A lovingly-transformed sanctuary next to a forest, Wersha Bharadwa discovers this storybook cottage is the stuff country honeymoons dreams are made of…
Photography by Matthew Heritage.
LOCATION
An idyllic setting in the Shropshire Hills AONB and bordered by the ancient trees of Purslow Woods, this romantic hidden gem promises a fuss-free staycation minimoon or familymoon on a beautiful estate with almost an acre of grounds to roam. Tucked away off the B4385 in the deeply tranquil village of Clunbury, the cottage is accessed by a hidden public footpath after a gorgeous drive down twisting country lanes. Part of the stunning and carefully curated luxury UK cottages portfolio at Boutique Retreats, vistas of nearby patchwork meadows and farmland go on for eternity and on cloudless days, you’ll see the South Shropshire Hills in the distance.
Originally built as a gardener’s cottage for nearby Manor House Purslow Hall, dreamy rambles and scenic hikes are literally on your doorstep with handy guides inside the cottage on local traditional tearooms and pubs when you’re ready for a pitstop. Other ideas under a 45-minute drive away include wild pony spotting over at Carding Mill Valley (a 40-minute drive away), wine-tasting at Hencote Vineyard and the historic delights at Ironbridge and the Coalport China Museum. Head to Ludlow for excellent restaurants and a medieval castle and nearby Shrewsbury for a slew of independents. In artsy Bishop’s Castle, pick up books at Poetry Pharmacy before wandering off into galleries and microbreweries.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Kate and Harvey run a fabulous homestay for newlyweds. When they first found this gorgeous, secluded 300-year-old chocolate box period property, it already boasted characterful low ceilings with original chunky oak beams. Still, it was clear the historic abode needed some fresh, thoughtful love for it to become the top-notch, crafted country charm escape it is today. Following a tireless yet exciting journey in which they poured their hearts into restoring and renovating the house, the couple completely transformed the garden with artistic landscaping and introduced a subtle extension on both floors to deliver oodles of space and light without losing a single jot of cosiness. Accessed through the flower-filled garden, a first front door opens straight into the living room, while another leads into a compact hallway for coats and shoes. Wood floors are everywhere and while an inspired collection of modern artworks, oversized clocks and mirrors adorn painted walls and ornamental treasures can be found in every room, interiors by Paul Hervey from Phi Concepts UK mean none of it feels chintzy or overstuffed. When it’s time to keep toasty, piles of pre-chopped logs, kindling and eco-friendly firelighters sit ready to keep that Clearview wood-burning stove roaring with stacks leftover to fuel the outdoor hot tub.
Additional downtime comes courtesy of a Smart TV fully loaded with Freeview and streaming services via BBC iPlayer, Netflix and Amazon. Once you’re ready to do more than just flop onto those plush velvet sofas and armchairs (ideal reading spots for coffee table interiors books and vintage hardbacks tucked inside nooks and crannies), there are board games aplenty plus a Marshall Bluetooth speaker to pipe out playlists.
An open-plan dining room and kitchen is design-heavy with a deep porcelain sink facing the garden, snazzy ring spotlight pendants and carpenter-built heavy shelves stacked with top-quality china. It’s also well equipped to rustle up everything from hearty roasts to sizzling barbecues and a host of cookery books will inspire you no end. All the important stuff is high-spec: from the electric hob to the dishwasher as well as a large fridge and freezer (all Bosch, FYI). Muddy clothes can be washed and dried with ease with a separate washing machine and dryer. Be warned though – you’re likely to lose hours feasting at that well-placed breakfast bar. Built directly under a large period-style mullioned window, you’ll scoff granola and hot buttery toast while marvelling at sheep-dotted, horizon-hugging fields. A locally sourced welcome pack is quite literally one of the most generous and thoughtful we’ve come across and brims with local goodies from Shropshire and Wales, such as milk from a local dairy, fresh eggs from Clee Hills Wozencroft & Son Farm in Whitton, local artisan spelt-and-beetroot bread from Delice Bakery in Ludlow, all butter shortbread from Tan Y Castell Bakery in Pembrokeshire and properly yellow and salty Welsh butter from Dragon.
SUITE DREAMS
Sleeping up to four in two bedrooms means the cottage is ideal for couples wanting more space to spread out post-wedding or those on familymoons. Both bedrooms are blissful – the second can be made up into a twin or super king courtesy of a zip and link bed – with heavy duty blackout curtains and thick wood doors with old-fashioned bolts. In the master room, cushions and throws in geometric textured fabrics (made from 100 percent recycled bottles) are piled atop a sumptuous, cloud-like king bed you’ll struggle to prise yourselves from. In fact, so impressed were we by the fluffy duvets and plump pillows dressed in crisp Egyptian cottons from Soak & Sleep, we immediately ordered the same bedding for home delivery during our stay. Like us, you’ll wake every morning having experienced the luxury of unbroken sleep and a deep sense of calm as you draw back the curtains and open the windows to the dawn chorus. Wellness continues inside a lovely bathroom complete with a statement freestanding slipper bathtub lined up with Bramley toiletries, a separate, powerful and roomy monsoon shower and heated rails to ensure those thick white towels are kept warm and fluffy. Three-legged rustic stools and hand-woven wicker baskets add to the countryfied ambience.
GARDENS
The sloping garden is a playground for wildlife and honeybees and where you’ll spend entire days lazily napping and reading on luxe sun loungers among lush Crocosmia flowers before wandering into the mini orchard to pick apples. We abandoned most plans; choosing instead instead spend most of our stay in peaceful retreat, pampering our eyes with pretty blooms blazing with colour under cloudless blue skies and reading books on everything from foraging and local nature to vintage tomes on painting. We came to think of it as a little oasis with hidden paths and twinkling night lights. When the sun goes down, soak away cares inside the garden’s centre-piece: a bathtub-style wood-fired hot tub where you’ll be serenaded by hooting owls and rewarded with magical flying shows from local bats at dusk. High quality towels, spa ponchos and slippers are extra special touches.
WOODLANDERS COTTAGE
If cabincore is more your thing, check into Woodlanders – the estate’s fairytale rustic and cosy retreat. Sitting just metres away from The Coppice but otherwise totally built for privacy, this one-bedroom timber love nest is the ultimate picture postcard getaway. Think uninterrupted views and a private deck to lose yourselves under the canopy of 300-year-old trees from inside a bubbling hot tub or over al fresco dinners, BBQs and wood-fired pizzas from your own outdoor oven. The living room is impressively trendy – a log burner faces love-seat sofas, and a hand-built cabinet cleverly hides a Smart TV that pops up at the touch of a remote when it’s time to snuggle up with popcorn and a movie. Spotless and more than decent sized, the bathroom comes with a fancy slipper bathtub and walk-in rainforest shower. A king bed and a writing desk you’ll instantly want to pen your memoirs at await inside the wonderfully spacious bedroom and a specially installed ceiling window guarantees you’ll drift off to sleep with far-reaching views of the stars at night, and come morning, nature documentary style close-ups of squirrels and birds frolicking in the trees. It’s a superb stay for two and for honeymooners, one you’ll find difficult to drag yourselves away from.
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE
– Hiring both The Coppice and Woodlanders exclusively as a single estate for familymoons
– How extremely dog friendly it all is
– Enjoying fancy fennel and cardamom teas brews with Welsh shortbreads on a suntrap patio
– Perfecting smores recipes with two BBQs and a fire pit
– Part of the homely vibe includes vases of freshly flowers placed all over the cottage – picked just before your arrival from the garden
HOW TO BOOK:
Prices from £696 for a long weekend stay. To book, visit www.boutique-retreats.co.uk or email enquiries@boutique-retreats.co.uk or call 01872553491.
WHERE TO VISIT
Hencote Vineyard
Oozing rustic glamour, no wine-loving couple’s bucket list while in Shropshire would be complete without a visit to Hencote. One of the UK’s best family-run vineyards and with an award-winning range of English still and sparkling wines, it’s an absolute gem of a place to tie the knot or spend a romance-filled day. Owned by the Stevens family, they discovered the land’s 60 acres and
unique soil was perfect for planting flavoursome vines of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier among other varieties. Book in for an in-demand wine tasting; a laid-back experience with highly likeable tour guides who’ll offer insights into the history of the vineyard and Hencote’s own mix of ultra-scientific wine-making processes along with wines produced in clay pots using ancient Roman methods. As a fully local enterprise and true to its
community roots, the vineyard also invites lucky wine fans to help with the grape harvest every autumn and as a thank you, rewards picking efforts with a complimentary meal and wine in return. Aptly named The View (courtesy of floor-to-ceiling windows over the vineyard and bucolic countryside), the estate’s contemporary restaurant is buzzy, dressy and connected to a cocktail bar and an indoor-outdoor terrace. Still, The View’s dark woods, exposed metal pipes and clean-lined interiors are overall minimalistic so nothing detracts from those cinematic views of Shrewsbury’s historic market town spires and the rolling Shropshire and Welsh hills beyond. Artfully presented Sunday roasts for two consist of chicken, pork belly, sirloin steak and slow-cooked lamb – all piled high and accompanied by whopping portions of Yorkshire pudding, garlic and rosemary potatoes, crushed carrot and swede and leek and broccoli gratin. Our biggest tip? Go for a wine flight featuring Hencote’s finest starting with a crisp glass of sparkling white – Evolution – before working your way through to the Vivienne, a signature Chardonnay and Solaris blend. Come summertime, the outdoor feature bar is where to linger over charcuterie platters and lip-smacking street food offerings of Malaysian Sayur Lemak Curry, Indian chana chaat and ceviche tostadas.
Weddings at Hencote
Weddings here pull out all the stops. With a dedicated in-house wedding planning team, you can exchange vows with a civil ceremony among the vines, under a stunning outdoor wedding gazebo or indoors. Couples booking the estate for exclusive use can do so with the added comfort of an adjoining stunning luxury country pad, The Grange, along with a recently restored farmhouse to accommodate up to 28 guests overnight. Facilities are five-star hotel worthy with a huge gym, indoor heated pool, tennis courts and a summer house. Additional guests can check into new glamping pods all with hot tubs, underfloor heating and rolltop baths. There’s a large kitchen but if cooking the morning after the reception is too much effort, hop over to The View – just steps away from the Manor House – for a delicious full English and a superb shakshuka. The View is a dreamy venue for sit down wedding breakfasts with seasonal menus paired with bottles of wine from the estate and evening cocktail and canapé receptions. Midnight pizzas and street food packages are also available. Larger wedding parties can celebrate inside a marquee on the grounds and the team have a curated list of local suppliers for dancefloors, cakes, flowers and firework displays.
For more information visit www.hencote.com
Ironbridge , Coalport China Museum and Blists Hill
Thinking of gifting your wedding guests home-made or highly personalised wedding favours and post-wedding thank you gifts? With pottery-based date night and hen parties still all the rage, head to World Heritage Site Ironbridge and The Coalport China Museum to explore your creative sides during inspired workshops on everything from painting pre-made ceramics to hand-crafting your own, unique or seasonally inspired bespoke pieces. Made sustainably using the same techniques from the 19th century and under the expert guidance of a dedicated on-site artist, the appeal here is an escape from the hustle and bustle and some good old-fashioned wholesome fun. Later, head to the River Severn and brush up on history during a romantic stroll and Instagram-worthy photo session over at Ironbridge – the world’s first iron bridge – with artisan ice creams in hand. You can also browse the areas storied past via a quick stop at the Tollhouse Museum. A six-minute drive away, Blists Hill – Ironbridge’s
immersive Victorian living history museum – is a sure-fired nostalgic hit with its carousel dating back to 1911. Start by changing money for shillings and pennies inside the bank building before stocking up on liquorice sticks and lollies at a vintage sweet shop and bulk-buying handmade lavender soaps inside an old-fashioned pharmacy. Getting married? Blists Hill makes a one-of-a-kind wedding venue with its retro fairground and couples can say their ‘I do’s’ inside The Forest Glen – a vintage wartime tearoom with a wooden beam ceiling. Visit www.ironbridge.org.uk
For more inspiration and ideas head to Visit Shropshire www.visitshropshire.co.uk
