Berry Hall Cottages

Dogfriendly Magazine Review

Read our comprehensive review of this listing printed in our bi-monthly magazine.

Name: Berry Hall Garden Cottage
Reviewer: Zeena Moolla

Any place picturesque enough, with a soft, sandy beach and foamy sea lapping playfully at tiny toes, can be described as a sanctuary, but for me, the Gower Peninsula really is. As a kid, we visited most of its beautiful beaches on many occasions – Rhossili, Port Eynon, Oxwich and Three Cliffs Bay among our favourites – and each trip holds a special memory of my late, single-parent father decompressing from raising three children and working full time. He said many times that, for him, the beaches were the closest to his native South African ones the UK had to offer. Consequently, while the term haven is often over-used in travel writing, the Gower will always feel exactly this: a nurturing shelter that hugged my dad when he needed it most. 

Since becoming a mum 11 years ago and sadly losing my dad in December 2022, it has developed into my own haven – a place pickled in those happy memories, while also feeding me new ones of my two kids scrambling up the beach, back from the clear Port Eynon sea, wielding lone crab claws and asking every seven minutes if it’s time for a Joe’s ice cream. (To be fair, as Joe’s is exclusive to Swansea and our favourite ice cream, we do tend to maximise our opportunities for scoffing it.) 

Our most recent Gower break brought renewed love as this was our first with 15-month-old Mac, a Red Fox Labrador, who explored the beach and sea with the same fresh unfettered enthusiasm my kids had. It was the total tonic we all needed after losing my dad. Frankly, sea air and the company of a dog should be on prescription for the grieving. However, while a picturesque coast and canine companionship is undoubtedly comforting, as any dog owner will tell you, a holiday with your pooch can go from salvation to a source of stress if your dog is only partially welcome throughout your trip, particularly in your holiday accommodation. 

This is why Berry Hall Cottages, just outside Port Eynon, was the perfect stay for us with our extra addition of Mac. Nestled in the hamlet of Berry, and less than a five-minute drive from Port Eynon beach, the cottages are part of an 18th-century smallholding. Berry Hall Cottage, the first of two available for rent, is a sweet annexe to the main house where the lovely, helpful owners Wendy and Mark live.

This accommodation comprises two double bedrooms and the cottage has so much warm character detail throughout, that you want to hunker down in the evening with a broth and full-bodied red, or something equally fitting of its period feel. And if we were the sort of family to send portrait cards at Christmas, I’d definitely be donning a bonnet for a group shot in front of that magnificent fireplace. Our stay was in Berry Hall Garden Cottage and while Berry Hall Cottage is also dog friendly accommodation, this one has more outside space, perfect for a young lab in need of a frequent stretch. The accommodation itself is more contemporary in design, particularly as it’s a converted garage, but there’s plenty of homely detail for that cosy holiday feel. A log burner, which Mac adored unwinding in front of, was perfect for taking the chill off an early spring night, and the kitchen, with its marble-top island centrepiece, has a great convivial vibe and makes an ideal buffet and drinks spot if you have friends or family staying in the other cottage and wish to eat together. Wendy and Mark also provide plenty of dog provisions, including some handy throws for the furniture which meant it wasn’t necessary to bark (often, far more than Mac), ‘Off’ and ‘Get down’ as experienced in other holiday lets. There are also bowls, doggy towels and shampoo plus a dog wash for a post-beach clean, although, in all honesty, Mac wasn’t overly enamoured with this prospect. For the non-canine welcome treats, we were delighted to find milk, plenty of teabags, coffee, sugar, fresh eggs and utterly delicious Welsh cakes, all of which contributed to a relaxing start to our weekend break. It was clear, from the outset, Wendy and Mark work hard to make sure guests have the means to kick off a holiday immediately, with both cottages being well equipped. Things like towels, linen, plenty of utensils, firewood, good WiFi, smart TV, soap, a few dishwasher tablets even – help to take the edge off some of that first-night stress when you have kids and a dog in the mix.

The cottages are so cosy and comfy that we could all enjoy lazy breakfasts and leisurely showers each morning, without going stir crazy. The views surrounding the whole site help for a peaceful frame of mind too, with farmland, ancient green lanes, woodlands, plus the holding’s horse and sheep often grazing in the adjoining fields. And while eating our gifted eggs, there was something wholesome about knowing our breakfast provider was likely strutting nearby, as these are sourced from the chickens also on-site at Berry Hall. 

But, as with any break with a dog on board, getting out and about needs to be hound hospitable in order for it to be a truly relaxing holiday, and with Wendy and Mark’s typical kind foresight, we had many suggestions of dog friendly places to visit. Port Eynon is pooch paradise with many a dog blissfully bouncing, much like Mac, with abandon around the beach. It’s also particularly family friendly with an infectiously laid-back feel and for added ease, it is also accessible, and has a large, level car park, toilet amenities close by and lifeguards in peak season. 

Be warned though, between May and September, like many beaches around Swansea, Port Eynon has a designated area where dogs are allowed off their leads. But all this means is dogs are free to roam on roughly one half of the beach and as it’s about a mile long and rarely packed, this doesn’t feel at all limiting. There are some handy beachside eateries with outside space which mean you can dine al fresco with your dog too, such as Smugglers Beach and The Seafarer, both excellent for service and pretty decent food, albeit quite overpriced. There’s also a general store with handy essentials as well as tourist treats, plus a couple of really good ice cream parlours perfect for the kids’ good-behaviour beach bribes. 

My recommendation for dining out in Port Eynon is The Ship Inn, which has dog friendly space both inside and out and, I think, does by far the best fish and chips locally. At £18.50 for large cod with chips (plus peas and tartar sauce), it’s, again, not exactly cheap, but the quality is certainly superior to much of the fare elsewhere. It also has the advantage of being an all-weather dog friendly option when you’re bound by a hound. 

We also ventured to stunning, year-round dog friendly Oxwich Bay (a ten-minute drive from Berry Hall Cottages), to introduce Mac to his second-ever beach. Here, while he was equally elated as he’d been at Port Eynon, charging in and out of the sea, clearly unsure of what to do with that much joy, he was worn out enough to permit us coffees in The Dunes, a nearby cafe, where dogs are allowed inside and out. While Oxwich has fewer cafes and shops on its beachfront, it does, however, offer the sort of spectacular views you go on holiday for from the Oxwich Bay Hotel café. 

I strongly suggest a cold drink here, particularly as the sun sets, and enjoy resting your eyes Port Eynon Tried & tested Wales The Ship Inn, Port Eynon Oxwich Bay is a long sweeping sandy bay with a shallow water line on a vision of sheer natural beauty. It’s not surprising that Oxwich Bay beach has won multiple awards for its good looks. Just as my pop had always said, with its golden-sanded expanse, it doesn’t feel like you’re in the UK.

Our third and final seaside outing was to the Mumbles. Not a picnic-and-paddle sort of place, but more a backdrop to the many bars and restaurants that line the pretty promenade stretching along the coastline to Swansea Bay. As virtually every person you pass is accompanied by a canine, it’s safe to say it’s dog friendly. We chose Croeso Lounge for our brunch spot, and with the entire downstairs welcome to dogs, we could enjoy our Lounge Breakfasts and Shakshuka, comfortable in the knowledge that brunching with dog-owners and dog-lovers alike meant less need to scan for skittish fellow diners. 

We finished our trip with one final Joe’s ice cream for the road (rude not to) and securing the last batch of freshly baked Welsh cakes from Davies of Mumbles (so much nicer than the pre-packed ones). My dear dad, a committed Welsh cake fan after his first visit to Swansea in the seventies, would have been proud. As we drove home, each of us nibbling the Welsh cakes we’d intended to save (well, they are best fresh), I had the same sense of gratitude I’ve always had after a trip to the Gower. But this time, as it had my dad, I also felt like the Gower had given me a healing hug when I needed it most. Port Eynon, in particular, with its character, generous beauty and, as Wendy and Mark both exemplify, some of the kindest locals you’ll ever meet.

Berry Hall Garden Cottage, review by Zeena Moolla and appears in DogFriendly magazine issue 82.  For more information on the DogFriendly magazine visit https://www.dogfriendly.co.uk/magazine