If you are looking at staying somewhere away from Loughborough, but still near enough so that folks who are going to ROTR can travel easily, then Matlock and Matlock Bath in the Peaks are both served by good rail links with only one change to be made at Derby if travelling to Loughborough - think it's about 40 mins... And they both have lots of holiday cottages, some of them big, and also lots to do nearby.
Hmmm...if you are going for a moot beforehand and then splitting up so some can go to the ROTR weekend, then you have quite a lot of options. Peak District offers: Chatsworth, Alton Towers, castles,
pubs, hiking. Notts offers: Sherwood Forest, castles. York area offers: York, which can keep you busy for weeks, and the seaside at Whitby/Scarborough. Lincolnshire offers: castles, Lincoln, coast and funfairs at Skeggy. All should be easy to get to by rail.
One thing I'd advise, I'd pick something which definitely has enough bed space as cottage owners can be
extremely annoyed with you if you break their t&cs!
Lots of large places in Derbyshire:
http://www.derbyshire-holidays.com/
And some more:
Matlock Bath - very good for transport.
http://www.crowpiecottage.co.uk/index.html
And another directory:
http://www.peakdistrictonline.co.uk/...ore-c2731.html
Notts:
Sleeps 18:
http://www.diamondhouse.org.uk/accommodation.htm
Sleeps 22!
http://www.dunhamhouse.co.uk/accomodation.htm
Sleeps 12 and appears to be cheap:
http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/p93165#reviews