Mulberry Cottages

Going away with the kids for a holiday is wonderful when you get there but can be a real headache before hand.  Making sure you have remembered all the equipment, the food, that special teddy and a selection of games and toys to keep them happy on the journey and on arrival.  We pride ourselves on having a really good selection of houses that are so well equipped your list of packing will dwindle – a good example is Moorings in Aldeburgh Suffolk, large enough to house two families comfortably (it sleeps up to 14), with a good range of games, books, toys and films for all ages.  It has a large back garden, ideal for the children and is only a five minute walk (even for little legs!) from the beach, the boat pond and the ice cream parlour . Aldeburgh is a wonderful old fashioned seaside town ideal for all ages with tennis courts, walks across the marshes and even a Lifeboat station to visit – a great place for all but particularly the kids! 

If Moorings seems to large what about Doubloons in Camber Sands, Sussex?  This charming weatherboarded seaside house has a playstation, games and books and is also a few minutes walk from one of the most stunning sandy beaches in Southern England.  The sands at Camber go for miles with lots of activities on the beach including kite boarding and wind surfing – it is cleaned each day and with lifeguards in the summer makes it an ideal spot for a beach holiday. 

Another idea is 26 The Green, a delightful thatched cottage in Studland village in Dorset – again within an easy walk from a lovely sandy beach and only a 10 minute ferry ride from the glossy ritzy resort at poole Harbour – great for people watching!

This is just a selection – call us and we will come up with lots of other suggestions to delight and enchant you and your kids!

What to do with the children at half term in February, weather awful most of the time and the thought of just staying at home for a week with them glued onto the TV, Facebook and the computer game is nearly becoming a reality.

 Unless of course you do a last minute break to one of our charming holiday cottages.  This could be just what the family need, a change of scene without it costing the earth and having to spend hours at the airport.  Naturally the weather will not be hot, but in a new area for you all to explore this need not be an issue.  We are surrounded by historical places of interest, wonderful walks, cycle paths and coastline – all just waiting for you to discover them.  Our spectacular beaches I think are best out of season as you often have them to yourself, and rock pooling and beachcombing are best done when the weather is more turbulent!!  After you have given the children a day of fresh air you can return to your holiday cottage complete with open fire to talk about the day. 

 In this day and age of families not spending so much time together a self catering holiday cottage at half term could be just what everyone is after.  We have many last minute deals so why not have a look and see where you can go – I can assure you it will be better than just staying a home!

I was asked the other day to come up with an ideal place to buy a holiday cottage – not an easy thing to answer and probably not where you might think it would be!  Traditionally people would immediately have thought of Cornwall, Devon or any other beach side summer holiday location.  However convenience plays such a large part in decisions particularly out of high season that actually for year round appeal Cornwall and Devon are just too remote for most people.  What I think a prospective owner should be looking for is a mix of history, activities and convenience to ensure they get the highest possible occupancy – in other words something for everyone.  So if you are aiming at the London market, the cottage can’t be more than 3 hours away – which of course is why our holiday cottages in Kent and Sussex are in demand whatever the time of year!  An ideal location would be somewhere like Rye or Camber in East Sussex – close to the sea, lots of history, beautiful countryside and wonderful golf courses or Canterbury and surrounding area in Kent-  again able to combine what a visitor on a short break wants with the needs of a traditional family holiday.  Corinne and I are always happy to advise on any aspect of purchase or redevlopement so do give us a call if you would like some advise! Sarah Wood