Guest stories · friends + family
Five families.
Room to come together.
Their own cottages. Shared dinners. Time to catch up.
One group of friends shares what a stay at Patty’s Barn meant for their growing families.
Read their story
A group stay near Lancaster
Finding somewhere
for everyone.
As a group of friends grows, finding somewhere everyone can stay together gets a little more complicated. Partners, children, different ages and routines: the gathering needs more space than it once did.
“Ordinary houses aren't big enough for us any more and we cover a real breadth of ages, so finding somewhere to meet up has got harder and harder.”
For these friends, Patty’s Barn meant having their own cottages, with places to cook, eat and spend time together.
01 · Space for each family
Your own cottage.
Everyone close by.
Each family had its own cottage to return to, alongside the shared spaces and countryside around them.
“Each family had its own cottage…”
Between catch-ups, there was plenty to enjoy: the games room, the swing, sheep to watch and space outdoors to explore.
02 · Around the table
One meal.
Everyone together.
In the evenings, the group came together for dinner. They took turns using the catering kitchen to prepare a meal for five families, sharing the cooking as well as the food.
“Rather than every family cooking every night and eating into our precious time together, we each cooked once and everyone mucked in.”
03 · A little breathing space
A little time
for yourselves.
One of the friends, a yoga teacher, led a session for the group. Others headed out for runs, making room for a little time to themselves during the stay.
“As parents of young children, time to look after ourselves really matters, and here we had the space and the calm to do it.”
There were walks to the seaside, too, with Michelle sharing suggestions for local walks and places to eat.
Your next get-together
Make time for
your favourite people.
Stay close in separate cottages and add a gathering space for shared meals, games and evenings together.
The catering kitchen, The Shed and The Out Barn are available to hire separately, subject to availability. We’ll help you choose suitable spaces and explain the hire costs and what’s included.
Plan your group stay ↗Explore our gathering spaces ↗