Edith's Cottage Forest of Dean

A warm welcome to our charming mid-terrace cottage with direct access into the woods by bike and foot with free use of 3 bikes (adults only). Perfect for couples, friends & families with a king sized bed & 2 singles. We have a warming wood burner, sunny cottage garden & patio. So peaceful, walking distance to 2 excellent pubs, village shop, cafes, bike hire & the Dean Forest Railway. Ideally located for cycling, walking, RSPB, Puzzlewood & other local attractions. Knowledgeable, local hosts The space We renovated the cottage to create a peaceful home from home, light and bright and full of original character. The cottage is on the edge of the popular village of Parkend on a no through lane, looking out over fields and woods and passed by the family cycle track. It's a brilliant location for walking or cycling straight out into the Forest, or whiling away a summer afternoon in the garden listening to the occasional 'toot' of a steam train. The cottage is reached down a wide flight of steps to a sunny courtyard with seating. Whilst not steep, access may be difficult for guests with limited mobility. A secure, lockable stone shed houses the washing machine and has plenty of space for bikes. The front door opens straight into the kitchen / diner, well equipped with a dishwasher, electric oven & ceramic hob, fridge with ice box and wonderful old dresser. The table comfortably seats 4 with plenty of room to cook and chat, or spread out a map and plan your days. A child's high chair is available on request. I enjoy sharing local knowledgeable to get you off the beaten track and provide information of what's on locally, favourite walks, times of the Severn Bore to music and events as well as lots of leaflets on local attractions, maps, walking guides and guide books. If you have a particular interest please ask. The sitting room has original panelling, comfy sofas, a smart TV, books, maps & guides, phone and wifi as well as a lovely old fireplace with a modern, efficient wood burner. We provide kindling, matches and logs (we cut & season our own firewood from conservation projects). Nothing beats a good fire on a winters night! The wood burner is supplemented by modern electric wall heaters throughout. The sitting room also looks out through French windows onto the pretty cottage back garden and patio with outdoor table and chairs, perfect for the summer. Please note that there are 3 un-guarded steps down into the garden and a low shrub border separates the garden from a neighbouring shallow garden pond. Toddlers and young children must be supervised at all times in the garden. The bathroom opens off of the sitting room with a large electric shower - we do not have a bath! The stairs leading off the sitting room are relatively steep and narrow leading to a twin bedroom looking out over fields to woods and a double bedroom with a King bed and its original Victorian fireplace, looking out over the gardens. Curtains are supplemented with blackout blinds for a good nights sleep. Sparrows nest along the terrace and may use the nest box outside the twin bedroom window. In spring and summer there may be a loud dawn chorus. All linens including quality bedding and towels are supplied. A stair gate, child's bedrail and travel cot available on request (bring your own cot bedding). We also supply washing up liquid, dish washer & washing machine consumables, loo roll, milk and starter pack of tea, coffee, sugar, salt and pepper. I like to do some home baking too, please let me know of any dietary restrictions. We welcome car free guests and can arrange taxis from Lydney station (4 miles away). We provide 3 bikes (for adults use only) for your use. Brilliant for exploring the miles of car free cycle tracks and enjoying the peace of the forest. Please contact me in advance if you want to borrow the bikes for our Ts & Cs. Extra bikes including children's and mountain bikes can be hired in the village (booking advised). Since 2021 we have donated £5 per booking to our local Forest Food bank Guest access You will have the whole cottage to yourselves. There is free unallocated communal parking outside the cottages and we provide a map to show where to park. As a courtesy to our neighbours we ask that only 1 car is parked immediately adjacent to the terrace - there is extra parking close by. Other things to note A low, dense shrub border separates one side of the garden from its neighbour which includes a shallow pond. For this reason young children must be supervised. Limited mobile phone reception in Parkend - we have a landline in case of emergencies and for incoming calls only. Sheep (and sometimes wild boar!) roam freely locally so please shut the gate to stop the flowers being chomped! Electric vehicles cannot be charged at the cottage because of access. Sorry no pets or smoking.