Greenlawns

The garden is the first thing that hits you at Greenlawns. It is big enough that teenagers kick a football at one end while toddlers potter around the patio at the other, and nobody is in anyone's way. Fully enclosed and secure, with a wide lawn, outdoor seating, and a BBQ, it is the kind of space that turns a family gathering into an actual holiday rather than a week of crowd control. The hot tub sits on the patio looking back across the garden, and on a warm evening with a drink in hand, it is a hard spot to leave.

Inside, the house has been renovated to a high standard throughout. The finishes are smart without feeling precious, and there is a warmth to the place that keeps it on the right side of homely. The main living space splits across two sitting rooms and a snug, which means you can have the football on in one room, a film in another, and someone reading quietly in the third without negotiation. One sitting room has an open fire, the other a wood-burning stove, and there is a second stove in the snug. On a cold Somerset evening, the whole house holds its heat well.

The kitchen and dining room anchor the ground floor, with a serious setup for group cooking. Twin electric ovens, an induction hob plus a gas hob, two microwaves, two fridge-freezers, a filter coffee machine, and a dishwasher mean nobody is queuing to prepare dinner. The dining table seats the full group, and birthdays, Christmas gatherings, and big celebrations are what this room was clearly designed for.

Eight bedrooms are spread across the main house and a separate annexe. In the main house, seven bedrooms sit on two floors. A ground-floor double comes with its own shower room. Upstairs, a king-size bedroom has an en-suite bathroom, and three more king-size rooms, a twin, and a single share a bathroom and a shower room. Over in the annexe, reached through its own entrance, a king-size bedroom sits upstairs above a self-contained open-plan living space with its own kitchen, dining area, and sitting area. For grandparents who want to join the party but retreat to their own space at the end of the evening, or for a couple who want a bit of independence, the annexe is a proper escape.

Brean Beach is about a five-minute walk from the front door. The sand stretches for miles, and with two dogs welcome at the property, a morning beach run sorts out the whole household before breakfast. Burnham-on-Sea town centre is less than a mile away, with cafes, pubs, a swimming pool, a cinema, and a park with climbing frames all within a short walk. The Burnham and Berrow Golf Course, rated among the best in England, is a minute's drive.

For a bigger day out, Brean Down gives you a proper clifftop walk with wide seascapes, and Brean Theme Park is on the doorstep for rollercoasters and family rides. Cheddar Gorge and the Wookey Hole Caves are a short drive inland through the Mendip Hills, and Glastonbury is within easy touring distance, with the Abbey, the Tor, and the White Spring all worth an afternoon. Weston-super-Mare, with the Grand Pier and a long sandy beach, rounds out the bigger excursions.

Ample off-road parking, WiFi throughout, linen and towels are all included, and a wine and chocolates welcome pack takes the edge off arrival day. Two well-behaved dogs are welcome at £25 per pet, with a shop and pub 0.8 miles away.