If you want a very original place to stay for your large group holiday in the UK, somewhere with charm and character, Luntley Court will suit you well. This rambling old manor house dates back to 1674 and is Grade II listed, so as you’d expect, it’s full of quirky original features. There are centuries old wall timbers and ceiling beams, huge flagstones and leaded windows; it all works so well with the country house style and modern fixtures.
Go through the gate at the side of the house and in the door to the utility room – great for muddy boots and wet dogs after a long country walk. In the corner of the room stairs take you to the snug/TV room where part of the original wattle and daub wall is exposed. If the youngsters aren’t hanging out here, it’s a great place for a quiet chat or to read.
Next to the utility room is the kitchen, a large room where you can all gather so that whoever’s cooking won’t be left out of the fun. Down by the window at one end of the room there’s a seating area, and like most country kitchens, there’s a big Aga, but if that’s something you’re not used to, there’s a standard cooker and hob too.
Go through to the dining room, once part of the original manorial hall; centre place is a long dining table, setting the scene for celebration feasts. Up above is a galleried landing, at the end of the room doors open onto the garden, in the corner are stairs to the first floor. The long hallway, with centuries old oak panelling, runs along the front of the house; pull open the huge 400 year old front door and there’s a porch with built-in benches – a lovely place to sit with a cool drink in the heat of summer.
On from the dining room is the commodious sitting room, where sofas and chairs beckon you to sit down and unwind, and a large picture window gives an outlook over the garden. This is a fantastic room for you all to gather, to watch a film, play good old fashioned parlour games, to just be together, enjoying your large group holiday. Off the sitting room an inner hall leads to the second staircase and the games room with a slate bedded snooker table.
Upstairs off a long part galleried landing are Bedrooms 1-4. Bedroom 1 is on a slightly lower level than the rest; it sleeps 4 and has an ensuite bathroom with a free-standing bath and a separate shower, so it makes a great room for a family. Bedroom 2 also sleeps 4 and has a shower room just across the landing, Bedroom 3 sleeps 2 and has a bathroom right opposite. Bedroom 4 is a suite with two interconnecting rooms that each sleep 2 and an ensuite bathroom, so another good room for a family.
Tucked away next to Bedroom 2 are the stairs to the second floor where off a large landing are Bedrooms 5 and 6 and a WC. These bedrooms are both twin rooms and have a wonderful ambience, right up in the eaves of the house.
Outside, the garden is to the side and the back of the house; on the terrace there’s outdoor furniture, a barbecue, and a hot tub where you can soak beneath the stars. The views are of open fields and over the garden wall, the old dovecote. Idle the time away with a long and lazy alfresco lunch; run around with the kids, hunt for bugs in the wooded area – just the kind of thing holidays are made of. Come and make magical memories at Luntley Court.