|
|
| | | | |
|
| 
Garden Courtyard | 
Barn Lower Malt House |
| 
Jovial Colliers Pool Room | 
Stores Snug |
| 
Barn Dining & Kitchen | 
Stores Japanese Room |
| 
Garden Hot Tub | 
Jovial Colliers Kitchen |
| 
Stores Butterfly Room | 
Stores Dinner |
| 
Stores Chinese Room | 
Stores Sitting Room |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| |
| |
Property |
Location |
|
| |
The General Stores |
Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire, England |
|
| |
| |
One-off feature |
|
| |
A beautiful half-timbered, medieval property, rich in original features but with all the modern comforts, situated in the heart of the Forest of Dean. Available for all lengths and types of stay and equipped with a large garden and hot tub, it is a unique choice for any occasion. |
|
| |
| |
Property Info |
|
| |
Accommodation Type:
| House / Villa |
|
| |
Property Setting:
| Village / Rural |
|
| |
Holiday Type:
| Relaxing / Family / Sports & activity |
|
| |
Bedrooms:
| 11 |
|
| |
Guests:
| 25 |
|
| |
Catering:
| self-catering |
|
| |
| |
General Info |
|
| |
The General Stores successfully merges the old with the new through the use of beautiful and sensitive decoration by fashion and textile designer Liz Lewitt. The property dates back to the 1400s and was once featured in Grand Designs magazine. Now, after loving renovation, it is available for self-catering or catered lets, serviced lets, bed and breakfast and business lets. Whatever you want it for - family and friends, team building and training, weddings or photo shoots - we can easily and happily accommodate you. Comfortably sleeping 14 to 20 people, the property can be rented bit by bit or as a whole, depending on your requirements. Situated in a village location, it has easy access to local shops, a takeaway and an off-license, but it is also only 45 minutes’ drive from Bristol so you have the best of both worlds. A quiet, secluded spot with stunning views with all the necessary amenities just a moment away. |
|
| |
| |
Details on the area surrounding the property/accommodation |
|
| |
The property sits right on the edge of the village and in the village itself there are lots of useful shops - from a late off-license and a takeaway to a butcher, a post office and three lovely pubs. There are also playing fields and swings in the village, as well as some beautiful right-of-way walks up to the wooded hills to each side of the property. The town of Mitcheldean is positioned on the uppermost edge of the Royal Forest of Dean which offers you the opportunity to see typical English Countryside at its best. It was designated as a National Forest Park in 1938, the first in England, and offers you natural beauty and outdoor leisure. It is steeped in history, from ancient megalithic sites through to the industrial revolution and the coal mining of the 20th Century. With market towns, outdoor activities like canoeing, cycling and fishing on offer, and lots of country pubs to have lunch in, the Forest of Dean area is really worth a good long visit. |
|
| |
| |
Getting there & away/local amenities |
|
| |
Getting There:
| The General Store is only 45 minutes from Bristol and also has easy access to and from London, Birmingham, Cheltenham and Gloucester. If you’re travelling from Bristol the quickest route is via Chepstow and along the A48 towards Gloucester on the Welsh side of the river. For full detailed directions from Bristol, London or the North, please see our website. There is a good local taxi/minibus service. |
|
| |
Nearest airports:
| Bristol 45 minutes |
|
| |
Nearest train station:
| Gloucester 10 miles |
|
| |
Nearest bus stop:
| Right outside the house! |
|
| |
Car Hire:
| Essential |
|
| |
Nearest restaurant:
| Pubs and takeaway in Mitcheldean |
|
| |
Nearest shop:
| Micheldean |
|
| |
| |
More Info |
Owner Info |
| |
| |
 |
Name |
Liz Lewitt |
| |
 |
Contact Phone No. |
Email enquiries please! |
| |
 |
 |
| |
|
| |
Accommodation details |
| |
| |
Activities Nearby |
Birdwatching / Canoeing / Cycling / Fishing / Horse Riding / Walking
|
|
| |
| |
Interior Facilities |
Cot / Highchair / Dishwasher / DVD player / Internet Access / Linen provided / Sauna or Steam Room / Television / Washing Machine
|
|
| |
| |
Interior Details |
The kitchen in the General Stores is a large, light room with every facility you could possibly need for catering for large numbers - even a doughnut maker! It is a lovely place to sit with the sun shining through the window and a cup of tea in hand. The dining room is also large, seating up to 15, and has views out onto the rockery and garden. Leading off the dining room is a snug play room with toys galore and a cosy hallway with lots of cushions which makes a perfect reading area. The sitting room is equipped with lots of comfy furniture and a TV, DVD player, Hifi and a large selection of board games. The property has 8 bedrooms of all shapes and sizes - double, single, bunk, even a four poster - something for everyone. There is also a separate family apartment. Everywhere you look there are interesting, arty features to catch your eye. The separate Malt House also has bedrooms, an enormous dining area and design pieces from graffiti to gypsy chandeliers.
|
|
| |
| |
Exterior Facilities |
BBQ / Courtyard / Garden / Hot Tub / Parking
|
|
| |
| |
Exterior Details |
The back of the property forms a three sided courtyard, creating a completely private oasis in the middle of a village setting, with lovely views up onto the bracken covered hills behind. The garden is spacious and secluded and falls into various different areas. The lower garden has an al-fresco table and seating for 15, immediately outside the kitchen. There is an enclosed rockery and fresh herb garden from which you may pick herbs. There is an enclosed area with a large built-in stone BBQ, and an upper garden for children to play in with extensive swings, a pirate platform, a small castle and climbing ropes. There is a games room away from the main house, perfect for keeping restless children occupied, and there is a luxurious 6 seater hot tub by the al fresco dining area, perfect for keeping the grownups occupied!
|
|
| |
| |
Further Details |
There are many fascinating original features still in evidence throughout, which help to tell the story of the buildings' long and varied history, including the remains of a rifle range in the barn which was used for gunfire practice during the Second World War, and the series of bee houses inset into the outside walls of the building into which small hives would be placed to protect them from the elements. Other points of interest are an internal Edwardian sliding casement window in the sitting room, doors and butterfly hinges which date back to the 1650’s and an old bread oven from one of the General Stores previous incarnations as the village bakers. Available for self-catering (or catered), serviced lets, B&B, holiday and business lets and rental possible for full week, mid-week, single night or weekend breaks.
|
|
| |
| |
Conditions of
Rental |
We can provide catering or entertainment or activities for your family or group booking - please ask for price quotes and a list of available options. Please use all the recycling facilities provided and help us keep the General Stores as green as we would like. A security deposit of £300 is required which will be returned to you as long as there is no damage to the property during your stay. If you wish to use the hot tub there is a non-refundable hire fee of £100. There is off-street parking for 6-8 cars. The price of the property includes linen and towels for each person, cleaning before and after your visit, and plenty of basic supplies for the kitchen. The house is full of books, board games and toys for your enjoyment - just please respect anything that you use. The house is no smoking but dogs and children are welcome. Unfortunately, the house is not really wheelchair accessible. For full terms and conditions please see our website, which has a lot more useful information.
|
|
| |
| |
Other Information |
Babysitting available / Child Friendly / Cook available / Other rental properties on site / Pet Friendly / Short breaks available / Suitable for weddings
|
|
| |
| |
What visitors have said about The General Stores |
| |
| |
Hi Liz
Just wanted to let you know that we all loved our stay at The General Stores, and had a brilliant New Year.
The property was so much more than we expected and even with 14 adults and 13 children there was plenty of room for everyone.
The upstairs living space was amazing and that was where we spent the majority of our time-eating and drinking too much! The children all enjoyed the hot tub and out door play area, so much so that there were a few tears when it was time to say goodbye.
Thank you and best wishes for the New Year
Are you booked for next New Year?
Claire and all
Claire David, Wales, Aug 2010 
|
We had a fantastic weekend, as you said the weather was perfect, and the house is ideal for large groups. Sorry I didn’t fill in the guest book, was in a hurry packing up. As far as feedback goes, I think we were all extremely impressed with how the house was presented, especially the bedrooms (I can’t remember whether you have photos of these on your website, but there should be). The décor and art work in the house gives it a luxurious, decadent feel, perfect for a relaxing holiday.
We went out locally, I can’t remember the names, but the Old Dairy Tea Room at Harts Barn did a great sunday dinner, and the other place (White Horse) was good fun in the evening. Might be worth mentioning that they said they would be happy to take private evening dinner bookings for your house.
Very hard to see how you could improve much, it really is a lovely house.
Mooney, England, Jan 2009
|
Hi Liz,
We had a fantastic time at the General Stores; both property and location were exactly what we were looking for. Hope that we left it in a reasonable state for you! The facilities were great -- especially having so many dishwashers around. We've been on big group holidays before, and some of the places we've stayed in have been very remote; being just down the road from a decent supermarket made a huge difference to our stay. The courtyard layout was ideal for the young children in the party, as it was easy to keep an eye on them while they enjoyed the outdoor play-area, and the hot-tub/sauna/steam-room were real treats for the adults.
We'd be interested in booking it for a week next summer, preferably the last week of July again but we're flexible. Could you let me know whether it's available and what the cost is likely to be? (It's possible that we could tempt another family to join us, which would need the Lower Malt House too..!)
All the best,
Marc
PS Very happy for you to quote any of this on your website.
--
Marc Read
Mark Read, England, Jul 2010
|
Hi Liz
I just wanted to say THANKYOU for a brilliant weekend. Everyone got to relax and just enjoy themselves. The table looked amazing when we came in for dinner and the food was great. Such a good house. Something special about sitting in the hot tub whilst there are grey skies, wind and the odd spot of rain! I definitely feel like my 40th has been well and truly celebrated!
Kind Regards
Janet
weekend.
Janet Soulsby, England, Feb 2011
|
Dear Liz,
Thank you so much for renting out your cottages to us at the weekend, we all had the most wonderful time! Everyone was immensely impressed with the standard of accommodation and facilities. Is was great that we could all be under one roof and felt neatly tucked away in the courtyard.
The kids had a whale of a time on the play area and we even managed to cook a roast dinner for 35 on Sunday using the beautiful banqueting suite! (gorgeous!). It really was an amazing weekend.
I made sure everyone stripped their beds & emptied bins as requested.
Hope you had a good weekend too.
Kind regards,
Carrie
Carrie Lenton, England, May 2010
|
I just wanted to send a quick mail to say what an amazing house you have - it is so beautifully decorated, well-kept and incredibly well stocked! You have things in all three of your kitchens that I don't have in mine at all! Very impressive. Thank you so much - we had a lovely weekend.
Thanks too for all your help on the build up to the weekend.
Katherine Bane, Scotland, Jul 2010
|
Just a quick message of thanks for the use of your wonderful house and garden. We and our group of friends had the most lovely weekend: it was a perfect venue for our reunion, 17 years after we first met in Nepal and now scattered around southern England with children ranging in age from 9 weeks to 6 years. We were coming from different directions and yet were all within about a 2 1/2 hour easy drive.
The weather certainly helped but, even without the glorious sunshine, we'd have enjoyed our stay.
There was plenty of room for everyone in comfortable, sumptuous rooms and never a shortage of mugs for tea or glasses for wine. What an incredible room that kitchen/dining room/family room is up under the roof - it's rare to find somewhere that can seat so many around one table!
The garden was enjoyed enormously by all of us, especially the huge swing from which we could hardly prise our girls. I see a trip to Ikea coming on...
Many thanks also for your very thoughtful un-packing of our various deliveries. What a treat to arrive and find the beer and white wine already chilled in the fridge! Not to mention the food items that needed refrigerating.
Altogether it was a fabulous treat - I can easily envisage wanting to return at some point in the future.
Thank you once again - Best wishes.
Alex Kelly, England, Jul 2010
|
Thank you for a great weekend in your lovely house. The weather really made our stay and meant that we were outside with the kids for most of the time. Pat was a huge help on Sat night - thanks so much for arranging that for us. We will definitely be recommending the General Stores to our friends.
All best - Claire.
PS: My husband watered your vegetables and the flowerbeds got a couple of paddling pools-worth of water, so hopefully everything survived the heatwave.
Claire, Ireland, Aug 2010
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
