The Henwr, near Hay-on-Wye, is a completely private and beautifully situated cottage surrounded by a nature reserve. It sleeps 2 to 4 people, plus an infant and up to 2 good dogs. This lovely cottage is renovated in the traditional manner, with lime plaster and lime washes on the walls, a stone-flagged kitchen floor, and windows and staircase made from local, sustainably-sourced oak. But the comforts are completely up to date: underfloor heating, comfortable sofas, an open fire, lovely beds with top quality bedlinen, and a luxuriously warm bathroom with heated towel rail, bath and a separate power shower.CLICK HERE FOR AVAILABILITY AND TO BOOK ONLINE. Alternatively, click here to email us with your booking requirements.

Downstairs, the enormous kitchen (formerly the hay barn end of the cottage) has a big flag-stoned floor with underfloor heating, an oil-fired Stanley stove, plus an electric hob, a scrubbed refectory table, and a view through large glazed doors across garden, fields, woods, and the Wye Valley beyond. Next door, there is a super-snug sitting-room in a lovely warm brick-red lime wash. The big open fireplace (with an old bread oven tucked into the same chimney) makes a great focal point and creates plenty of heat on the chilliest of days. There is also a good-sized utility room with washing machine, tumble dryer and freezer, plus a separate downstairs loo. Upstairs, via a locally-crafted oak staircase, there is a big master bedroom (the top half of the hay barn) with big windows looking out onto the same spectacular views, a second cosy double bedroom, and a really nice bathroom.

The enclosed garden looks out over fields, woods and the spectacular view. There is an orchard, where visitors can pick fruit in season; and the cottage backs onto ancient common land, where sheep graze peacefully. All the land is managed organically on this working organic farm, and is consequently rich in wildlife. Visitors can explore the fields and woods round about and enjoy the incredible sense of freedom and connection with nature that this offers. Or, there are sun loungers, a garden table and chairs and a barbecue for enjoying the outdoors at a slower pace.

The nitty gritty:

• Open Fire (logs supplied free of charge)
• Sky TV with DVD
• CD-player/radio
• Oil-fired Stanley stove and hob, plus additional electric hob
• Fridge
• Separate freezer
• Dishwasher
• Microwave
• Washing machine and tumble dryer
• Store cupboard essentials included (coffee, tea, sugar, s&p, olive oil etc)
• Luxury bedding, towels and all basics included (soap, loo paper, cleaning materials etc)
• Elec, gas, heating, hot water and logs included
• Baby-friendly (ask owner for travel cot, high chair etc)
• Dog friendly (one well-behaved dog welcome downstairs, but be aware of sheep, cows and poultry in the vicinity)
• Garden furniture, sun-loungers and barbecue
• Well-equipped kitchen
• Bathroom has bath and separate power shower
• Lots of local information
• Great walks around the farm, the woods and the old common straight from the house
• Stabling and grazing for up to two ponies or horses
• Superb walking and riding straight from the house
• Surrounded by nature reserve with wild orchids in spring
• Bike storage
• Mobile phone coverage variable but possible
• Owners live on organic farm nearby, well out of site, where you can walk to buy freshly laid eggs.
• Hay-on-Wye with great shops is 3 miles away
• Great local pub 2 miles away
• Isolated position - no other house in sight
• World-beating views across the Wye Valley for many miles.

Things to do around this holiday cottage near Hay-on-Wye

There are plenty of excellent walks around the organic farm, as well as further afield:  Offa's Dyke is but a short distance away. There are quantities of outdoor things to do, from wild swimming, fishing or canoeing in the river Wye, to riding, hiking and mountain-biking. The cottage is perfectly situated for access to the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons National Park, with all they have to offer. And its proximity to Hay-on-Wye spells hours of fun for those who love browsing in second-hand bookshops, antique emporia, boutiques and galleries. Hay is a fantastic place for some top-quality provisions, a really good coffee, or a taste of the renowned Shepherd's sheep's milk ice-cream. Restaurants, cafes, and good pubs are plentiful, and the Oakchurch Country Department Store and Garden Centre at Staunton-on-Wye is a must for foodies. It is described by locals as the 'Harrods of Herefordshire', and sells fabulous deli products, ciders and apple juices, home-made meals and freshly baked bread, as well as local meat, fruit and veg.

Sightseers will love Abbey Dore in the Golden Valley, the Mappa Mundi and the Chain Library in Hereford Cathedral, or the many Norman castles which police the English/Welsh borderlands, guarding the natural breaches in the hills. Wildlife is superb in the immediate surroundings of the cottage, where woods and meadows are thick with beautiful wild flowers and richly populated by birds and wild animals. Red kites soar down the catabatic thermals created by the hills, buzzards mew, and at night you'll hear the hoots of tawny owls mixed with the cries of foxes. And at night, stars seem to hang so low from a velvet-black sky that a moonlit walk is an unforgettable experience.

Pricing & Availability

Changeovers are normally Mondays and Fridays (enquire about other days). Weekends are set-priced from Friday 4pm to either Sunday evening or Monday 10.30am; so you can stay 1, 2 or 3 nights for the weekend price. If there are only 2 nights available, this shorter weekend will be priced down accordingly. Move the cursor over a date and prices will appear, and click for a quote. You can book online, or contact us by email and we can do it for you: caroline@blackmountains.biz or telephone 01873 890190.

From the Visitors Book at The Henwr

'Trully exceptional views. What a fabulous location. A perfect follow-up to our wedding a week ago - just the place to relax, unwind and revisit the peace & quiet. Thank you so much for letting us use your beautiful cottage- we botgh thoroughly enjpoyed our stay and Aramie (the weimaraner) thought he had died and gone to heaven with those wonderful fields & woods to explore.' Petra, Matthew & Aramie the Dog Essex

'Paul & Kesri thanks for the fantastic stay in your cottage, everything was more beautiful than we imagined. The warm friendly welcome with home made bread was a real treat. We loved watching the birds in the mornings and taking little adventures into the woods & the streams. Thanks again ' Geroge & Sarah Henley on Thames

'Wow what a wonderful cottage. Sumptious towels, luxurious beds and underfloor heating! What a perfect antodote to the wild beauty pf the lands around. And good mind food to be found just 10 minutes away in Hay. We all enjoyed it enormously. Thank you so much ' Nuala & Harry Bungham