Large Group Holidays in West Sussex

West Sussex has 17 large group stays published on BritStays, and every single one of them is a cottage. That matters when you're planning for a dozen people: you're looking at houses and converted buildings rather than purpose-built bunkhouses or hotel blocks, so expect lived-in layouts, a mix of bedroom sizes, and a kitchen that one or two people will end up claiming.

Where the big houses actually are

The spread is lopsided. Arundel accounts for 10 of the 17, Bognor Regis has 4, Selsey has 2 and Chichester has 1. In practice that means Arundel is your default starting point for a group search, and the coast is the alternative rather than the other way round.

Arundel suits countryside-leaning trips: walking, a castle on the doorstep in the shape of Arundel Castle, and properties that range from the very large to the merely roomy. The Timber Store sleeps 18 and is the biggest in this set, with Mill House on the Brooks at 15. Below those sit Regents House, Rumbolds Farm - Rumbolds Retreat and Park Cottage at 12 each, and Marine Villa and Pound Cottage at 10 — useful sizes if your group is three or four families rather than one extended clan.

Bognor Regis is the seaside option, with Sun House, Bracken Manor and Beachwood sleeping 10 and Glenvar sleeping 12. Selsey adds two more: Lifeboat View at 10 and Byeways - Railway Carriage at 11, which is the kind of name that tells you to look carefully at the photos and the bedroom plan before you commit anyone over six foot to a bunk. Chichester has a single entry, The Rubbing House, sleeping 16.

Matching the area to the trip

• Families with young children: Bognor Regis, where Butlins Bognor Regis is the obvious anchor for a rainy afternoon, and Bognor Regis Museum gives you a low-cost hour indoors.
• Mixed-age groups and milestone birthdays: Arundel, simply because the choice is widest and the top end goes to 18.
• Walkers and quieter weekends: again Arundel, with day trips out to Uppark House, Wiston House or Castle Goring if you want a structure to the day.
• Beach-first groups: Selsey, where Lifeboat View and Byeways - Railway Carriage are the only two large-group options, so flexibility on dates helps.

Facilities: check, don't assume

The published facility data across these 17 is thin, and it's worth being straight about that. EV Charging Nearby appears on 6, Near a Bus Stop on 5 and Near a Train Station on 4. WiFi is listed on just one (The Rubbing House) and Parking on the same one. That almost certainly doesn't mean the other 16 have neither — it means those details haven't been recorded, so you should ask the owner directly before booking.

For a group, parking is the question that causes the most friction. Four or five cars arriving at a village cottage is a different proposition from one. Ask how many spaces there are, whether any are on-street, and whether there's turning room for a minibus if you're hiring one.

If some of your party would rather not drive, the Arundel properties are strongest on rail: The Timber Store, Mill House on the Brooks, Marine Villa and Regents House all list Near a Train Station. On the Bognor Regis side, Bracken Manor, Beachwood and Glenvar list Near a Bus Stop, as does Lifeboat View in Selsey. Electric drivers will find EV Charging Nearby on Byeways - Railway Carriage, Marine Villa, Regents House, Lifeboat View and Beachwood among others — but confirm the charger type and whether it's genuinely walkable.

Filling the days

Large groups do better with two or three fixed anchors and plenty of free time around them. Arundel Castle is the obvious one inland. For wet days, Haslemere Educational Museum and Brighton Toy and Model Museum both work with mixed ages, and Brading Railway Heritage Centre is a longer outing if your group fancies a day with a crossing attached. Funland Hayling Island suits older children and teenagers. For a walk that absorbs a big group without feeling crowded, Frensham Common and The Flashes, Churt Common are both National Trust land.

When to book

With only 17 properties region-wide, and only two of them sleeping 15 or more, availability is the constraint rather than choice. If you need 15-plus beds, treat The Timber Store, The Rubbing House and Mill House on the Brooks as a very short list and book as far ahead as you can — school holidays and bank holiday weekends go first.

At 10 to 12 beds the field opens up, and term-time weeks are far easier. Before you pay a deposit, get the bedroom configuration in writing, confirm the dog policy if anyone's bringing one, and agree with your group who is liable for the balance if someone drops out.