White Heron luxury cottages Herefordshire & Powys, Kington holiday cottage

Welcome to our Self catering White Heron Properties in Herefordshire, England in Titley which both sleep 8 in great comfort. 

Well behaved pets only allowed in Sherriffs, Gardeners, Field (strictly not in Colloquy or Forge).  And in view of the new smoking laws introduced in July there is no smoking allowed in any of our properties.

The Colloquy

Self-catering gets no better than this.  We have accommodation in Herefordshire, England, in Wales and in Italy including a secluded cottage; a large Grade II listed country house and a converted Tuscan farmhouse. White Heron Properties has six luxurious homes available for holiday rental.  Two are new on our books - The Forge is simply stunning chic and The Colloquy now opened for two years is the ultimate in style and taste. The Sherriffs has recently been refurbished with two additional ensuite bedrooms so can now sleep 18 in total. Not yet fully featured, but some details below, we also have The Swan House and Newton Barn

The Colloquy has now been open for nearly two years and has been an exciting venue for a number of different parties. Small wedding parties, golden wedding celebrations, university re-unions and family get-togethers have made up most of our weekends.  The weeks of summer 2007 were not quite so clement as the year before, however our guests made the most of the outdoor heated pool and the huge garden, as well as all the indoor facilities we have.  We are now booking weekends well into 2008 with most of the summer holidays already booked.  We can offer short breaks during the week for smaller groups and organise yoga teachers and perhaps even painting courses.

How does one begin to describe the ultimate in self-catering? No faded curtains and half finished decor. No compromise on room size. No problem with bathroom space or hot water. No concessions on modern communication facilities such as TVs, dvds and Computers. The Colloquy provides the most comfortable, spacious and relaxing environment for unpretentious self-catering luxury, or for an exclusive corporate retreat. Each of our eight bedrooms has its own bathroom, some with roll top baths, some with showers and some with both.

All our walls are adorned with fantastic art - this is all produced by local artists and so invokes the atmosphere and features of Herefordshire and Welsh border countryside.  The art is all for sale and we would encourage our guests to look around each and every room to see local talent at its best from the very figurative to large abstract canvasses.  Prices and titles are listed in each room with a full bibliography in one of our welcome brochures.  We take very little commission, so the prices are the artists and purchase can be arranged direct, or through us if preferred.

Special Features

• Swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi and squash court (the swimming pool is open between May and September - sometimes longer depending on the season.  The swimming pool is also available to our guests at The Forge and Gardeners Cottage for limited time periods during the day.)
• Media centre with 10' x 8' projection cinema room
• ETC 5-star grading (95%)
• 2 miles from only Michelin* pub in the UK (The Stagg, Titley)
• Ideal base for antique hunting in Kington, Leominster, Ludlow
• Near Offa's Dyke path and beautiful Welsh Hills
• Garden designed by award winning Revis Cruttenden
• Access to farm for walks
• Garden furniture, gas barbecue
• Full catering available
• Cordon-bleu cookery delivered at an extra cost
• Basic groceries delivered (f.o.c)
• 100% Egyptian cotton linen included
• No pets
• No smoking except outside and please dispose of the butt in the ashtrays

There are 3 distinctive living areas in the Colloquy so whilst the whole party can eat together at any, or every, meal there is also the facility for each area to cater for themselves for breakfast, lunch, tea or dinner with four separate kitchens. We have rustic oak floorboards throughout the property with underfloor heating on the ground floor and modern Italian radiators on the first floor, an open fire and funky hole-in-the-wall electric fires in two of the reception rooms. For a full description of each apartment, bedroom and living area please see below. The kitchens are sleek and smart with all the mod cons, each of the four living areas has tv, dvd cinema surround sound and stereo system. Sky Plus is available in two of the sitting rooms only and can be fed back to the bedrooms (although the bedrooms cannot be on a different sky channel to the main receiver).  In one of the four comfortable sitting rooms we have an addictive X-box with a few gnarly games.

Entering the Colloquy through the lower cobbled courtyard there are two main entrances – the first through a travertine marble lower hallway with an immediate view up to the upper courtyard and the magnificent clock. The second entrance is through the original thoroughfare. Now enclosed but formally open this hallway has the original, unusual porcelain wall bricks and stone bricked polished floor.

The first entrance is into "The Parley” the largest of the three living areas (6 en-suites). The marble hallway with a family suite either side rises with large stone steps into a large sitting area, which is completely glass fronted onto the courtyard. The two family rooms have mezzanine floors - one with an additional four beds in two separate areas; one has an additional two beds and also an enormous adjoining bathroom with walk-in shower, roll-top bath and large day-bed.  This bathroom also has a TV with dvd and video player. 

The sitting room at the top of the hallway steps (Sitting Room 1) has two opening casements so access into the courtyard is easy over a long bench seat. This sitting area has a hole-in-the-wall fire and some sink-into sofas with TV and X-box. Some double doors open into the huge dining area and chill zone/cinema.

This chandelliered dining room can be cleared and used for large dinner parties of up to 40, otherwise it can seat 16 or more around a single round and expandable table. (The sleek black kitchen is down a couple of steps and has all the equipment to service a large party.) Alternatively the blinds can be pulled across the large glass windows in the sitting area; the picture removed from the smooth white wall and a film can be projected from the overhead projector through our fully interactive media centre. There is a computer for our guests use and full broadband connection with a wireless router.

A second sitting room is situated to the right of Sitting Room 1 in the old tack room with all the original boards on the wall. You can still make out the shape of the saddle stands on the east facing wall. This houses a second Sky Plus TV so that those who want to settle down to afternoon sport can leave the kids to watch Star Wars on the big screen next door. Two bedrooms are accessed from this tack room sitting room via a dining area. The other two bedrooms are accessed via the main sitting dining room.. Both pairs of bedrooms have additional catering facilities; one with a full kitchen/diner and one with a kitchenette area.

A step across the second entrance hall finds the second apartment “The Discourse". . Originally stables for up to 6 horses this is now open plan – nearly 40’ long and over 20’ wide with solid A-frame construction this is a wonderful room with kitchen and dining table one end and comfortable seating and Plasma TV/DVD cinema at the other. The dining table can be easily extended to host a party of up to 40 and the kitchen is large enough to cater for this many.

The Discourse bedroom lies beyond in the old carriage room. Again floor to ceiling glazed, this spectacular room has a roll top bath on a mezzanine floor with a wonderful round window looking out onto mature trees. There is a wetroom and dressing room beneath the balcony. There is a day-bed on the mezzanine – either you can talk to your friend in the bath or a child may like to sleep aloft.

The final apartment, “Rosemary’s Garden” is accessed through the main Discourse dining room and along the long terrace. This is a compact but wonderful and private apartment with quirky charm. The bed on the gallery looks out through a round window onto the walled garden. The French windows below directly access the terrace from a large sitting and dining area (20’ x 15’). There is a large shower room and a similar size glossyy red kitchen with all the mod cons.

A large boiler room provides communal washing and drying facilities. The central heating is gas and the water is from a mains water supply.

The Squash court has its own wc and washing facilities and is again accessed from the long south facing terrace. The squash court itself is unheated so a red spot ball is recommended. Rackets, balls and shoes are provided - please remember indoor shoes only. Our hot-tub, sauna and health room can be found in the Old Potting Shed near the car-parking area. All these facilities may be used free of charge by any of our guests however, you may have to book a slot for some of the above. The Potting Shed is a self-contained, heated area. There are also changing rooms for the outdoor swimming pool which is open between May and end of September. Our swimming pool is fenced off for children’s safety and is open between 9am and 8pm daily.

The one hectare walled garden was built in the early 1800s and is a safe-haven for families as it is enclosed and gated on all sides. A well-lit long terrace runs along the south side of the Stables – a perfect spot for an evening drink – with a larger dining terrace and brazier style barbequeues situated adjacent to the pool area. The garden has been designed by Revis Cruttenden and is being planted and cherished to provide various areas of relaxation for different parts of the party.

Guests from The Forge and Gardeners Cottage are also invited to use the swimming pool along with the walled garden during mutually agreed periods daily (usually between 10am and 12pm daily). Exclusivity for The Colloquy can be arranged if necessary and for an additional charge but it is not thought that there will be any conflict as their entry into the garden is at the eastern end of the gardens.

All bedrooms have TV; and independent kitchen areas. All beds are pocket sprung and have 100% Egyptian cotton sheets, with king or superking duvets.  Four of the beds are superking; one bedroom has twins - which can be made up as a superking, the remaining three bedrooms have kingsize beds.  On the lower-ground and ground floor the heating is underfloor and on the first floor stunning black Italian efficient radiators.

All bathrooms have modern taps mostly wall mounted. If there is no shower in the bathroom then there is also a bath shower-head. Towels provided are all bathsheet size.

Conference Facilities:

The Colloquy attracts a variety of businesses looking for comfort, quality, style, full technical ability and a real sense of individuality. The great benefit of coming to The Colloquy is that you are totally free to structure your stay as you wish; and the exclusivity of being here alone means that there are no rules of engagement. If you want dinner at 6pm or 10pm, or Brunch rather than lunch, or beers for breakfast – it’s your choice.

We can sleep a total of 20 if necessary – 8 en-suite at the Colloquy with a further 1 en-suite at The Forge just 50 metres away and 3 with 2 bathrooms at Gardeners Cottage also 50 metres away. We can further extend the group by 2 at Field Cottage and 6 at The Sherriffs, which are ¼ and ½ mile away respectively. Travelling between the accommodation is very easy down a small country lane. For conference groups the Parley boardroom with full media centre for presentations and Overhead Projector provides a comfortable and informal environment for group sessions, The huge dining area in The Discourse provides a welcome retreat for refreshments. In any case there are four sitting areas if groups need to split off to discuss different company issues.

Catering facilities are also highly recommended – our in-house cook and catering manager – Jane Lloyd comes with a great track record and efficiency, original menus and attention to detail. We can offer a continental breakfast, or lunch and dinner aswell for a variety of budgets or tastes. We are also fully licensed.

We can help our guests with organised local sports, including go-karting, mountain boarding, riding, walking and orienteering. We can also get you to local delicious restaurants and hostelries, or help you with almost anything that you will need during your stay. A relaxation in our hot-tub or sauna or a good work out in our squash court could all help your stress levels. Or we could organise a masseuse, acupuncturist or beautician to provide you with further respite from the rigours of a normal workday.

This peaceful area of our beautiful country is the perfect solution for a corporate getaway. You can use The Colloquy as your own private hotel during your stay but enjoy facilities that high quality hotels would covet for themselves.


Sherriffs

The Sherriffs is a large Grade II listed Queen Anne House which retains many of its original features. It is located on the Welsh border equidistant between Hay-on-Wye and Ludlow. Offering luxury four star accommodation for 18 guests, in a beautiful isolated setting surrounded by mature gardens, The Sherriffs provides a comfortable base from which to explore the local countryside.

The accommodation comprises three large reception rooms (dining room, drawing room and sitting room); fully modernised kitchen; 8 large bedrooms with 6 bathrooms (4 en-suite). Other facilities include open fire, central heating, washing and drying machine, Sky tv, video, telephone, music centre, games and a welcome hamper.

Special Features

• ETB 5-star grading
• 2 miles from only Michelin* pub in the UK (The Stagg, Titley)
• Ideal base for antique hunting in Kington, Leominster, Ludlow
• Near Offa's Dyke path and beautiful Welsh Hills
• Isolated setting with mature gardens
• Well behaved dogs welcome
• Access to farm for walks
• Garden furniture, barbecue
• Cordon-bleu cookery delivered
• Basic groceries delivered
• Full central heating
• Linen included

Gardeners Cottage
Historic Gardeners Cottage was the Head Gardeners Cottage for the Whittern Estate built in around 1850. Constructed with Masonic perfection and interesting detail it is a solid and well-proportioned house that sits in large open gardens of its own. It enjoys an isolated position in the middle of the Whittern Estate next to the original and enormous kitchen garden with its 18th century red-brick walls. The surrounding Herefordshire/Welsh border area is full of walks, places of historic interest and natural outstanding beauty. Hay-on-Wye and the Black Mountains are only 15 miles away and Ludlow and the South Shropshire Marches a similar distance.

Gardeners Cottage is adjacent to The Forge (5 metres) and taken in conjunction they with each other they can easily seat 10 in both dining rooms. The accommodation at Gardeners Cottage is very well laid out and all the decoration and furniture is designer orientated. The back entrance through an eclectic courtyard comes straight into the fully fitted kitchen (off which there is a utility room and a large funky modern shower and loo). The dining room is adjacent to the kitchen and will seat up to 10 around a large mahogany table. The sitting room is the other side of the front entrance and porch area and has comfortable sofas and armchairs and a very efficient wood-burner. Upstairs, Bedroom 1 has a kingsize bed with ornate cane bedhead and a vanity unit in the room; Bedroom 2 has a double bed with French style bed and again a sink of its own and Bedroom 3 whilst smaller is still very comfortable with leopard-skin throws on two single beds. The bathroom has a large enamel bath, basin and loo.

Special Features

• ETB 4* grading
• Access to outdoor swimming pool for limited time periods
• Designer decorated spacious house
• 2 miles from only Michelin* pub in the UK (The Stagg at Titley)
• Ideal base for antique hunting in Kington, Leominster and Ludlow
• Near Offa’s Dyke path and beautiful Welsh hills
• Historic setting in rolling farmland
• Well behaved dogs welcome (downstairs only)
• Access to farm for walks
• Garden furniture and barbecue
• Cordon-bleu cookery delivered or prepared on site
• 100% cotton, quality linen provided
• Basic groceries welcome pack
• TV/Video; Stereo with cassette and LPs; Washer/Dryer; Dishwasher

The Forge.
This property sleeps 2 in the main bedroom (plus an additional single on the balcony), 2 in the mezzanine gallery

By any standards this is a magnificent conversion.  Originally the blacksmith’s workshop for the 10 carriage horses that were housed at the Stables, it was an open fronted stone barn.  It has been converted with architectural flair to create an airy living space and huge bedroom.  Ideally suited to a couple looking for a romantic retreat it is also suitable for a family with older children or two couples. 

The main living space/dining room is around 40’ x 20’ with a mezzanine gallery accessed by spiral staircase.  There is a kingsize built-in double bed in the gallery which looks down onto the fabulous open planned area below.  The original A-frame of the building has been kept intact and obvious, with Swedish woodburner offering additional heat and atmosphere to our relaxed guests.  There is a large and very extendable table (up to 22!) situated adjacent to a oak and black slate topped kitchen, There is also a wetroom shower and wc below the mezzanine providing an independent washing area. Two sets of double French doors open onto the pretty terrace with a lavender and beech hedged lawns.  A teak dining table and chairs are a welcome place to discuss the days on the balmy summer evenings.

The main bedroom is spectacular.  A superking size bed with pocket sprung mattress, Egyptian linen sheets and  large cotton towels is the centrepiece of this fabulous room (25’ x 20’).  A rolltop bath stands in the bedroom with a separate wc and double stylish porcelain sinks set on a black granite top to provide a luxurious washing area.  A second spiral staircase accesses a folly mezzanine area with a single futon for an additional child/guest if necessary. Again a pair of French doors accesses the garden terrace.

The Forge has oak floorboards throughout, modern Italian radiators with linen and plain cotton curtains.  Attention to detail in this stylish cottage has resulted in a truly fantastic place to stay. 

The Forge can be taken alone or as an adjunct to Gardeners or The Colloquy, or both to sleep a total of 36.  We have yet to find a disappointed guest.

Things you'll enjoy :

• 43” Screen TV
• Surround sound dvd and CD player
• Modern dvd and CD collection
• Dishwasher
• Washing machine and Dryer
• Shower and bath
• Fridge/Freezer
• Good books and Games
• Woodburner with log supply
• 2 four-seater sofas and 2 armchairs
• Fresh flowers and welcome provisions

Special Features

• ETB 4-star grading
• Access to outdoor swimming pool for limited time periods
• 2 miles from only Michelin* pub in the UK (The Stagg, Titley)
• Ideal base for antique hunting in Kington, Leominster, Ludlow
• Near Offa's Dyke path and beautiful Welsh Hills
• Isolated romantic orchard setting
• Garden designed by award winning Lance Hattat
• Access to farm for walks
• Garden furniture, barbecue
• Cordon-bleu cookery delivered
• Basic groceries delivered
• Linen included

Newton Barn
Newton is a listed barn, originally part of the Balance Estate. It sits around a courtyard with beautiful views over unspoilt Welsh border land in the picturesque Herefordshire village of Titley. It is a traditional property of the highest quality, steeped in luxury with all the conveniences of modern living.

The predominately open plan design, incorporating under-floor central heating throughout allows acres of space for you and family to play and relax. There are two double bedrooms, a twin room and a bunk room.

If you are a couple escaping with friends, you will relish the chic en suite facilities, walk-in wet room and individually styled bedrooms, while the relaxing furnishings downstairs will enable you to unwind and to socialise. 

The kitchen area is stylish and sophisticated, finished with granite worktops and top of the range appliances. This is the ideal spot to enjoy a cup of coffee with the morning paper or the first glass of wine of the evening before a lovely meal of local farm produce.

The secure garden provides ample space for the children to play while grown-ups can enjoy summer barbecues under the most stunning of night skies.

Location

The renowned Stagg Inn is literally a couple of minutes walk from Newton’s garden. The Stagg was the first pub in the country to be awarded a Michelin Star and it is now regularly voted one of the top ten ‘gastro-pubs’ in the uk, receiving very high ratings in The Times and Telegraph. The Stagg’s atmosphere is informal with wooden tables and no background music and children are always made welcome.

With the open spaces of Herefordshire and Wales on Newton’s doorstep it tends to mean that within 30 minutes unstressed driving there is Go Karting, Flying of various sorts, shooting, canoeing and golf (on England’s highest course), as well as riding, both pedal and horseback, and of course, exceptional hill walking.

If you prefer to be rather than to do, there’s Hay-on-Wye with its 39 bookshops, the border towns of Kington and Presteigne with their chainstore-free High Streets, and Ludlow with its food markets and restaurants to browse. Or you can stay put and stroll or play tennis in the local parks and let the children enjoy the playground. The dramatic scenery on the drive from the nearby Presteigne to Aberystwyth led to it being voted one of the ten most beautiful drives in the world.

In all there is 8,000 square miles of Wales, Herefordshire, Shropshire and the border lands to explore. Just the thing to blow away the cob webs, stretch the horizons and fascinate the children, whatever their ages.