10 of the best Isle of Wight holiday cottages for large groups

If you're planning an Isle of Wight holiday for three generations of the same family plus assorted hangers-on and aunts you'll probably be looking for a large property which can cope with at least 10 people. Here is my pick of 10 of the highest rated and best value large self catering holiday cottages on the Isle of Wight. If you're doing stag do research, check out our guide to activities for an Isle of Wight stag weekend.

1. House on the Beach, Sleeps 12

The House on the Beach is one of those that I've looked at rather enviously whilst on the ferry from Portsmouth to Fishbourne. It is a 'New England' style home with its own bit of beach at the bottom of the garden. It has 6 bedrooms and sleeps 12 people.

2. The Marine Villa, Shanklin, Sleeps 20

This one is pretty spectacular - Marine Villa (also known as Charleston House) is a 1920s gentleman's residence with fantastic views and a dining room suitable for a sword fight scene in a Bond film. Its water feature is something else and its art deco touches are pretty cool too. It's actually not all that expensive if you spread the cost out between 20. It has seven bedrooms in total.

3. Rush House, Shanklin - Sleeps 20

This modern mansion manages to cram in 20 people across 8 bedrooms. The owners have made some changes so you can all eat together in one dining area. As well as a five star rating, it has loads of modern toys like Sky and a Hot Tub. Trip Advisor gives it 5 out of 5. Pets are welcome but smokers aren't, so you'll have to ask Aunt Maude to light up in the garden instead. It's just outside Shanklin so would take about half an hour to walk to the beach. They'll also give you a Wightlink discount (see our discount ferry guide for other money saving ideas).

4. Greystones, Freshwater - Sleeps 12

This former vicarage is halfway between Freshwater and Yarmouth in the West Wight (the quieter side of the Isle of Wight with crumbly cliffs, rather than the amusements and pedalos of the East Wight). It sleeps 12 people in 7 rooms and is one of the cheaper large accommodation options we've found. Reviews were averaging 9.5/10 when I checked (2017).

5. Luccombe Chine House, near Shanklin, Sleeps 12

Luccombe Chine House has got loads of character with wood beams, open fire places and seaviews. It's a little way outside of Shanklin, in the bit which is (in my opinion) prettier and a bit less touristy. There are six bedrooms and it is also dog friendly.

Its trump card is the grounds, which extend to six acres and are ideal for persuading your children to stop staring at the iPad and do some exploring.

6. The Hermitage, near Ventnor, Sleeps 20

The Hermitage is a swanky manor house with 11 acres of land, sea views, 10 bedrooms, a gym and pool table. A friend of mine was taken there by his employees for a team-building thing and spoke very highly of it (my employee usually goes for Travelodge, which doesn't seem fair).

You'll find it in the rural South Wight, a couple of miles inland from Blackgang and Ventnor.

7. Kingston Manor, near Chale, Sleeps 16

Kingston Manor near Chale has got a lot of history about it, with parts of it dating back 800 years. It's got huge 15 acre grounds, so you can wander around pretending you are Lord of the Manor for a few days. There's even an outdoor heated swimming pool and a games room.

8. Fernhill Farm, Wootton Bridge, Sleeps 18 in 4 barns

Fernhill Farm in Wootton Bridge near Ryde is an appealing option if you're concerned that your Aunt Maude will be bickering with your mother-in-law after 20 minutes under the same roof.

There are four properties at Fernhill Farm, so you can strategically spread people out, just like you would when planning a seating plan for a wedding. Each barn has its own kitchen, although one can seat up to 8 people and there's outside space.

9. The Mill House, Brighstone, Sleeps 12

Pretty Brighstone is in the quieter West Wight, with gorgeous sandy beaches but not a whiff of the bucket and spade tourism of places like Sandown and Shanklin (not that there's anything wrong with buckets and spades!). Mill House is ideal for a quiet holiday spent trying to work out how an AGA works or going for coastal walks, or playing the piano. See our guide before you decide which Isle of Wight town you should stay in.

10. Northcourt House, Shorwell, Sleeps 20 or 30+

Northcourt House is in Shorwell which is a pretty little village in the West Wight. The Manor is older than the United States of America and can sleep about 20 people, or 30 plus if you also rent Little Northcourt. Inside it's a classy manor house with a terrace for summer evenings and a grand piano so your children can play 'chopsticks'. My favourite stretch of Isle of Wight coastline is about 10 minutes to the west by car.

Accommodation for really big groups...

If you are visiting the Isle of Wight as part of a school, church group or some other big rabble then there are a few options which can accommodation groups of 100 or more people: