Skip to content
Part of Big House Holiday Lets LtdSee all our houses
Top-down aerial photograph of a river bending through a gorge lined with autumn-coloured trees in red, orange and green, with a dirt path running alongside the water and small rapids visible mid-river.
FROM£2,450PER STAY

II

The river and the woods

The Wye runs below the house, and the paths start at the gate

A circular walk, a hand-pulled ferry, a bluebell wood, and canoe hire close enough to walk to.

Walked from the gate

The circular walk, and the ferry that closes it

More guests describe this walk than anything else about the house. It leaves from the front gate, crosses the Wye twice, and passes a pub on the far bank.

A drawn plan of the circular walk: from the house, up the near bank of the River Wye to the Biblins footbridge, across the river, back down the far bank to the Saracens Head, and home again on the hand-pulled ferry. The house Through the woods The footbridge The Saracens Head Hand-pulled ferry

  1. Turn right at the gate

    A path drops away from the house, through the woods and along the bank of the Wye.

  2. Up to the Biblins

    The footbridge crosses the river at the Biblins, where the campsite is.

  3. Down the far bank

    The path on the other side runs back downstream towards Symonds Yat East.

  4. Stop at the Saracens Head

    Most groups break here for lunch or a drink before the last leg.

  5. Cross back on the hand-pulled ferry

    The ferry takes you over to this side of the river, and the last stretch is a stroll home.

The ferry runs later into the evening in high summer, so it is worth checking the times before you set out.

The Rope Ferry to the Saracen's Head and the 'Frog' ferry between the far bank and the Ferrie Inn were great fun and much enjoyed by the Grandchildren and adults alike!
II Angie S, August 2024
An aerial or elevated view down a snowy, mist-shrouded hillside of bare trees, with sunlight casting long shadows through fog and a rocky, frost-covered ledge in the foreground.

The woodland behind the house

Bluebells in spring, peregrines up at Yat Rock

In April it goes blue underfoot. In winter the fog sits in it until the middle of the morning, and the sun comes through the trunks in bars.

Wildlife

Two mandarin ducks perched on a moss-covered rock in a shallow, algae-streaked river, with green water and dark stones surrounding them, woodland visible blurred in the background.
Ducks A pair of mandarin ducks among the rocks, in water gone bright green with algae.

The valley is quiet enough that people notice what is in it.

Guests have written about peregrines up at Symonds Yat Rock, two kingfishers and a kestrel from the paths near the house, and mandarin ducks out on the shallows.

A small moss-covered stone waterfall feature cascading into a woodland stream, with a dirt path and trees visible behind, water captured with a soft blurred motion effect.
Falls A two-tier fall over moss-covered boulders, with a path running the bank above it.

Yat Rock itself is a walk up from the house, and from the top the view looks straight back down onto it.

Come and walk it

The loop is there in any weather

The paths start at the gate and the ferry closes the loop. Tell us when you are thinking of coming.

Check your dates

Best price when you enquire direct.

Or call 01600 732050

Book your stay

Know someone who’d love this?

Send Holly Tree House (WT test) to the group chat

Staying with us? Tag @bighouseholidaylets on Instagram — we love seeing your photos.