A Dog Friendly Holiday Home in the Heart of the New Forest
6 Guests
3 Bedrooms
4 Beds
2 Bathrooms
Dogs Welcome
Undercastle Cottage is a dog friendly holiday home in the New Forest, set on the banks of the River Avon and designed for complete peace and privacy. More than just a place to stay, it’s a carefully considered retreat where you can slow down, reconnect with nature and enjoy time together, with dogs very much part of the experience.
Sitting Room
The sitting room is one of those spaces that tends to stop people in their tracks. It’s double-height, oak-framed and wonderfully open, yet still feels cosy and grounded. This is where long evenings unfold, whether that’s curled up on the sofa with a film, a board game spread out on the coffee table, or making memories with the children in front of the log burner toasting marshmallows before bed. The mantel over the fireplace was hand-carved by a friend of ours, featuring wildlife you can see along the river.
We put in two seriously comfortable sofas (because comfort on holiday is so important), a TV with a dongle so you can log into your own Netflix, iPlayer or Prime accounts, plus a DVD player, radio and a collection of our favourite board games. When the warmer months arrive, fling open the French doors onto the sun-drenched terrace which overlooks the river, woods and water meadows. It’s one of those views that changes throughout the day and is constantly visited by wildlife and birds. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
Eating
We chose to install a handmade painted kitchen with a large dining table (seating 6), which feels sociable rather than separate. We’ve stocked the kitchen with everything we like to have when we go away, which makes whipping up something to eat feel like part of the pleasure. If you want to arrive at a stocked fridge with meals ready to pop in the oven, chilled wine, grazing platters, etc., we can do that too. See more info about how to pre-book meals for your arrival.
Sleeping in Luxury
Sleeps 6 + Travel Cot
Bedroom 1
1 x Kingsize
Bedroom 2
1 x Double
Bedroom 3
2 x Single Beds in the Fishing Lodge
Sleep comes easily at Undercastle in the three dreamy bedrooms we’ve curated. Each features restored antique beds topped with handmade mattresses made up of 3000 pocketed springs nested in British wool, cashmere, and white cotton felt. So many guests mention what a great night’s sleep they’ve had at the cottage.
Upstairs in the main house is the master bedroom with its vaulted beamed ceiling and dual-aspect windows. One with views over the river, the other overlooks the garden and ponds. Downstairs, a wonderfully cosy double bedroom with river views that you’ll love, especially first thing in the morning with a cuppa in hand.
Bathing & Bathrooms
Bathroom
in the Cottage
Shower Room
in the Fishing Lodge
Cloakroom
in the Cottage
There’s a family bathroom upstairs in the main house with a romantic freestanding roll top bathtub (designed for one or two), whilst in the Fishing Lodge, the ensuite is a shower room. There’s an additional toilet downstairs in the main house, so everyone can get ready without feeling on top of one another.
Main Bathroom with Rolltop Bathtub
The Fishing Lodge
Please note - The Fishing Lodge cannot be rented separately.
The Fishing Lodge is literally a few steps from the house and completely self-contained. It’s proven to be perfect for guests who like a little extra privacy, and often gets ‘bagsied’ by older children or grandparents. Inside you’ll find two cast-iron single beds, an ensuite shower room, a TV and a tea and coffee tray, plus a little fridge to keep your milk perfectly chilled.
As the view is uninterrupted and so picturesque, we added patio doors onto a private terrace, and a large picture window providing a front-row seat to the river as it flows downstream. We’d suggest at least one lie in with breakfast in bed and a pair of binoculars at the ready to catch all the action on the river.
The Garden
The ¾ acre of garden at the cottage is beautiful and our pride and joy. To the front of the house are three ponds which we’ve surrounded with a wooden walkway, a little bridge and a duck house. We’ve planted the ponds with large-leaved foliage, Gunnera, lilies and iris under lofty oak and beech trees, providing a lovely shady spot to sit in the hot summer months.
We wanted a lush, velvety lawn down to the riverbank to provide the best opportunity to watch wild otters playing in the river and easy access to the pontoons and rowing boat for fishing. We’ve added a tree swing, a hammock in the summer months, down by the water’s edge, a pony sculpture and pots for added interest among colourful hollyhocks, masses of roses, wisteria and all the fragrant blooms you’d hope to find in a classic cottage garden. It’s so pretty!
We ask you to keep the gate shut because, however cute the free-roaming New Forest ponies and donkeys are when they come to visit, they try to break in and eat our flowers!
The Sun Terrace
This is where we dine, sip, natter and let the day unwind. We’ve added a dining table and chairs, sofas and coffee tables, plus loungers and a barbecue.
With views overlooking the river and water meadows, it’s a particularly lovely spot to watch the cows, deer, birds of prey and flashes of brightly coloured kingfishers and dragonflies skimming the river and ponds. And if you’re staying out of season, just wrap up in the blankets we leave, because nature and wildlife are present all year round at the cottage.
Dog Friendly Cottage in the New Forest
Dogs are warmly welcomed at Undercastle Cottage, with walks straight from the door and endless open space to explore. The surrounding New Forest is one of the most dog-friendly places in the UK, making it easy to enjoy long days out together before returning to the comfort of the cottage.
