Humboldt
Herefordshire, United Kingdom
Brook House Woods
- Treehouse for 2 from £135 per night (read our low price promise)
- One king-size bed
Not suitable for children
Pets welcome
Dogs welcome. Children cannot be accommodated.
Overview
As you enter Humboldt cabin you see the woods of the Frome Valley reaching out to the Malverns from the broad deck. The light floods into the open-plan space from the glass front, falling on the soft king-sized bed, the modern en suite bathroom and the timber of the kitchen surfaces. There’s comfy seating in the lounge area by the window, but Humboldt is made to draw you out into nature, inviting you to soak in the roll top bathtub on the deck or cook wild, using your private smoker and the barbecue to create sizzling, sumptuous meals. There are also pizza packs available for use with the on-site barrel oven, breakfast hampers of bread, eggs, sausages and bacon or, for those times when your inner chef is too relaxed from bathing to think about cooking, you can call on Myrtle’s Kitchen to bring home-cooked meals straight to your door.
When you’re finally full and/or too wrinkled to stay in the tub anymore, you can range across the miles of trails in the valley or Brook House’s own 350 acres, while away the afternoons in award-winning local pubs or head over to Bodenham lake for a little wild swimming. Owners Penny and Will are on hand to give you tips on their favourite walking routes, let you know about the many festivals that go on in Bromyard or even instruct you in green woodworking, so that you could take home a self-whittled spatula to go with the feeling of joy that Humboldt gives you as standard.
Essentials
The important stuff
- Check in: 4pm
- Check out: 11am
- Bring torches and wellies
- Bed linen and towels provided
- The woods are home to many wild creatures so please keep an eye out if you're bringing a dog, that they don't disturb the wildlife
- Mobile phone signal. No WiFi
- Use of the wood fired hot tub, shared between the 6 spaces at Brook House Woods, is included in the cost of your stay
- Sleeping arrangements
- One king-size bed
Extra space available
Space for 1 baby no charge. Babies welcome up to 6 months old. Some equipment can be provided
Space for 2 pets from £10 per pet per stay
Kids & Pets
Dogs welcome. Children cannot be accommodated.
Cooking
- Gas hob
- Barbecue
Washing
- Flushing toilet
- Bathroom with shower and sink
- Outdoor bath tub
Heating, lighting & bedding
- Wood burner
- Plug sockets
- Feather duvets, Egyptian cotton bed linen and towels provided
Entertainment
- Small library of mainly woodland themed books, board games, cards and some sketching equipment
Getting there
Brook House Farm, Avenbury Lane, Bromyard, Herefordshire, HR7 4LB
Main road turn off: ///huddle.mealtime.partners
By car
You can find it on Google maps as 'Brook House Farm'. The postcode HR7 4LB takes you to Brook House Cottages, a quarter of a mile south of the farm. If you are coming from the A44, turn down Avenbury lane, go straight over at the tiny crossroads and take the first turning on the right, signposted Brook House Farm. Go down the drive then keep left as you enter the farmyard, taking the track with the farmhouse on your right.
Please drive slowly as there are free range chickens, children and animals. Follow the track up the hill, keeping right into the woods to the very end where you can park. Penny or Will will meet you there and take you on the short walk to your accommodation. Please note the track is not suitable for very low slung cars.
Parking for the Yurt, Hobbit House and Goji is in the workshop car park, a short walk away. Please note, Goji is a 3 minute walk up a shallow hill. Parking for Walden, Humboldt and Venn is right outside each treehouse. A wheelbarrow is available to help ferry luggage.
By train
Great Malvern Station is - 11.3 miles or 25 mins
By bus
Bromyard, the 422 bus, and then 30 mins walk along footpaths to the farm
Pick ups can be arranged from either directly with the owner on booking
Food & Drink
At Brook House Farm
Your accommodation comes with tea, coffee, milk, butter and all the little extras you need for cooking (salt, pepper, chillis etc). The owners also provide welcome snacks on arrival.
Brook House Woods offer a hot home delivered room service menu alongside pizza packages, breakfast hampers and lunch hampers. Just get in touch to discuss your requirements.
Local shops
Bromyard is home to many independent shops and a large co-op all within half an hours walk across a footpath or an 8 min drive
Pubs & Restaurants
The Green Dragon (4.2 miles, 1hr 30 mins walk) - Voted pub of the year 2010, a glorious walk from the woods, local ales and ciders on arrival. Brilliant food, accepts dogs and a swinging folk night every other Wednesday night
The Talbot at Knightwick (7 miles) - Worth the short drive for the great food with an emphasis on organic and locally produced food. ‘You’d have to be a ‘hard-hearted, self-regarding, po-faced schmuck’ not to like the Talbot’ (Jay Rayner Guardian food review)
Legges of Bromyard (2 miles) - A deli, butcher's and pie shop stuffed with tasty local produce from ales, gin and cider to quiche, pasties and pies. A huge deli of local cheeses, meats and breads to take away
Activities
At Brook House Farm
Woodwork - Go and learn in the woods, try green woodworking courses teaching you the skills and techniques to make functional, beautiful objects from spatulas to rocking chairs: all of these courses are suitable for any level of experience. For more information and pricing please get in touch with the owners after booking your stay
Walking - Brook House Woods is part of a 350 acre farm criss-crossed with paths running through woodland, orchards and along the river Frome.
The Herefordshire Trail crosses the farm, Bromyard Downs and Bringsty Common offer beautiful walks from the woods, or hop in the car for 15 minutes and wander the Malvern Hills. Your accommodation will have maps of favourite walks in the area.
Tennis court – 5 minutes' walk from the woods. The tennis court is available on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 2–4pm. Pre-book your slot directly through Penny and Will via email post-booking.
Places to visit
Historic Houses - There are a wealth of historic houses and estates all within an hour of the woods: Brockhampton Estate is a 5 minute drive, and Croft Castle, Berrington Hall, Croome Court, Witley Court and Eastnor Castle are all nearby
Cathedral Hopping - Hereford or Worcester Cathedral are both well worth a visit. Both 15 miles or just under 30 mins drive these architectural gems will inspire and awe
Booze Cruise - Hereford Cider Museum, housed in the former Bulmer's factory, is worth a look. Learn how apples were milled and pressed and the resulting juice was fermented to produce cider or visit Chase distillery a family owned, single estate distillery, creating fine spirits since 2008 from the produce grown on the farm!
Ledbury, one of the best preserved market towns in England is just 12 miles from the Woods. Well worth spending time wandering the streets, dropping into the cafes, bookshops and Design Quarter. Malvern is a great place for a wander or to eat as are the villages dotted around the Herefordshire hills.
Festivals - Bromyard is know as the 'Town of Festivals' with events peppered all through the year from ferret racing, the International Town Criers competition, the Bromyard Speed Festival, Nozstock in July and the Folk Festival in September
Outdoor & active
Cycling - Bromyard is a great place for cycling either on or off road, or why not try the Cider Cycle? This 20 mile circular route takes in cider farms and breweries with many tasting stops along the way!
Swimming - Bodenham lake is a local nature reserve, great for taking a walk or going for a wild swim. This little known lake is usually deserted, leaving you to splash around to your heart's content or swim peacefully to the other side amongst the wildlife. Canoeing is great in this area with day long paddles from Hereford or Symonds Yat
Riding - Horses are welcome at the farm, either stabled or turned out. You will have access to the 350 acre farm, with off road rides through woods, up hills and across streams. There are brilliant hacks from the farm incorporating beautiful fields for plenty of cantering and pubs dotted along the route for dutch courage! The Malvern hills are a short box ride away for half day or day long circular rides that the owners are happy to guide if the course schedule permits.
Courses & classes
Penny is a qualified yoga teacher, and offers onsite classes. These are priced at £30 for up to 3 people for 1 hour with an additional £10 per person for groups of over 3.
Brook House Woods have teamed up with a local masseuse, Emma, who can offer an in-house massage service for those staying in the treehouses. Massage priced at £60 per person for 1 hour.
You can also try sound baths – in a 1-1 session with Michelle, you lie fully clothed on a soft, warm couch and allow sounds to assess the imbalances in your body. Priced at £75 per couple for 1 hour. A sound therapy and massage combo is priced at £95 per person for 2 hours.
Adele the forager offers botanical gin forages and pizza forages. Get in touch with the owners to find out if she'll be swinging by during your stay. Both types of forage run from 10–6pm and are priced at £183 per group, with gin forages incurring an extra £20 fee to cover the bottles that are provided.
Meet your hosts
Meet Penny & Will
Penny and Will moved to Brook House Woods in early 2016 from London to take over the Living Wood workshop. They met in Greenwich performing in a Chekhov play and spent the next 10 years travelling the world as actors. Eventually Will's love of green woodwork and Penny's love of horses overcame, and they hatched the idea of setting up a woodland wonderland, incorporating glamping, woodwork, yoga and ales: all their favourite things!
Will had spent some time assisting on chair making courses at Brook House Woods so when Mike Abbott mentioned he was retiring and suggested the idea of them taking over they jumped at the chance. This year they are running woodwork, yoga and painting courses, next year they hope to broaden their repertoire to include brewing, cooking, fitness and who knows what else!
Wildlife & Environment
Brook House Woods are 70 acres of flourishing woodland with the ancient ‘Herefordshire mix’ of Ash, Oak, Cherry and Birch trees surrounded by orchards of delicious dubinets and michaline apples.
The Workshop, cabins and yurt have been built out of the surrounding wood by local craftsmen, the wood felled and moved by Crunchie and his horses, the cabins and yurt crafted by Will St Clair our greenwood worker, Rudi Meseg a roundwood timber builder and apprentice of Ben Law (Grand designs Prickly Nut Cottage) and Mike Abbott himself, the founder of the Living Wood workshop and instigator of the modern resurgence in Wood Culture.
In amongst the beautiful workshop and its huts there are original stained glass windows by Tamsin Abbott, woven hazel fences and living honeysuckle ‘bender tents’, an ancient shelter made with trained ‘withies’ of hazel interwoven with japanese honeysuckle forming a canopy over the bed. The water flows from a borehole on the farm, power is provided by a bank of solar panels and the cabins have been built out of locally sourced sustainable wood. Muntjac deer, hares and hedgehogs make their homes in the woods along with a family of unbelievably friendly robins who can sometimes be persuaded to eat out of your hand.
Our guests say...
We had such a lovely stay at Humboldt. The tree cabin was perfect, it had everything needed for a relaxing break. The outside bath overlooking the countryside was bliss. The shower was amazing! Lots of lovely little touches, like milk in the fridge, forest friendly toiletries and fluffy robes. Will was really welcoming and friendly - but left us to enjoy our break.
03/12/2018Phillipa
We had the best time! The treehouse was amazing, exactly what we were looking for. The decor was lovely, I wish my house looked like that! You have thought of everything, the outdoor bath and hammock were real selling points and we loved the log burner. The bed was the comfiest ever and it was surprisingly warm in there. Thank you for the organised walks, the pubs were great. The live and let live one was a little hard to follow and we had to cheat a bit with google maps but we made it. We'd love to return in the Summer.
13/11/2018Becky
Really loved it. Relaxing and fun. The hostess was friendly and helpful. The cabin was fabulous
17/09/2018Heather
Absolutely brilliant
15/08/2018Carole
We absolutely loved staying at will and penny's place. Everything was perfect in terms of facilities in the cabin. It was warm and well equipped with everything we needed. The outside bath and hammock were a real treat and so nice in the evening. Only thing that would make it even better would be a few blankets to wrap up in outside during the evening. We've already reccomend humboldt to loads of our friends and would definitely stay again.
13/06/2018Sarah
Love this place? Tell everyone!
Booking Terms
Canopy & Stars low price promise
Book with us in confidence knowing you won’t find that place cheaper elsewhere. All of the prices we display are set and matched by our Owners. (In this world of foreign currency, we do have to say 'subject to exchange rates' for some of our European places.)
What does ‘from price’ mean?
Our ‘from price’ is based on a four night stay in low season and designed to help you to compare different prices across our collection. Some of our Owners vary their nightly rates and check in days throughout the year, so it may differ from the rate quoted below the calendar. It is quite common (although by no means universal) for places to charge a little more in peak season or for shorter stays, to cover changeover costs. Consider booking longer stays during the cooler months if you’re looking for the lowest nightly rates.
Agency Terms & Conditions
Except where otherwise specified, we Sawday’s Canopy & Stars Ltd Company No 09088366 of Merchants House, Wapping Road, Bristol, BS1 4RW act only as an Agent in respect of all bookings we take and/or make on your behalf. Sawday’s Canopy & Stars is part of the Alastair Sawday’s Group of Companies. We accept no liability in relation to any contract you enter into or for any services or arrangements you purchase (“Booking(s)”) or for the acts or omissions of any supplier(s) or other person(s) or party(ies) connected with any Booking. For all Bookings, your contract will be with the supplier of the Booking in question, and in most cases this will be the owner of the property you’ll be staying at (“Owner(s)”). When making your Booking we will arrange for you to enter into a contract with the Owner of the Booking. Your Booking with us is subject to these Agency Terms & Conditions and any specific booking conditions of the relevant Owner(s) you contract with. The Owner’s booking conditions may limit and/or exclude the Owner’s liability to you.
You may decide to make more than one Booking with us at the same time. The price charged in total for more than one Booking will always equal the prices charged separately for each individual Booking. All Bookings are available to be purchased separately at the same price as they are when more than one Booking is made. This means that any multiple Bookings do not constitute a package as defined in the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992.
By making a booking, you agree that:-
- you have read these Agency Terms & Conditions and agree to be bound by them;
- you consent to our use of your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy;
and
- you are over 18 years of age and where there may be age restrictions in place, you declare that you and all members of your party are of the appropriate age.
The Canopy & Stars online booking system enables Guests to make Bookings 24 hours a day. A Booking is confirmed on receipt of a 25% non-refundable deposit for all Bookings with check in dates of more than 10 weeks away. For all Bookings that have a check in date of less than 10 weeks before check in, payment for the Booking will be required in full and the entire Booking will be non-refundable. The Canopy & Stars telephone booking line is open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm. When using the online enquiry form, for those Properties without online booking, please allow 24 working hours for us to contact you by telephone to confirm the Booking. If we are unable to reach you by phone we will attempt to contact you by email. We will contact you during Canopy & Stars working hours (Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm). Online or email enquiries will be dealt with in the order they are received, but please be aware that we cannot guarantee reservation of your selected dates until the receipt of suitable payment. Therefore, if possible, we do recommend that you book on the Canopy & Stars website using the online booking system.
1. Booking and payments
1.1 In order to confirm your chosen Booking, you must pay a non-refundable deposit as required by the Owner of the Booking in question (or full payment if booking within 10 weeks of the date of your check-in).
1.2 Your Booking is confirmed and a contract between you and the Owner will exist when we receive payment of the deposit and send you a booking confirmation on the Owner’s behalf. This booking confirmation will normally be sent out within 24 hours in the case of email and seven working days in the case of post, and will contain the details of your Booking and of payments made and due. If you have not received your booking confirmation within the specified time, please notify us as soon as possible by email (bookings@canopyandstars.co.uk). Please check your confirmation carefully and report any incorrect or incomplete information to us immediately. As we act only as booking Agent, we have no responsibility for any errors in any documentation except where an error is made by us.
1.3 Where a deposit has been paid, full balance payment will be due 10 weeks in advance of your check in date and a reminder will be sent to you two weeks prior to this date, where applicable, by email. We automatically take the balance payment using the same card as used to make the deposit payment. It is your reponsibility to advise us if we should use a different card and to contact us by telephone (0117 204 7830) to arrange for alternative payment method. If the balance payment does not successfully go through as there is a problem with your card, such as it expiring, then we will contact you to try and take alternative payment. If we have been unable to take payment after two weeks of the balance due date, then with regret, we will notify the Owner who may cancel your Booking.
1.4 Except where otherwise advised or stated in the booking conditions of the Owner concerned, all monies you pay to us for a Booking will be held on behalf of the Owner(s) concerned.
1.5 Credit Card payments are processed via Alastair Sawday’s Publishing Co. Ltd who provide merchants services facilities to Sawday’s Canopy & Stars Ltd.
2. Cancellation and Amendment by You
2.1 Any cancellation or amendment request must be sent to us by email (bookings@canopyandstars.co.uk) and will be considered and responded to within one working day of receipt. You are also advised to confirm all changes to our Customer Services Department by calling 0117 204 7830. Please ensure that you have received written confirmation of any changes to your Booking prior to travel. Whilst we will always try to help, we cannot guarantee that such requests will be met.
2.2 Amendments and cancellations can only be accepted in accordance with the booking conditions of the Owner of your Arrangements. The Owner may charge the cancellation or amendment charges shown in their booking conditions (which may be as much as 100% of the cost of the Arrangements and will normally increase closer to the date of departure). The Owner may charge cancellation or amendment charges in accordance with its own booking conditions, however for the sake of convenience only, we have outlined the Owner’s charges at clause 2.3 and 2.4 below. Please note that these are the Owner’s own cancellation and amendments charges, not Canopy & Stars’, and therefore the Owner may vary their charges as they wish, without notice to us. The correct charges will be notified to you at the time of your cancellation or amendments.
2.3 Owner’s General Cancellation Charges:
2.3.1 Cancellation by you at any time will result in your deposit being forfeited, as all deposits are non-refundable.
2.3.2 All monies paid for a holiday (deposit and balance) are non-refundable within 10 weeks before check in date.
2.3.3 Cancellation of any holiday after it has been paid in full and at a date 10 weeks or more in advance of your check in date, will result in forfeiture of your deposit (or an amount equivalent where one was not paid as the holiday was paid in full) and the balance being returned to you.
2.3.4 Cancellation insurance is available but will be a third party arrangement and not involve Canopy & Stars or the Owner in any way.
2.4 Owner’s General Amendment Charges:
2.4.1 Alterations to your Booking can only be made more than 10 weeks prior to the check in date, after which time alterations will be treated as cancellation. All alterations are subject to availability and may incur a £30 adminstration fee.
2.4.2 Differences in the total amount payable resulting from alterations will be refunded to you in the case of a decrease in price and paid by you in the case of increases in price.
Special note: Generally Owners will charge the above cancellation and amendment charges, however we must stress that these are a guide only and charges may differ from those shown here depending on the Owner. The exact charges will be notified to you by the Owner at the time of cancellation and/or can be found in the Owner’s own booking conditions which are available from the Owner on request.
3. Changes and Cancellations by the Owner
We will inform you as soon as reasonably possible if the Owner needs to make a significant change to your confirmed Arrangements or to cancel them. We will also liaise between you and the Owner in relation to any alternative Booking offered by the Owner but we will have no further liability to you.
4. Complaints
Because the contract for your Booking is between you and the Owner, any queries or concerns should be addressed to them. In the event that you have any complaint about your stay, please notify the Owner as soon as possible. If you don’t follow this procedure there will be less opportunity for the Owner to investigate and resolve your complaint and so make your stay as enjoyable as possible. Delays may also mean that amount of compensation you may be entitled to may be reduced. Whether or not your complaint is dealt with satisfactorily, please also contact us as we appreciate all feedback. It’s important to us and the Owner to know that you’ve enjoyed your stay or if anything could have been improved.
5. Pricing
Canopy & Stars reserve the right to amend advertised prices at any time on behalf of the Owner. We also reserve the right to correct errors in both advertised and confirmed prices.Special note: changes and errors sometimes occur.
6. Information & Accuracy
The information and prices shown on this website are varied from time to time and may change between the time you first view a property and make a Booking. You should check that all the details are as you expect prior to making a Booking. It is always possible that, despite our best efforts, some of the properties (including the features and extras available) may be incorrectly described and/or priced. If we discover this is the case after you have made a Booking, we reserve the right to contact you with details of the correct information and/or pricing and will give you the option to:
(1) proceed with the Booking based on the correct information and/or pricing, which may require the payment of an additional amount by you;
OR
(2) subject to availability, change your booking dates to dates when the pricing can be honoured ad so no additional charge to you. In the event that a lower price can be offered for alternative dates then the difference would be refunded;
OR
(3) cancel the Booking. If we do not receive your instructions within 5 days of contacting you, we reserve the right to cancel your Booking without liability to you.
7. Our Responsibility for your Booking
Your contract is with the Owner and its booking conditions apply. As Agent, we accept no responsibility for the actual provision of the Booking. Our responsibilities are limited to making the Booking in accordance with your instructions and acting properly in accordance with our legal duties as an Agent. We accept no responsibility for any information about the Booking that we pass on to you in good faith. However, in the event that we are found liable to you on any basis whatsoever, our maximum liability to you is limited to twice the cost of your Booking (or the appropriate proportion of this if not everyone on the Booking is affected). We do not exclude or limit any liability for death or personal injury that arises as a result of our negligence or that of any of our employees whilst acting in the course of their employment.
8. Pets
Not all properties accept pets. If you wish to take your pet on holiday, please advise us before booking and we can check whether pets are accepted at the property. You must obtain the prior consent of the Owner before taking any pets to the property. A nightly charge may be made by the Owner for each pet and additional terms may apply.
9. VAT
Many of the Owners of properties in the Canopy & Stars portfolio are not registered for VAT in which case no tax is payable. Where VAT is payable, the tax is included in the advertised holiday rental price.
10. Visa, passport and health requirements.
Unless you tell us otherwise, we assume that all members of your party are British citizens who hold or will hold full British passports valid for the entire duration of the Arrangements you chose to purchase. Information on visa, passport and health requirements, where given and applicable, is so given on this basis. Requirements may change and you are therefore strongly recommended to check the up to date position with the Owner of the Booking, Passport Office, appropriate embassy or consulate or your doctor as applicable in good time before the commencement of your holiday.
11. Insurance
You are strongly recommended to take out personal travel insurance for all members of your party. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance you purchase is adequate and appropriate for your particular needs. Please read your policy details and take them with you on holiday.
12. Special requests
If you have any special requests (for example dietary requirements, cots or room location), please let us know at the time of booking. We will pass on all such requests to the Owner, but unfortunately, we can't guarantee that they will be met and we will have no liability to you if they are not.
13. Group Bookings
Not all Owners accept Bookings for a single sex group (for example, a stag or hen party). Guests wanting to make such a Booking should check with us beforehand to enable us to check whether the Owner is prepared to accept the Booking. We will then advise you accordingly. In event that an Owner does not accept this type of Booking then it is with regret, that the Booking may be cancelled and cancellation fees may apply. It is the Guest’s responsibility to enquire with Canopy & Stars and/or check on our website beforehand to make sure that this type of booking is permitted.
14. Maximum Numbers
Please note that except by prior arrangement confirmed in writing, only the number of persons specified on a booking confirmation may occupy a property. Most owners reserve the right to refuse admittance or revoke a booking if this condition is not observed and you are unlikely to receive any refund.
15. Your Responsibilities
Please note that you have a contract with the Owner of the property. As such you are under a responsibility to behave in a proper, appropriate and legal manner whilst staying at the property with due respect to the Owner, the Property and other guests and their property. You are responsible for informing the Owner of any losses or damage to the property as soon as possible. Please note that you will be liable to pay the Owner for any losses or damage to the property caused by you or a member of your party (except reasonable wear and tear). Some Owners will also require damage deposits. You must also leave the property by the check-out time specified on your booking. If any guest behaves inappropriately or improperly (of which the Owner will be the final judge on their Property), or illegally, the Owner reserves the right to ask the guest and their party (at their discretion) to leave the Property before the end of the holiday period and/or refuse any future bookings from you. Any refund for so doing will be at the entire discretion of the Owner. In addition, the Owner reserves the right to sue the guest for any loss, damage or injury caused to the Owner, the Property or to other guests and/or their property. As agent, we will have no liability to you in these circumstances.
16. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These terms and conditions have been drafted in accordance with and are governed by English law and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction in relation to any and all disputes arising out of these Agency Terms & Conditions.
17. Discrepancies
In case of a discrepancy between these Agency Terms & Conditions and any other Canopy & Stars literature, these Agency Terms & Conditions shall prevail.
18. Validity clause
In the event that a court finds that a condition in these Agency Terms & Conditions is illegal or void, the illegal or void provision will be severed from the remainder of the Agency Terms & Conditions, which will continue to be valid and have full force and effect.
We had such a lovely stay at Humboldt. The tree cabin was perfect, it had everything needed for a relaxing break. The outside bath overlooking the countryside was bliss. The shower was amazing! Lots of lovely little touches, like milk in the fridge, forest friendly toiletries and fluffy robes. Will was really welcoming and friendly - but left us to enjoy our break.
03/12/2018