A warm welcome to our converted Stables and Hayloft, a self-catering holiday home, near the historic market town of Ledbury in glorious Herefordshire.
Surrounded by apple and cherry orchards, vineyards and arable fields, the two hundred year old building has been converted to a high specification. It retains many original features with an added layer of luxury to help you feel fully relaxed and pampered while you enjoy a great escape to the country.
The Stables and Hayloft overlooks the Hop Kilns gardens and duck pond and beautiful Herefordshire countryside. The spacious bedroom has a wonderfully comfortable bed with fresh white linen and there are fluffy white towels in the bathroom. The kitchen is fully equipped and we provide you with a welcome hamper on arrival with Champagne and local produce, as well as bread, eggs, milk, tea, coffee, butter and jam for breakfast.
Everything you could want for a luxurious getaway!
Unwind, relax and breathe in the fresh country air on the large, south facing balcony, with a glass of Champagne or locally produced apple juice.
Or snuggle down in the spacious upstairs living room, with its far reaching views. Throw some logs on the wood-burning stove and stretch out up on the large soft Italian-made sofa to read, listen to music or watch a film.
Have a wander around the garden to the duck ponds and see the moorhens, pick fruit in the paddock and enjoy spring blossom or autumn berries. Explore the nearby countryside on foot, via footpaths and rights of way which take you down to the River Leadon, where kingfishers nest and there are views of the spectacular viaduct.
You may even snatch a glimpse of a heron on a fishing trip.
Walk or take a short drive into Ledbury (1.5 miles) and visit the unique shops, explore numerous alleyways and the historic 17th century Market House on stilts. Walk up the famous cobbled Church Lane to the church and enjoy a coffee, lunch or a drink at one of the many excellent coffee shops, restaurants and pubs.
Cyclists can plot a route along country lanes which for the most part avoid main roads.
Inside:
The entrance hall, with hooks and space for your coats, umbrellas, boots and walking shoes is just inside the wide oak bespoke stable door.
Immediately to your right you will enter a comfortable oak-floored bedroom with super-king-sized bed, with 100% Egyptian cotton sheets, large fitted wardrobes and the original feature stable wall. Across the hallway is a spacious and stylish bathroom with under floor heating, plenty of white fluffy cotton towels, a walk in shower and free-standing Farrow and Ball painted Cara bath. The mirror has LED lights, de-mister pad and socket for shaver or electric toothbrush.
Upstairs, the open plan hay loft is reached via the oak and glass stairway. A fully equipped kitchen is just a few steps away across elm and cedar floor boards which have been lovingly restored. The fully fitted kitchen, with floor level lights, has a larder fridge-freezer, microwave, electric oven, hob with glass splashback, dishwasher, wine chiller and white granite top.
Alongside the kitchen is the dining table with leather high backed dining chairs. This table, the side console table and coffee table have all been lovingly crafted from the original stable and hayloft oak and elm doors and door frames.
At the other end of the hayloft is a large Italian sofa with armchair. In the corner there is a traditional Wildwood log-burner, stocked with a basket of logs and kindling for your use, and on the end wall there is a flat screen Sony TV and sound-bar with access to Freeview and Netflix.
You can stream your own music via bluetooth to the soundbar or portable bluetooth Bose mini player. There is wifi access.
The balcony is six metres long and has comfortable deck armchairs. It is accessed through fully opening oak bifold doors. It overlooks the duck pond and fields beyond.
The bifold doors have both fine linen and thick lined cotton curtains for you to stay cool on hot sunny days and cosy and warm on wintry days and nights. The solar-powered blackout blinds on the Velux windows complete the total control on light for film nights.
There is a laundry room which you are very welcome to use at the rear of the building, in the old piggery. Here you will find a washing machine, tumble dryer, clothes airer, iron and ironing board. Its also a good place to leave suitcases out of the way.
We keep the thermostatically controlled heating and hot water on all day for your comfort but you can adjust it to suit your needs.
Outside
You will find a small patio area and your private parking space beside the entrance to the Stables.
The Stables is next to our home at The Hop Kilns which was built in the 1830s. Our whole property consists of about 1.4 acres. Feel free to walk around the garden and paddock and enjoy the duck ponds and wildlife.
On one side the Stables is bounded by a fruit farm which has apple orchards and a vineyard. In the other direction there is an organic farm, where you can buy tasty seasonal produce by paying cash into an honesty box.
Please be aware that these farms are busy places and, particularly at the various fruit harvest times, can be noisy with activity from farm vehicles and machinery gathering and packing up fruit.
Beyond Ledbury, the Stables is three miles from Eastnor Castle, five miles from the Malvern Hills, ten miles from the Wye Valley and within easy reach by car of Hereford, Ross-on-Wye, Malvern, Gloucester and Worcester. Cheltenham racecourse is a 40-minute drive while Hay-on-Wye, Ludlow and Stratford-upon-Avon are about an hour away.
We are easily accessible by car, only 5 miles from the M50, and by train, with direct lines between London Paddington/Birmingham to Ledbury. By air, Birmingham Airport is an hour away and London Heathrow about two hours away.
We are sorry, smoking and pets are not permitted.