Converted C17th barn sleeps 2+

Oak beams and wooden floors frame a simple whitewashed open plan space which offers: a sleeping area on the mezzanine with one double floor-level bed and up to two single futons; on the ground floor, a wet-room and the kitchen-eating-living area with Clearview wood-burning stove. Located at the foot of The Offa's Dyke Path and only a 5 minute walk to shops, pubs, park with river access. Wireless. Off road parking. Well behaved dogs welcome. Can accommodate 2 adults and up to 2 children. The space We have a lovely converted barn available to rent for short and longer stays. Adjacent to but detached from The Old School House the cottage was originally the stables and barn for the headmaster and pupils of Lady Hawkins School (founded 1632) , it then later became the music room. We converted it in 2008 into a quiet self-contained open-plan living space, keeping the original beams and features, including the school bell tower. Inside the cottage is light and airy with white stone walls, oak floors, a Shaker-style kitchen area and galleried bedroom. The wood burner is fuel-efficient and keeps the whole place toasty when needed. The porch, where you can leave dirty shoes, wellies etc, opens into the kitchen-living room area. The kitchen has a Belfast sink, wooden worktop, electric hob, microwave, toaster, VonShef mini-oven and grill, under-counter fridge with small freezer-compartment. The beamed, high ceiling living room area has the wood burner, oak table and two sofas, coffee table, lamps, bookshelf and books. Also on the ground floor is the tiled wet-room with shower, W.C and basin. Painted wooden stairs lead up to the open-plan galleried bedroom with southerly views across the Arrow Valley. Divided by a cross-beam into two open-plan sleeping areas, with a low level double bed on one side of the cross-bean and two single full-length futons on the other side. All bedlinen (100% cotton), tea-towels, bath mats and a hand-towel are provided. As an energy and water consumption consideration, we invite guests to bring your own shower towels but if this is a problem, just let us know and we will leave towels for you. Digital TV, radio and broadband connection is provided. A folder of information about what to see and do in the local area is also provided. We provide guests with complimentary tea, coffee, sugar. Logs are provided for the wood-burner during cold periods and always from Oct- March. At other times or in warm weather logs are available to purchase at a reasonable price. The rental price is for up to two people for the property per night, minimum two nights. Additional guests are charged at £15 per person per night. Note on accessibility: there are two stone and rather uneven steps up to the porch of the cottage. Upstairs to the sleeping area is accessed via a short but steep and narrow, curved wooden staircase. Guests have off-road parking for one vehicle directly in front of the cottage. We assume most guests want to be left in peace so interaction is minimal unless you want it to be more, in which case don't hesitate to contact us. Kington (population 2,500 or thereabouts) is a genuinely unspoiled and unpretentious historic market town on the English-Welsh border. When he was 12 our son described it as, 'fun, friendly and safe'! Until the 1960s it was a major hub for sheep and cattle drovers (the main street and medieval alleyways with their high burgage walls are visible remnants of this former life) and it still serves what is a largely rural farming community and it has retained a weekly livestock market (Thursdays). But nowadays visitors come all year round and Kington provides a welcome and down-to-earth escape from urban and city life... You won't find a trace of a Costa coffee shop here, instead there are local independent cafes and shops (including a deli, organic vegetables, wet-fish, bakers, butchers, a gallery), and traditional pubs (some brew their own ales), plus an award-winning local museum. There's plenty of good food and drink to be found, much of it locally produced. Surrounded by the naturally beautiful Welsh border countryside, on foot or by car there is much to enjoy locally and you can walk from the door, no need to drive anywhere. We love a walk on Hergest Ridge along the Offa's Dyke Path (the cottage is at the foot of the ridge) across to Gladestry, or a cream tea sitting outside on the Edwardian verandah at Hergest Croft Gardens (6 minutes walk away), or a pint by the fireside at The Harp in Old Radnor. From late May onwards almost every weekend there is a local festival or fete to be found and November and December weekends are usually busy with local Christmas Fairs. Well-known local festivals and events include: the Marches Makers Art Festival (May), Herefordshire Art Week (early September), , Hay Literary Festival (end May-June), How the Light Gets In (Globe Hay end May -June), The Royal Welsh Show (Builth July), Sheep Music (Presteigne), Presteigne Music Festival, Titley Jazz Festival, Kington Vintage Show (mid August), Kington Show (a major agricultural event held in early September), Kington Walking Festival (September). Kington is ideally situated for visitors to mid-Wales and the Marches, walkers, canoeists, cyclists. It is in easy reach of Hay-on-Wye, Hereford, Leominster, Rhyader, Builth Wells, Brecon, Presteigne, the Black Mountains and Golden Valley. And Aberystwyth and the coast are just 59 miles away and easily do-able in a day. Nearest airports : Birmingham International (74 miles), Bristol (92 miles), Cardiff (93 miiles), Manchester (119 miles) and East Midlands (114 miles) - distances vary but for all allow 2.5 - 3 hours. Nearest railway stations: Leominster (15 miles), Hereford (20 miles). From these there are direct trains to Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester, London, Fishguard/Holyhead. Local bus services connect Kington to: Hereford, Llandrindod Wells, Presteigne, Knighton, Lyonshall, Eardisley, Weobley. Local taxi services are available (essential to pre-book) and recommended if arriving by train in the evening hours as buses stop running quite early. A car is not essential. Do ask if you need travel advice or local taxi numbers. Children are very welcome but before booking please note that the property is open-plan with an upstairs galleried sleeping area. Access to the stairway is open at the top and bottom i.e. there is no stair-gate and there is a risk of falling so we strongly advise against leaving mobile toddlers unsupervised at any time. A high chair and a fire-guard is available on request - please notify us in advance. Up to two well-behaved dogs with own bedding are welcomed at an extra cost of £15. Guests with dogs are asked to ensure that their pets do not go on sofas or beds, and are not left unsupervised in the cottage at any time. Please be aware there is no garden with the cottage but there are plenty of lovely walks on the doorstep (and the riverside Recreation Ground is a five minute walk down the hill). Guest access Off-road parking for one vehicle is available alongside the cottage. Other things to note Children are very welcome but before booking please parents / guardians note that the property is open-plan with an upstairs galleried sleeping area. Access to the stairway is open at the top and bottom i.e. there is no stair-gate and there is a risk of falling so we do not recommend leaving mobile toddlers unsupervised at any time. A high chair and a fire-guard is available on request - please notify us in advance. Up to two well-behaved dogs with own bedding are welcomed at an extra cost of £15. Guests with dogs are asked to ensure that their pets do not go on sofas or beds, and are not left unsupervised in the cottage for any length of time.