Upper Hoaten Cottages: A Pembrokeshire Holiday Cottage Collection of 5
Create incredible memories for all the family with a stay at this cluster property
Upper Hoaten Cottages is a collection of five wonderfully renovated barn conversions, set in the open countryside just a short drive from St Brides and some of west Pembrokeshire’s finest beaches.
These farmhouse-style holiday homes sleep up to 22 in total, accommodating between 2 and 6 people individually. Plus, they are each dog friendly accepting up to 2 dogs per property - what more could you want? Ideal for groups who want to escape together whilst also enjoying their own space, this cottage cluster makes the perfect base for family holidays, activity breaks and countryside adventures.
Upper Hoaten Cottages, The Collection
This set of quaint holiday homes is centred around a communal forecourt and shares a location with a larger farmhouse which is home to the family who runs them. Each of the pretty brick houses benefits from its own gravelled courtyard complete with a picnic table, great for when you fancy an alfresco meal in the sun or an early morning cuppa in the fresh country air.
The main hub of the shared forecourt houses a play area for children with a trampoline, plus a Scandinavian wooden cabin where you will find a barbecue available for use during your stay. One of the onlooking outbuildings, now also renovated, is home to a games room complete with table tennis and a pool table. Send the teenagers here for a bit of breathing space whilst you prepare dinner or arrange a family championship to see who is the most skilled!
The highlight, however, has to be the hot tub, also in its own cabin. Take just a few steps from your cottage through the pretty shrubbery of the forecourt, then relax into the warming bubbles of the hot tub and unwind after a hectic day of exploring.
Ploughmans Cottage
If you’re looking at the collection from the central forecourt, first on your left is Ploughmans Cottage. The second-largest property in size, this property can sleep up to 5 people in 2 bedrooms – one double and one triple. Picture quality wooden furniture, comfortable furnishings and natural tones throughout.
This prettily decorated holiday cottage is spread across one level, so no lugging heavy suitcases upstairs to the bedrooms here. The kitchen/diner is all in one with a lovely farmhouse-style kitchen and dining table making the most of one of the more spacious kitchens within the cluster.
Step directly through from the kitchen to the lounge where your focus will immediately be drawn to the large exposed stone fireplace on the opposite wall. Topped with a chunky wooden mantle and backed by a whitewashed wall, the fireplace now houses an electric log effect fire to keep you warm on chilly winter eves.
Shepherds Cottage
Moving clockwise around the set, Shepherds Cottage is next in line. The smallest of the bunch, this holiday home has 1 bedroom and sleeps only 2. Grandparents can use this as a cosy retreat when holidaying here with the larger family or couples can enjoy romantic getaways from normal life in this countryside bolthole.
This holiday home is also a single-storey property, convenient for the older generation or those who can’t manage a staircase daily. (See access statement for full details). The open-plan living diner is spacious enough for two with a comfortable leather sofa and matching armchairs, and a round dining table in front of a wonderful Welsh dresser. The best feature is easily the exposed stone wall and log effect stove creating a lovely rustic atmosphere.
Neutral-toned wooden floors flow right through this one-level accommodation with a farmhouse kitchen and a bedroom complete with an ensuite bathroom and the facility to add a single bed turning it into a family room. Large windows throughout allow plenty of light making this a light and area property all year round.
Gamekeepers Cottage, the largest of all the Upper Hoaten Cottages, lies right in the middle of the collection. It can accommodate up to 6 people in 3 bedrooms, two doubles and one twin, making it ideal for the larger branch of your travelling family. All three bedrooms are situated upstairs and boast skylights – you won’t want to close the blinds as the views of the night sky are something to be rivalled.
As expected being the largest of these barn conversions, Gamekeepers Cottage houses a spacious country kitchen and a quality dining table in the kitchen/diner, with a fantastic large window looking out onto the gravel courtyard plus a glazed door onto the patio.
The roomy lounge here is carpeted with a feature exposed stone wall at one end, with a prominent fireplace and mantle with a log effect fire. Several comfortable leather sofas are arranged around this focal point whilst a large arched window looks onto the communal forecourt and play area.
Coachmans Cottage
Next up is Coachmans Cottages sleeping up to 3 people in 2 bedrooms, one double and one single, both of which can be found on the first floor. This end-of-terrace property was once the carthouse but now stands beautifully renovated as a holiday home for small families.
On the ground floor, you’ll find a charming L-shaped living space with tiled floors, whitewashed walls and lots of exposed stone. Take a seat on the quality leather three-piece suite in front of the electric log effect fire before settling down at the dining table for a meal in the kitchen/diner area.
Hinting back to its days of being an old carthouse, the windows in this ground floor area are floor to ceiling meaning plenty of natural light throughout the property. It’s also easy to keep an eye on the other family members playing outside in the children’s play area.
Drovers Cottage
Standing detached from the four terraced properties at Upper Hoaten is Drovers Cottage, furthest clockwise. What once was a farm labourer’s cottage is now a stylishly converted holiday property sleeping up to 4 people. There are two bedrooms here, a double complete with an ensuite shower room and a twin room perfect for the children.
Another single-storey cottage, Drovers boasts a cheerful and welcoming atmosphere all year round. The kitchen has a tiled floor and pale wood rustic-style cupboards whilst the sitting room is decked with light-coloured leather sofas and warm wooden flooring.
As with all other properties in this collection, you’ll also find an electric log effect stove in the lounge which you’ll likely want to fire up every night of your stay for snug nights in. On warmer sunny days though, open up the glazed door from this room onto your small paved patio and let the fresh country air waft through the property.
A Rural Location
On the topic of exploring, Upper Hoaten Cottages is perfectly placed for discovering this incredible stretch of the Pembrokeshire coastline. Picture a remote setting nearby to the quaint hamlet of St Brides with rolling green fields and rich countryside, this is where you will find these attractive holiday cottages.
This rural location is a top spot for stargazing as there are no bright lights nearby – the sights of the stars are undeniably magical on clear nights when the skies become a blanket of sparkling stars. See how many shooting stars you see or try your hand at astrophotography.
St Brides Haven Beach
Visit West Pembrokeshire Beaches
If you’re planning a beach holiday in Pembrokeshire, Upper Hoaten Cottages is a top choice for a base because of its close proximity to much of west Pembrokeshire’s beaches. Travel to St Brides Haven Beach for a spot of diving in one of Britain’s favourite beginner spots or head to Martin’s Haven Beach to board the Skomer Island boat trips and see the puffins in their natural habitat. Drive down to Dale Beach for more boat trips, watersports and sailing activities.
Little Haven Beach and Nolton Beach are smaller sandy coves backed by little villages made up of holiday homes and coastal pubs. Broad Haven Beach and Newgale Beach are two of the larger bays along this coastline and are popular amongst traditional beachgoers and watersports enthusiasts alike. Venture to these two for long days playing in the sea, frolicking on the sand and shopping in the stores overlooking the shoreline.
Marloes Sands
Join the Pembrokeshire Coast Path
You can of course also pick up the coastal path from a plethora of locations within the area. Just a few steps away from Upper Hoaten at the nearby crossroads, you can hop aboard the Puffin Bus coastal shuttle for easy transportation between beaches and villages. Stroll the Marloes peninsula for viewpoints over Skomer Island and sightings of seabirds or amble north to explore the entire coastline overlooking St Brides Bay and beyond.
