Home > England > Somerset > Shepherd's Cottage Holiday accommodation

Shepherd's Cottage Holiday accommodation to let

The house, furnished with antique and period furniture and original paintings, will delight those who appreciate beauty, authenticity and character.

Part-16th century farmhouse, part early 20th century extension, now all Listed Grade 2, Shepherd's Cottage was lived in by the village's last shepherd until 2003.

It was then bought by David Gordon, owner of the other half of the original farmhouse. A sympathetic restoration ensued, repairing walls with hair-and-lime plaster, and replacing vinyl wallpaper and gloss paint with soft shades of distemper and limewash. Old, uneven glass was sourced for the leaded lights of the stone-mullioned windows, and the orchard replanted with wildflowers and old breeds of apple tree. This year even the plum trees, supposedly ' wild' and non-productive, have responded to good pruning with a bumper crop.

The old ways aren't always the best, however; and visitors will be relieved to know that, while the original thatched 2-seater privy has been carefully restored, the house has a new bathroom with WC and shower, a simple kitchen with new Belfast sink and drainer, and a woodstove supplying small radiators in the (well-insulated) bedrooms above.

Furnishings are in keeping with the cottage: a pine dresser serves its original purpose; pre-war armchairs and watercolours mingle with 17th century oak chests, Georgian candlesticks and regency plates. There are some vintage board games too, for a rainy afternoon. Even some of the everyday crockery is deco, without being too precious to use.

Conspicuous by their general absence are: telephones, TVs, plastic anything much, chemical cleaning agents, synthetic air-fresheners and VOC paints.

Accommodation

This consists of:

Downstairs -

Small hallway
Large living room (20ft x 15) with woodstove and dining area at one end
Kitchen at rear
'Parlour' room with inglenook fireplace, stairs off.

Upstairs -

One large double bedroom
One smaller double
One single bedroom
One bathroom with WC and shower

Please note: There is no downstairs WC.

To the side of the cottage is a small garden with seats, and path to (shared access) orchard.

There is parking for 2 cars in the lane in front of the cottage, and one in the drive at the side. Alternatively, we are only five miles from Crewkerne station on the Waterloo-Salisbury Exeter line (much cheaper than the Paddington one!) - collection can be arranged, and/or bring your cycles for a low-carbon week.

Dogs are not generally allowed in the house, but as this is such a superb dog walking area, you might find it hard to cope with the guilt of leaving your four legged friend behind! In this case they are welcome to stay in their own holiday home - the Privy!

As some of the furnishings are quite old and cherished the house is not really suitable for families with young children.

There is a splendid local country pub, the Dinnington Docks, less than a mile away, and a smarter one and village shop a mile beyond that. The little market town of Ilminster lies two miles the other way, with many good local shops and an arts centre with a good cafe. There are many other good places to eat in the local area - please ask for recommendations!

There are National Trust houses at Montacute, Barrington and Tintinhull, all within a 20 minute drive. 40 minutes will see you in Bridport or Lyme Regis, Stourhead or Hestercombe Gardens; it will also bring you to the 20-mile West Somerset Steam Railway, giving further time-travel opportunities through Stogumber and Crowcombe Heathfield, to historic Dunster on the edge of Exmoor, and Minehead on the Bristol Channel. Further afield but still within easy reach there is historic Wells, Glastonbury and the Bath and West Showground which regularly hosts antique fairs, flea markets and classic car shows.

Closer to home are local lanes and footpaths with little traffic, and award-winning gardens and tearooms and a Cider Farm within easy cycling distance. But there's no need to go even that far: There could be apples coming on in the orchard, swallows on the line, badgers in the field, horses in the stable .. Please don't hurry and miss it: this is Allowenshay.