Port House & Apartment
Three other couples and ourselves try and get away each year for a short break .Last year we stayed at Warner’s Sinah Warren (read review) which was great but we wanted to try a self catering break this year.
I shortlisted properties from Holiday Rental websites based on everyone’s “wish list” & priorities and then we all voted for our favourites .
Port House in Brimscombe, Stroud came out top for 3 couples out of the 4 (we were the odd ones out!). However the majority vote won and we booked Port House which did have excellent reviews on Trip Advisor. Jane, the owner was so helpful prior to our arrival – providing lots of info of where to go/what to do/restaurants and pubs within walking distance etc. The 3 night stay over a weekend in March cost £636 which was only £159 per couple which we all thought was good value.
Although a priority for all of us had been to have bedrooms with ensuites this property had 1 self-contained apartment and 3 bedrooms with separate bathrooms so we held a lucky dip on arrival to allocate rooms. The self-contained apartment (with its own front door) would be best suited to anyone with walking difficulties or someone who preferred more privacy. However I don’t feel this property would be suitable for anyone with walking difficulties staying as part of a group as the 2 flights of stairs leading to the top floor lounge were steep (one of our party has knee problems and he struggled a bit!). The kitchen/dining room was on the ground floor along with one bedroom and bathroom. The 2nd floor consisted of 2 bedrooms (1 with four poster) and a bathroom. The lounge along with another bathroom was on the top floor.
The lounge was really lovely – with a huge flat screen TV with full Sky package – plus it had a mini “kitchen” area consisting of a sink and a fridge which was useful for the beers and wine and saved us having to trek down to the kitchen each time we wanted a “top up”! The property was very clean and well maintained – crockery, glasses, cutlery were plentiful. A particularly nice touch was that bathrobes and slippers were provided in all of the bedrooms and all bathrooms contained toiletries too!
Although Port House wasn’t within walking distance of Stroud it was only a short drive and we found it relatively easy to park on the Saturday when we visited the award winning Farmers Market. In the immediate Brimscombe area there was a lovely pub opposite called The Ship which served real ale which pleased the boys and a small convenience store a few doors away which sold most things including the Lottery! The Pavilion Indian restaurant, which was approx 15 minutes walking distance was brilliant – we all enjoyed superb food there on the Friday night (read review).
We would not hesitate to return to this property as it was well maintained with some character and near to amenities and a local town.
