1 / 24The Firs
Longtown, Herefordshire
A four bedroom cottage for six in the Olchon Valley near Longtown, reached up a farm track into its own enclosed gardens, with two dogs welcome.
The porch is stone, and there are stone shelves built into it to sit on while the boots are pulled off. It is the oldest idea in the building and still the most useful. The Firs takes six in the Olchon valley, dog friendly, and the porch is where the outside of a day gets left behind. Two dogs come with it. The firewood is stacked in there as well, which says most of it.
The track is the other half of the arrangement. You leave the valley road and drive up into the enclosed gardens, so the car stops inside the boundary and two dogs get out of it with nothing clipped on. The cottage is stone floors throughout, four bedrooms for six people so nobody has to double up, a bathroom downstairs as well as one above, and a wood burner in a lounge whose sofas were bought for sinking into.
It suits people who wanted the quiet end of a national park rather than the busy one. The Olchon is a dead end: one lane runs up it, nothing comes the other way, and there is no lit road anywhere along it, so the sky after dark does what skies used to. Two dogs get a valley whose traffic is a tractor twice a day.
Behind the house the ground climbs to a long whaleback ridge with the English border along the top and a drop into Wales the far side. The Olchon brook runs the valley floor with field paths beside it the whole way, and Craswall, 4 miles round the head of the hills, keeps a ruined priory in a pasture hardly anybody visits. Two dogs get open hill above and level meadow below.
Book your stay
from £679 for 7 nights
The Firs takes 2 dogs and is booked through holidaycottages.co.uk.
Book with holidaycottages.co.ukPrices are a guide only, checked 27 August 2026, and change with dates and availability. We may earn a commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you.
At a Glance
- Dogs Welcome
- 2 dogs
- Enclosed Garden
- Yes
- The cottage is accessed via a farm track leading into the enclosed gardens
- Sleeps
- 6 guests
- Rooms
- 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
- Price
- from £679 / 7 nights
- Grading
- 4 star
- Arrival
- in from 16:00, out by 10:00
- Facilities
- Bbq, Open fire, Parking
The Firs from £679 for 7 nights
Book with holidaycottages.co.ukFrequently Asked Questions
Is The Firs dog friendly?
Yes, The Firs welcomes dogs — and it's set up with them genuinely in mind. The cottage sits within enclosed gardens reached by a private track, so dogs can get out of the car without needing a lead, and the stone floors throughout make muddy paws much less of a worry. Two dogs are included as part of the stay.
Are dogs allowed at The Firs year round?
The listing doesn't specify any seasonal restrictions on dogs, and nothing about the setup suggests otherwise — the Olchon Valley is a working rural landscape that doesn't change character between seasons. For confirmation of availability at specific times of year, it's worth checking directly with the property.
What should I know before visiting The Firs with my dog?
The Firs comes with two resident dogs, so it's worth bearing that in mind if your dog doesn't mix well with others. On the practical side, the stone porch is a good place to sort out muddy kit after a walk, and the enclosed gardens mean dogs have secure space from the moment you arrive. Walking from the door is genuinely easy — there are field paths along the Olchon brook, open hill behind the house, and very little traffic in the valley beyond the occasional tractor.
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The Firs from £679 for 7 nights
Book with holidaycottages.co.ukWhat’s Nearby?
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Walk8.1 mi awayBrecon Beacons: Waun Fach and Pen y Gadair Fawr
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