Wren Cottage, peaceful stunning location, birdhide

Wren Cottage is perfect for nature lovers, walkers, cyclists and dog owners. Relax and unwind in a quieter area of the Forest, with walks from the door on which you will hardly meet a soul. Relax in the garden admiring the stunning views or watching the dragonflies buzzing over the pond! We even have our own private wildlife hide onsite! Pet friendly Wren Cottage is one of a cluster of romantic hideaways at Dean Cottages. Perched on a sunny hillside at the edge of the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley, Area of Outstanding natural beauty, the cottage is a haven of peace and tranquillity and perfect for those who enjoy nature, walking, biking, canoeing and fishing. Footpaths lead from the front door onto a vast network of Forest paths and tracks; you can literally walk for miles! If you have one, you dog will be super excited to arrive here with so many foresty sniffs to investigate and after all the walking, he or she will be able to cuddle up in the cottage. Pet throws and welcome doggie biscuits are provided. The cottage has its own private patio for outdoor dining and taking in the wonderful panoramic views! There is also an additional 1/3 acre wildlife garden with it’s own bird hide and pond which is alive with frogs, newts, and stunning dragonflies. The garden and private patio enjoy magnificent views over a beautiful river valley. The cottage itself has been lovingly restored by owners Lis and Karen. The cottage retains its rustic charm, with its stone fire place and oak flooring, and yet it has all the mod cons of modern living. The cottage is equipped with a wood burning stove for chilly evenings, a comfy leather sofa, and a double ensuite bedroom. The kitchen is fully equipped with everything you might need for a longer stay including microwave, double oven, fridge freezer and dishwasher as well as plenty of pots pans and cooking utensils. Additional heating is provided by modern convector style heaters. Included in the price: electricity, basket of logs, milk, luxury biscuits, and local award winning apple juice, teas and coffee for your arrival. Also included thorough cleaning prior to your arrival and upon departure as well as bedlinen and towels for two. For Fido we include a sofa throw and towels as well as poop bags for our poo bins. He will be allowed on the sofa with a throw, but not on the bed. There is a dog wash tap opposite the cottage and the patio is walled, fenced and gated. The very large shared garden area is also fenced. We do allow dogs off lead but not guaranteed dog proof. Dogs do love it there as there a multitude of sniffs to investigate! (Please note that you have a large boisterous dog, you may find the space on the small side and might prefer not to book this cottage). There are many outdoor activities available in the Forest; hire a canoe or a kayak and paddle down the Wye, or a mountain bike and take to the cycle tracks which lead you through mile after mile of beautiful woodland. There are also plenty of opportunities for course fishing and fishing on the Wye. For those interested in history, within half an hour there are the Dean Heritage Centre and the border castles of Chepstow and Goodrich to name but a few. A bit further afield, Hereford cathedral where you can view the famous Mappa Mundi, Tewkesbury Abbey and Gloucester Cathedral are well worth the visit. The Cotswolds, the Brecon Beacons and the Malvern Hills are all less than an hour's drive away. Mitcheldean is the nearest town (3 miles away), providing a small supermarket, Post Office, Butcher's, takeaways and Chemist's. There is a wider variety of shops and facilities at Cinderford, 5 miles away. Please note that access is via single track unmade road and can be quite bumpy Parking is 30 metres uphill from the cottage. Free WiFi via mobile device ensures good connectivity at this cottage. Washing Machine and dryer are located in a separate building. We have set our listing to allow for free cancellations up to 5 days before your stay, so you can book without fear of losing any money, so long as you do not cancel within the 5 days prior to your planned arrival. Please check full terms and conditions when booking. The whole cottage is available for let. There is one private patio for the exclusive use of guests at this cottage, with the addition of a large garden area shared with 2 other holiday lets. There is a designated shared laundry room. There is no charge made for this service, however it is only available to guests staying a week or longer and by prior arrangement. We are very proud to have been awarded World Host accreditation, which means that you are assured of a great welcome. However, with the advent of COVID19, we will be offering that great welcome at a safe social distance. Access will be via a key safe so that you can let yourself in. We will welcome you via a telephone call after your arrival. We live nearby are on hand to answer any questions or fix any problems, but at the moment we will be asking guests to call us or message us. You will be able to contact us at any time should you have any questions or difficulties. If you need to see us in person we will be happy to do that, but rest assured we will be practising safe social distancing. We have a guest feedback form and one of the questions we ask is "What did you like most about your stay?" The answer is almost always the beautiful location and the peace and quiet. There are many footpaths all over the Forest of Dean and you can access this network from the cottage door. There is woodland within a short distance, and there are lots of small streams and brooks, so the sound of water is often what you will hear on a walk; that and the birdsong. We are on the sunny side of the valley and almost at the top of the hill so you can sit in the sun in the evening with a glass of wine, and admire the views. The penalty for this however is that most walks from the cottage end with a 10 minute uphill walk. We have few neighbours and there are more animals here than people - 2 pigs, one donkey, sheep, hens, and lots of stunning horses. (These our our neighbours' animals not ours). he Forest of Dean is an extensive area of ancient woodland stretching from Mitcheldean in the East as far west as the River Wye and south to the banks of the Severn. The region is rich in flora and fauna, and is beautiful in springtime when the woods are adorned with successive carpets of wild daffodils (Newent), bluebells and wood anenomes. Early morning or dusk are the best times of day to spot some of the wildlife including fallow deer and wild boar. For avid bird lovers the Forest of Dean is a joy, with the possibility of spotting the goshawks at New Fancy View, the peregrine falcons at Symmonds Yat Rock, dippers nesting in the banks of a stream or the pied flycatchers which make their nests in the hollowed out trunk of an oak tree. In summer be sure to look out for the many and varied butterflies which reside in the Forest including the white admiral, purple hairstreak and sliver washed fritillary. The Forest is an undulating landscape and your walks may well be accompanied by the sound of a stream babbling along a valley bottom as well as strident birdsong. There are many views to be admired from the hill tops across Forest and rivers, towards the Malvern Hills or to the Welsh Mountains across the border. Try May Hill for the best vantage point over the Forest! There is one designated parking place for a car / small van /motorcycle. We may be able to arrange for a bike to be stored in a locked garage - please ask before you book. We recommend bringing your own transport unless you are on a walking holiday or you intend to stick around here and enjoy the local surroundings, as it is 2-3miles walk to the nearest bus stop which is in Mitcheldean. There is a regular bus service from Gloucester railway station to Mitcheldean (14 miles) Please note that access is via single track unmade road and can be quite bumpy Parking is 30 metres uphill from the cottage. Washing Machine, drier, iron, ironing board are located in a separate building.