Sleeps 4, 2 bedrooms. Cwm Cayo Mill Cottage is a traditionally restored and totally unique Tudor mill cottage, part of the Usk Castle estate. The cottage is situated at the end of a secret valley only a mile from the town of Usk; it is reached along a private lane and sits on the banks of a small tributary of The River Usk. The cottage and adjoining farmhouse is set in over a hundred acres of mixed woodland with miles of uninterrupted walking and its own woodland garden, over a wooden bridge on the other side of the brook. The cottage manages to combine the ancient and the modern very successfully with a new kitchen and excellent central heating yet retaining all the character of a 17th century riverside mill/cottage.
Cottage accommodation
The kitchen has an electric hob and oven, a fridge and a freezer, dishwasher and microwave. There is a downstairs utility room/tack room (for visitors who may wish to bring horses to take advantage of the excellent riding). The sitting room is open to the sloping ceiling and a glass balustraded open galley has double sofa bed. There is a large woodburning stove, cream leather sofa and chairs and a TV with Satellite, Digi box and DVD.
The cottage is entered through a conservatory overlooking the Cayo Brook - with views right down the brook and up into the woods. This is where the dining table is - lovely to sit there in the evening watching the wild life on the river and the water tumbling down the falls.
Bedroom 1: with Twin Beds or can be converted to a double zip and link bed with a downstairs bathroom. The bathroom in the cottage is "the piece de resistance" with an ORIGINAL RED TELEPHONE BOX CONVERTED PROFESSIONALLY TO A WALK-IN SHOWER UNIT. There is also a loo with a matching red seat! A handbasin and a claw foot bath. This bathroom is so original it makes you want to laugh and then have a shower!!!
Up an ancient curved stairwell with handmade steps to the balcony that overlooks the sitting room, with a large cartwheel lamp, to
Bedroom 2: master bedroom with a double bed, that can be converted to a twin and a handbasin and toilet.
Useful information
Horses welcome
This is a great place to come on holiday and bring your horse. The woods are lovely to ride through at any time of the year with 100 acres of tracks and paths on varied terrain, with all kinds of natural obstacles. There is a meadow by the farmhouse and use of a farm building. Drying room and storage for tack. Local livery yards have arenas to hire, there is also an indoor riding school and tuition locally. There is the British Horse Society (The Three Rivers Ride) in the Black Mountains.
Visit the farm animals
Cwm Cayo Farm is traditionally a mixed farm with almost 500 acres of mixed pasture and woodland, with cattle and sheep where visitors are able to see seasonal activities like lambing, haymaking and shearing.
Many places and activities to visit
Many places and activities of interest to visitors are easily accessible from Usk - in 45 minutes you can, going east: visit the Forest of Dean (cycling, walking, Go Ape), going west: reach the Brecon Beacons, going north: drive to Hereford (Mappa Mundi), and going south get to Bristol (theatre, etc). Trains to Newport or Abergavenny, buses less frequently from Newport and Monmouth.
The cottage is delightful with all the timber used in the restoration being home harvested from the Usk Castle Estate grounds, there is a long window seat in the conservatory of Pacific Redwood, gallery using Yew, beams of Douglas, doors of Chestnut and windows of Oak.
The scenic and ancient small town of Usk has ten pubs and several excellent places to eat; this would be an excellent location for The Celtic Manor and The Ryder Cup being only 2 miles from the marshalls' car park. This is a great cottage for a weekend as it is only 20 minutes from The Severn Bridge.
Learn more about Crickhowell, Abergavenny and Brecon here.
Make your booking for Cwm Cayo Mill by clicking here or, alternatively you can book by calling our office on 01874 676446.
If you would like to speak to someone who has visited this property please ask for:
Elizabeth and Caroline
