Mainoaks Farm Holiday Cottages. HR9 6JN. (No "guide" needed here)
The Boss and I make a habit of mid week breaks in self catering accommodation. The ability not to be fixed to timetable for bed and breakfast accommodation is what we prefer.
We usually have breakfast and eat out at a pub or good restaurant later.
If I can get away with it, and fishing is attached to the accommodation, we eat earlier in the afternoon after a trip out seeing the sights, so that I can get fishing in the early evening for a few hours into darkness.
So having searched Google for self catering cottages I spotted http://www.mainoaks.co.uk/
Set on the River Wye, close to Yat Rock.
Knowing that the river is one of the main barbel rivers to fish at present, I thought we should give them a go as I haven‘t been down for a year or so..
So we booked 4 nights Monday to Friday for early July in Coppett, a sleep two cottage, out of the six cottages available.
The cottages, which are down a long farm drive, are very close to the bridge that crosses the Wye on the way into Symonds Yat east.
On arrival, we were offered a choice of another cottage also available on the day, so we also had a look around Biblins which sleeps up to four.
We chose to stay with our original choice.
Both cottages appeared to have been newly refurbished, and had all the mod-cons you could possibly want for a short or long stay, including a dishwasher!
We chose Coppett because its layout suited us, the downstairs was a good size open plan kitchen diner alongside a living area with a two seater settee and a single armchair. TV is Freeview.
There is a wood burner for those colder nights, but centrally heated anyway.
The upstairs has a double bedroom which looks into a well planned roomy bathroom with one of those deep baths set in the middle of the area.
You can see far more detail of all the cottages on the website.
All in all, a very comfortable cottage.
No need by the way, to take with you tea coffee, salt and pepper or washing up materials they are all there.
There was a very good introduction guide in the cottage, a complimentary bottle of wine, a box of choccies and a bunch of flowers.
The cottages also have free fishing offered with them, however the fishing rights on the river bank which runs a short distance on foot across the field at the front of the cottages is only fishable by Prince Albert Angling Society members.
It is strictly enforced by their bailiffs.
The cottages are therefore ideal for PAAS members.
The fishing that goes with the cottages, as is identified on the website, is known as the Tunnel Beat, it’s about a mile and half of single bank fishing through Forestry Commission land via a locked gate. It is upstream of Yat Rock which overlooks the fishery.
As can be expected on the Wye, the banks are on the whole, steep sided, apart from a cattle drink area which has easier access.
You will need a dog spike, and rope to assist you in and out of the swims, if fishing there in wet, or after flood conditions.
At the time of our visit, swims are accessible where previous anglers have made their own “steps” down.
I understand that this is to be rectified.
The fishing is typical Wye, plenty of barbel, they were shoaled up off the faster water, on our visit, as the river levels were very low. Multiple catches of barbel up to around 9 lb were reported by guests staying in the cottages at the time of our visit.
Chub are also plentiful.
So, we very much enjoyed our stay; fishing was good considering the river conditions and we whole heartedly recommend the cottages for a very comfortable stay.
We would certainly go again, very well situated for the sites and towns with the A40 close by.
Our 4 night stay cost us £294. Rates are variable throughout the season.
The cottages are no longer available 01/01/2013
..and that's when the fight started (five)
My wife sat down on the couch next to me as I was flipping the channels.
She asked, 'What's on TV?'
I said, 'Dust'
....and then the fight started.
1999 advert, just doing what they said!
For anybody who finds this via a search, the cottages are no longer available.
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