Where to stay
Group houses to rent in Marldon
Whole-house rentals on our books in and around Marldon — exclusive use, booked direct with the owner.
Eating & drinking
Group-friendly restaurants and pubs in Marldon
Places that can take a big table — phone ahead and give them as much notice as you can.
The Church House Inn, Marldon
The village pub, a 15th-century inn overlooking the cricket pitch, with five dining areas and an upstairs room that regularly hosts parties of 10–20. Your first booking to make.
Occombe Farm Café
Preston, a few minutes towards Paignton. Farm shop and café with countryside views, serving breakfast and lunch daily — a handy group brunch spot, and the farm itself entertains children with trails and animals to see before or after you eat.
Pier Point Bar & Restaurant
Torquay seafront, by the marina. Open all day for everything from breakfast to dinner with big bay views; roomy enough for a large table.
The Boathouse
Marine Drive, Paignton seafront. Casual bar-restaurant on the beach doing pizzas, seafood and Thai curry; relaxed enough for a big mixed group with kids in tow.
Menus, opening hours and group policies change — always confirm directly with the venue.
Things to do
Things to do in Marldon for large groups
Days out and wet-weather fallbacks that work for ten or more, from gentle to energetic.
The pool and games room at Compton Pool Farm
With a swimming pool, a games room with a pool table and table tennis, a fire pit and a big garden for a summer BBQ, there's a full day's entertainment on site for the days nobody fancies loading everyone back into the cars.
Compton Castle
A fortified medieval manor (National Trust) in the next village, five minutes away; open April–October and a lovely low-effort outing.
Dartmouth Steam Railway
Steam trains from Paignton along the coast to Kingswear, with river-boat combo tickets on the Dart. The set-piece day out that works for every generation, and worth booking ahead in the school holidays when it gets busy.
Greenway
Agatha Christie's holiday home on the Dart (National Trust), reachable by ferry, foot or the steam railway's Greenway Halt; 2026 is a big anniversary year for Christie events locally.
Paignton Zoo
80 acres of wildlife ten minutes away, open daily; the dependable crowd-pleaser for a family reunion, and big enough that a large group can split up and regroup for lunch.
Kents Cavern
Prehistoric show caves in Torquay with guided tours — the go-to wet-weather plan for a big group, and the caves stay a steady temperature whatever it's doing outside.
Larger parties usually get a better price — and a better slot — by booking as a group.
Good to know
Practical tips for a big group in Marldon
The big shop, getting around and the things worth sorting before everyone arrives.
Good to know
- Morrisons on Totnes Road, Paignton (TQ4 7ET, open to 10pm) is the nearest big supermarket, about five minutes from Marldon, and there are Tesco and Sainsbury's stores across Torbay.
- Paignton and Torquay both have railway stations (Great Western), and Torbay is well served by taxi firms — but for 56 people, pre-arrange minibuses.
- Torquay harbour's restaurants and bars are around 15 minutes by car for a night out.
- Compton Pool Farm has 20 parking spaces on site, which is worth knowing if your group is arriving from several different directions rather than one convoy.
- The property is split across several separate cottages — from the two-person Bow up to the ten-person Farmhouse — so multiple families can each have their own front door while still gathering together for meals and the pool.
- Dogs are welcome (charges apply) in a number of the cottages, including the Farmhouse and Rookery, so a big family group doesn't have to leave pets behind.
- Check-in at Compton Pool Farm is from 4pm and check-out 10am, with a three-night minimum stay — worth building into travel plans for anyone coming a long way for the weekend.
- Marldon sits right on the edge of the English Riviera, so Paignton, Torquay and Brixham are all genuinely close — a group can easily do a different stretch of coastline each day without a long drive.
- Restaurants, opening hours and attractions change over time — the details above were correct when researched, so it's worth double-checking anything time-critical directly with the venue before you go.
More local guides
Other group-friendly area guides
The same format for other UK towns and villages that work well for a big group.
Keep planning the trip
Once the house is settled, the rest of it — dates, the food shop, who is paying for what — is the part that usually drags. Our free group trip planner keeps the itinerary, the budget and the group in one place, and you can share it with everyone on a single link.
Still choosing where to go? Browse every large group house on Group Escape Houses, or look at Group accommodation in Devon.
Bring the whole group to Marldon
Exclusive-use houses, booked direct with the owner — no commission and no hotel corridors.