The cottage is wonderful -quirky, twisty staircases, attic dorm that spans the length of the house, open fire and river running through the garden. The decor is old world charm, kitchen and bathroom are basic but have everything you need (although dryer wasn't working during our stay). No tv, weak wifi and no phone signal means you are cut off but in the summer without incident this is bliss. Even the teenagers loved it! You'll need a torch if arriving at night and keys have to be collected from a keyholder before you arrive. A special thanks to the lovely lady from the local shop who delivered our groceries before we arrived. A wonderful welcome!
Cottage is located in beautiful countryside and feels completely "off grid" with the lack of mobile reception, but is very convenient for exploring the area. Some lovely towns and walking in easy reach. We thoroughly enjoyed our week, and the cottage provided exactly what we were looking for.
The cottage was idiosyncratic due to it's history as a level-crossing keepers cottage and the garden was superb particularly for our 2 labradors who played in the river endlessly. The stretch of road outside the cottage was closed for 4 days due to a pothole which made it extra peaceful. The location was superb for access to the Hay Festival and to a splendid range of walks in the Welsh Marches.
We arrived in the dark so spent the evening in front of the real wood fire with the children (11 & 8) playing on the piano. They had spent an hour exploring after unpacking and hadn't yet realised there was no TV (best bit).
Woke up the next morning and immediately took my dog out for a walk round the lanes/track at the front. It is so beautiful, peaceful and the ground was frosty and magical with the snowdrops out. The rushing river and birds were the only noise and we saw a heron flying overhead. Spent the day exploring the lanes and garden with the kids and dog whilst getting filthy, it was perfect.
The cottage is old fashioned, simple and beautiful and I would love to return in the summer as I suspect it could be even more stunning and colourful.
The cottage was clean, homely and we would definitely return and recommend. My favourite part was the river running so close by.
Beautiful property with a lovely garden/river and surrounding areas. Internet cut out for us.
As long as you don't mind an old building with a lot of character, a loft-conversion attic upstairs and the kitchen on a separate floor from the living area (with a beautiful view and easy access to the amazing back garden) you'll love it.
The only major drawback for us was the internet cutting out, but it was free wi-fi and you don't come somewhere like this for technology!
The 'Railway Children' meets the 'Famous Five' - a Hidden Gem full of Adventures and Charm!
Having just returned from a May Bank Holiday weekend break, all I can say is we really didn't want to leave!
The cottage is rustic as described by the owners, but this adds to the period charm and provides opportunity to do the things, a TV etc often restricts. As a family we sat around the table and played board games, toasted marshmallows, tinkled on the pianola (my son was most impressed with his grandparents renditions learnt in childhood piano lessons), played in the garden and helped each other cross the river in our wellies. Having said this, there is WIFI if you feel you need to rejoin the modern world and the cottage does now benefit from a dishwasher - a very welcome surprise! The stairs are quite steep and kept us fit, but didn't create a problem for my parents in their 70s.
The location of the cottage is stunning, with an amazing variety of wildlife and flowers all around. The birds, river, sheep and lambs and of course laughter were the only sounds, with the Dawn Chorus an absolute joy. For stargazers the night sky from the cottage door was spectacular.
The 'icing on the cake' would have been to experience the old steam trains pulling up so close to the window, but until we can travel back in time we can only imagine what a wonderful sight this must have been. The photos and books on the subject were much appreciated.
We would definitely recommend the Bryngwyn Riding School - we did an hour hack in the most stunning countryside with far reaching views of England and Wales. The Angel Fish Bar and Chinese takeaway in Kington provided a very tasty first night meal. We all commented how friendly the people around the area were. The walk to Kington along the old track is worth doing and is not too arduous for all generations.
We would have no hessitation recommending this cottage to anyone wanting a comfortable, but 'no frills' escape in a wonderful, secluded location.
In 1912 our great-grandfather, who'd grown up in the local village, and been a corn merchant in the nearby town, bought a few fields in the little valley by the river. And with it came our tranquil, beautiful cottage. We hope you enjoy our quiet place to stay.