Blackthorn Lodge Reviews
It's always nice to find out what people really think of a holiday let before you book it for yourself. More reviews can be found on external websites including Airbnb, Virbo (Homeaway),Trip Advisor and in our guest book..
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Airbnb February 2022
'What a great time we had, the hot tub and sauna were such a treat. The property has everything you need and communication with Julia is great. The beds were very comfortable.
LLandegfedd reservoir is about a 10 minute walk and has a lovely walk around it. Cwmbran is about a 10 minute drive with a good shopping centre. Page's fish & chip was lovely'.
Airbnb February 2022
'We had a fantastic 5 day break here. The lodge was really well equipped and the sauna and hot tub were great to relax in. It was a really lovely location and the hosts were great. I would highly recommend this to everyone.'
Airbnb January 2022
Excellent communication. The property was sparkling clean and the hot tub and sauna were all set up for us. We had a great break and can see the work that has gone into making this property such a great getaway.
Airbnb January 2022
'Thank you so much Julia! 5 Stars!!!!
What a great stay we had. We absolutely loved the accommodation and had a fantastic time. Best stay in a very long time. I highly recommend to all that want a really chilled out stay. Also located close to so many brilliant castles!'
Airbnb December 2021
'My dad and I had a great stay at the lodge over Christmas. It’s in a peaceful rural location, but only a short drive to the nearest town. The cottage is very well-equipped, comfortable and accessible. We appreciated the Christmas decorations and the log burner gives the space a really cosy feel. The jacuzzi and sauna were really relaxing, and lovely and warm despite the cool of a December evening.'
Julia and her husband are very kind and friendly hosts.
Airbnb November 2021
'such a lovely little cosy place, your far enough away from the hustle and bustle and it's very peaceful, but yet your only a short drive away from the towns so perfect location. we absolutely loved being in the hottub in the evenings looking at the stars and the sauna was blissful in the cold evenings. the place was clean and tidy and very spacious and the log fire was a god send as it was rather chilly but heated the place up quickly, we didn't have our children with us but as there is plenty of space and a children's play area we plan to come back in the summer with our children as it is all enclosed so feel safe to let the children roam. honestly couldn't fault the place was a great few days away 100% recommended'
Airbnb October 2021
'Wow - what an absolutely fabulous holiday bungalow. Where to start, it’s total relaxation!!
From the homely log burner, the comfy corner sofa, the warming heat of the sauna or the jets of the jacuzzi, massaging tired aches and pains, this is the place to go, if you want to relax. Surrounded by gorgeous countryside and amazing views, you feel in the middle of nowhere, but this is where the location is amazing, as yes, you feel in the middle of nowhere, but it’s only a short drive to the local town of Cwmbran, with all the shops and supermarkets you could need. You can even get a takeaway delivered.
We ventured out for some lovely walks, but also drove off in the car, to explore all that the area had to offer and there was plenty to see and do. We didn’t eat or drink at the local pub, but we did pass it on a walk and did mean to pop in, but ran out of time!! You can also walk (or drive) to the local reservoir, which has lots of fun water sports, crazy golf and lovely walks, we enjoyed some lovely walks there and all marked out on the map, giving time and difficulty. If you fancy the “city life” Cardiff is only (Hidden by Airbnb) minute drive away, or you can catch the train from Cwmbran.
The lodge has a smart TV and WiFi, the WiFi is “typical countryside speeds”, which didn’t bother us at all, we could happily watch Netflix and browse (Hidden by Airbnb) !! The lodge is extremely comfortable and has everything you could need, we decided to cook most nights and always had all the utensils / equipment needed.
The heating is controlled by the log burner, but Joe was there when we arrived, to talk us through it all and checked the first few days, that we were ok using it, we loved using the log burner and it was so lovely to come home, from a day of exploring, to light a fire and then relax in the jacuzzi and sauna.
Julia and Joe, we’re around each day on the land, if needed, or at easy reach via message, Julia shared some amazing ideas of places to visit / see. Both Julia and joe were lovely and friendly and that added to the “relaxation”.
We went with my 6 year old son, and if you have children, they are also excellently catered for, in the grounds, there is a climbing frame, trampoline, swing, slide, sea saw, football goals / balls and various ride on toys, my son’s eyes lit up, at all the choice to play on. And to top it off, there is also board games in the lodge, my son loved the connect 4, I brought toys from home and he hardly touched them!!
Both me and my sister on the way home, both said, we couldn’t find any faults with the holiday, it was perfect and we highly recommended.
We’re already trying to sort some dates too book again!!
5 star, 10 out of 10, highly recommended.
Thank you Julia and Joe'
Airbnb September 2021
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. The hot tub and sauna were well kept and such a treat to have. The house was clean with everything we needed to cook meals etc. The beds are very very comfy. Lots of places to go within a 5-30 minute drive depending what you are after. Mountain biking hot spots all around, Joe suggested Cwmcarn forest which was absolutely great. Would definitely stay again!
Airbnb August 2021
Stayed here with our 7 year old. Great property for a peaceful break as you only have one other dwelling next door and then a huge field full of play stuff and toys for kids, so perfect for them to go and play in a nice safe enclosed environment. Nice seating areas outside and own BBQ areas so if you get the weather very pleasant being outside. Mostly the only sounds you'll hear are the geese, ducks and sheep. Property is nice and clean and has everything you need with Smart TV's in the Living room and Bedroom. All the kitchen equipment you require for self catering is there. Highlight is a really nice hot tub and sauna which is completely yours for personal use and completely private. This is a great base if you are planning to just chill or have an activity based holiday. We went paddle boarding at the nearby reservoir and in the river Wye (river is about 30 mins away). Also went mountain biking in the Forest of Dean which is about 40 mins away. Town of Cwmbran is only a short drive away and has all the big shops and amenities you would expect. Lovely little village pub only a short walk away. Would definitely recommend. Julia and Tom are very friendly and great hosts.Response from JuliaAugust 2021Thanks for being such lovely guests, hope to see you again, Julia and Joe
Airbnb July 2021
We and my friends had a great stay at the house :) The hosts were brilliant in showing us how everything worked and making sure we felt comfortable and also answering our questions really fast! Property was very clean when we arrived and had all the essential items (even if we only found the toaster on the second day after some rummaging!) We enjoyed having plenty of space to play outdoor games in the field (super kid friendly if we had kids!) and having breakfast on the patio was relaxing in the mornings. All in all had a great stay, even if the location was a bit far out - pretty limited signal so quick tip, if you know how then it’s a good idea to download the maps you need into your phone because of the limited signal!
Response from Julia HI *******, I'm glad that you and your housemates had a great stay at Blackthorn Lodge however I wouldn't want potential guests to think that we are located miles away from anywhere so just to clarify both our rural lodges are only 21 miles from Cardiff or 10 minutes drive from Cwmbran Town Centre (large retailers, restaurants, cinema, Bowlplex etc.). We are also only 5 minutes walking distance to the Carpenters Arms (an excellent Public House/Restaurant) and less then 10 minutes walk to Llandegfedd Lake and it's very popular Watersports Centre (activities, walks, lakeside café etc.) The free WIFI/broadband that we provide is rural WIFI but it is the best that BT can provide us with. It's fine for internet searching, streaming apps like Netflix, Amazon, Youtube etc. The mobile phone signal for most providers work well there and there is always the option to use WIFI calling - if you have it enabled on your mobile phone. Remember though, the more things you have connected to the WIFI the weaker the signal will get. As for it taking you 2 days to find the toaster a quick message or asking where the toaster was when you spoke to Joe on the day you arrived or when you texted me that evening (21:50) or even the next morning when I showed you how to use the waterfall on the jacuzzi would have saved you all that 'rummaging' time. As I said, there's no such thing as a silly question. Thanks again for leaving Blackthorn clean and tidy
Airbnb July 2021
Amazing week away perfect quiet location with so much to offer locally.
Airbnb July 2021
We had a lovely stay at the cottage, it was very cosy with the fireplace but the best bit was the hottub and sauna! My 4 year old loved the play area and trampoline and my mum loved the geese. It was so peaceful there but not far away from Cwmbran where there are plenty of amenities. We’ll definitely be back! :)
Airbnb June 2021
my partner and I had a fantastic time at blackthorn lodge. Julia and her husband are fantastic hosts. Julia replies to messages so quickly and is so so accommodating! They made the Airbnb very covid secure, providing everything we'd need to make sure it was safe. Generally the house was very clean and had everything we needed for our stay. the hot tub and sauna were just amazing, such a nice luxury to the house! the location was great for what we needed it for as a base to visit other places in Wales. Julia provided us with a welcome book that had so much info in it about local tourist attractions and made check in and check out so helpful. Overall we had such a lovely holiday here, the lodge is very comfortable, very clean, good location and has everything you need and both Julia and her husband were amazing hosts. We will definitely be coming back to stay again!! Hope you'll be back to stay again some time in the future.
Airbnb June 2021
Me and my partner had a wonderful weekend stay at Julia’s and Joe’s beautiful lodge. It had everything we needed and more for a relaxing weekend away. The hot tub and private garden area was great and we made full use of it. The garden area and bbq was great, I would definitely return with my son next time as it had everything and more for children to play safely.
Joe was great to talk to and was always hand on with anything we needed. Would definitely stay again!
Airbnb December 2020
Julia's place is comfortable, cosy (great wood/multifuel stove) and well equipped. Julia and Joe are great hosts; welcoming and helpful. In a lovely rural setting, Blackthorn Lodge is nevertheless conveniently located for Coed-y-paen village and LLandegfedd reservoir and well situated for travel in South Wales.Sarah
Airbnb August 2020
The lodge is a lovely place to stay and easily laid out for children. It has wide doors for wheelchairs and and easy to use wet room.
The lounge has a great wood burner which was very cosy in the evenings. It is rural but close to several towns and the reservoir is fabulous. Our children had a great time in the garden play area. There are things for all ages and the animals were a great addition.
The sauna was close to the lodge and completely private. With easy to use instructions from the owner, it was very enjoyable after a long day. Parking is outside of your door and there is also a washing line and patio area just outside the patio doors.
Our children felt very at home and incredibly safe because of the big gates. Thank you very much for your hospitality, we had a great time.
Airbnb August 2020
Lovely stay. Perfect location. Very attentive hosts. Enclosed safe location for children.
Airbnb August 2020
Julia has a great spot here for a holiday. Lots of fun to be had right there in the garden!
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Last Modified on: 05-04-2022