Grooms Cottage

The Forest of Dean and Wye Valley have serious pull: the River Wye for walking and paddling, miles of cycle routes from gentle forest roads to technical downhill tracks, Puzzlewood and Clearwell Caves for a rainy day, and the Dean Forest Railway if you want to sit down instead. Offa's Dyke and several marked walking routes are within reach. Grooms Cottage puts you in the middle of it, a Grade II listed property on the A48 between Chepstow and Gloucester.

Three bedrooms sleep six: a king with ensuite shower on the first floor, a double, and two singles, plus a family bathroom with bath and shower. Downstairs has a living and dining room opening onto the garden through French doors, a kitchen with electric range and dishwasher, and utility room with washer and dryer. Heating, electricity, bed linen, towels and wifi are included. There's private parking for two cars and an EV charging point. A back garden with patio and seating makes a base for planning the day's exploring, or doing nothing at all. No smoking inside.

The surrounding towns—Ross-on-Wye, Monmouth, Abergavenny, Gloucester and Cheltenham—are all under an hour away and worth visiting for their markets and festivals. If golf appeals, Celtic Manor's championship course is about an hour's drive.