Bring your pet.

We hold the Visit Wales Pets Welcome Award.  Pets are welcome at  both cottages.  Our gardens are fenced and gated   and pets love our woodburners after woodland explorations. Dog Friendly Magazine  sent a writer and her dog to stay at Tintern Abbey Cottage and wrote us up in glowing terms!. “The Lady” magazine said “five star cottages which have everything- a real home from home for you and your pet.”

The whole of Tintern village is pet friendly so your friend can go with you to the Abbey or the pub!

How Many Pets?

Up to two medium sized dogs ( we mean springer labrador size approx ), or one of a giant breed are welcomed at each cottage. We will sometimes accept three dogs if tiny such as jack russell types but this is subject to the type and size of the pets and the number of humans in the party. Please ask.

More than  6 bodies at Foxes Reach or Tintern Abbey Cottage is very tight and  more than 7    ie 5 people one dog or 4 people one dog one baby and so on – are not accepted . This is in order to retain the high quality experience we want to give you which would be lost if you are crammed in -and it is especially important  to you at Christmas / New Year time when there is also a full sized fresh tree at each cottage – beautiful but does take up space!

We will sometimes waive this but it depends on the size and style of your pets so please ask.

What Sort of Dog is Accepted?

Friendly family pet type dogs  of any breed whether pure bred beauties or beloved mongrel mixes can stay. All dogs must be housetrained and well behaved. Aggressive guarding types  and those regarded by UK law as dangerous breeds are not accepted. Dogs which cause nuisance or threat will be asked to leave forthwith.

Prepare Your Dog For The Holiday

Please give your dog an MOT before bringing it on holiday. Pre holiday haircut, worming, shampoo and flea  and tick prevention just before you come help us to keep everything perfect for your dog, for the next pet – and the garden clean and healthy .

What To Bring

Pet equipment such as bowls, leads and muddy paws towels are available free of charge which you are welcome to borrow- although your dog will probably prefer you to bring his own!  Please bring his own bed- a spacious cage containing his bed is also a great idea and he can first get used to it at home.

Our bed linens are white, expensive, Egyptian cotton. In the event that your pet sleeps on the human bed please bring your own linens and /or throws. If he is also used to the best seat in the sitting room please bring a throw for our leather furniture.  Thank you

No Home Alone Pets

Pets (this applies to cats as well as to dogs) may not be left alone in our cottages when you are not at home except if they are enclosed in their own cage on one of the hard floors .This protects our cottage  but also pets become badly upset by being left in a strange house with no understanding that you will come back to them. This is when they cause damage in their distress . So unless there are extreme weather conditions its much kinder to have them wait in your familiar car close to you. A closed familiar cage containing a familiar bed in the cottage also gives a feeling of security. There are   many places where your dog can go with you in this very largely pet welcome area- so take him along. The whole of Tintern, all businesses not to mention great walking,  became Dog Friendly during 2020!

Please be sure to consider your pets if you are coming to a wedding for example, and dont let them feel miserable and abandoned by being left alone for hours. Take them where you are going and return often to the car.

Sorry but incontinent dogs (or cats) young or old cannot be accepted . All must be reliably housetrained.

Is There A Charge For Pets?

Yes, additional charges are payable for pets ( usually £15 for a short break and £25 for a week for a cat or dog. For Horses please ask for a quote. ) There is usually no charge for a small caged pet provided that it is booked with us and that it stays in its cage. See more below

What If a pet causes dirt or damage?

Pets are welcomed as a proper part of your party and you are responsible for the behaviour of all party members whether animal or human – and for the cost of any damage caused to any part of the property. We do especially expect you to leave the garden clean of poos which must be bagged and binned daily. We welcome many children and we weed flowerbeds by hand so it is important the garden is always clean. There is so much great woodland walking from the door step at each cottage that there is not much need for dogs to “go” in the garden and so this should not be any issue. (Why not stop for an enjoyable walk before checking in or returning to the cottage after a day out- you will love it too and no one will arrive bursting!  Ask us for routes! )

Please keep  all pets off our bedlinens, but no need to banish them . See ” What to bring” above.

Puppies

We are hesitant about accepting puppies  simply because we have to have the cottages clean and undamaged for the next occupants. You know your pet and are responsible for its supervision ( and for the cost of any damage it may do)  so to a large extent the decison is  best made by you!  However the use of a cage , especially at night or when the pet is unsupervised  will remove  worries for you and for us. For this reason we are seeing more and more owners, not only of puppies but also of adult dogs,  bringing cages and these work so well .  Please see the section about Home Alone pets above.

Locations For Dog Walking

Excellent local walking of great variety is available from our doorsteps and dogs love our woodburners after a good run in the forest or along the riverbanks!  Ask us for our ” where can we walk” info  when you book.

Horses

Bring your horse and we can probably provide quality stabling on shavings for up to two and up to 16hh, at additional charge, within walking distance of Foxes Reach and  2 miles from Tintern Abbey Cottage. There is miles of brilliant hacking and we are in “commuter” distance of a large number of good horse shows, dog shows, hunts, events and endurance rides. If we are not able to help in our own yard we can often find a place with a neighbour. Your horse will need to be fully vaccinated and recently wormed before staying.
It may also be possible to arrange a small paddock for turnout each day .

Cats

We will usually accept a housetrained cat with its own litter tray by arrangement . The same rules apply as to dogs -the cat must be reliable about use of the tray and guaranteed not to scratch our leather furniture or anything else. Cats (and dogs ) must be kept off beds at all times. Despite our very careful cleaning and laundering the next guests may have an allergy.

Litter trays must not be emptied in the gardens. Please use the dustbin.

Pets in the gardens

Our gardens are well fenced and gated but they are gardens and not Houdini proof compounds and you need to be responsible for your pet. Very small dogs such as determined Jack Russell “terrorists” may be able to get under our gates – but we have never lost a visitor yet!  Cats should probably go out on a lead as there are neighbouring cats , squirrels and foxes which may not be as welcoming as we are ! Please note that at Tintern Abbey Cottage the back garden is fully fenced and gated but the front garden is unfenced due to the conservation area and the view.

Caged Pets

We do permit small caged animals such as gerbils, hamsters, rabbits to accompany you on holiday but they are not allowed out of their cages in the cottages. Caged birds may not fly in the cottages and must also remain caged. We usually make no charge for small caged animals but this is at our discretion and they must be properly “booked” with us.  Damage, especially chewing  or staining, caused by caged pets let out of their cages will be charged for.

Assistance Dogs

Our cottages are unfortunately not especially suitable for those with mobility issues (see our access statements) however there will naturally be no charge for a registered assistance dog such as a Hearing Dog , Guide Dog for the Blind, or working Search and Rescue/Police dog  accompanying the less able person or officer. We may ask for the registration details. Please discuss with us at time of booking.

Special Offer – Free Dog!

We’re not giving you a dog, just not charging you to bring yours! This offer applies to wonderful Irish (Red) Setters, for which we have a specially soft spot. Yes, we know its not a very commercial decision but we just love seeing them at the cottages and miss having our own pack of redheads.
Sorry, this offer does not apply to any bookings though an agency. Please do help us to spread the word by telling your Irish (Red) Setter owning friends about this slightly cranky offer! ( The image we have used is of Wendover Gentleman, grandfather of our own late and beloved setter Cardale Wild Gingermint- and the very image of him.)