Guestbook
What previous guests have thought:
January 2012
Immaculate and cosy cottage. Very well laid out and a lot of thought clearly went into décor and comfort. Tea, coffee and milk was a nice touch and of course the cake was very welcome! Thank you. A wealth of information given to the local area etc. this was really helpful. Very comfortable bed and great shower. All in all, a lovely, restful weekend break.
Leah and Peter
December 2011
Highly recommend this cottage, from meeting Sally and Richard to eating the very tasty apple cake, everything was spot on. The surrounding area is breathtaking; Symonds Yat, Mallards Pike and the sculpture trail are well worth a visit. Royal Lodge Hotel down by the River Wye is a beautiful place for lunch as is the Rising Sun. If you still have the energy after all the walking take a stroll to see Jill in the White Hart, hospitality is second to none.
Overall 10/10 for this lovely, cosy cottage. Thank you to Sally and Richard.
Trevor and Jo
November 2011
A lovely cosy and comfortable cottage. We immediately felt relaxed and welcomed. The cake really did go down a treat after a long walk in the forest! We will recommend this lovely cottage to all our friends and family and will definitely be back here again in the future.
Lisa and Mark
October 2011
A lovely cosy cottage. We had a delightful stay. Many thanks indeed. It was lovely to see the forest from the front window, especially when the mist was in the valley and the tops of the trees just poking out of the sea of mist. It was great walking to the cinema and the White Hart round the corner for a meal. We saw the Severn Bore at Minsterworth, had a beautiful walk around Ruardean Hill and some other walks too. We may pluck up the courage to bring our bikes next time.
Steve and Kate
October 2011
We have had a lovely week both weather and comfort wise. The Forest is beautiful. Thanks for all your help and the fab cake. Everything that has been said previously is absolutely true.
Lorna and Derrek
September 2011
What a fantastic house. So cared for and beautifully thought out. Cake was best we’ve ever tasted! We had a very memorable weekend here – not least because we got engaged :-) Thanks to Sally and Richard for their warm welcome and beautiful cottage.
Jess and Kev
September 2011
A good week re-charging the batteries! The cottage is such a good location, especially as the owners of 2 very active dogs, with walks from the door (we became ‘regulars’ at the Linear Park with other local dog walkers). The cottage is very well equipped and comfortable. A great deal of thought has gone into making visitors welcome. You don’t have to travel far to experience the peace and tranquillity. Even managed to see several wild boar and youngsters at Linear Park. Thank you.
Kevin and Sharon
August 2011
We’ve had a lovely week here and couldn’t have been more comfortable in this wonderful cottage – what a find! So much hard work and thought have gone into making this a very special place. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed walking in the forest and finding out about the history of the area. Thank you very much for the maps and books, especially “Exploring Historic Dean” which was great. We’re now tired but refreshed!
August 2011
Thank you very much for a lovely week in the forest. The cottage is perfect and so was the cake (it did not last long!) and thanks again for picking us up from Lydney, cycling up those hills with full panniers may have been a bit hard going!
July 2011
We have had a wonderful week, the weather has been beautiful and the cottage is perfect – you have thought of everything – truly it is home from home. Blake Cottage is an ideal base for exploring the Forest and many interesting towns, villages etc. Symonds Yat East and West are a must – pretty scenery and lovely walks along the river. The Old Court Hotel (Symonds Yat West) excellent food, lovely garden areas and dog friendly. Lydney Docks/Harbour, Tintern Railway and Abbey, Ross-on-Wye and Monmouth are all worth a visit. Speech House Hotel – very dog friendly and super food surrounded by lovely walks – what more could we want!
Thank you for all the extras at Blake Cottage especially the delicious cake – how spoilt we are?!! We have loved being here, Meg has loved being here and we hope to come back soon.
Love and best wishes to you both xx
June 2011
Once again thank you very much for your hospitality. We have had another wonderful week. The weather favoured us too. Wonderful walks, beautiful scenery and Jak enjoyed your doggie toys. The cottage remains the most well appointed spotlessly clean holiday let we have visited. Hope to see you both again soon.
June 2011
We have had a lovely holiday, lots of forest walks and visits to local attractions. Dean Heritage Museum very interesting and informative. Saw the peregrines at Symonds Yat Rock RSPB. Views spectacular. Mailscot Wood Trail (4 miles) very good. All well worth a visit.
Richard and Sally your cottage (as everyone else has said) is just super, but what a lot of hard work to reach such a high standard. Thank you both for your warm welcome (and delicious cake!) Hope to see you again in the future.
May 2011
We have had a lovely bank holiday here at Blake Cottage. Was very impressed with everything the cottage has to offer. Fantastic walks right here on your doorstep. Was very impressed by how immaculately clean your cottage is!
April 2011
We have enjoyed a long weekend break in your lovely cottage which we found homely and very well equipped. The weather has been fantastic and we found the Forest of Dean an enchanting forest with spectacular walks and view points. Symonds Yat is a place of outstanding beauty and an ideal spot to enjoy coffee and watch the world go by. Thank you so much for the cake.
March 2011
We have had the most glorious 3 days of 2011 here. Not only is the cottage one of the best but you also provided beautiful sunshine! There is everything you could possibly need to be found here in the cottage – and all such good quality too – so nice to be able to use a good hairdryer when away! We will certainly be recommending Blake Cottage to our friends and know just where we can come for a ‘bolt-hole’ in the future. I’m sure we will be back.
October 2010
Had a lovely few days in this beautiful area. Great welcome everywhere. Can recommend the New Inn on Ruspidge Road – very dog friendly and great food.
Thanks for the great cake and loan of the lead.
Definitely on the ‘must come back’ list.
September 2010
We can echo everything that has already been said. Lovely cottage: well presented, pretty garden and so convenient for the Forest of Dean. Great walks, lovely towns and villages. Can recommend Speech House Hotel (open to non-residents) for food – try their dining room or conservatory, lovely ambiance.
The cake was a lovely touch, great with tea after a long walk. Thank you Sally and Richard.
August 2010
A very comfortable stay – accomplished all trips to 3 Choirs OK but did not explore Forest of Dean as much as we wanted – We’ll have to come back. Lovely cake!
August 2010
We have enjoyed a lovely relaxing week in your very comfortable cottage. We ate in every night because the kitchen is so well equipped and easy to work in. Thanks for a wonderful week, lovely cottage, fabulous scenery, lovely places to visit.
July 2010
Loved the cottage, very comfortable and cosy. The cake very welcome with a cup of tea after a day out. Weather good and plenty of walking. Linear Park, below, very nice for an evening stroll. Symonds Yat (East) lovely and can recommend the Ferryman lunch at the Saracens’ Head although pub really busy so not a good spot if you like peace and quiet. Of the market towns hereabouts Monmouth is interesting as is Chepstow. Gloucester cathedral lovely and the choir inspirational. Tintern Abbey and Tintern Station a must for a lovely day out. Roast Dinner at Apple Tree, Westbury, ok but pub busy and service slow on Sunday. Faggots from the butcher in Cinderford huge but tasty – only one per person! Good butcher in Monmouth who sells local sausages. Good pint of Brains at the New Inn at Shortstanding (found by accident). All in all a relaxing time.
Thanks to Richard and Sally for the welcome and our admiration on the building project to transform Blake Cottage.
July 2010
We have enjoyed a really wonderful stay in Blake Cottage. Very well equipped, beautifully renovated and decorated in a lovely style. We have appreciated the easy access to many lovely attractions and can recommend:
(i) cycling along the family trail in the forest (via Linear Park) – do go clockwise if you want steep descents and gentle climbs which are more gradual
(ii) Symonds Yat and amazing viewpoint with Peregrines nest in view
(iii) International Birds of Prey Centre – turned out to be a much bigger operation than we thought, very good and fantastic flying displays
(iv) Slimbridge – allow a full day
(v) White Hart - good honest pub food, very friendly staff/regulars, good local ale and Friday night we saw a very good band – may be live music every week?
(vi) Dean Forest Railway – good fun, if you can get a ‘Bygone Day’ even better – at Parkend head for the Woodman Pub for a great Sunday roast!
Thank you Richard and Sally (and for the amazing cake!)
June 2010
We’ve had a fabulous time during the past week. The cottage has been perfect – even the dog settled in a very short time!! The weather has been superb and the sunsets were great. We’ve covered a lot of ground/area but so much to do in such a short space of time. Too many nice spots to include here but there was a nice mixture for our first visit. Used the White Hart a few times – nice beer garden and food basic but tasty. Cottage has been renovated superbly – pictures opened up the amount of work put in and made interesting study. Thanks to Sally and Richard for the welcome (and the cake!!)
May 2010
Thank you Sally and Richard for our stay in your lovely cottage. A wonderful retreat after a day’s walking with every home comfort awaiting – hot bath, cosy lounge and a well equipped kitchen. The cottage is perfectly situated on the door-step of a beautiful location, where we found great walks and breathtaking scenery.
We will certainly pass your details on to our friends! Wish we could stay another week.
May 2010
Had a great time in your lovely cottage, a truly enjoyable place to stay and your information booklets 1st class. Weather was fantastic, walks were highly enjoyable and the scenery magnificent.
Thank you for all these lovely comments and we look forward to welcoming you back to Blake Cottage. - Sally and Richard