Our story
Welcome to Love Cottages. Run by a group of like-minded independent holiday cottage agencies, we’ve banded together with agencies from all corners of England, Scotland and Wales to create the largest collection of personally inspected holiday cottages in the UK.
Combining the properties of over 50 of the UK’s most respected holiday cottage agencies, you can book with the confidence that every single holiday home on our website has been recently inspected, photographed and rated according to self-catering industry standards by a Love Cottages partner.
Offering the kind of intricate property and local knowledge that’s so often lost by the big listing sites, our agencies take huge pride in promoting their cottages and the beautiful regions in which they operate. What’s more, during your stay you’ll have the reassurance of knowing a local Love Cottages representative is just up the road should you need them. With us, what you see is absolutely what you get; cottage holidays you can trust from search to stay.
The majority of the holiday properties on our website have a Visit England or Visit Wales rating. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, we work with the agencies setting the holiday cottage industry standards, so whether you decide to go, you can book quickly, easily and in full confidence.
Choose from idyllic chocolate box English country cottages, find a gorgeous Welsh coastal retreat or explore the Scottish Highlands. Whatever you choose, we’re the only website in the UK dedicated to providing high-quality, personally inspected holiday homes.
We don’t just rent cottages, we Love Cottages.
Who’s involved?
Every holiday property listed on our website is represented by a Love Cottages partner. Combining the experience and expertise of over 50 of the UK’s leading independent holiday cottage agencies, our collective value far outweighs the sum of our parts.
Each agency adheres to our strict criteria for quality and service, ensuring every property is individually inspected against industry standards. Committed to providing unforgettable holidays in unbeatable accommodation, a Love Cottages booking is one you can trust.
So without further ado please be introduced to the team…
James Norton
A part dutch central Londoner by birth, James left UK shores to live briefly in France and Spain before settling down in South Devon to enjoy life with his family by the sea.
With a diverse career from health clubs through to magazines and newspapers James now finds himself at the helm of Toad Hall Cottages, as Company Director. With a career of over 20 years in Sales & Marketing James brings a wealth of experience to Love Cottages as our Chairman.
James loves to be active and participates in a dizzying array of activities from football and cycling to kayaking and running (if creaky knees allow!).
Ian Hawkes
Ian holds the purse strings for Love Cottages and is our honorary Treasurer and Company Secretary. As you would expect, he has a keen eye for detail, and at our board meetings he always has the requisite calculator to hand.
For many years Ian, together with his wife Karen, ran Cottage in the Country, a holiday cottage agency located in the Cotswolds. As business partners they owned and managed the agency between them, and were always on hand to answer any questions from their guests. Now, taking life a little easier, Ian enjoys walking their dogs in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside.
George Edward-Collins
The youngest member of the team, George spent many years in the property industry in London and Gloucestershire before heading home to Cornwall to join family business, Cornish Traditional Cottages. After seven years learning the ropes George became company director in 2016, taking the baton on for the next generation.
With a young family, George has little time to spare between work and home. But he can be found enjoying an early morning surf, or chasing the sunrise on his road bike, if the opportunity presents itself.
Donna Duggan
Donna is a freelance consultant for Love Cottages and bridges the gap between guests and holiday cottage agents.
Hailing from the Isle of Wight, she began her professional life in the music industry in Bath (Real World Records) and then London (Decca Records) learning a great about CD manufacturing, marketing and packaging along the way. The arrival of a young family meant leaving the bright lights of London behind and relocating to West Sussex. Over the last 15 years she has niched into Email Marketing and is now a Mailchimp Partner.
Donna is a self-confessed book worm and also loves to potter around in her garden.