Welsh Marches Cottages

11/05/2025

The entrance to our laundry room and warm dog shower at Welsh Marches Cottages is looking magnificent in the May sunshine. Although it is north facing the Mountain Clematis is loving its position and the weather. What a display to enter our utility rooms which are available to our guests with washing and drying machines, iron and that warm dog shower with plenty of spare dry towels to dry them off after exploring the Monmouthshire countryside.
Outside the cottages there is a large car park with two electric Charging points.
There’s easy access to each cottage from the car park through maintained gardens.
All looking good at Upper Glyn Farm. Last night I was delighted to hear Tawny owls hooting in the nearby woods and caught the sound of a Nuthatch and a Green Linnet…. The birds love it here too

10/05/2025

10/05/2025

Our new chickens are laying and roosting in the chicken tree (walnut tree in their enclosure)
It’s great to see them roost as they would in the wild which has to be good for their wellbeing and the quality of the eggs they produce.
The rainbow of colours are coming through- white, cream, light brown, dark brown, a wonderful olive green and pastel blue.
Our guests, particularly our younger one, are going to love visiting them

30/04/2025

More chicken news from the farm. We have our first egg from the new chickens - a small brown egg from the Sussex or Rhode Island Reds. The other 15 should follow over the coming days. We love showing guests who stay at the Welsh Marches Cottages and letting the children find eggs for their breakfast or supper.
I’ve included a photo of the chicken tree in the enclosure. It’s a walnut tree whose branches are perfect for roosting just like chickens would do in the wild. We’ve added a few extra props to help them get into the higher branches although their wings aren’t clipped so they can fly a bit.

28/04/2025

I have downloaded the app Merlin Bird ID which identifies birds from their songs. Just used in my garden at Upper Glyn Farm, the home of our Welsh Marches Cottages. It was like a bird orchestra this evening.
Blue Tit, Great Tit, Wren, Goldfinch, Chiffchaff, Blackbird, Dunnock, Sparrow, Blackcap and
Robin chirping away while silent Barn Swallows weaved patterns in the sky.
What a symphony as our hot Spring heads to summer.

22/04/2025

On Easter Monday I collected 16 new chickens to replace those eaten by foxes who got into the enclosure at Upper Glyn Farm on Christmas Day and again in February.
I’m looking forward to showing our guests at the Welsh Marches Cottages the new breeds. Our younger visitors particularly like collecting eggs and now they are in for a colourful treat.
I am delighted with the new recruits: eight different types which should produce a rainbow of egg shell colours when they start laying in one - two weeks time.
Yes they came in 2 by 2
2 White Star (leghorn)- white eggs
2 Blue Partridge - cream colour eggs
2 Copper Marans - dark chocolate coloured eggs
2 Blue Maran x Araucanian - olive green eggs
2 Rhode Island Reds - brown eggs
2 Silver Sussex - brown eggs
And 4 Cotswold Legbars - pastel shade of blue eggs
A colourful array
I’m C**k a doodle doo over them
Should make a very colourful box

18/04/2025

https://www.walksinchepstow.co.uk/

10/04/2025

Some of our younger guests enjoying meeting the animals!

18/03/2025

We have received a lovely review from guests who recently stayed in the Skirrid. We're thrilled they enjoyed their time with us and were able to make good use of one of our three electric car charging pods.

"Thank you for a fantastic stay! The accommodation is modern, peaceful and had everything we needed for a perfect holiday escape. The serene farm setting made for a truly relaxing get-away and we really appreciated all the thoughtful touches - from the EV charger to the helpful guest info book. We are leaving refreshed and grateful. Hope to visit again soon!"

25/01/2025

On Christmas Day last year we had a visit from a fox which got in the chicken and duck enclosure by digging up the wire. When we can back in the afternoon he or she had killed seven birds but the young ones that roost on the branches of the walnut tree escaped as did the ducks on the pond.
The girls have been traumatised every since but this week, almost a@month after the attack one has started to lay again. This is our first egg. My son Tim and I repaired the enclosure on Christmas afternoon and so far the birds have been safe .
In the last four days since we’ve had two eggs one day, and one on the other days. I’ll restock in the spring. I’ve keep chickens for forty years and it felt very strange to buy shop eggs with the lion stamp on them. Don’t taste anywhere near as good as our farm eggs.