Homely holiday lets

Large houses on farms and estates can be spectacular, but their expensive and constant maintenance may strain finances. Lee Murphy finds out how going into the holiday let sector has helped two CLA members diversify their incomes.

The Grange at Brockhall Park in Northamptonshire shows how a large house on an estate can become a popular visitor destination for those seeking a rural retreat with family and friends. Ross Collins and his family, who have an arable farming enterprise nearby.

with parkland and gardens, bought The Grange and its surrounding land in November 2023. Ross jumped at the chance to acquire additional land, including the property, when the opportunity arose.

The house was built on the site of an old farm workers’ cottage and is, as Ross says, a ‘slightly unusual design.’ Despite having been constructed in the 1990s, considerable work was required before it could be let out as a holiday rental property.

“The previous owners were an elderly couple and we’ve had to engineer the place so that it can now cater for 12 adult guests,” says Ross. “When we first looked around the property it was actually in quite a good condition. But to bring the house up to the standard we needed, we had to do some fairly extensive work.

“It’s almost the norm that when you start a project on a big farmhouse you unearth other projects as you go; we’ve had experience of this previously. There were issues we had to sort out in terms of electrics and plumbing and we had to upgrade the hot water system – we had electricians on site for six weeks.”

The Grange has five bedrooms, an indoor swimming pool, a snug, an orangery and a cinema room. “It was a sizeable acquisition and it was clear that The Grange needed to be let out to pull in an income to go towards the funds used for the purchase.”

Ross saw the holiday let market’s potential early on, given the property’s proximity to Silverstone racetrack, Althorp House and Stratford-upon-Avon. His family also have experience of the sector through a tourism business in south west England. Danielle Poulson manages The Grange and oversees the running of the house day to day. With previous project management experience, she helps ensure the guests have everything they need. “We’ve had to pull all the things together in terms of the booking system, marketing and advertising, and then it is the people skills and ensuring the guests are your focus.”

Ross advises: “You need to put yourself in the guests’ shoes. When you’re making decisions, you really need to think about what the guests would really enjoy and what they’d like to walk into when they arrive. “I’m all for saving money, but don’t go into something like this thinking how it can be done in the cheapest way possible. If you don’t go the extra mile and provide a wow factor, it won’t have the same impact. Ultimately, you want people to come back.”

Website: thegrangebrockhall.co.uk

Instagram: @thegrangebrockhall

In Nottinghamshire, another CLA member has undertaken an ambitious project on a Grade II listed Georgian manor house. Cuckney House is situated on the Welbeck Estate, offering self-catering accommodation for up to 40 people over 15 bedrooms.

The stunning house was once occupied by the 6th Duke of Portland when Welbeck Abbey was being rebuilt following a fire in 1900, and was one of the set locations for the 2014 film Testament of Youth. Extensive work was required to bring the property to the standard needed for the holiday let market. Vast amounts of dry rot had to be tackled, and a new energy centre, a solar farm and electric car charging points were installed.

Various works were undertaken to ensure the property met hotel-level regulations. “We could have turned it into a boutique hotel, but it was important for the family that it remained a home,” says Property and Rural Estates Director Nigel Porter. “One of the benefits of turning it into a holiday let is that it’s still a home. We want people to feel like it’s their home for the time they stay there, rather than a commercial hotel.” With wedding venue Hazel Gap close by on the estate, Cuckney House is an ideal base for family and friends to stay in one location before and after a wedding.

It also has a licence to hold civil ceremonies for small weddings of under 50 people. However, the offer is versatile; you can choose self-catering, a catered stay with a private chef or a full-service wedding. The house is also used for corporate bookings, celebrations and family gatherings. No detail is overlooked to ensure guests enjoy a premium experience: “We have a five-star review from every single guest we have had stay; this tells us we must be doing something right from the process of arrival to departure,” says Hospitality Manager Ross Owen.

Nigel advises: “Time spent on planning is time well spent. They are challenging projects and they are always going to take longer than you think and you will always have unforeseen things come up. Having the right team in place hopefully means the list of these is smaller.”

Website: cuckneyhouse.co.uk

Instagram: @cuckneyhouse