Middle Farm

County Durham's countryside around Lanchester offers space and quiet, and Middle Farm sits right in that landscape—a substantial farmhouse on active agricultural land where you can settle a group of up to ten people. The property welcomes one dog at no extra cost, making it genuinely useful for those who don't want to leave a pet behind.

The layout spreads across two floors and gives you real choice about how to spend time. Downstairs has two separate living spaces, one with an open fire and one with a wood burner, each with a television; the kitchen and dining room open onto an enclosed garden with patio seating. Upstairs holds four bedrooms, each with an ensuite or access to a shared bathroom, and the bed configurations mix doubles with singles to suit different group shapes. Heating, electricity, bed linen, towels and wifi are all included; the initial fuel for the fires comes with the booking.

You get private parking for six cars and a garden that's fenced, which matters if you're bringing children or that dog. No smoking indoors. The village of Lanchester is under two miles away if you want pubs and shops, but the farm itself is the draw—rural without being remote from Durham.