Exterior detail

Reviews of Upper Castlewright Cottage - spectacular views, historic gateway to Wales

Upper Castlewright Cottage - spectacular views, historic gateway to Wales
Churchstoke, WLS

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 43 out of 47 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 4 out of 47 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 47 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 47 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 47 reviews

9.4/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Staff & service

10/10

Amenities

10/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Maggie G.

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed here a few times the views are stunning and total peace and quiet the night sky is beautiful a great place to unwind from a 100 mile an hour world wish we could have stayed longer thank you Julian
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Michael F.

Liked: Cleanliness

Deepest rural peace

Excellent stay in comfortable, well-appointed cottage, far from the madding crowd. Plenty of places to visit not too far away. An excellent retreat for recharging mental batteries.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

joe W.

Liked: Cleanliness

Wow,Stunning Cottage

We stayed for a week and were extremely satisfied with the cottage. Communication with the owner was great. It was more than we expected. The views are superb. Overall this is a brilliant cottage and would definitely stay again.
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Marie G.

Liked: Cleanliness

Stunning cottage and views to match

What an incredible 4 nights we’ve had, making memories to last a life time. The cottage is beautiful and so charming aswell as exceptionally clean. It had everything we needed and more. Thank you Julian
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

robert w., Warrington

Liked: Cleanliness

Loved it

Belting place loads of character and outside space everything you could possibly need for your holiday and what a view definitely want to return in the future A1 😀
Stayed 10 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jacqueline

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Such a lovely place to stay.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Belinda S., Guildford

Liked: Cleanliness

A haven of peace

We keep returning to Upper Castlewright Cottage for its cosiness, comfort, peace and stunning views. It never disappoints.
Stayed 8 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Miss Poppy H.

Liked: Cleanliness

Lovely remote cottage

We had a great few nights staying at the cottage. We have family living in the area so was perfect for us. It's lovely and warm and cosy. Remote and quiet which is just what we needed. Thank you
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

8/10 Good

Kevin E.

Peaceful cottage

Peaceful location, ideal for quiet weekend away with friends.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Hugh F.

Comfortable cottage with charm/character in a peaceful location with wonderful views to the North.

Warm and comfortable especially as a storm blew over during a late Autumn stay. Beds comfortable. All usual appliances & amenities present. Excellent utility room with drying facilities. A few minor detractions passed on for housekeeping.
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Debbie Q.

Liked: Cleanliness

Great break in a stunningly beautiful & quiet location.

The property is everything that you'd expect from an old historical cottage. We arrived to gifts of wine, biscuits & chocolates, which was a lovely welcome & much appreciated. The varied lighting levels were great in the lounge. We only used one of the bedrooms, which had plenty of storage & was a good sized room. We brought our dog with us, the slate floors were easy to tidy after her & having the utility room at the back door was ideal to ensure clean paws & feet coming into the living area. The kitchen was perfect & had everything that we needed. We really enjoyed staying in the cottage, it really suited our needs & I have to say, we both miss waking up to the amazing view & the stars at night were fantastic! So glad we found this gem, lovely building & has an interesting history. Thanks to Julian & Martina for hosting us & for offering support if needed during our stay, happily this wasn't needed. :-)
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Alyson T.

Liked: Cleanliness

Beautiful cottage with fantastic views

We really enjoyed our stay at Upper Castlewright Cottage. It was nice and peaceful with just the cows and sheep in the fields opposite for company. The cottage is lovely and cosy and had everything we needed. We felt very much at home there and we would loved to have stayed longer than a week.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

janet m.

Liked: Cleanliness

family reunion

Apart from having great difficulty finding the cottage, the stay was excellent. The cottage was lovely, but I found the mattress on the single bed a little hard and uncomfortable. The surroundings were beautiful and we met up with more of our family staying at another property locally.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Georgina B.

Liked: Cleanliness

Fantastic cottage

Beautiful views, a lovely quiet location and comfortable cottage
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness

25-29 June 2023

Wow … we certainly picked a winner for our mini holiday this year. The views confronting us on arrival are spectacular and the summer house meant they could be enjoyed come rain or shine. The cottage itself .. a wonderful piece of history .. sympathetically updated into a warm, welcoming and comfortable dwelling. We found some special welcome goodies all of which were consumed with great pleasure. Thank you so much Julian and Martina for allowing us to bring our three dogs, two medium sized and one giant! They were truly happy and settled. The utility room was fantastic and the drying facilities well appreciated! Sorry to have to say goodbye so soon … would have loved to stay longer … but leaving with some very special memories of a truly happy visit.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Paul J., Solihull

Liked: Cleanliness

Walking Paradise

A fantastic little cottage full of character. Perfectly located for stunning walks in all directions and very peaceful. Very friendly local towns and a great communications from the host. I would certainly stay here again.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Rosalie K.

Liked: Cleanliness

Utter peace

Charming and comfortable cottage in a stunning location.ideal for walkers and anybody seeking to getaway from it all for a while.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 13 May 2023
Thanks for your review, Rosalie, so glad you enjoyed it here.

10/10 Excellent

Ray J.

Liked: Cleanliness

Remote but lovely

Great little cottage with a beautiful outlook of the surrounding countryside. It is 8 minutes drive to nearest town of Bishop castle. If you are after peace and quiet this is the place for you. Definitely follow the directions you are given to this property
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 22 Apr 2023
We didn't get to meet but I am so glad you enjoyed your stay, and it's a privilege to host visitors all the way from Queensland! Julian

8/10 Good

Claire H.

Hidden Gem

Had a lovely, comfortable few weeks at the cottage. A lovely welcome surprise on arrival featured biscuits, wine and chocolates, much appreciated after a long drive. The location is fantastic for those wanting to get away from it all and enjoy some peace and tranquility and the view is absolutely breathtaking. The cottage itself is fantastic and has everything you could need. I was staying on my own so can only vouch for the one bed but it was super comfortable and I was tempted to rob a couple of pillows as they were even better. The garden is a good size for anyone staying with children and/or dogs but unfortunately there is no fencing at the end of the garden onto the roadside so supervision is needed at all times, likewise for the garden the opposite side of the road. Overall I would highly recommend a stay here and I hope to come back in the not so distant future for a holiday rather than a work trip so I can make the most of relaxing in such a beautiful setting.
Stayed 17 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Manisha M.

Liked: Cleanliness

Charming dog friendly cottage

Had a wonderful stay over the Christmas period. The cottage was well equipped and situated close to some lovely walks. As described on the listing, the views were great. Thank you!
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

Ralph C.

Liked: Cleanliness

Long Weekend

The property is even nicer than it looks on the listing. The host communicated quickly and everything was great. This is a well laid out house with everything you'll need. A beautiful location on a ridge with a great view.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 1 Nov 2022
Thanks for your review, so pleased youvhad a good time, Julian

10/10 Excellent

Avik S.

Liked: Cleanliness

Excellent stay.

Nice, quiet cottage in the middle of nowhere. Sympathetically modernized.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Sally C.

Liked: Cleanliness

Little gem.

What a fabulous little gem of a place. If you want solitude, great walks and amazing views, this is for you. A cosy cottage, with all the home comforts you could ever need.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 3 Sept 2022
What a lovely review, thank you so much.

10/10 Excellent

Denise B.

Liked: Cleanliness

Family break

Lovely cottage, very quiet with hardly any traffic and spectacular views over the valley. Perfect for our dogs and we all enjoyed our stay. Lovely area with lots of small towns and villages within easy reach.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Tracey S.

Liked: Cleanliness

Home from home....

We have just returned from a 3 night stay at this beautiful property and without doubt the most relaxing break we've had. The cottage is a real "home from home", unpack, stock the fridge and relax! The space is cosy, welcoming and very homely with everything you need to hand. The location is breathtakingly beautiful and wonderful to wake up to. Everyone we came into contact with were so friendly (particularly the butcher in Bishops Castle who sold us the most tasty sirloin steaks ever...! Clun was lovely and our favourite walks besides the numerous hills was the Montgomery trail followed by fish n chips in the market square there. Will definately recommend to friends and family and the host was super helpful : )
Stayed 3 nights in May 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Jun 2022
Thanks Tracey, glad you had a good time and enjoyed exploring the Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Hills

10/10 Excellent

Angharad E.

Liked: Cleanliness

Gorgeous cottage with a magnificent view

The cottage exceeded our expectations in terms of comfort and sheer gorgeousness, and then there was the little table across the lane with the spectacular view across the valley - exquisite! We hope to be back sometime.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 22 May 2022
What a lovely review! Thank you Angharad, and we hope to welcome you back again sometime

10/10 Excellent

Barbara H.

Liked: Cleanliness

Beautiful position with views and walks over glorious countryside

Very practical and comfortable cottage with lovely views and walks. Good facilities and with plenty of space. Soundproofing not brilliant as a very old cottage. Lovely log burning stove for cosy evenings in.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Mar 2022
thanks Barbara, glad you enjoyed your stay and explore the Shropshire/Montgomeryshire hills

10/10 Excellent

Martin H.

Liked: Cleanliness

Remote and quiet with great views

We booked Upper Castlewright Cottage when we didn't know what would happen with Covid, so we wanted somewhere isolated from other people and with great views if we weren't able to travel anywhere. The cottage did not disappoint! We hardly saw another soul near the cottage, and with it's location on the single track road that is the Kerry Ridgeway at 1000 feet above sea level, the view from the cottage's small garden (and the upstairs bedrooms) is fantastic. You are looking over Montgomeryshire to the north and you can even see the Stiperstones further east (which are well worth a visit). Fortunately Covid restrictions were lifted (there are still some in Wales) so we could travel around, and there is plenty to do and see. We found Bishops Castle easier to get to than Church Stoke, and here there are plenty of shops including a Spar and co-op. There are also a couple of pubs with their own brewery well worth a visit! The cottage itself was very clean, comfortable and well equipped. We are a family of four adults and had plenty of space. We would certainly recommend it.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

Jenny S.

Liked: Cleanliness

Perfect in every way!

Just an amazing stay in an amazing place - nothing more to say!
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 28 Aug 2021
Thanks Jenny, so pleased you had a good time

10/10 Excellent

Stephen U.

Liked: Cleanliness

A romantic secluded relaxing retreat

My wife and I had originally booked our stay for May 2020 and were so looking forward to a break in a part of the country we had never really explored. However, the first lockdown of the Covid-19 Pandemic soon stopped that in its tracks. Communication with Julian, one of the owners, was fantastic and we were given the option of a full refund or carryover of the booking to May 2021. So, with an optimistic let’s do next year instead we transferred the booking, never in a million years did we imagine what a close call that was to be! Our break was 17th May 2021 - 22nd May 2021, that was a really lucky choice as it turned out, as we started our break on the day the 3rd Lockdown was eased and pubs, restaurants and other attractions opened fully that day. The cottage is set into a hillside on the Kerry Ridgeway with a sweeping scenic panoramic view of the rolling Shropshire countryside. A view I never got tired of looking out over. On the map it seems that if you’re in the kitchen it’s Wales and in the Living room England, but the actual border is outside. Prior to leaving we had had frequent communication with Julian, who was at pains to make our break a comfortable, memorable and safe one. We had originally been a party of four but our daughter and her partner were unable to come so we had the place to ourselves. The cottage itself is an old drover’s inn which has been sympathetically modernised to a very high standard and really was a comfortable and cosy home away from home. The Kerry Ridgeway and most of the surrounding lanes are single track and passing places are few and far between. This results in a very considerate style of driving from everyone, and short of stopping for conversations about the weather, encounters with other vehicles were without incident, courtesy over speed being the best practice. In the cottage visitors’ book, there was some criticism about the amount of traffic, we never experienced any issues whatsoever and rush hour consisted of two farmers in one all-terrain quad- type vehicle going into the field opposite the cottage twice a day. They were very pleasant to chat with and very considerate when doing the morning livestock checks. Other traffic consisted of people, who strangely found it enjoyable to put one foot in front of the other and actually walk to somewhere from somewhere else then walk back again. When we sat outside enjoying coffee and the view, we had many long chats with locals as they went to their fields
Response from VrboOwner on 28 May 2021
What a lovely review, thank you Stephen. It's so good to be able to let people stay at Upper Castlewright again - although lockdown did give us opportunity to repaint inside and out and make some external improvements. Agree about the near-absence of traffic, this being one of the things that attracted us to the cottage originally. Apart from the occasional cyclist or walker, it's got to be one of quietest lanes in Shropshire and Montgomeryshire.

10/10 Excellent

Belinda S.

Liked: Cleanliness

Cosy cottage with fabulous views

It was our second visit to Upper Castlewright and we loved this welcoming, tranquil cottage with its lovely views just as much as the first time. It had comfy beds and everything we needed. It's the perfect place to unwind, enjoy some great walks and explore the countryside around.
Stayed 14 nights in Sep 2020

10/10 Excellent

Emma H.

Liked: Cleanliness

August Staycation

Beautiful views & lovely secluded walks in the vicinity, excellent facilities & lovely warm welcome-5 stars!!

10/10 Excellent

DAVID W.

Liked: Cleanliness

Perfect for isolation

Got there a day before the lock down. Perfect escape. Brilliant walks. Buzzards, kites, hares and woodcocks. And sheep! The summer house a great escape with immense views. Wish I’d been able to stay longer.
Stayed 14 nights in Mar 2020

10/10 Excellent

DAVID W.

Liked: Cleanliness

Perfect isolation

Forget the post code and the satnav and follow the clear written instructions issued by the host to find this super warm cosy cottage on a hilltop. Every need is catered for by the attentive hosts. Relax here and the cares of the world evaporate immediately.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with pets, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A beautiful cottage, in a peaceful picturesque location. Perfect for walking and relaxing. We are looking forward to returning to see a change in the seasons. Perfect
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Jayne D.

Liked: Cleanliness

stunning

Fabulous cottage and location

10/10 Excellent

Julie H.

Liked: Cleanliness

Lovely cottage in a great location

A seamless blend of period features and mod cons, Upper Castlewright cottage is warm, welcoming, well-equipped and in an amazing location. The perfect place to escape the everyday and enjoy the silence, walks, wildlife and stars.

10/10 Excellent

DAVID S.

Liked: Cleanliness

Enjoyed our stay very much , lovely cottage spacious + comfortable all modcons. Excellent.

Relaxing, would stay again .
Response from VrboOwner on 31 Mar 2020
thanks for your review, David. So pleased it worked well for you.

10/10 Excellent

alex w.

Liked: Cleanliness

Upper Castlewright Cottage

Another fantastic stay at this perfect place. Thank you!
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2019
Response from VrboOwner on 31 Mar 2020
Thanks Alex, great to have you back again, glad you enjoyed it

8/10 Good

Patricia B.

Liked: Cleanliness

Country Cottage.

A lovely Cottage to spend a few Days chilling out with the family and dogs.

8/10 Good

Frances B.

Liked: Cleanliness

Short break

Communication great with owner. Early access appreciated. Fabulous views
Response from VrboOwner on 31 Mar 2020
thanks for your review, Frances. Glad you appreciated it; shame the weather wasn't kinder to you, Julian

10/10 Excellent

Peter M.

Liked: Cleanliness

Excellent .Does what it said on the tin

Accurate instructions to find,open and "operate"the property.The level of finish and quality of f&f1st class.Maybe a light or white line on step from front door to kitchen floor level.Twive stumbled....but my clumsiness is legendary!!
Response from VrboOwner on 31 Mar 2020
Hi Peter, glad you enjoyed the cottage. Thanks for your feedback. We will take a look at that step to see if it could be painted or marked in some way. Julian

10/10 Excellent

alex w.

Lovely cottage in peaceful surroundings

I absolutely loved my stay here, with the most stunning views across rolling hills. The cottage has a very homely feel as part of it used to be an old pub. Julian had provided everything I could have possibly needed, and the bed was very comfy. Thanks!
Response from VrboOwner on 31 Mar 2020
So glad you enjoyed the cottage and the location. Montgomeryshire and the Shropshire Hills are well kept secrets! Julian

10/10 Excellent

Nancy A.

Liked: Cleanliness

Altes Cottage

Dear Julian, we enjoyed our stay at upper castlewright cottage. Thanks for the advices. Wales is very beautiful. N.As
Stayed 21 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Tanja T.

Liked: Cleanliness

Wonderfully relaxing

The views are fantastic and I could spend the whole day looking!
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Pascal P.

Liked: Cleanliness

Fantastic views

We spent a nice stay surrounded by fields and sheep. The cottage was really comfortable with super beds.
Stayed 14 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

karin S.

Liked: Cleanliness

Gezellige afgelegen cottage

Gezellige cottage bovenop een heuvel met prachtig uitzicht. Ligt zeer afgelegen. Cottage is zeer uitgebreid qua faciliteiten. Goed en vriendelijk contact met eigenaar. Een echte aanrader!
Stayed 15 nights in Aug 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 3 Sept 2022
Thanks for your review, Karin, I'm so pleased you had a rewarding trip.