This month we’ve been talking to Gary, the owner of Shires, finding out what inspired him to design and build this large access friendly holiday house. Once part of a busy dairy farm, Shires is tucked away at the bottom of a long winding lane in East Devon’s beautiful Axe Valley. The house sleeps up to 14 and has an indoor pool, hot tub and sauna, a games room, movie room and year-round BBQ lodge. Accessible features include a wheelchair lift to the south-facing sun terrace, an access friendly bedroom and wet room, an intercom system for caregivers and level flooring. 

If you’re heading down to East Devon for your large group family holiday this year, it helps to be organised. Keeping kids of all ages happy and entertained throughout your stay is no easy task. If your holiday house has a pool, games room, movie room or a large garden, it’ll be a winner, but what about days out? Well, the good news is that East Devon has plenty to keep the teens and the tots smiling, ensuring family happiness all round.

At Sleeps12 we believe that unforgettable holidays and weekends away in the UK are for everyone. We don’t want anyone to miss out on the fun, the happy times or the memories, so we ask our property owners to do their best to make our self-catering large group holiday houses accessible to all. We like to think we’ve got your wants and needs covered to help you enjoy a relaxing and stress-free stay. 

There’s something quite magical about standing beneath a sky full of stars – it’s so humbling to gaze upwards, picking out the constellations, seeing the sweep of the Milky Way, and, probably, a meteor or two. It stays with you, etched on your memory, how infinite this is, how wide the universe. One of the best places in the UK for stargazing is Exmoor National Park, designated as Europe’s first International Dark Sky Reserve in October 2011.

Who doesn’t love going out for a Sunday roast? It’s one of the great British staples and done right it’s all you need for the day, your belly filled with hale and hearty food. It’s even better when the meat and veg are all local – like at The Martlet Inn at Langford Budville, within walking distance of some of the Sleeps12 luxury group holiday houses in Somerset. This Sunday they’ll be serving lamb that’s been raised and grazed in the fields just down in the valley by Sleeps12 owners Jessica and Ashley Vellacott.

In a sequestered spot at the edge of woodlands, Menagerie House was once part of the Castle Hill Estate, just a stone’s throw from the peaceful village of Filleigh in North Devon. When owners Issy and Charlie found it in 2019 the house was very much neglected; after a painstaking restoration, they’ve created a space that truly reflects their passion for unique historic houses. Full of calm and character, this is a very special place for guests to relax and enjoy unforgettable gatherings with friends and family.

It’s that time again! Oh yes, another 4 years has gone by and it’s not long until the 2026 FIFA World Cup! If you’re into football you’ll know how exciting it gets, and while some of you might be perfectly happy to watch the big matches on your own at home, there’s nothing quite like getting together with a group of your best friends and family for prime viewing. A luxury large group holiday house is just the place for it, marking the occasion, making it so much more memorable.

Hey you (yes, you, gorgeous), what are you doing for your birthday this year? Only, you were born in 1966, right? So that means you’ve got something very special to celebrate, doesn’t it? How you do that is up to you, go as big or as small as you like, but you know what’s rising in popularity? Getting together a bunch of your besties, old friends, close family, and heading off to a luxury large group holiday house to celebrate just the way you want to.

Well here’s some good news. To celebrate 10 years of running Willowhayes, the owners are offering a very generous 10% discount on all stays booked through Sleeps12 between 25th March and 25th April 2026. Tucked away on the Somerset Levels, this luxury large group holiday house sleeps up to 14 and has an indoor pool, steam room, sauna, hot tub, games room and children’s play area.

We are so happy to introduce Fern Manor to you – the latest Addition to the Sleeps12 collection of luxury large group holiday houses in the UK. Book a stay here and you’ll be lapping up the luxury with your own spa hall with a heated pool, hot tub and sauna, a games room, tennis court, putting green, croquet lawn and children’s play area. 10 individually styled bedrooms sleep 20, the setting is a hillside on the edge of a village at the edge of the Mendip Hills in Somerset.