108 Dewachen Express
Herefordshire, United Kingdom
New Inn Brilley
- Wagon for 2 from £120 per night (read our low price promise)
- Ten single beds and two double beds (sleeps up to 14)
Overview
The higgledy piggledy, bohemian nature of ‘New Inn Brilley’, is for us, all part of the charm. Expect ladybirds on your pillowcase and hens doing laps of your cabin – they were there first, after all. Expect no mod-cons and definitely don’t expect anything to match!
Daphne is a relentless creative spirit, constantly collecting and then building new dwellings. Her ancestry can be traced back to the Wombles so you might find a pile of wood or perhaps a rogue bath-tub ready to come together into a new space. If you’re still interested in paying a visit, and we urge you to do so, then you’ll love staying with her as much as we do!
The weird and wonderful Dewachen Express takes some explaining, so here we go. The main “wagon” is in fact parts of an old tabernacle, which owner Daphne was allowed to relocate when the original owner wanted it off their land. It’s fitting that what was once a community focal point is now the main bedroom for your group. The guest of honour presumably bags the double bed across one end and everyone else takes one of the single bunks along the side. The wood-burning stove is centrally placed and keeps the whole space toasty, as well as casting a flickering glow over the Tibetan paintings that cover the ceiling. From the main wagon, you step out into the kitchen space, with the gas oven, long benches and natural wood table. The toilets, shower and the working Victorian bathtub are just around the corner, across a large courtyard area with a fire pit where everyone can gather for hot chocolate at the end of day.
The space was designed with restorative retreats in mind. The wagon is at the top of the hill but out of sight of the road, which is quiet most of the day. Your nearest neighbours are 25m away in the space known as Bijou, so if you’re coming for a party, you’ll need to keep the neighbours in mind. For your daily activities, you can choose from meditative moments on the hillside with the valley spread out below you, or more active pursuits like hiking Offa’s Dyke and drifting on the river in canoes.There are horse riding routes that loop around the hills and tours of the area’s many churches, as well as markets in iconic Hay, where you can pick up local cheeses and bread or browse antique shops for souvenirs as eclectic as Dewachen itself.
Essentials
The important stuff
- Check in: 3 pm
- Check out: 10:30 am
- Please bring torches and wellies
- Please be aware that the top bunk beds, both single and double, have no barriers so please be cautious
- 10 Dewachen Express sits 25 metres from Bijou, secluded by a hedge, lots of vegetation and young trees
- Mobile phone signal
- WiFi available
- First firewood basket is provided, after that £5 each
- Guests are requested not to use surplus beds unnecessarily
- Communal space Lha Khang can be hired – no charge. Perfect for yoga, meditation sessions. Please enquire to confirm availability
- Sleeping arrangements
- Ten single beds and two double beds (sleeps up to 14)
Extra space available
Space for 2 pets from £20 per pet per stay must be well behaved
Space for 12 adults from £30 per adult per night (same price for children). Wagon sleeps up to 14 guests
Cooking
- Grill with gas hob and gas oven
- Fridge
- Fully equipped kitchen
- BBQ
Washing
- Shower
- Roll top iron bathtub
- Compost loo
- Bathroom toiletries provided
Heating, lighting & bedding
- Bed linen and towels are provided
- Wood-burner
- Solar lighting
- Leaded lights
- Plug sockets in the kitchen wagon
Entertainment
- You are welcome to peruse the books in the communal tea room
- Daphne can lead guided meditations with a bit of notice
Getting there
New Inn Brilley, Brilley, Whitney-on-Wye, Hereford, HR3 6HE
Main gate:///silly.populate.verdict
By public transport
The nearest train station is Hereford, 22 miles away. The nearest bus stops is in Hay-on-Wye. Take bus no. 39. Hay-on-Wye is 5 miles away.
The next village, 7 miles north of Brilley, called Kington. From Hereford to Kington take Sargeants Brothers Coaches – 461/462 – for schedules ring 01544 230481. Kington is the next village up north of Brilley 7miles away.
If Daphne is available she would be happy to pick you up and drop you off at these locations by prior arrangement.
By car
From the direction of Hereford: Take the A438 through the villages of Winforton, then Whitney-on-Wye, carry on as you pass the sign on your left ‘Clifford Toll Bridge’ another 500 yds. As the road narrows and climbs, you will see a small sign ‘Brilley’, a very sharp turn to the right, climbing and winding for 500 yds, and New Inn ‘Karma Dechen Choling’ is on your right where you will also see the Prayer Flags. If you find yourself in Hay, you have missed the turn and gone past 5 miles!
PLEASE DO NOT PARK ON THE ROAD - it can be very dangerous and Daphne has lots of off road parking for guests outside her house, and another location you can use if you call ahead
**You cannot drive right up to the spaces and you will need to carry your bags down a rough path**
Food & Drink
At New Inn
Daphne makes her own jams and grows plenty of produce on the farm as well as having many an egg-laying bird about! Ask her about any of these, or for contact with all the great local suppliers including Alex Gooch, who makes award winning sourdough.
Pubs & Restaurant
The Rydespence Inn is a 14 Century Pub that has recently changed hands, very good food, and the good news is that it is a lovely 40 minutes walk to it through country lanes. Here is the map: https://goo.gl/maps/1VVNVLz3zct
The Old Black Lion in Hay on Wye, offering real good food
Richard Booth's Bookshop Café (Hay-on-Wye, app. 5 miles) Very good food & value, really pleasant environment in this old Bookshop full of character
Tomatitos (Tapas Bar) (Also Hay-on-Wye) Very popular, run by real nice cheerful folk
Kilverts Hotel and Pub, a traditional busy Pub…01497 821042
Activities
At the New Inn
There is always plenty to do at New Inn if you fancy helping out. There are markets in Hay every Thursday selling local food, cheeses, beautiful Moroccan things, antiques, collectables, amazing bread by Alex Gooch, organic vegetables, and more. For excursions and excitements a little further afield, ask Daphne or take a look at a couple of these:
Walking
King Offa, one of the Saxon kings who controlled the border country in the 9th Century tried to emulate Hadrian (the Roman general who divided England from Scotland with a wall) by building a dyke to keep out the warring Celts. That dyke is now a long distance footpath that enables hikers to enjoy fabulous views across Wales to the west and England to the east as it traverses north-south along the English-Welsh border. You can go out on to paths right out of the gate, there are so many different walks and walking festivals, all you need is a map and some of the organised walk dates, which you can get here!
Canoeing - Daphne herself is a recent convert, and says, "it is absolutely amazing, one is led through a scenery that I had no idea existed right here."
Horse riding There are 180 + "door to door" route descriptions and over 30 overnight stops stretching across Wales from the Wye Valley to the coast at Cardigan Bay.
Cycling - If you feel like cycling your way up and down the rolling hills you can hire a bike from Drover Holidays
Churches of the Black Mountains - a circular tour of several lovely spots
Ask Daphne about the tour which takes in (deep breath...) the Church of Merthyr Issui at Partrishow, the Cwm Coed y Cerrig Nature Reserve, Llanthony Priory Hotel, the Church of St David's, Capel-y-Ffin and St Martin of Tours at Cwmyoy. The route features leaning towers, ancient buildings with magnificent carvings and the sites of many visions and much inspiration!
Meet your hosts
A little about Daphne
Daphne has come by a roundabout route to her little slice of western England. Most influential were six years in India, which she describes as 'her real education'. She learnt, compelled by a few stiff challenges in life, to listen to the Great Tibetan Masters and found a peace that she then brought back with her to England. She offers the New Inn as a space to people of all traditions to come and give classes, or just as a retreat. Originally it was her own private escape but after five years working on the land and renovating the buildings, she was ready to share it with as many people as wanted to come! It was a chance for her to see how effective the retreat had been and invite other people to come and experience the place as they saw it. Every guest who comes and takes away a little bit of the tranquility of the site with them, is another little piece of success for her.
What she says about her home:
New Inn is situated in the tiny Herefordshire village of Brilley, on the Welsh borders. This 18th century stone house, once a Pub and an Inn, with its extensive grounds and stream running through it, enjoys stunning views of the Black Mountains. A former rural inn, the main house provides two double rooms, and a Self-Catering suite that sleeps 6. I'm very fortunate to have local wholesome produce: bread, goat's cheeses, vegetables from the local community garden tended by the lovely Phoebe, and my own from the garden.
I fell in love with this place, it inspired me to dream and create many diverse, cosy living spaces, whilst I carried on developing my spiritual side. It is a reflection of the Gipsy, nomad, traveller, earthy nature loving peasant and nest making sides of myself and discovering the infinity of our potential. All these corners are not trying to make statement of perfection nor of glamour, the luxury here is being as authentic and simply faithful to what it is...
This place is full of character; I have tried not to alter it too much. There is no TV on the premises. A choice, not really through ideology, there sometimes are interesting programmes I am sure, but there are so many other things to explore rather than get lost in ‘automated information’ that comes our way.
I do believe materials, places, spaces and matter carry the imprints of memory, nothing gets lost. I have the good fortune to be amongst ancient walls that can tell us so much, if we allow our sensitivity to come forth. A fascinating lady lived here for 45 years before I came here, she was a botanist and was very keen to collect all the information she could find on the old dwellings in the area. She collected all the deeds of this place since the beginning when deeds started in England, dating back to the 1700’s! They are here to explore.
And important for me, I want to say, after having lived in many different countries in different places, for the first time in my life I feel at home here, this is my home, and only if you think you will be happy here I really want to share it with you. I will engage in every effort to make you feel at home and comfortable.
The journey so far
This place was a Pub, it is all ups and downs and around the corner was the snug room (now the kitchen area), then the serving hatch.
Outside there is a barn the ‘Lha Khang’ that Daphne, with the help of a friend rebuilt, to accommodate around 50 people for meditation, Yoga, and workshops. On the grounds there also is a Stupa. After extensive preparation for more than a year, in September 2011, 4 Lamas were invited from Nepal and assembled the final stages of the ‘Stupa’. See the video!
About the Stupa
A Stupa is built with the subtle knowledge of geomancy, everything within and in relation to the surrounding is in total balance and harmony and thus connected to the natural spontaneous energy in everything. In this way it expands this ‘perfection’, the ‘sacred’ this ‘truth’ this goodness, what ever we may call it, that is present in every existence and in every being limitlessly and brings about harmony and peace to its surrounding and beyond.
"I do not know how many Stupa’s there are in the UK, I know not many!"
Our guests say...
We're super excited to be adding Daphne's latest space. A wonderful addition to the collection. The feedback for Bijou and Mother Earth should give you a good feel for what it will be like. Book a stay and be the first to write a review!
10/01/2019The Canopy & Stars Team
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're super excited to be adding Daphne's latest space. A wonderful addition to the collection. The feedback for Bijou and Mother Earth should give you a good feel for what it will be like. Book a stay and be the first to write a review!
10/01/2019