Rainforest Chapel

Rating
Sleeps 4
Bedrooms 2
Bathrooms 1
Pets Yes
View on map

Features

Off road parking
Ground floor accommodation
Ground floor bedroom
Smoke-free
Garden / Patio
Pub/shop < 1 mile
Washing machine
Dishwasher
Sky TV
Broadband / WiFi

Miss Mccarthy
March 2020

“Very unusual building that has a snug in the mezzanine bedroom and TV as well as a living room and kitchen downstairs that my parents found really charming.”

Both cosy and warm in an ideal location the chapel was a superb treat and my parents spent much of the time just enjoying the property. They were delighted by the food hamper left behind with nice treats and had a fish and chip shop and Indian take away a short walk away. The local food store was well stocked and with forests surround the village plenty of walks or cycling were available. But despite all of this the property was a real star. I would highly recommend the place and my ...

Both cosy and warm in an ideal location the chapel was a superb treat and my parents spent much of the time just enjoying the property. They were delighted by the food hamper left behind with nice treats and had a fish and chip shop and Indian take away a short walk away. The local food store was well stocked and with forests surround the village plenty of walks or cycling were available. But despite all of this the property was a real star. I would highly recommend the place and my parents already want to work out a way to return.
Miss Marbrow February 2020

“Not happy I couldn't get hold of the key holder to get the safe code until half an hour after I could have checked in, especially as we were in the middle of storm Dennis so I didn't know whether to even set off.”

However Lisa and her colleagues at Sykes were super helpful and eventually between us we managed to get him. Can't praise skyes enough for their help
Mrs Easten December 2019

“This old chapel is a lovely building, beautifully converted, and the owners have worked on the heating so it is now cosy in Winter - the underfloor heating upstairs is amazing!”

The area is surrounded by forests, with so many walks - you could do a different walk every day for a year I think! The locals were friendly and relaxed, we and the dog loved it!
Mrs Mulvaney November 2019

“Perfect location to explore the area.”

Perfect for dogs. Very friendly and helpful people in the village.
Mrs Young September 2019

“Along with a number of properties we have stayed in, it would be useful to have recycling instructions rather than leaving everything in a general bin.”

This property is cleverly converted but the outside is small and not secure, and the bath has very high sides which make it challenging to get into. Also it is only single glazed so you do hear traffic early morning.
Miss Morrant July 2019

“Rainforest Chapel is a well presented renovation.”

It was very clean, dog friendly , with a well equipped , modern kitchen and bathroom, Sky TV package on two large screen TV's and Xbox upstairs in the second mezzanine bedroom. The shower is over the bath , which is quite high , so may not suit the less able. Sykes website photos were very accurate in their presentation of the accommodation,which did not disappoint. Ruspidge is not a holiday destination , and there is little to do there, but the stunningly beautiful Forest of Dean is on the doorstep, plus the chapel is central to day trips to Wales, Gloucester, Hereford ,Ross on Wye and the Cotswolds.The views at Symonds Yat are breathtaking. The small towns of Coleford and Cinderford are a short drive away for supplies.Parking is on the road opposite and there is no outside space as such, except for the gravel frontage, but that was not really a problem. Handy little pub and takeaway just down the road....I would highly recommend the quirky Rainforest Chapel for a break away.
Mr Clements June 2019

“The sofa and chair smelt awful.”

We couldn't sit on them. Could do with a couple of outside chairs as we couldn't sit out at all.
Miss Brisco June 2019

“The chapel was the most breathtaking place we have ever stayed.”

It's bigger than you'd think inside with lots of space. The area itself is absolutely beautiful and it's amazing for walking or you can explore so many different places. Our favourites were; Clearwell Caves (20 minutes away, spent 2 hours there), International Birds Of Prey Centre (1 hour away - very awkward to get to, spent 1 hour there), The Forest of Dean (5 minutes away, the biggest one is pay and display and does not accept cards !!, the best trail was the Sculpture Trail, 5 Miles and took about 2 hours). We found the best and nearest supermarket was Tesco, Lydney (20 minute drive and was a large shop which had everything we needed(. Every interaction we had with the owner was helpful and polite, he was a really lovely person. The downsides to the property are: There isn't off road parking - you park next to the chapel and have to carry all your luggage across and it isn't guaranteed that you can park right outside so may have to park down the road, there isn't a garden- when it states garden/patio it means the small patio outside the front door, finally bring your own fans if you're visiting in the summer as it gets really really hot - the bathroom windows open but the rest of the windows are the beautiful chapel style ones which do not open. If anyone is looking to visit the area, it's a really gorgeous place to stay and we would definitely return.
Mrs Ridsdale May 2019

“Great base for walks with the dogs.”

The local pub The New Inn was just two minutes walk away and the landlord and locals very friendly . The cottage was comfortable and had everything that you needed.
Miss Jones May 2019

“Facilities to do recycling would have been good.”
Miss Millward April 2019

“Very quirky accommodation beautifully decorated and almost everything there to make your stay comfortable.”

Lack of outdoor space despite being advertised as having a garden .... it doesn’t. Great base for walks into the Forrest, not much in the town itself but lots of nice places further afield.
Mr Metcalf February 2019

“Perfect location for beautiful walks into the forest of Dean!”
Mr Upton December 2018

“The chapel was beautiful and comfortable, but there was a lot of pet hair in places but overall, we loved our trip.”
Mr Clover October 2018

“Lovely chapel.”

Plenty of room for 4 people. Boys loved having their own floor to themselves. Had a problem with one radiator not working in the living room but this was rectified by the owner quickly. Chapel in an ideal location for exploring the beautiful forest, didn't have to travel far. This was about the 6th time we've visited the forest, different accomodation each time and we've never been disappointed. Would highly recommend the location & this accommodation.
Mr Ruhloff September 2018

“The Chapel is realy amazing!”

There is anything you need, including two big Flatscreen-TV, X-Box and so on. You'll find a warm welcome - it's like coming home. The Rainforest Chapel is a great place to see the forest of Dean, visiting Wales and lots of other places (Stratford-upon-avon 90min, Oxford 90min). The host is realy generous and friendly. Highly recommended!!!
Mrs Thompson August 2018

“Rainforest chapel is a lovely place which is kept in high standards.”

It is about 5 minute walk away from the Forest of Dean. There is a nearby fish and chip shop and a convenience store for food shopping. Tourist attractions are easily accessible by car. We recommend go ape adventures for teenagers, the forest itself for nice walks and some lovely meal in Hopewell Colliery. Gloucester is easily accessible by car for shopping and sightseeing, lots of shops and restaurants. The Cathedral is worth a visit. A very lovely holiday!
Mrs Wight July 2018

“We loved the Chapel as the location was fab for us with the dog as there are so many places to take them.”

The local pub and the Indian are so friendly and I would love to go back. I would recommend this for a couple only though as the top open bedroom doesn't give much privacy. The welcome pack was amazing and the owner was so helpful. Had the best week and would definitely go back.
Mrs Fraser June 2018

“Fabulous house to stay in.”

Only 5 minutes walk and you are in acres of woodland. The house was gorgeous, clean and we were spoilt with the welcome pack. Kids lived the Xbox and having SKY!
Mr Reid June 2018

“I made this booking on recommendation from your online assistant.”

This was the first time I had used this facility, happily locating my own accommodation from your website in the past. I was looking for a cottage in Gloucestershire with a large double bed and was given several options, Rainforest Chapel being one of them. The name Rainforest Chapel conjured up an image of a peaceful location and the one exterior photo on the listing did not dispel this. We arrived in the village of Ruspidge to find our accommodation in an industrial village, a most unlikely holiday location, with the chapel sitting on a a fork in the road. The interior was as per the listing - an excellent kitchen, the property well fitted out and comfortable, but just a touch cool. The problem really lay in the lack of sleep, particularly the first two nights. The bed was indeed large - super king size but the bed covers were for a smaller bed. We alternated between sweating under the duvet and shivering as the covers were not large enough. Then there was the traffic noise from the road outside, perhaps 6 feet from the bedhead that woke us just after 6am each morning. This is not holiday standard! My emailed complaint to your office lead to text messages from the owner whereby bed covers to suit a super king bed were provided. That solved one problem but not the traffic noise. The owner explained that as it was a Grade 2 listed building he could not do anything such as double glazing to deal with this issue. So there you have it, we spent a week in a unique holiday building situated in the middle of a working class village being woken just after 6 each morning. But at least we had suitable bedding for the last 5 nights. Overall experience - VERY DISAPPOINTING.
Mrs Johnson May 2018

“An ideal spot for exploring the forest of dean and dean valley railway.”

The Rain Forest Chapel was very comfortable and had a relaxing peacefull atmosphere at the end of the day. The local pub The New Inn was very friendly and inviting. We were able to eat out fish and chips from the chip shop opposite in the outside seating area of the pub so we could enjoy the lovely evening sunshine after a day on the railway. Also parking was not a problem, plenty of road space.
Mr Goss April 2018

“We had a comfortable and pleasant stay at Rainforest Chapel.”

Situated in The Forest of Dean, with good walking. The chapel itself gave good space and light and was clean and well equipped. The village where it is located is very ordinary, having a convenience store, an Indian restaurant, pub and fish and chip shop. You are however located close enough to places of interest (Monmouth, Ross on Wye, Gloucester etc.)
Fern P February 2018

“poole pottery and disco lights!”

We stayed in the Rainforest chapel for a week in February. Be warned that it gets cold even though the heating is on simply because of the size of the main room. Bring an extra blanket! The chapel is a huge space that has been really tastefully decorated with vintage furniture and pottery and glass decor. Throughout the chapel are remote controlled colour changing lights which can be turned on or off. We had great fun with these. They really give it that extra special touch and the main open plan living space is big enough to pull it off without being tacky. There was also a mezzanine level with twin beds, sofa and large tv with games console which gave us the option to spend the evening upstairs where it was more cosy or downstairs where it was more grand. There was also a really handy indian/chip shop very close to the chapel and some really beautiful forest walks nearby. Would thoroughly recommend a stay here to get away from it all.
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The property

Rainforest Chapel is a lovely converted chapel in the village of Ruspidge near Cinderford.

The cottage sleeps four people in two bedrooms which are a ground floor super king-size double (which can be a twin room on request) which has an electric fire, and a mezzanine twin room (can be a super king-size double on request).

There is also a spacious open plan living area with a kitchen, dining area and a sitting area with an electric fire.

Completing the accommodation is a ground floor bathroom.

Outside there is a front patio and roadside parking for one car on a first come, first served basis.

Rainforest Chapel is a fantastic base within the Forest of Dean.

Summary

Mostly ground floor
Two bedrooms: 1 x super king-size double (zip/link, can be twin on request), 1 x mezzanine twin (zip/link, can be super king-size double on request) with seating area
Bathroom with bath, shower over, basin and separate WC
Open plan living area with kitchen with breakfast bar (seats 2), dining area and sitting area with electric fire.
Electric radiators throughout, underfloor heating in bedrooms and bathroom and electric fires
Electric double oven and hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washing machine, TV with full Sky, Xbox, WiFi, selection of books and games
Fuel and power inc. in rent
Bed linen and towels inc. in rent
Ample roadside parking
Front courtyard area
Two well-behaved pets welcome
Sorry, no smoking
Shop 10 mins walk, pub 2 mins walk
Note: There is one step up to the dining and sitting area and two steps to the ground floor bathroom
Note - Please find that the Rainforest Chapel is a grade 2 star listed building and is over 160 years old, thus there is a degree of charm and character that comes with living in such a unique dwelling, and that it may not be suitable to all guests that might expect the very highest living standards of a new dwelling thus
The height of the enclosed courtyard garden and stone finish may not be suitable for all types of pets
The living room fire place is a 'feature' fireplace only for visual purposes
The bath hot water has been restricted in temperature and is very slow filling
You might feel a chill or draft on 'very cold' days due to the original windows and solid walls.

About the location

CINDERFORD

Ross-on-Wye 8.6 miles; Gloucester 15 miles; Cheltenham 22 miles.

Cinderford is set in an elevated position in the Forest of Dean and has views out across the River Severn. With a good range of local amenities including shops, pubs and an open air market and cinema, Cinderford is a lovely base from which to begin your explorations of the area. Close by is the magnificent Royal Forest of Dean, England's largest oak forest and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, offering numerous trails that can be explored on foot, bicycle or horseback. Caving, abseiling and a high wire rope course are on offer for the more adventurous, while fishing, golf, kayaking and canoeing are other popular activities in this unspoilt area. Just a short drive away, in the historic waterfront city of Gloucester, you will find Roman foundations, Victorian Docklands and a spectacular Norman Cathedral (whose cloisters were used as a location in the Harry Potter films). Visit the historic market town of Ross-on-Wye, with timbered Tudor houses and excellent shops, pubs and restaurants, in the heart of rural Herefordshire. Cheltenham is just over 20 miles away and is home to the renowned Cheltenham Festival, 4 days of horse jump racing culminating in the Gold Cup, held annually in March at Cheltenham Racecourse. The Severn Estuary, famous for its tidal bore, is a delight for bird watchers, wildlife enthusiasts and bore surfers alike. This unspoilt area has something to offer at any time of the year.

This property offers the following short breaks:

Winter
Off-season
Last minute
Christmas

Rainforest Chapel

Ruspidge near Cinderford, Gloucestershire (Ref. 938318)

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Features

“Very unusual building that has a snug in the mezzanine bedroom and TV as well as a living room and kitchen downstairs that my parents found really charming.”

“Not happy I couldn't get hold of the key holder to get the safe code until half an hour after I could have checked in, especially as we were in the middle of storm Dennis so I didn't know whether to even set off.”

“This old chapel is a lovely building, beautifully converted, and the owners have worked on the heating so it is now cosy in Winter - the underfloor heating upstairs is amazing!”

“Perfect location to explore the area.”

“Along with a number of properties we have stayed in, it would be useful to have recycling instructions rather than leaving everything in a general bin.”