Walking and Cyclists Awards

• Vanilla Cottage holdsthe Walkers Welcome Award,Foxes Reach Cottage holds the Visit Wales Walkers Welcome and Cyclists Welcome Awards.

  Tintern Abbey Cottage holds both the Walkers and Cyclists awards and has a lockable bike shed.

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Weddings and Honeymoons

• There are numerous beautiful olf churches and a range of modern wedding venues close to us. From Tintern Abbey Cottage there are three within walking distance and others in minutes by car. From Clearwell Castle or Caldicot Castle to an ancient parish Church or even Chepstow Racecourse - wherever you are getting married we can look after your guests or the lucky couple yourselves.

  Vanilla Cottage is a perfect honeymoon hideaway whether for the whole holiday or for a few days before jetting off elsewhere. We have a 5ft four poster bed and a whirlpool bath and a quiet ambience.
  At Foxes Reach what could be better than the relaxed hot tub under the stars and at Tintern Abbey Cottage you can gaze at the Abbey from the whirlpool bath ( indoors) before slipping into the superking bed.
  There are excellent restaurants nearby all three houses . We can do flowers, cakes, balloons and beauty pampering treatments in the cottages as well as supplying numerous other treats on request.
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Food and Wine Appreciation

Food and Wine Appreciation

• Monmouthshire is a "foodie paradise" offering a wide selection of locally grown produce, including organic fare. W are currently offering a special Tintern Wine Tasting break with a tutored tasting and vineyard tour in the village.
• Details of specialist local suppliers, farm shops, farmers markets and restaurants offering local produce are available in each cottage.
• The award winning Abergavenny Food Festival is local, and takes place in September
• Monmouthshire has been a wine producing centre since the time of the Romans and the Cistercian Monks at Tintern Abbey cultivated vines. Visits can be made to a number of the local vineyards including the Tintern Parva vineyard and Ancre Hill. Foxes Reach , Tintern Abbey Cottage and Vanilla Cottage are conveniently situated to visit the vineyards.Abbey Cottage is even in walking distance of one! 

Dr Who

• Dr Who is filmed in Gloucestershire, the Forest of Dean, Monmouth, and the Cardiff area. Some of our guests have had the pleasure of watching the filming and of meeting 'The Doctor' himself! There is an excellent exhibition in Cardiff perfect for wet days and Dalek lovers!

Walking

• Excellent walking is available from all three doorsteps. Foxes Reach and Tintern Abbey Cottage are within yards of miles of Forestry Commission land which walkers (and their dogs) can enjoy.
• Foxes Reach and Tintern Abbey Cottages are also close to Offas Dyke, the Wye Valley Walk and the Tintern Trail. Abbey Cottage physically adjoins the Wye Valley walk! Download these local walks as an app !http://www.treadandtrottrails.co.uk/
• Vanilla Cottage is right on the Usk Valley Walk,and the riverbank sections abound with wildlife. A Nature Reserve is 300 yards from the Cottage.
• Challenging walking is locally available in the Black Mountains / Brecon Beacons - easily reached by car from all three cottages.
  he Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tour Guides offer excellent scheduled walks see this link http://ftg.org.uk/SB100/categories.php but we can recommend masses more too- including from our doorsteps

  GEOCACHING is amazing in this area. A high tech way to get out and have some fun

 Fishing and canoeing

• All cottages are ideally situated for fishing on either the river Wye, or the river Usk. We have special arrangements with landowners to enable our guests to enjoy salmon or trout fishing, in season from the banks of these famous rivers.
• There is also coarse fishing available on numerous ponds, and the reservoir or you could go to the Severn and watch the lave net men practice their ancient art.

  For those who like to stay on top of the water we strongly recommend canoeing on the Wye. There are canadian canoes suitable for families and kayaks suitable for the more active paddler and even on a drizzly day its a great way to see the wildlife - and make a riverbank picnic stop. For the very idle the current will do most of the work- but active paddlers and daring teenagers will revel in the opportunity to burn energy and try a rapid!

 Golf

• Vanilla cottage is adjacent to two golf courses.
• All cottages are ideal bases for golf enthusiasts as there are no fewer than 17 other courses within easy reach. Both Foxes Reach and Abbey Cottage have lockable storage big enough for clubs.
• The PGA Ryder Cup Wales 2010 took place at Celtic Manor which is very local and we are ideal accommodation for families or for golfing friends sharing who do not wish to share a bed (room).&nbsp
• The prestigious "Wales Open" tournament is staged locally each year and is within easy reach
  Need a caddy for your visit? Try http://www.caddylocator.com/.

Equestrian

• Foxes Reach and Tintern Abbey Cottages are an ideal base for Endurance riders to train or just hack out and admire the fabulous scenery. Stabling is available ( walking distance from Foxes Reach, approx 1.5 miles from Tintern Abbey Cottage)
• The David Broome centre is local
• Pony trekking is brilliant from LLanthony (mountain scenery)
• Racing at Chepstow, Hereford, Cheltenham.

 Bird Watching

• The Wye Valley and Vale of Usk are a bird watchers paradise. Buzzards, hawks, owls and even the occasional red kite are among the many varieties.
• All gardens are planted to encourage birds. We have numerous feathered visitors including a peacock in Tintern!. Please see our special bird watching page of this site for more information

Cycling

• Local and National Cycle routes abound as do off-road tracks fror mountain biking enthusiasts.
• Celtic Trail Map NN4B - Chepstow to Swansea
• Lon Las Cymru NN8A - Chepstow to Builth Wells
• Velodrome locally (Newport)

Painting holidays

• The Wye Valley is famous for its much painted landscape.
• There is a Picturesque Wye Tour self drive itinerary worth a trip. Leaflet available. Monmouthshire discovery tours
• There are at least two artists based locally offering tuition (beginners to Master Classes). Foxes Reach is an ideal base for a painting holiday and is convenient for either of the two artists featured in the Links section on this site. In the garden of Tintern Abbey Cottage you can sit and paint the Abbey.

Other Activity Holidays

"Adrenalin-packed Action"
Mountain and Water
Climbing
Diving at the National Diving Centre near Chepstow
Abseiling
Caving
River Gorge adventure
• Wye Valley Leisure
  • Off-road driving - 4x4
  • Paintballing
  • Clay pigeon shooting
• Velodrome - Wales National Cycling Centre
• Chepstow outdoor activity centre
  • Quad trekking
• Archery
• Ballooning
• Boating on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal (Day hire)
• Waverley & Balmoral Historic Passenger Ships
• Watersports on the River Wye include Canoeing and rowing.
• Gliding from the South Wales Gliding Club, near Usk.
• Grass Skiing at Usk.
• Paragliding
• Llama and camel trekking
• Concerts, the ballet and other cultural activities at St David's Hall, Cardiff
• Local festivals include Ross-on-Wye International Festival and  Hay on Wye Festival.The Cheltenham Festival is approximately one hour away by car. Dont miss Abergavenny Food Festival.
• Millenium Stadium, Cardiff
• The Welsh National Opera is less than one hour away
• A Visit to Hay on Wye recommended as it is a booklovers paradise
• Cardiff Bay has been transformed into a cosmopolitan centre that rivals many European "Cafe Society" capitals.
• Historians can revel in the Roman antiquities at Caerleon and Bath (one hour's drive)
• Monmouthshire is steeped in history and Castles abound as well as Tintern Abbey
• Monmouthshire Discovery Tours
• The Industrial heritage museums include "Big Pit" at the Blaenavon World Heritage Centre, which was a working coal mine. The guides who take you underground are former miners and the tour includes a trip 300 feet (100 metres) underground.
• Chepstow racecourse, home of the Welsh Grand National is nearby, and Cheltenham famous for the Gold Cup is one hours drive away.
• Usk is a frequent winner of Britain in Bloom awards. The floral town has an open gardens weekend (end of June annually)