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Special Interests

Foxes Reach Cottage holds the Wales Tourist Board Walkers Welcome and Cyclists Welcome Awards

  • Vanilla Cottage has been awarded the Walkers Welcome Award

Food and Wine Appreciation

    • Monmouthshire is a "foodie paradise" offering a wide selection of locally grown produce, including organic fare.
    • 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. Foxes Reach and Vanilla Cottage are both conveniently situated to visit the vineyards. 

Walking

    • Excellent walking is available from both doorsteps. Foxes Reach is within yards of miles of Forestry Commission land which walkers (and their dogs) can enjoy.
    • Foxes Reach is also close to Offas Dyke, the Wye Valley Walk and the Tintern Trail.
    • 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 both cottages.

 Fishing and canoeing

    • Both 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.

      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.
    • Both cottages are ideal bases for golf enthusiasts as there are no fewer than 17 other courses within easy reach.
    • The PGA Ryder Cup will take place at Celtic Manor (10 miles away)  in 2010
    • The prestigious "Wales Open" tournament is staged locally each year and is within easy reach of both cottages.

Equestrian

    • Foxes Reach is an ideal base for Endurance riders to train or just hack out and admire the fabulous scenery. Stabling is available close to the 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.
    • Peregrine Falcons nearby at Symonds Yat
    • RSPB Slimbridge is within easy reach
    • Red Kite feeding stations are at Rhayader and LLangadog- spectacular!
    • Both gardens are planted to encourage birds. We have numerous feathered visitors.

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.

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.
  • 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
  • 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)