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About 10 minutes from Abergavenny and 15 from Crickhowell, directly below the Sugar Loaf Mountain, lies the delightful Pontescob Cottage. A rare gem of a cottage in a stunning location (a 'luscious valley' as one visitor described it), Pontescob makes a perfect retreat for a honeymoon in Wales, a romantic short break or a lovely family holiday.You could walk all week straight from the cottage exploring the hills and valleys of the Black Mountains. There is also world class mountain biking and great riding and trekking. Nearby are michelin starred restaurants such as the Walnut Tree. This self-catering holiday cottage is authentically restored without compromising on any comforts. Sleeps 2 adults and 2 children, plus an infant. Up to 2 dogs welcome.
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A journey of under three hours from London, 90 minutes from Birmingham, and an hour from Cardiff or Bristol makes this a perfect get-away. This romantic cottage is set beside a quiet single track country lane, and in a sweet little garden next to the clear waters of the Grwyne river, overlooking the distinctive Pen y Fal or Sugar Loaf Mountain: a great place for a good walk up to a splendid view of the surrounding Black Mountains and across to the Brecon Beacons . Fishing (in season) is available in the excellent trout and salmon stream at the bottom of the garden. And, once you are at the cottage, there are many splendid walks from the doorstep. The well renowned and beautiful church of Partrishow is a couple of miles away. After a hard day's walking, fishing or relaxing in the garden, why not go out to one of the restaurants the area has become famous for.
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The 17th-century stone-roofed miller’s cottage was restored and decorated in 2008, using traditional materials – oak windows, lime mortar and putty, casein distemper, sheep’s wool insulation, lime wash and beeswax – with an effort to be as environmentally responsible and historically authentic as possible. The heating in the cottage is carbon neutral, being supplied by two top-of-the-range wood burning "Clearview" stoves, making it very cosy on cold winter days. This self-catering holiday cottage near Abergavenny has an entrance hall-cum-dining room, with a perfectly preserved and historically very important wooden screen dividing it from the kitchen next door. By some miracle, it has survived the centuries. A neat, well-equipped kitchen has all the necessities – a five-burner gas hob, an oven, a toaster, a good-sized fridge-freezer, roomy kitchen cupboards and a painted wooden dresser.
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The garden room is the place to relax: in front of a wood burning stove in the winter or, with the French doors flung open, outside on the stone terrace in summer with the peaceful sound of the river running past. Through a lovely old oak door, a winding, steep stone staircase takes you up to a large master bedroom with old wooden floorboards, an antique brass double bed and a view across fields to the hills. Through to a little corridor and straight on to a childrens' room , with ‘shorty’ bunk beds, and space for a travel cot for a baby or infant; left to a bright pretty bathroom with bath and power shower, loo, wash hand basin and heated towel rail.
All the important elements are supplied so that you don’t have to overpack: washing-powder, washing-up liquid, tea towels, towels, bedding, loo paper and soap. The kitchen is properly stocked with kitchen equipment, crockery and cutlery. As there is no mobile reception in the cottage, there is a land-line phone, as well as good WIFI for laptop or smartphone use.
The picturesque turf-roofed cedar shed in the garden houses the washing-machine and dryer, hoover and ironing board, garden chairs, boiler and extra logs.
Pontescob Cottage (which means Bishops Bridge in Welsh, so-named because a Medieval bishop preached on the fording point or bridge) is a good example of little 17th-century 'end-entry' miller’s cottage, and is listed as such. Situated in the Black Mountains on the eastern side of the Brecon Beacons National Park, it has recently been restored with traditional materials. Five features in particular stand out as special – the stone roof, the stone-hooded porch, the original wooden screen dividing the dining-room from the kitchen (the former solar), the stone-flagged floor in the dining room, and the winding fire stair with its little gable end mullion window. Oak mullions in one of the kitchen windows have been restored, showing how all the windows would have looked in the cottage’s original state. Good heavy doors between the downstairs rooms and at the bottom of the stairs are typical, and there is a bread oven in the dining-room fireplace – essential for all at that time, but particularly for a miller. The spacious, comfortable garden room is a later feature, a 20th-century conversion of a former lean-to barn.
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Pontescob Cottage, a self-catering holiday cottage in the Brecon Beacons National Park, sits in a sunny little garden right next to the Grwyne river. You can sit on the stone terrace and listen to the peaceful sound of the water tumbling past. Sometimes cows escape into the river for a drink and come up to the garden wall for a good look at you. The lawn is full of wild flowers in spring - primroses, cowslips, celandines, stitchwort and Lady's Smock. A couple of old apple trees support the washing line, and the old stone walls are covered in succulents and little ferns. Look across fields to the Sugar Loaf Mountain or Pen y Fal and gather up some energy to walk up to its summit. You can drive or walk up to its base. It makes a lovely walk, and the view from the top, stretching across the Brecon Beacons, is superlative.
Close to Pontescob (from the direction of Llanvihangel Crucorney) is a fascinating SSSI, Coed y Cerrig, an important National Nature Reserve. Part of this belongs to The Countryside Commission of Wales, so that some access is possible via raised walkways. It is a rare example of wet woodland or alluvial forest, with indigenous trees historically coppiced for charcoal (hence the origin of the name for the local hamlet of Forest (char)Coalpit. Nothing to do with coal mining! Alder and willow enjoy the wet valley bottom, while the sides are clothed in hazel, birch and ash. Large beech and oak trees crown the tops of the valley sides. The SSSI is rich in fauna and flora: in spring, purple orchids and bluebells can be seen on the drier slopes, while marsh marigolds, mosses, lesser pond sedge and golden saxifrage populate the bogs. The SSSI is an important habitat for the dormouse, and many different kinds of birds and insects. On a fine day, an amble along the board walk is a magical experience.
The famous Celtic Partrishow church is a delightful walk away from the cottage: it is situated on the southern slopes of the Gader Range with a wonderful panoramic view of the lower Grwyne Fawr valley. It has a simple, peaceful, timeless beauty: as you enter the church you are welcomed with that familiar smell of musty dampness associated with old country churches. One of the treasures of Partrishow is the exquisite rood screen, carved from Irish oak. At the back of the church you will see an unusual dugout parish chest carved out of a solid tree trunk, with iron bands around it and three locks, it was used for the safe keeping of parish valuables. The Rector and church Wardens each held a key to one of the three locks, so the chest could only be opened when the three were present. At the bottom of the hill as you approach is the celebrated wishing well of St. Ishow.
The nitty gritty:
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- 2 top-of-the-range wood burners heat the cottage carbon-neutrally, with (unusually) all logs supplied (plus electric radiators as back-up)
- Situated by the Grwyne river (great for cooling off in the summer and for fishing in season)
- 2 bunk beds for children ('shorty' bunk beds are 182cm long) and travel cot for an infant
- Garden furniture and barbecue (please bring your own fuel)
- Good-sized fridge/freezer
- Gas hob with electric oven
- Dishwasher
- Well-equipped kitchen
- Bedlinen and towels
- Store cupboard essentials and all basics (soap, loo roll, cleaning materials etc) supplied
- Up to 2 well-behaved dogs welcome downstairs (note that there are farm animals in the vicinity)
- well situated for wonderful walks straight from the door
- TV with DVD and Sky satellite free service
- BT Telephone. (but no mobile reception but bring smart phone.
- Good broadband and Wifi (bring lap-top or smart phone)
- Lots of good books to read and plenty of tourist information
- Steep stone stairs (very small children beware)
- A short drive from a really nice, welcoming pub with good food
- Fishing available in season with permission from the farmer (and a small daily charge)
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 short weekend will be priced down accordingly. Move the cursor over a date and prices will appear, and click to get 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.
Location Map
To see all our cottages on one map please click here
From the Visitors Book at Pontescob Cottage
"We've had an amazing time: completely fallen in love with the whole valley. The weather's been fantastic, walks exhilerating - and they're all on the doorstep. The cottage is fab - everything you could possible need. Thanks a million, and we'll definitely be back." Fi and Alex London. April 2008.
"We have enjoyed a wonderful week at Pontescob, which has included conquering the summits of Sugar Loaf, Skirrid, and Pen-Y-Fan. We also visited a number of the great and ancient places of worship in the surrounding valleys. There is a serenity that emanates from the surrounding hills and valleys- we will return." Mark and Veronica, Canberra, Australia May 2008.
"I had a lovely time swimming in the river and playing in the garden with my brother. I loved feeding the lambs." Ewan, aged 6, from Bristol. May 2008.
"A perfect little hidey-hole in a luscious valley, complete with babbling brook and bouncy lambs. We even enjoyed the rain." Steve and Nicola, London. May 2008.
"Had an amazing, blissful time, and did not want to leave. Thought about squatting, actually. Loved morning dips in the river. A beautiful cottage, everything you need in the kitchen, great walk from the front door up the Sugarloaf mountain ...." Leo Karl Colton from Barnsley. June 2008
"Thank you for a wonderful relaxing weekend. Sometimes holiday cottages never quite live up to expectations from the brochures or website, but not Pontescob. It is beautiful and had everything we needed including the location." April 2009 Samantha and Pete, Bethan (aged 8) James (aged 5) Bristol
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