Copmanthorpe Hall

Copmanthorpe Hall sits on a working farm just south of York, and the contrast is what makes it. You pull up to a proper farmhouse with cows in the field next door and open countryside beyond, yet the inside has been gutted and rebuilt to a standard most holiday properties don't get close to. The en-suites look almost new, the underfloor heating keeps everything warm, and the kitchen is fitted out with grey units and white worktops that wouldn't look out of place in a magazine.

That kitchen is the hub of the house. A dining table seats all twelve of you, which sounds like a small detail until you've stayed somewhere that makes half the group eat in shifts. The space works for big breakfasts, Sunday roasts, and the kind of long dinners where nobody moves from the table for three hours. If you're celebrating something, the kitchen is well-appointed enough to handle a private chef comfortably.

Off the dining area, a snug with an Xbox gives someone an escape route when the sitting room gets taken over. The sitting room itself is generous, with enough sofas and armchairs for everyone to spread out. Nine TVs across the house means nobody needs to negotiate what's on.

Upstairs and down, all six bedrooms are king-size or super-king-size, and every single one has its own en-suite. That's the rare bit. Getting twelve people under one roof is straightforward enough, but doing it so that every couple has their own bathroom is genuinely unusual. The ground-floor bedroom has a wet room, which is worth knowing for anyone in the group who'd rather avoid stairs. Two of the upstairs en-suites include freestanding baths if you want to soak properly after a long day walking the Moors.

Out the back, the enclosed garden stretches across enough lawn for football or croquet, with a patio area for alfresco dining and a large hot tub. The views from the garden drift out across open farmland, and on a summer evening with a glass of wine, you can hear nothing but the occasional cow. There is a pond in the garden, so keep an eye on young children.

Copmanthorpe village is a mile and a half away, with a Co-op for supplies and a decent pub. For anything more, York is genuinely ten minutes by car, and the Park and Ride is even closer. York Minster, the Shambles, the National Railway Museum, and the JORVIK Viking Centre are all easy half-day trips without any real planning. York Racecourse is 4.2 miles away if your visit lines up with a race day. For bigger countryside outings, the North York Moors National Park and the Howardian Hills are within easy reach.

Parking is ample, with level access from the car park straight into the house and WiFi throughout. The owners live nearby and are helpful without hovering, always a text away if you need anything.