Waterside and Riverside Holiday Cottages

Find UK holiday cottages by rivers, lakes, canals, lochs, harbours and the coast. From a river-view cottage for a peaceful break to a beachside stay with sea views, this collection brings together self-catering properties with a verified waterside setting.

Waterside can mean different things at different properties. Some cottages are directly beside the water, while others have views, shared access or are a short distance away. Check each listing for its water setting, access details and any relevant safety information before booking.

 

Exterior of a large contemporary house with a raised terrace and surrounded by mature gardens.
  • Sleeps 4
  • Bedrooms 2

Clamoak Cottage is a charming waterfront cottage in Clamoak boasting a thoroughly modern interior combined with exposed beams and touches of yesteryear and an open fire. The pet-friendly cottage offers outdoor spaces with sweeping views of the Tamar River and the South Devon countryside.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages
Exterior of a brick-built Shropshire barn conversion with a courtyard.
  • Sleeps 15
  • Bedrooms 6

Corn House, on the grounds of a 700-acre farm near Church Stretton. A large luxury Shropshire holiday cottage with a pool, it offers group accommodation for up to fifteen guests. This Grade II listed barn conversion has six spacious bedrooms, an oak bespoke fully equipped kitchen, and access to a pool, hot tub and tennis courts.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages with Hot Tubs
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Eco Cottages
  • Holiday Cottages With a Pool
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages
A single-storey holiday cottage on Osea Island overlooks a large lawn.
  • Sleeps 4
  • Bedrooms 2

scape to the beautiful Osea Island in Essex and stay at East Village No.3, a charming private holiday cottage. This island offers a unique experience that is accessible via a tidal causeway. You can enjoy a private beach, a saltwater lido, a heated pool, a tennis court, a cinema, a games room, and a gym. No.3 is located in The Village, which provides easy access to the pool. Inside the cottage, you can expect stylish bedrooms and open-plan living areas. Immerse yourself in island life, which is perfect for special occasions or family holidays. Please note that the minimum booking is for two nights.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Cottages With Games Rooms
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Holiday Cottages With a Pool
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Waterside Cottages
Wisteria-clad exterior of a Luxury waterside holiday home.
  • Sleeps 8
  • Bedrooms 4

Stunning views of the River Yealm await visitors to Elphinstone, a large, luxurious holiday cottage in Newton Ferrers, Devon. Situated close to the sea, the impressive cottage offers a spacious deck, outdoor entertaining areas, an open-plan design, abundant natural light, a neutral palette and tranquillity.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages
A modern single storey lodge stands in front of trees overlooking a hedge-lined field.
  • Sleeps 4
  • Bedrooms 2

This delightful lodge on Wakes Hall Farm is a haven of peace on 500 acres of private land. Recently awarded a five-star AA rating, it features an open-plan kitchen/dining/sitting area, a verandah, and a hot tub. The historic town of Colchester is 40 minutes away.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages with Hot Tubs
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Eco Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages
A terraced stone cottage with a low wall around the front garden
  • Sleeps 4
  • Bedrooms 2

The stone walls of Englewood Cottage encase a delightfully appointed, two-bedroom, pet-friendly holiday cottage in Northumberland, replete with contemporary fittings, exposed timber beams, inglenook fireplace, multi-fuel stove, four poster beds and a large garden bordered by a small stream.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages
Backed by tall pine trees a 2-storey tone-built Newtonmore holiday cottage overlooks a large lawn.
  • Sleeps 4
  • Bedrooms 2

Nestled amidst the natural beauty of the Monadhliath and Grampian mountain ranges, Feagour is a remote country cottage in the western approach to the Cairngorms in the Central Highlands of Scotland, offering well-equipped, tastefully furnished self-catering accommodation. Sleeps 4.

  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Remote Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages
A cluster of houses nestle alongside a stone bridge over a river.
  • Sleeps 4
  • Bedrooms 2

Fell Beck enjoys dual-aspect views of an adjacent beck and lies on the edge of the lovely Yorkshire Dales village of Burnsall. The stone-built rural holiday cottage boasts true character and modern comforts and features a wood-burning stove and a sunlit courtyard. Relax in style and explore the scenic county of North Yorkshire.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages
  • Sleeps 4
  • Bedrooms 2

Enjoy a truly rural holiday in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty at Fleshbeck Cottage, which sits close to the market town of Kirkby Lonsdale in Cumbria. The waterside holiday cottage has been carefully restored and rewards guests with exposed timber beams, stone flooring and an old range fireplace.

  • Active Holidays
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Small Cottages
  • Waterside Cottages
A stone built holiday cottage in Ampleforth with a deck and courtyard containing outdoor seating option.
  • Sleeps 6
  • Bedrooms 3

Ford End Cottage is a delightful rural cottage in the lovely village of Ampleforth in the North York Moors and Coast. Ideally situated for an enjoyable holiday, the pet-friendly cottage offers an open fire, a pleasant garden, light-filled spaces & reminders of its 18th-century origins.

  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages
A Norfolk cottage overlooks a spacious lawn and a riverbank with willow trees.
  • Sleeps 5
  • Bedrooms 3

Glaven Cottage is a charming Grade II-listed flint cottage on the banks of the River Glaven in Letheringsett. Situated between Norfolk's countryside and coast, the 1870s cottage boasts exposed beams, a wood-burning stove, furnished spaces, rooms with river views, and verdant gardens.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages
Exterior view of St Anne's Lighthouse complex on the Isle of Wight.
  • Sleeps 5
  • Bedrooms 3

Fancy a lighthouse holiday? Book Gunard, a Ventnor holiday cottage, part of St Catherine's Lighthouse on the Isle of Wight. With superb sea views, this pet-friendly waterside cottage sleeps 5 in a secluded rural location right above the waves.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Quirky Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages
A whitewashed cottage with a stone-built porch overlooks a lawn lined by mature shrubs and flowers.
  • Sleeps 5
  • Bedrooms 3

The Harber Scar is a traditional 3-bedroom family cottage in the Pennine village of Horton-in-Ribblesdale near Settle, best known as the location of the Three Peaks hills of the Yorkshire Dales. The cottage embraces the charm and character of its rural setting both inside and outside. Pets welcome.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages
Waterfront terrace overlooks a harbour with small boats stored on the Quay.
  • Sleeps 8
  • Bedrooms 4

Harbour Master’s House offers waterfrontage and luxury. The pet-friendly Cornish coastal cottage sits above the harbour at Portreath, within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and promises ocean views and a sea breeze, plus multiple balconies, coastal chic, a log fire and access to the delights of Cornwall.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages
4-storey exterior of contemporary harbourside apartments in Weymouth.
  • Sleeps 4
  • Bedrooms 2

Harbourside Haven Apartment 3 is a luxurious Dorset seaside apartment perched above Weymouth Marina. Enjoying beautiful views and a soft sea breeze from its balcony and open-plan living area, the sophisticated property places guests in the centre of the coastal resort and the coastline.

  • Active Holidays
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Waterside Cottages

Choose the right waterside cottage

Your ideal breakLook forCheck before booking
A riverside holidayA cottage beside or overlooking a riverWhether there is direct access, a view only, fishing permission or an unfenced water edge
A lake or loch stayA lakeside or lochside settingWhether the water can be accessed and any property-specific rules
A canal-side breakA cottage by a canal, marina or towpathThe exact location, nearby paths, parking and any shared access
A harbour or estuary escapeHarbour, creek or estuary viewsTides, terrain and the distance to local shops or restaurants
A seaside holidayA sea-view, beachfront or beach-adjacent cottageWhether there is direct beach access or simply a coastal location
A stay with a dogA waterside property that welcomes dogsDog numbers, garden details, water-edge safety and local access rules

What to check before booking

A cottage by the water can be ideal for relaxing, walking, fishing or exploring the coast, but the details matter.

  • Water setting: Confirm whether the property is by a river, lake, canal, loch, harbour, estuary or the sea.
  • Access: A water view does not always mean direct access to the riverbank, shore or beach.
  • Activities: Check whether fishing, swimming, boating, paddleboarding or mooring is allowed before making plans.
  • Children and dogs: If you are travelling with children or pets, look for information about fencing, water edges, steps and supervision.
  • Coastal conditions: For beach, harbour and estuary stays, check tides, local access and seasonal conditions.
  • Practical details: Consider parking, walking routes, local amenities and how close the cottage is to the water you want to enjoy.

Find your kind of waterside break

For sea-focused stays, browse Coastal Holiday Cottages. You can also combine your search with Dog-Friendly Cottages, Remote Holiday Cottages, Walking Holidays and Cottages for Couples.

Frequently asked questions

This collection includes cottages by rivers, lakes, canals, lochs, harbours, estuaries and the coast. Check each listing for the exact setting and relationship to the water.

No. Some have direct access, while others may have views, shared access or be nearby. Check the individual property details before booking.

Only where the property information confirms that this is allowed. Fishing permissions, water access, equipment and local conditions vary.

Yes. Use the Dog-Friendly filter, then check the individual cottage’s pet policy and any water-edge or garden safety details.

Coastal cottages focus on the sea and shoreline. Waterside cottages can include coastal stays, but also rivers, lakes, canals, lochs, harbours and estuaries.

It depends on the property. Check for details about water access, fencing, banks, steps and supervision before booking.