Country Estates, Barns and Farmhouses

Buckland House, Devon

With week-long holidays costing less than £100 per person, this enormous grade-II listed country mansion - the place Sienna Miller's sister got hitched in 2005 - works out as incredible value for money.

There can’t be many country houses you can rent – complete with their own lake and church on a 280-acre estate – from less than £50 a head for a weekend.

And you certainly get a lot of house for your money. Originally given by William the Conqueror to one of his loyal soldiers, Buckland was rebuilt following a fire in 1790 to become an enormous grade-II listed Regency mansion that could easily accommodate more than the 26 people allowed.

It’s probably quite common to spend time ambling along hallways peering into endless rooms as you try to find the rest of your party. For starters, there are three different places you can eat depending on your mood: around a large farmhouse table in the Victorian kitchen, in the separate oak-panelled breakfast room or at the French polished table in the formal dining room with its antique silver and Royal Worcester china.

Choose between two sitting rooms: a cavernous drawing room with wooden floors, rugs, fireplace, ornate cornicing and a gargantuan brass chandelier or a smaller white-panelled room – the only part of the original house that remained following the fire. Or retreat to the library with its crystal chandeliers, easy chairs, dark wood floors and ornate drapes.

The wow factor has to be reserved for the galleried ballroom with its dome ceiling, marble fireplace, wooden floors and a grand piano, making the house a hit for weddings and other large celebrations. In summer, guests can spill out of the floor-to-ceiling French doors that open on to the lawn.

Buckland House’s size also makes it perfect for kids who can play hide and seek in the warren of rooms or amuse themselves by donning the contents of the fancy dress cupboard in the nursery, which is packed with books and games. Teenagers can make a beeline for the table tennis or play snooker in the room next to the ballroom. There’s also an outdoor unheated pool.

Up the magnificent oak staircase are 15 traditional country-house bedrooms with wooden floors, antique furniture and copies of The Field and Country Life on the bedside tables. Three rooms – including a charming single with a tiny fireplace and sink – have four-poster beds. Some of the bathrooms are particularly characterful with Victorian roll-top baths and ornate fireplaces.

Several bedrooms still have their old dormitory names from when Buckland was a boarding school. This gives you some idea of their size: many could easily sleep a whole gaggle of children. The four-poster looks almost lost in the huge master bedroom with corniced ceilings, crystal chandeliers and French doors leading on to a balcony with wonderful views over the grounds.

It’s not surprising that many guests rarely leave the house, let alone the estate, during their stay. There is, though, plenty to do outside. Explore the acres of private woodland, play croquet on the lawn, try clay-pigeon or pheasant shooting, or go fishing on the lake. Situated on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, Buckland House is also ideally situated for exploring the north and south Devon coasts.