find ammonites on morning beach walks. This is coast that’s spectacular without being overdeveloped.
Venture inland and you’ve got the Somerset Levels’ flat wetlands, the Quantock Hills’ heather moorland, and the Blackdown Hills’ wooded valleys.
What does this mean for your group trip? A level of variety that lets everyone do different activities daily without spending hours in the car. It’s less crowded than Devon and Cornwall, but no less marvellous in terms of landscape or quality properties. As one group noted: “A wonderful property with expansive grounds, beautifully renovated and a stunning setting for a weekend away with friends.” Another family found: “Our 18 guests were “blown away” by the exceptionally high standard of this house.”
And when you’ve worked up an appetite, Dorset and Somerset are foodie havens. Head to Lyme Bay for stunning seafood, visit Somerset’s cider orchards, and cheese makers, or pootle about the counties’ gastropubs and farm shops. Sherborne and Bridport in Dorset, and Bruton and Frome in Somerset are proper market towns with food that rivals any big city. Bruton especially has transformed over the past decade, offering Michelin-level restaurants, art galleries, and independent shops that London foodies drive two hours to visit.
In our experience, groups tend to discover these counties accidentally looking for Devon and Cornwall alternatives then return intentionally. Closer to London, less discovered, better availability, and that feeling of finding somewhere before everyone else does.
Genuine reviews
Great website; easy to navigate and good filter system. Prices look really competitive
Richard Chalmers
Really pleased with my experience with landed houses, was searching for a large house to celebrate my 50th and landed houses had lots of good options...managed to secure somewhere for a good price and looking forward to our dates, many thanks to Edmund and the house owner for their friendly correspondence and help, Steve
Stephen Alexander
Some great houses on offer here /all new to me! Now we are planning our next big family getogether!
Tina Metcalfe
Barbara Ryan
When I was faced with having to find a large house with a pool for a family celebration at relatively short notice, Edmund at Landed Houses came straight to my aid. He responded promptly to my email enquiries, even on a Sunday, putting me in direct contact with someone who managed a property that fitted my needs; the outcome being that a superb house, with everything I need, was secured within 24 hours of my first enquiry. Many thanks, Edmund, for making the task so straightforward. If you’re looking for that special house for a party or family gathering I can recommend Landed Houses as your first port of call.
Mrs Manors
Dorset & Somerset Questions
Which is better — Dorset or Somerset?
Both are excellent. Dorset has the spectacular Jurassic Coast but gets busier in summer. Somerset has varied countryside and is generally quieter year-round. Choose coastal Dorset for dramatic beaches, Somerset for gentle countryside, or properties on borders for both. Families with children lean toward Dorset’s beaches, while multi-generational groups often prefer Somerset’s more relaxed pace. Want our advice? Look at September and May. These secret sweet spots offer a high chance of good weather without the summer crowds.
What’s the best area to stay?
That all depends on your preferences and priorities. Are you seaside lovers or countryside fans? What do you plan to do during your trip? How busy and developed do you like your locations?
Here’s a quick breakdown for you so you can narrow down your search. West Dorset has wonderful large houses on the Jurassic Coast. We also love the market towns of Lyme Regis and Bridport. Purbeck (Swanage, Corfe Castle) offers beaches and castle ruins. North Dorset (Shaftesbury, Sherborne) is for those who love countryside and any bookworms for the Thomas Hardy connections. West Somerset (Exmoor borders) delivers on moorland and coast. And Central Somerset (Bruton, Frome) attracts folks wanting to experience the next-level foodie scene.
What’s absolutely certain is that Dorset and Somerset have something for everyone, with a property to match.
Are there enough activities for a week?
Absolutely. Take your pick from coastal walks, moorland hikes, fossil hunting, market town browsing, and National Trust property visiting (we love Kingston Lacy and Montacute House). Then you have tourist destinations such as Corfe Castle, Wells Cathedral, and Cheddar Gorge. Or book yourself onto a cider farm tour.
You may find the pace a little more relaxed in Somerset and Dorset than in neighbouring Devon and Cornwall. Groups wanting to fill every day with organised activities are better suited to Devon and Cornwall’s more developed tourism. But if you’re content with relaxed exploration and beautiful surroundings, Dorset and Somerset are perfect. It’s a pace that suits multi-generation gatherings where some want activities, others want relaxation.
How far is it from London?
You can travel from your London desk to your Somerset holiday house in around two to three hours. This is much more accessible than Cornwall, and similar to the Cotswolds. Trains to Dorchester or Taunton take around two to two and a half hours, making this the perfect Friday night arrival destination without marathon drives.
This accessibility makes Dorset and Somerset popular for long weekends and short breaks, as well as full weeks. You can leave London at 6 pm on Friday, arrive at 9 pm, and still have a proper evening settling in rather than arriving midnight exhausted.