Betty Shepherd's Hut
Tucked away in a rural location in the Forest of Dean, this charming shepherd’s hut is a romantic retreat with spectacular views across to a lake and woodland. The delightfully rustic interior has a wooden floor, exposed wooden beams in the roof and purpose-built units which perfectly fit your forest setting. The main living area combines a raised king-size bed with a dining area, kitchenette, and a compact wood burner. At the rear of the shepherd’s hut is a shower room hidden behind a sliding wooden door. Step outside onto the raised decking and you can take in the fresh air and wonderfully peaceful views. This is a secluded bolthole ideally positioned for exploring the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean up to Ross-on-Wye and across to Tintern. Betty is also pet friendly, so you can bring your four-legged friend along too.
Overview
Your arrival takes you through meandering country lanes to Betty, which sits in a raised position taking full advantage of the surrounding views. Part of the Lydney Park Estate, this wooden shepherd’s hut is full of character and rustic appeal.
Steps lead to the decking and entrance of this charming hut. You’ll first notice the raised king-size bed which sits beneath a skylight. Here you can lie beneath the stars. Built-in steps to the side mean you don’t have to clamber into bed. Cleverly stored beneath the bed are a hidden table and benches. These pull out so you can enjoy meals together and can then be stowed away to make the most of the space. Light the wood burner in the evening and enjoy this time together away from the world. This well-designed shepherd’s hut is equipped with all the must-haves needed for a relaxing stay including a kitchenette with an oven and two-ring hob, a microwave, a fridge with a freezer compartment and a Belfast sink. To the rear is a stylishly appointed shower room behind a sliding door.
Outside you can watch the sunrise from the decking and enjoy long walks in the local area. There is also a firepit/barbecue. Follow the routes from your door around the nearby lake or head into the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley to discover everything that is on offer here. From finding hidden viewpoints, water sports, forest trails and cycling there is something for everybody to enjoy. If you’d prefer something more relaxing, there are also some fantastic pubs and restaurants to treat yourself to a meal out.
Ground Floor
Sleeping Area:
The raised king-size bed is a central point with built-in steps to one side. This cosy retreat will ensure a good night’s sleep and you can watch the stars or let the sun flood in through the skylight above. Lying beneath the exposed wood beams you become part of the forest which sits outside your door.
Living/Dining/Kitchen Area:
From under the bed, a table and two benches are stored which are easily pulled out to create a dining area. Made from the same wood as the bed and kitchen units it fits perfectly. The kitchen has a fridge with a freezer section, microwave, oven and two-ring hob; enough space to prepare meals during your stay.
Bathroom:
Behind a sliding door at the back of the hut is the hidden shower room. This white-panelled room has a rainfall shower, ceramic sink, and traditional WC. Despite feeling like you’re in the middle of nowhere, you have all your modern conveniences here.
Outside
Beyond the front decking, your views spread across the surrounding trees to the hills in the distance. It is as though the garden of this hut is the entire Forest of Dean. At the end of the gravelled pathway, there is a parking space for one car.Facilities
Indoor
Bedroom One - King-size
1 Bathroom - Shower Room
Hairdryer - 1
Fire - Logs Are Provided For An Initial Fire (1st October - 31st March)
Oven
Hob
Microwave
Toaster
Kettle
Fridge
Dining Table - Seats 2
WiFi *Please Note That Speeds Are For Guidance Only And Are Not Guaranteed - 50-99 Mbps
Board Games
Outdoor
Dog Friendly - 1 Well-behaved Dog Is Welcome For An Additional Fee
BBQ - Please Provide Your Own Charcoal
Parking - Off-road Parking For 2 Cars
On your Doorstep
Nearby Lydney (2 miles) has a Lidl and a Tesco supermarket. Chepstow (8 miles) has Lidl, Tesco, and an M&S Foodhall. If you are in search of a little retail therapy Gloucester Quays is a 30-minute drive with lots of shops and plenty of places to eat. Cribbs Causeway in Bristol is 30-minutes in the other direction.
Eating Out:
- The George Inn & Millingbrook Lodge, Aylburton – a friendly village pub with local real ales and home cooked meals (0.9 miles)
- The Globe Inn, Alvington – traditional pub and restaurant with good food and a large beer garden (2.1 miles)
- Swan House Tea Room, Woolaston – pretty tearoom with super afternoon tea options (3 miles)
Walks:
The Forest of Dean is criss-crossed with miles and miles of walking trails where you might be lucky enough to see some of the abundant local wildlife which includes deer, wild boar, and foxes. Sheep also roam freely in the forest. Other walks include the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail, Puzzlewood and the Beechenhurst Trail.
Places to Visit:
- Dean Forest Railway (3 miles)
- Clearwell Caves (5 miles)
- Chepstow Castle (9 miles)
- Symonds Yat (9 miles)
Train - Lydney Railway Station (2.4 miles) has services to/from Cheltenham Spa, Gloucester, Chepstow, and Cardiff
Taxis - AAB Transport
There is so much to see in the Forest of Dean, why not take a look at some of our favourite Bolthole Retreats Experiences
Points of Note
This property has a check-in time of 16:00 and a check-out time of 10:00
- Book with us to get exclusive discounts to top attractions and experiences.
- One well-behaved dog is welcome for an additional fee.
- Betty does not accept infants due to limited space.
- Betty Shepherd's Hut has no TV, giving you the chance to really switch off and enjoy this location.
Check Availability
Spread the cost of your holiday balance with our flexible payment plan
Handpicked by us
Why we love this
- You can really switch off from daily life at this private retreat surrounded by woodland.
- It's the perfect base for adventure, you can step straight into the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley.
- Bring your dog along and enjoy the adventure together.
Discover more
The Location
One of two shepherd’s huts, Betty is part of the Lydney Park Estate and shares this location with nearby holiday homes. This is an ideal spot for exploration with natural delights such as the Forest of Dean and the Wye Valley on the doorstep. The Forest of Dean is one of the most interesting places in the UK lying within the embrace of two great tidal rivers, the Severn, and the Wye. The landscape, heritage and culture created are quite unlike anywhere else. The village of Aylburton is a mile away where there is a good food pub. Lydney is just two miles away with a selection of shops and restaurants. Chepstow, Cheltenham Spa, Bath, and Bristol are all easily accessible.
And relax..
Why book with us
1.
Guaranteed
best price
Book your holiday home directly with us for the best possible price. Because we work exclusively with our owners; we guarantee you won’t find our properties cheaper elsewhere.
2.
Guaranteed
best price
Book your holiday home directly with us for the best possible price. Because we work exclusively with our owners; we guarantee you won’t find our properties cheaper elsewhere.
3.
Guaranteed
best price
Book your holiday home directly with us for the best possible price. Because we work exclusively with our owners; we guarantee you won’t find our properties cheaper elsewhere.
Read our reviews
Gorgeous Shepherd Hut in a beautiful peaceful Location
We stayed in Betty 13th - 15th November. What a beautiful peaceful location!
The Hut has everything needed for a comfortable stay, lovely shower room with super water pressure (better than home) and towels, shampoo, body wash, hairdryer etc provided..
The kitchen has everything needed, cooker, hob, microwave, kettle and all the crockery and utensils, they even provided tea, coffee, sugar, milk and biscuits.
The kingsized bed is really comfortable, there are some books and games to make use of.
There is central heating and also a log burner with logs provided, we used this and it was very toasty.
Overall a super comfortable stay, would highly recommend and will be back!
Claire Cremin
We stayed in Betty for 2 nights. What a beautiful shepherds hut. It has everything you could need. From all cooking facilities to complementary tea coffee sugar milk and biscuits. Radiator heating and a log burner which we used, it’s got a very comfortable bed and great shower water pressure. It’s in a beautiful peaceful location but close to lots of local amenities. Would highly recommend and definitely stay again.
Claire
Great stay!
I had a fantastic stay. There was everything I needed and it was very comfortable. I am already planning on booking Betty again!
Elinor White
I had a fantastic stay. There was everything I needed and it was very comfortable. I am already planning on booking Betty again!
Elinor
Cosy atmosphere, surrounded by nature. The hut was spotlessly clean with quality fittings. Shower was great. Thought had gone in to what extra things guests might need for a short break, very well run, staff had thought of everything.
Linda
Excellent all round.
Alan
My husband and I had a lovely weekend relaxing, the Shepherds Hut was a beautiful location to unwind and get away from big city life, couldn’t recommend this place more it was perfect and everything was how described.
Aishah
Very clean everything we needed, lovely setting, and would definitely recommend.
Kev
A really great place to stay.
A particular thanks to Tracey, the housekeeper, for her help when I had a problem. Great to be able to walk through the woods to Tarus Crafts (shops, cafe, tap room).
Luke Turnbull
Lovely!
The shepherd’s hut is highly recommended! It was cozy, with all mod coms, marvellous views in solitude. What more can you ask for?
Guest
The shepherd’s hut is highly recommended! It was cosy, with all mod coms, marvellous views in solitude. What more can you ask for?
Stella
Couldn’t fault it. Mega location and the perfect place to switch off. The only downside was we didn’t have more time! Can’t recommend enough and very much looking forward to going back.
Mark
A very pleasant surprise
A lovely comfortable stay. Betty is not your average “Shepherds Hut”. It has central heating a great shower and a wood burning stove really heats the place. Great location, just away from a quiet road, so good access.. A short drive or walk down to the village- The Cross pub was amazing. Lovely cycling, walks on your doorstep. Taurus crafts and micro brewery on your doorstep and ideally located for other tourist visits. A peaceful haven. We hope to be back soon.
Vanessa Kitching
Very comfortable shepherd’s hut in a beautiful location
Well equipped and very comfortable shepherd’s hut with a lot of attention to detail (the choice of bathroom and kitchen fittings and also small things like matching oven glove and tea towel) Set in a beautiful location with lovely views and lots of wildlife. Secluded location but easy to get to and we’ll placed for exploring the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley.
Victoria George
Weekend getaway
Really lovely, cosy hut fully equipped with everything needed to have a fab time away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Probably the only thing I could have asked for was a slightly bigger coffee table but there is a proper pull out table and chairs hidden under the raised bed. The bathroom / shower is excellent - very roomy which was a surprise.
9/10
Simon Townshend
A hidden gem
What a fabulous couple of days we had staying in Betty. It was amazing just to be able to decompress in such a beautiful spot. Quiet -we didn’t actually see a soul the whole time we were there. Betty has everything you can possibly want from a comfy bed to a power shower. Lovely walks near by. We shall be back!
Anouska Collier
A long weekend away at Shepards Hut in the forest of Dean
The shepards hut was very inviting on the inside with a vase of flowers, tea, coffee and biscuits provided, there was also central heating and a small wood burner incase needed.
There were games, a welcome folder with interesting things to do in the area and a pull out table and benches from under the raised bed to eat at.
The view over the forest from the window and porch was lovely and we could just see the river Severn glinting in the distance between the trees.
It was very peaceful with just the calling of buzzards and owls echoing across the forest and seats were provided outside the hut and on the porch.
The raised bed with the skylight was a particular highlight but although it was too overcast to star gaze at night we enjoyed waking up to see birds flying in the sky above. There were many places of interest to visit around the area and we really enjoyed our stay.
Emma-Louise Rayner
A serene and secluded spot.
The Lillian Shepherd’s Hut is gorgeous- perfectly situated and beautifully presented. The interior is as packed with character as it is with amenities, and it is immaculately clean.
The linens were fresh and of high-quality. in the bathroom there was heavenly-scented handsoap, bodywash and shampoo. The kitchen had everything one could ask for, and there was even a selection of board games.
Clever design choices elevate the small space into something truly special, with a pull-out table and storage space under the bed, under-ledge lighting above it, and a skylight over that.
Providing a window to the night sky and flooding the space with light in the morning, the skylight was my favourite feature, but I appreciated the smaller touches too, like there being milk in the fridge when I arrived and a torch recharging on a shelf by the door.
I visited in the summer, but I shall definitely be returning in a colder season to check out the wood burning stove! I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and would recommend it to anyone looking for a cosy hideaway in the middle of ‘nowhere’ (whilst actually being very much ‘somewhere!’)
Jessica Cockcroft
Create Memories
Experiences designed to make your stay unforgettable
We have curated not only a portfolio of properties, but also a portfolio of experiences we recommend everyone try the next time they visit the Cotswolds and surrounding counties. This selection of ours is constantly growing as we discover more hidden gems and local stars. Many of the experiences are incredibly popular, and we encourage booking in advance because these little extras can turn your everyday holiday into a fantastic, fond memory, one you aren’t soon to forget.
