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Book Self-Catering Holiday Cottages For Active Holidays

Scroll down to find a choice of self-catering cottages suitable for those seeking an active holiday involving sporting or outdoor pursuits. Whether walking in England, climbing mountains in Scotland, riding rapids or zip wires in Wales, the holiday cottages listed here will be near an attractive choice of activities to enjoy in the great outdoors. Many activity cottages will offer on-site facilities such as fishing, swimming pools and tennis courts or will be surrounded by long, bracing walks in the country or along the miles of scenic coastal footpaths. 

Click on the preview description of any cottage to view its main page.

A modern house with a vine covered 1st floor balcony overlooks a shrub-filled front garden.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Nutwood is a delightful detached cottage perched near Lake Windermere in Lakeside. The pet-friendly cottage is well-positioned for a holiday in Cumbria and the Lake District. It features a spacious furnished deck, lovely grounds, an interior with modern furnishings, an open fire, and ample light.

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Exterior of a single-storey Exmoor holiday cottage overlooking a garden full of mature shrubs and trees.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Welcome to Nuthatch, your ideal romantic retreat within the picturesque Three Gates Farm. This delightful Exmoor farm cottage is the perfect haven for couples (and their pets) seeking a cosy and intimate escape. It is ideally located for walking holidays exploring Exmoor and Mid-Devon, no matter the season.

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Wooden chair outside than open front door of a holiday cottage
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Nobby's is a charming pet-friendly cottage that combines the best of both worlds - the coast and the countryside. The cottage is located on East Thorne Farm, in the beautiful North Cornwall countryside near Bude on East Thorne Farm. Families can enjoy a range of activities, including an adventure playground, an indoor games room, a spa, a campfire, and picturesque rural walks.

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A twin-gabled house overlooks a large lawn bordered by a tall hedge.
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
4

New Lodge promises stunning views of Lake Ullswater from its cosy sitting room. The lakeside cottage in Watermillock, Cumbria, promises seclusion and modern sophistication, architectural design, floor-to-ceiling windows, two log fires, lovely gardens and a private shoreline with a small jetty.

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Sleeps
10
Bedrooms
5

New Inn House is a luxuriously appointed rural holiday cottage in Abbots Salford. It boasts gorgeous interiors, uninterrupted views of the Warwickshire countryside, a heated swimming pool, tennis court, games room, children’s play area, an open fire, and lavish grounds perfect for pets and entertaining.

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Exterior of an Ingleton holiday cottage overlooking a garden in a rural location.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Some of the best views in England can be enjoyed from Netherscar in Chapel-le-Dale, near Ingleton. The detached, remote holiday cottage lies among the rolling hills in a haven of peace and tranquillity. It offers three bedrooms, an open fire, and ample space for pets and children to roam.

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A twin-gabled Exmoor barn conmverion surounded by a lawn.
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
4

Large families looking to holiday off the beaten track can enjoy a stay at Nethercote Byre in the centre of Exmoor, a child-friendly barn conversion near the Somerset villages of Winsford and Exford. It features a living room with a wood burner, a games room with table football and four comfy bedrooms.

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Exterior of a large stone-built, 3-storey Oxfordshire farmhouse and garden.
Sleeps
13
Bedrooms
6

Morgans Farmhouse is the ideal holiday home for large families and groups in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds. It is a pet-friendly Cotswold holiday cottage near the village of Bampton. The cottage has six bedrooms, a kitchen with a wine chiller, a granary annexe with a sitting room, and a games room with a pool table and table football.

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A Luxury Cotswold Farm Barn Conversion within a walled garden.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Boasting Cotswold yellow stone and exposed beams, Nellie’s Barn blends charm and sophistication. The pet-friendly holiday cottage near Bourton-on-the-Water sits on a farm in the Windrush Valley and offers delightful gardens, on-site fishing, a summer house, a wood burner and countryside walks from the front door.

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Activity holidays don't need to involve knuckle experiences. For families with young children or those preferring a 'healthy holiday' without the risk of injury, consider hiring bicycles to explore a Sustrans Cycle route or a cycle path such as the Tarka Trail in North Devon or The Bonsal Trail in Derbyshire. To ensure that a holiday cottage has precisely what you are looking for, e.g. an outdoor shower for washing the salt of wetsuits and surfboards, use the Visit Website button to go to a cottage's website for further information. Alternatively, e-mail or phone the owners directly to check that what you want to do on holiday is precisely the activity accessible at the cottage.