Big family holidays are such happy occasions and even more so when you spend them in beautiful places like Asham House. This large group holiday house in Somerset has a wonderful ambience – it’s almost as if your favourite auntie has lent you her home for a week it’s that homely and peaceful. The quiet setting out in the narrow lanes helps of course, and the views that stretch across to the Blackdown Hills and the Quantocks.

Just down the road is Wellington, a lively market town with supermarkets and all those time honoured shops like a butchers, a bakers, and a deli. There are regular markets, and good places to eat, like Odette’s Tea Rooms and The Pump House on the edge of town, and there's a fabulous Art Deco cinema.

You might all be perfectly content at Asham House, doing cartwheels on the lawn, playing table tennis or big tennis on the court, but if you fancy going out and about, exploring the local area you’ll find plenty to see and do. Just a few miles away is Sheppy’s Cider where you can see how the famous Somerset drink is made, take a stroll through the apple orchards and have a bite to eat in the Apple Bay Restaurant & Bar. Stretch your legs with a walk up to Wellington Monument or Culm Beacon – both have spectacular views so a picnic would be in order, or reward yourselves with lunch at The Culm Valley Inn.

Taunton isn’t far; go and browse the shops, visit the Museum of Somerset to see the Giant’s Shoe and an almost complete Roman mosaic. Have a barrel of laughs at Vivary Adventure Centre, or a round of crazy golf. Head over to Bishops Lydeard and climb on board a steam train with the West Somerset Railway; pootle to the coast, alight at Blue Anchor and play on the sands, or at Dunster where you can visit the medieval castle high on the hill above the village.

Take a day trip to Exmoor, exploring the heather clad heaths where wild ponies graze; see the ancient clapper bridge at Tarr Steps, ride the Victorian cliff railway at Lynton and Lynmouth, take the little ones to Exmoor Zoo or Exmoor Owl and Hawk Centre. Have a day out at the seaside on the World Heritage Site Jurassic Coast, go mackerel fishing at Lyme Regis, visit the Marine Aquarium and Dinosaurland Fossil Museum. See the historic Beer Quarry Caves at Beer, ride the train at Pecorama and then go down to the beach for crab sandwiches at Ducky’s Beach Café. There is heaps out there for you - see out Things To Do for more - it’s a wonderful part of the world!