Planning Your Stay
High Gardens Shepherd’s Hut sits in an elevated position within our large private garden, offering complete seclusion, peace, and sweeping views across the rolling Herefordshire countryside. Next to the hut, you’ll find a delightful outbuilding featuring a fully equipped luxury kitchen and a modern shower room – all exclusively yours for the duration of your stay. There will be no other guests on site, ensuring absolute privacy and tranquility.
Tucked away in the heart of rural Herefordshire, the hut offers a true escape from the noise and pace of everyday life. As there are no shops nearby, we recommend bringing any supplies you’ll need before arriving, so you can settle in and start relaxing right away. There’s ample parking on our spacious private driveway, just a short walk from the shepherd’s hut.
We love to welcome guests in person whenever possible, but if we’re unable to be here when you arrive, you’ll have easy access via a secure key safe. Full directions and key safe details will be provided 24 hours before your stay. Please note that access to the hut is via four wooden steps, so do bear this in mind when booking. Unfortunately, due to its traditional design, the hut isn’t suitable for children or babies, and we’re unable to accommodate pets. Thank you for your understanding.
The Shepherd’s Hut
Lovingly hand-built by ourselves, the hut began with a set of vintage cast-iron shepherd’s hut wheels, a turntable, and a drawbar. Every element has been thoughtfully crafted to create a luxurious and romantic retreat for two. Inside, you’ll find a warm, inviting space with a full-sized double bed dressed in 100% cotton linen. Light the miniature wood-burning stove and unwind with a peaceful, candlelit evening by the fire.
The hut is equipped with superfast Wi-Fi, though you may prefer to disconnect from the digital world and immerse yourselves in a selection of books, puzzles, and board games instead. Additional amenities include an electric radiator, fan, torch, Bose speaker, and hairdryer. Ample logs are provided for the stove, along with tealights and holders for a cosy evening glow.
The Kitchen and Shower Room
Just a few steps from the shepherd’s hut, you’ll find all the luxurious kitchen and shower room facilities you could need. The clean, modern kitchen area is equipped with a table and chairs, an electric radiator, an under-counter fridge with a small freezer compartment, a combination microwave oven, two countertop induction hobs, a Ninja air fryer, a toaster, a kettle, and a Nespresso coffee machine. You’ll also find all the glassware, crockery, cutlery, and cooking equipment you could possibly require for a comfortable and enjoyable stay. The adjoining shower room features a luxurious walk-in waterfall shower. Ample hot water, heated overnight, ensures a consistently powerful flow – free from the fluctuations often experienced with on-demand systems. The facilities also include a traditional flushing toilet, a washbasin, and a heated towel rail. Luxuriously soft, fluffy towels are provided for your comfort.
Cottage Garden
A private, cottage-style garden surrounds the hut, offering breathtaking views across to the Cotswolds and the Malvern Hills. There are several seating areas to choose from, including sun loungers and a large picnic table, as well as a stand for disposable barbecues – one of which is provided for your use. The garden is a haven for wildlife, with regular sightings of red kites, buzzards, wrens, treecreepers, and woodpeckers, and you’ll almost certainly hear the owls calling to one another in the evenings. During the summer months, you may even be lucky enough to spot one of our resident hedgehogs as they forage after sunset.
Local food and drink Options
This is not an exhaustive list but highlights a few local options. Opening times and available services may vary throughout the year, so it’s best to check in advance.
- Under the Nut Tree 07799 645491 Kentchurch (1.5 miles – or see “Local Walks” below) Pre-booking is essential as people travel from all over the country to visit.
- Oldfield Forge Café 01981 580016 Garway Hill (2 miles) Opening times daily 9-4 with hot food served until 3pm.
- The Kilpeck Inn 01981 570464 Kilpeck (4 miles) We strongly advise booking in advance as this is a very popular destination.
- The Bridge Inn 01981 241091 Kentchurch (3.5 miles)
- The Angel Inn 01981 240646 Grosmont (4.5 miles)
- The Garway Moon 01600 750270 Garway (3 miles)
- The Bell Hotel 01600 750235 Skenfrith (6 miles)
- The Temple Bar 01981 240423 Ewyas Harold (5 miles)
- The Old Stables 01981 240237 Ewyas Harold (5 miles) Fish & Chip shop – this can be consumed in the garden of The Temple Bar (above) if drinks are purchased at the pub.
Local Food Stores
There are several local food stores, the most notable being Locks Garage (7 miles away), which offers a wide range of products. Post Office and general stores can also be found in the nearby villages of Ewyas Harold, Wormelow, and St Weonards. Slightly further afield the usual supermarket chains can be found in –
- Hereford – Waitrose / M & S Food Hall / Sainsburys / Tesco (Belmont 24H) / Morrisons
- Monmouth – Waitrose / M & S Food Hall
- Abergavenny – Waitrose / Morrisons
- Ross-on-Wye – Morrisons / Sainsburys Local
Local Walks
There is a fabulous walk, directly from the door of the shepherd’s hut, which takes you to the very top Garway Hill where you’ll be greeted by the sound of skylarks, the sight of wild ponies grazing, together with breathtaking 360° views towards The Malverns, The Black Mountains and the Bristol Channel into Wales. The walk will take you through a beautiful wooded area, with drifts of bluebells in springtime, before passing through a gate and onto open common – it is the perfect location for a picnic on a warm summers day …
Details of the walk can be found on the following O.S.Maps link: High Gardens Shepherd’s Hut to the top of Garway Hill.
Although Under the Nut Tree, a unique, supper club, dining experience, is just a short five-minute drive away, it is possible to walk directly there from the shepherd’s hut. The majority of the route is along farm tracks / across fields and is particularly suited to the summer months when the ground is dry, please use the following O.S. Maps link for details: High Gardens Shepherd’s Hut to Under the Nut Tree.
Require Further Information?
We want to do everything we can to ensure you have a thoroughly enjoyable stay. If you require further information, or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Mark and Teresa