An octagonal, stone-built toll house shaded by trees.

Book Self-Catering Holidays in Quirky Holiday Cottages

Fancy a self-catering holiday in a quirky and unusual holiday property? Who wouldn’t say no to a holiday with friends in a luxury lighthouse or a beautifully restored Napoleonic Fort?

Search here to find an architecturally unique holiday cottage for a more than usually memorable holiday with family or friends. The UK has a splendid choice of distinctive and unusual character cottages appealing to those looking for something slightly different from a traditional house. 

While quirky cottages are not the ‘everyday’ holiday property, they still offer the same standards, facilities, and amenities you would expect to find in any decent holiday property worth its salt. Types of out-of-the-ordinary holiday lets include (but are not limited to):

  • Lighthouses
  • Windmills
  • Restored railway stations and carriages
  • Castles and Forts.
  • Shepherds Huts
  • Narrow Boats
  • Tree-houses
  • Signal boxes
  •  Follies 

View this collection of distinctive holiday properties to find one with that ‘must-stay’ funky factor for a long holiday or just a weekend break.

Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

The Lodge is a cosy, romantic cottage boasting a private hot tub & a glorious sunroom. The rural cottage lies close to the centre of Coltishall and is well-appointed and stylish. Multiple furnished areas provide space to relax in the garden. The cottage is LOCATED between the Norfolk countryside and its coast.

  • Accessible By Train
  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Cottages with Hot Tubs
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
2-storey stone-built Cotswold Cottage surrounded by a mature garden.
Sleeps
3
Bedrooms
2

Spring Cottage is a gorgeous honey-coloured stone-built cottage nestled within the Cotswolds in Alkerton. The pet-friendly cottage boasts lovely gardens, exposed beams & stone walls, oak furnishings, an open fire, a sunroom and contemporary style, plus access to the region of Oxfordshire.

  • Accessible By Train
  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
A farmhouse lounge with large sofas and a widescreen TV
Sleeps
12
Bedrooms
5

James’s Parlour is a spacious converted Georgian barn set on lush green fields in Alkington, Shropshire. The large rural cottage offers an open-plan design, exposed beams, trusses and brick pillars, and extensive furnished grounds with an indoor swimming pool, multi-sports court and play area.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages with Car Chargers
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Eco Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Holiday Cottages With a Pool
  • Independent Cottages
  • Large Cottage Discounts
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

The Brambles is a single-bedroom holiday cottage in Dorset, ideal for couples or lone travellers. It is situated between the seaside town of Weymouth and Abbotsbury, famous for its swans. It is set in stunning farmland which overlooks the Dorset Coast and the Chesil Beach. Fantastic walks straight from the door of the cottage.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Cottages With Games Rooms
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Small Cottages
A Norfolk barn conversion overlooks a riverside lawn
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

The Hayloft is a charming romantic cottage for two surrounded by cute gardens and quaint villages in North Norfolk. The cosy, pet-friendly conversion retains traditional features such as an open fire, and its elevated position affords its views of the surrounding region, Ideal for a romantic escape.

  • Agency Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Small Cottages
  • Waterside Cottages
Exterior of a Cotswold honeystone cottage overlooking a lawn with daffodils in bloom.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

1 Lower Mill Cottages is a charming Cotswold Holiday Cottage nestling in a quiet corner of the Worcestershire village of Broadway with private parking. This two-bedroom,dog-friendly countryside cottage has lovely stream-bordered gardens and lies within an easy walk of superb pubs and restaurants.

  • Accessible By Train
  • Active Holidays
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Quirky Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages
Stone-built exterior of a Dorset cottage with a shingle garden protected by an ornate iron fence.
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
4

The Old Butcher’s Shop in Docking offers a soft palette with dashes of colour in a detached rural cottage just moments from the coast. The large and pet-friendly holiday cottage in Norfolk blends luxury with country charm and features an open fire, a games room and multiple sun-drenched spaces to relax and socialise.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Cottages With Games Rooms
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
A stone-built, end of terrace cottage overlooking an empty street.
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
3

This traditional, stone-built Yorkshire Dales holiday cottage sleeps five on the outskirts of the charming village of Ingleton. Nicely located for exploring the Dales’ spectacular Three Peaks area, Bytheway Cottage has a snug sitting room with patio doors and is almost next door to an excellent pub.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
A classic country house with a pillared front entrance and surrounded by lawns and mature flower beds
Sleeps
12
Bedrooms
6

Moortown House Farm is an elegant Georgian-listed manor on the edge of an AONB in Moortown. The large rural holiday cottage in Lincolnshire was built in 1816 and was designed by Sit Joseph Paxton. Rolling parkland and woodland surround the elegant property, which has luxurious furnishings, a tennis court, and country charm.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages With Games Rooms
  • Cottages with Hot Tubs
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Holiday Cottages With a Pool
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays