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How your holiday helps

Guests outside Coastguard Cottages, Devon

What do a 1000-year-old castle, windswept coast path and a puffin's nest have in common? They’re all places that you help to look after when you stay at one of our holiday cottages.

What makes our holidays different?

Set on the coast, in the countryside and within the historic estates we care for, our holidays offer unique locations and unforgettable experiences. But that’s not the only reason our holidays are so special. Every time you holiday with us, 100% of the money we make goes back into conservation work at the place you’re staying in and other special places too. 

So when you set off for a day at the beach, you could be helping to repair a much-loved coast path. Staying in a woodland retreat? You could be protecting the forest habitat of an endangered species. And while you enjoy cosy evenings reading in front of the fire, you could be helping to restore books in a 400-year-old library. 

And it’s not just our holiday accommodation that makes a difference. Last year, everyone who took part in one of the 186 working holidays we ran contributed a total of 85,000 hours to conservation work. 

The exterior at Hemmick Cottage, Gorran, Cornwall

Caring for the coast 

With over 780 miles of coastline in our care, we're doing everything we can to make sure the beaches, dunes and bays we all love can be enjoyed for years to come. We have over 200 coastal cottages, bunkhouses and campsites across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In 2018, the contribution from these places cared for the equivalent of 630 miles of coastline*. From repairing footpaths, protecting wildlife habitats, to litter picking, the money from your holiday is helping to support conservation work on the coast.

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A deer stands in front of Low Park holiday cottage in Yorkshire

Looking after the countryside 

Wildflower meadows, rolling hills, heather-covered moors: the UK countryside is a varied and beautiful place. By staying at one of our country cottages, you help to care for the land and wildlife that surround it. Last year, the contribution from our 125 country cottages alone equated to enough money to maintain over 1,200 miles of footpaths. What's more, last year the money from our campsites was enough to support the equivalent of eight National Trust rangers to look after the countryside 365 days a year*.

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The exterior of Shute Barton, Devon

Unearthing history 

From cleaning the stonework on a 17th-century statue, to bringing a Victorian kitchen garden back to life, caring for hundreds of historic buildings and gardens requires constant attention. We have 117 holiday cottages within the grounds of the historic estates we care for and every stay helps to preserve and protect the heritage at these places. The contribution from these cottages in 2018 raised the equivalent funds to clean and brush 27,000 square metres of stone work – that’s enough to clean a wall around the perimeter of Basildon Park Estate in Berkshire*.

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The surrounding area of Draper's Flat holiday cottage, York

Protecting urban spaces 

Your holiday also helps to look after special places in towns and cities too. From The Beatles childhood homes in Liverpool, a Tudor house in Hackney in London, to city parks, your stay supports unique urban spaces. We have four city cottages and apartments in York and Birmingham. Last year, the contribution from our city cottages equated to enough money for us to sweep 290 chimneys at the houses we care for – twice*.

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The sitting room at Welbeck Cottage, Sheffield Park and Gardens, East Sussex

New for 2019 

Every year we restore and refurbish around ten cottages, bringing them back to life and opening them up for you to enjoy. We work with local, heritage craftspeople to protect the unique character of these places. Take a look at some of the new places you can stay, from a flat in the centre of historic York, a Grade II listed former mill, to a seaside cottage on the Dorset coast.

Explore our new holidays

Start planning your escape

Inspired to book your next break? Take a look at our full collection of holiday cottages, bothies, bunkhouses and campsites.

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*These costs were correct as of March 2019 and should only act as an indication as exact figures will differentiate from project to project.