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Let Your Cottage

Sykes Gems Awards 2026 hero banner.

3rd August 2026

Sykes Gems 2026: Shortlist

Reading Time: 14 minutes

by Maia Noden / News

Welcome to the Sykes Gems 2026 Awards Shortlist, where we celebrate the hard work and excellence of our property owners.

The shortlist will be judged throughout August by a panel of experts including:

James Shaw, Chief Commercial Officer of Sykes Holiday Cottages
Harriet Kerr, Portfolio Director
Luke Squires, Group Director of Operations
Julie Delahaye, Travel Editor at Reach

The Sykes Gems 2026 winners will then be announced in September.

Find the wonderful, shortlisted properties below…

Skip ahead to:

Best Farm Stay
Best for Beaches
Best for Couples
Best for Young Families
Best for Glamping
Best for Large Groups
Best Pet-Friendly Property
Best for Sustainability
Best for Views
Best for Walking
Best Historic Property
Best Longstanding Property
Best Luxury Property
Best Newcomer
Best Quirky Property

Best Holiday Park or Resort
Best in Central England
Best in East Anglia
Best in Ireland and Northern Ireland
Best in Mid and South Wales
Best in North East England
Best in North Wales
Best in North West England
Best in Peak District
Best in Scotland
Best on the South Coast of England and the Isle of Wight
Best in Cornwall
Best in Yorkshire
Best in Devon
Best in Dorset and Somerset

Best Farm Stay

Dover Barn (Ref. 19144)

Saddlers Cottage, Berllandeg Farm (Ref. 5396)

Top Style Orchard (Ref. 1027511)

The Sty (Ref. 1192132)

Palace Farmhouse (Ref. 1122446)

The shortlist for best farm stay includes:

Best for Beaches

Sandwaves (Ref. 1171317)

Bucket and Spades- Right on the Beach (Ref. 1153335)

Waters Edge Beadnell (Harbour Road) (Ref. 1121914)

Crystal Bay (Ref. 1079683)

Harbour View - Flat 2 - Tudor House (Ref. 1103635)

The shortlist for best for beaches includes:

Best for Couples

Hona (Ref. 1109261)

Beckaford View (Ref. 1127691)

Cae Bach (Ref. 1159391)

Stargazer (Ref. 1161788)

Llety Cariad (Ref. 1114639)

The shortlist for best for couples includes:

Best for Young Families

The Olde Cow House (Ref. 3591)

Hornshayne Farmhouse (Ref. 976031)

The Mill House (Ref. 15917)

Pen Bont Home Farm (Ref. 1110850)

Tŷ Kinik (Ref. 1074496)

The shortlist for best for young families includes:

Best for Glamping

High Rigg Shepherd's Sunrise (Ref. 1107439)

Low Longlands (Ref. 1107291)

Applejacks Orchard (Ref. 1142802)

Evendine Hut @ Evendine Cottage (Ref. 1145686)

The Tri-Pod (Ref. 1143630)

The shortlist for best for glamping includes:

Best for Large Groups

Sykes Lodge (Ref. 1000186)

The Old Farmhouse (Ref. 947385)

Moor End Manor (Ref. 1003016)

Oakdene Country House (Ref. 1022219)

The Boars Head Pub (Ref. 1027356)

The shortlist for best for large groups includes:

Best Pet-friendly Property

Carines Barns - Wesley Barn (Ref. 1130047)

Hall Cottage (Ref. 1045366)

Herdie Hideaway (Ref. 1107447)

The Garden House (Ref. 934595)

Estuary View (Ref. 1057762)

The shortlist for best for pet-friendly property includes:

Best for Sustainability

Oh Deer (Ref.1124606)

Groomes Country House (Ref. 974883)

High Cogges Farm Holiday Cottages – The Granary (Ref. 1049150)

Narracott Down (Ref. 1126499)

Weirglodd (Ref. 1159392)

The shortlist for best for sustainability includes:

Best for Views

Star House (Ref. 960823)

Tyn Llwyn Barn (Ref. 998607)

The Lookout (Ref. 1039409)

2 Channel View (Ref. 1131310)

Caban Tirion (Ref. 1156975)

The shortlist for best for views includes:

Best for Walking

Bryn Howell Stables (Ref. 3781)

Bwthyn Carregwen (Ref. 1001895)

Larch Cottage (Ref. 1042956)

Pogles Wood Cottage (Ref. 1079500)

Dalegarth Hall Farm Cottage 2 (Ref. 1135822)

The shortlist for best for walking includes:

Best Historic Property

Clocktower - Culzean Castle (Ref. 1104230)

4 Masons Court (Ref. 1197369)

Little Gables (Ref. 1091390)

Craster Tower Penthouse (Ref. 1121820)

St Edmunds Church (Ref. 1165573)

The shortlist for best historic property includes:

Best Longstanding Property

The Farmhouse (Ref. 1035418)

Gwern Tyno (Ref. 414)

Nant Cottage (Ref. 645)

Lottie's Loft (Ref. 2832)

1 The Quay (Ref. 976002)

The shortlist for best longstanding property includes:

Best Luxury Property

The Old Water Mill (Ref. 1066269)

The Ridge (Ref. 1165746)

Heilan Roo (Ref. 1056397)

Gunner Lodge (Ref. 1163092)

Otherton Hall (Ref. 1120972)

The shortlist for the best luxury property includes:

Best Newcomer

Godre'r Gyrn, Plas Moelfre Hall Barns (Ref. 1142291)

Celyn (Ref. 1166670)

The Gardeners Cottage at Lytham Hall (Ref. 1193002)

Gardener's Cottage (Ref. 1179347)

The Barn (Ref. 1192579)

The shortlist for best newcomer includes:

Best Quirky Property

Coorie In (Ref. 1142980)

The Sir Peter Scott Lighthouse (Ref. 1097952)

Standby Generator Bunker (Ref. 1137374)

Ty Crwn - The Roundhouse (Ref. 1136441)

Lady Of The Lake (Ref. 1150624)

The shortlist for the best quirky property includes:

Best Holiday Park or Resort

Stonerush Lakes

Ullswater Heights

Dovestone Holiday Park

Riviera Bay

Low Briery

The shortlist for the best holiday park or resort includes:

Best in Central England

The Tractor Shed (Ref. 1000425)

Grove Farm (Ref. 1093859)

12 Manor Farm Close (Ref. 1079812)

Cuckoo Pen Cottage (Ref. 1152915)

Cherry Pod (Ref. 1099915)

The shortlist for the best in Central England includes:

Best in East Anglia

Ducksfoot Barn (Ref. 17087)

Little Lodge (Ref. 1107411)

Polly's Annexe (Ref. 1131119)

Utopia (Ref. 1138687)

County Farm Barn (Ref. 1150437)

The shortlist for the best in East Anglia includes:

Best in Ireland and Northern Ireland

Lough Island Reavy Cottage (Ref. 1011860)

The Beachhouse (Ref. 1096813)

Atlantic Sea Breeze (Ref. 1167877)

Rocklyn Lodge (Ref. 1151887)

Clarmes House (Ref. 1179438)

The shortlist for the best in Ireland and Northern Ireland includes:

Best in Mid and South Wales

Rusty Boathouse (Ref. 1108197)

Evenjobb Court Farmhouse (Ref. 1127715)

Bryn Hafod (Ref. 1114633)

Barcud Coch - Red Kite (Ref. 1125354)

Curtau (Ref. 1146526)

The shortlist for the best in Mid and South Wales includes:

Best in North East England

West Dunkirk Hemmels (Ref. 1166564)

Bridge End Cottage (Ref. 1152443)

Fontburn Farmhouse (Ref. 1086030)

Puffin Cottage (Ref. 1175140)

The Barn (Ref. 1174456)

The shortlist for the best in North East England includes:

Best in North Wales

Offas Dyke Escape (Ref. 1063953)

18 Church Street (Ref. 1095762)

Plas Glan Yr Afon (Ref. 1102388)

Glanllyn Bach (Ref. 1155680)

Buzzards View (Ref. 1166936)

The shortlist for the best in North Wales includes:

Best in North West England

Fellside Lodge (Ref. 1065820)

Ingleborough (Ref. 1153898)

Laithe House (Ref. 1164740)

Gosling Cottage (Ref. 1137790)

Artisan Lodge (Ref. 1161916)

The shortlist for the best in North West England includes:

Best in Peak District

Grange Cottage (Ref. 928584)

Lydgate Cottage (Ref. 1066992)

Church Cottage (Ref. 1064674)

Robin's Nest (Ref. 1087662)

Parlour Barn (Ref. 1164375)

The shortlist for the best in the Peak District includes:

Best in Scotland

The Mews Flat (Ref. 930173)

2 Abbey Row (Ref. 1089523)

Nithbank Cottage (Ref. 1118296)

Bramble Cottage (Ref. 1153653)

Old Distillery Lodge (Ref. 1172267)

The shortlist for the best in Scotland includes:

Best on the South Coast and Isle of Wight

Horseshoe Cottage (Ref. 1148219)

Cliffe Cottage (Ref. 1096077)

The Happy Hut (Ref. 1141027)

Spring Cottage (Ref. 1167706)

Milston (Ref. 1171872)

The shortlist for the best on the South Coast of England and the Isle of Wight includes:

Best in Cornwall

See Two Seas, Cape Cornwall (Ref. 1013628)

The Granary at Boskensoe Barns (Ref. 1040635)

Carines Barns - Tre (Ref. 1130041)

Harbour View (Ref. 1173838)

Bluck's cottage (Ref. 1179432)

The shortlist for the best in Cornwall includes:

Best in Yorkshire

Snave Cottage (Ref. 1045628)

The Cobbles (Ref. 1163170)

A Stones Throw (Ref. 1154362)

The Barn (Ref. 1146081)

The Old Jet Workshop (Ref. 1173443)

The shortlist for the best in Yorkshire includes:

Best in Devon

Searles (Ref. 980889)

The Cadeleigh (Ref. 1072854)

The Shippon (Ref. 1087064)

Crablake Farmhouse (Ref. 1089093)

Little Orchard (Ref. 1112988)

The shortlist for the best in Devon includes:

Best in Dorset and Somerset

Number 8 Lakes View (Ref. 1081562)

3 Beach Way House (Ref. 1106591)

Damson Tree Cottage (Ref. 1174518)

Seaward (Ref. 1143853)

The Fox Den (Ref. 1176732)

The shortlist for the best in Dorset and Somerset includes:

If this Sykes Gems 2026 shortlist has inspired you to book with us then choose from one of these wonderful UK staycations. Make sure to use our UK Travel Guide to help plan your perfect escape!

by Maia Noden / News

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Meet the Author

Maia Noden

Hi! I'm Maia, and I have been working in UK travel since January 2024. I’m originally from Chester, and I studied Journalism at ...

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