Coach House Holidays Ltd - Shire Cottage

The New Forest stretches across open heathland and woodland where wild ponies graze, small villages cluster around green commons, and walking routes crisscross the landscape in every direction. Shire Cottage sits at the forest's boundary, a converted former coach house that works as a private base for two people wanting to explore on foot or by bike, or simply to stay put.

The cottage is arranged across two floors with an open-plan ground level that combines living space, kitchen and dining area around a woodburner. Upstairs, a mezzanine bedroom looks down into the main room below. A shower room and kitchen with electric oven, hob and microwave handle the practicalities of self-catering. Outside, a private enclosed terrace has garden furniture and a barbecue, plus a two-person hot tub. One car can park off-road; there's also an EV charging point shared with other properties on the site, and a laundry room with a dog shower. Wi-Fi, heating, bed linen and towels are all included. The cottage welcomes one pet at no extra cost.

The New Forest villages—Brockenhurst, Lyndhurst, Beaulieu—are near enough for an afternoon out, but most guests come for the forest itself: the open rides, ancient woodland, streams and the particular quiet of a place where development is restricted. Cycling, walking and spotting ponies fill days here.