Top Eight Reasons for Winter Holidays in the UK

While we don’t always think of it, Winter is actually a great time to holiday in the UK. Cosy days, nights in, family fun, cracking Winter walks, stress-free travel - there’s plenty to enjoy. And if you chose the right holiday home you can transform your break from a good one to a superb one. So here’s the Long Barn Cottages recipe for rustling up marvellous, memorable Winter holidays in the UK.

Get cosy in your very own cottage

The secret to having enjoyable Winter holidays in the UK is choosing a fabulous place to stay. Location is obviously key - an area you know you’ll enjoy, within easy reach of the things you love doing. The second big factor is the accommodation itself.

This brings us to one of the delights of having Winter holidays in the UK. Picking a place to snuggle down, get cosy by the fireside, spend time together and really enjoy that indoor time. There’s nothing quite like throwing another log on the fire and toasting your toes after a Winter walk. Whether you want to enjoy hearthside chats with family and friends or a romantic snuggle with your partner, getting toasty by the fire feels like the ultimate treat.

Bring together the people you care about

Winter holidays in the UK are also a wonderful way to bring together the people who matter to you. While we can’t always fly extended family members to Europe or half way around the world for a get together, a self-catering break in the UK is much more affordable.

Self-catering often also means you can bring more people together in privacy and comfort. Some holiday cottages can accommodate six, eight or even 13 adults in style - much more than the average home. And bigger self-catering options also mean everyone can be comfortable for those gatherings of family or friends - with plenty of beds and rooms, no-one needs to sleep on a put-up bed in the lounge.

Cottages also win out over hotels and B&Bs as you can enjoy cost-effective meals together and can have breakfast as early or late as you like.

Swim in an indoor pool

Winter holidays in the UK can become blissful if you can find a cottage with a heated indoor pool. Nothing says luxury quite like being able to take a delightfully warm dip in a heated indoor pool while the Winter weather does its thing outside.

Whether you like to power through some lengths to stay in shape, de-stress with some gentle exercise or splash around with the kids or grandkids, an indoor pool really adds to the experience.

Enjoy family time

Winter holidays in the UK are also ideal opportunities to enjoy quality family time - provided you pick cottages with the right facilities. Good TVs with DVD players open up the possibility of family movie nights. Pool tables, table tennis tables and table football mean you can stage mini-tournaments among family and friends. Choosing somewhere that’s spacious and comfortable creates the perfect environment for card and board games.

Walk by the sea

Although we tend to flock to the sea in the summer, the months between October and April are fantastic times to head to the coast. In fact, if you’ve dressed up warmly and donned wellingtons and waterproofs, a walk at the seaside can be one of the best bits of Winter holidays in the UK.

Strolling a safe distance from surging seas and crashing waves while being buffeted by a blustery wind is exhilarating. Made all the more enjoyable when you know you have a superb bolt hole to return to at the end of the day for a warming hot chocolate or a shot of something stronger beside the fire.

Walk on the moor

While the UK coast is special in the Winter, so are our moors. The tawny, rolling, bracken-clad hills in wilderness spaces like Dartmoor really come into their own at this time of year. Crisp, cold days bring exquisite light - perfect for spotting free-roaming cattle and ponies. Murky, misty days make even the shortest walk intensely atmospheric.

Splashing about in mud and puddles can be great fun in the rain - so bring your waterproofs. Or, if you’d rather stay dry, pile in the car and take in the atmospheric sights on a Winter drive. However you choose to explore, finding a cafe or pub with a roaring fire makes your trip up to the moors another highlight of Winter holidays in the UK.

Swerve the stress

Another excellent reason to enjoy Winter holidays in the UK is that you can swerve the stress of travelling far. With extended periods of uncertainty in international events, holidaying at home is often a less stressful option.

It’s also supremely easy. There’s no need to worry about the size of the bags you can take, how many bags you opt for, or even which toiletries have to be stored where. Just pile everything you think you might need into bags and load up the car. And when you arrive you can unpack amid a spacious holiday cottage. All in all its much less stressful than security at airport and cramped hotel rooms.

Love being at Long Barn

So that’s Long Barn Cottages’ recipe for marvellous, memorable Winter holidays in the UK: relaxed, comfortable, cosy, fireside quality time with family and friends, indoor swims, films and games, and plenty of winter walks beside the shores and moors.

We have such faith in these ingredients forming a brilliant break that we’ve ensured you can enjoy them all when you stay with us. Each cottage is spacious, beautifully furnished and feels like a luxury home-from-home. They also all have wood-burning stoves - perfect for toasty, cosy Winter nights and lazy laid-back days.

You really can bring together the people you care about at Long Barn. We have something for everyone - from a romantic cottage for two, to spacious converted barns sleeping six, eight or 13 adults, with rooms for extra cots as well. There’s even an indoor pool - at 10m x 5m and heated to 29-30C, it adds even more appeal. Family time at Long Barn is a joy, thanks to our indoor play area where a table tennis table, pool table and table football could see a family champion crowned.

Our South Devon location is a treat too. Set in a pretty hamlet called North Whilborough, Long Barn Holiday Cottages are within easy reach of the beaches and coast around Torquay, the independent shops of historic Totnes and wilderness walks on Dartmoor. In fact we’ve everything you need to enjoy gorgeous stress-free Winter holidays in the UK.