We’ve stayed in many hotels in and around Monmouthshire over the decades. It is in a word, beautiful. We’ve never tried camping or glamping for that matter so when the opportunity to “glamp” presented itself, I must confess I wasn’t really that excited about it. Probably because I’ve always thought of it as a bit fake, something that townies do – pretend camping if you will.
In all honesty I didn’t really know what to expect and, like all of us from time to time, if we don’t know what to expect we try to avoid it. In this case I didn’t have a choice. It was booked and I was going. So, on a rare sunny Friday in June, we packed up the van with what I was reliably informed one took when glamping and headed north.
One of the lines on their website resonated with me: “Closer To Nature” and it most certainly is. I like nature. If you know me/us, then you’ll know we walk a lot so, on paper, we should really like it.
When you arrive at Seven Hills Hideaway, the first thing that brings you down with a bump is having to hand trailer your stuff from the carpark to your ‘luxury canvas lodge’. If I’m honest I didn’t think it was necessary – I thought I could have easily unloaded and then popped the van back to the carpark (the words “toys, throw and pram” spring to mind). As it happened, this was going to be the only emotional wobble in our three-night stay.
Our three-bedroom luxury canvas lodge (Skirrid Fawr) is beautifully equipped and cleverly designed (by Danes apparently). It’s canvas on the outside but neatly divided inside with wood walls to create the bedrooms, bathroom and living space. There isn’t a television in any of the lodges but there is WiFi so you don’t need to go full cold turkey. Having said that, with Starlink WiFi in place you could possibly bring a smart TV and have the best of both worlds. That really isn’t the idea though. This is supposed to be digital detox and, for us anyway, it would feel extremely sad if we couldn’t unplug, at least just for a few days.
The lodge has a wood burner which we used, and it certainly warmed up the cool June evening and added to the ambience. You can also cook outside on a barbeque if you wish. There’s an induction hub inside along with a microwave. The creature comforts don’t stop there. The beds are super comfortable with lovely soft linen and the bathroom (minus bath but good-sized shower) is beautifully presented. The towels are also plump and luxurious. Were we bemoaning the lack of bath? Absolutely not, outside is your own private jacuzzi which we definitely used it on more than one occasion.
The site is named after the surrounding seven hills and the lodges also take their names. The location is stunning. We were awoken every morning by the birds and when the skies are clear at night, the stars and Milky Way are particularly beautiful due to the lack of light pollution.
Seven Hills is perfectly located for exploring the county. There are castles aplenty, The Wye is also not far away with tons of things to do: canoeing, walking etc. I bumped into a lovely chap from Jersey while at Skenfrith Castle. He was going for a swim in the river! Nope, it’s never dull in Monmouthshire. The country pubs are authentic and for the most part exactly what you’d hope for. You’re short driving distance from some great market towns and the county is absolutely jam-packed with farms, farm shops and lots of little hidden gems.
FYI, there are three and single-bedroom lodges available. We thought the singles are particularly cute – they’re brand new and perfect for a couple.
Truthfully, you could easily spend a week here and not be bored and depending on your approach to staycations, you can be as laid back or as active as you wish. Either way, Seven Hills and Monmouthshire will deliver an amazing experience. If I’m honest, as I pulled the trailer down the field towards the van, I really didn’t want to leave. Seven Hills is a special kind of place.
Seven Hills Hideaway
Winston Court Farm
Llanvetherine
Abergavenny NP7 8RG
07887 006781
stay@sevenhillshideaway.co.uk
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