Where to host your big bash

BRITAIN

Wilderness Reserve

Suffolk

Conservation project-cum-countryhouse-retreat sums up Wilderness Reserve (01986 802113; wildernessreserve.com), set in idyllic parkland. There are 15 houses as well as Grade IIlisted Sibton Park, sleeping 27.

From £468 per night for a house; Sibton Park from £4,740 per night

Keythorpe Hall Leicestershire

At Keythorpe Hall (0116 298 6151; keythorpehall.co.uk), a Grade II-listed

Georgian pile near Rutland, there is a country-house vibe with a foodie focus, including the services of a resident chef. Sustainability is the buzzword here, with fruit and vegetables from the walled garden and honey and gin made on the estate.

From £14,000 for a two-night stay; sleeps up to 20

Henry’s Townhouse London

Younger members of the group will welcome the chance to hit the town after dinner in Monsieur Halavant’s Pantry at Henry’s Townhouse (0330 133 4959; henrystownhouse.co.uk). This charming, Georgian pied à terre turned seven-bedroom hotel in the heart of Marylebone was once owned by the brother of novelist Jane Austen.

£4,950 per night, B&B; sleeps up to 14

Charity Herefordshire

The secret Olchon Valley, with views of the Black Mountains, is the setting for Charity – a beautifully restored 15thcentury farmhouse that sleeps up to 12. It has a hot tub, a sauna, an outdoor pizza oven and a party-ready restored barn – complete with disco ball – which doubles as a cinema.

Unique Homestays (01637 881183; uniquehomestays.com) offers a threenight stay from £2,295

Auchterarder House Perthshire

Live it up like lairds at Auchterarder House, one of Scotland’s most lavish private homes set in 20 acres of gardens with views of the Grampians. The house sleeps up to 20 with additional accommodation available on the grounds. From £24,000 for two nights with Loyd & Townsend Rose (01835 824642; ltrcastles.com)

The Harper Norfolk

Opened last year in Langham, just inland from Norfolk’s champagne coast, is the Harper (01328 805000; theharper.co.uk). Long walks and spa treatments can be followed by a dinner takeover of the Den, a private events space that also has an honesty bar, pool table and cinema screen.

Doubles from £175 per night, B&B

Monkey Island Estate Berkshire

The historic Monkey Island Estate (01628 623400; monkeyislandestate. co.uk) is on the Thames in gastro-hotspot Bray, just outside London. It offers hotel rooms, plus six private residences sleeping between two and eight in the nearby village. Guests can enjoy river cruises, picnics and a luxurious spa.

Doubles from £275 per night

The Farm at Avebury Wiltshire

The Farm at Avebury (07790 026363; thefarmatavebury.co.uk) has unveiled its stylish Stables – six self-catering

properties sleeping a total of 22. Farmto-table feasts in the Granary or the Barn complete the picture.

From £3,590 for two nights

Honeybridge Estate West Sussex

Seventeen acres of grounds surround the Honeybridge Estate (01403 597097;

honeybridgeestate.co.uk) and the rolling hills of the South Downs National Park are on its doorstep. There are three houses on the estate, including a renovated barn, a Tudor-style cottage and the main house, which has an indoor infinity pool, a hot tub and a sauna. Concierge and chef services are also available.

From £1,100 to £7,400 for two nights; sleeps from 25 to 36