Self-Catering at Rainforest Chapel | Holiday Cottages in Ruspidge

Holiday home
Rainforest Chapel is a lovely converted chapel in the village of Ruspidge, Gloucestershire. 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. Two Well-behaved dogs allowed with a £30 supplement per pet per stay.

Accomodation Details
Mostly ground floor. Two bedrooms: 1 x ground-floor double, 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

Area
Resting in the Forest of Dean in the county of Gloucestershire is the charming village of Ruspidge. Home to a local shop and a pub, along with a few local businesses, this delightful village offers a great base for a holiday full of outdoor fun. Enjoy attractions like the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail, Go Ape Forest of Dean, walks along the River Severn, the bustling town of Cinderford, and fantastic walking country all around.

Region
Visitors to the Cotswolds have long treasured memories of charming towns and villages built from the famous honey-coloured stone, it now boasts a thriving community of contemporary artists working from studios and shops throughout the area.

Amenities
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. 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 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. Note: Rainforest Cottage is 0.2 miles from Rainforest Chapel. Two Well-behaved dogs allowed with a £30 supplement per pet per stay.

Mrs Phillips

August 2020

This was a truly beautiful place, the Chapel has been converted in a very tasteful way, retaining and enhancing original features whilst also being very modern and comfortable.. Well stocked with games and our 6 year old loved the colour changing lights which looked amazing with the high ceiling. Lovely park just a short walk away and tasty food at the local fish and chip/Indian takeaway and restaurant. Location is great for lots of outdoor activities, we all had an amazing time.

Mrs Phillips, August 2020

The chapel is a quirky and fun place to stay, providing a good base to explore the Forest of Dean / River Wye / Gloucester.. Useful to have takeaway and pub with small garden so close by, and we found everyone exceptionally friendly locally, in a village where you are in the only holiday let. House is kitted out well enough, plenty of games and tech, kitchen stocked fine. Worth considering that you are living in one space in the chapel, so you will hear each other's movements and TV-watching at night, best if you are a group with the same bed time hours. I concur that it does get very warm for sleeping in hot weather, but we were there in exceptionally warm weather. Small things, it is a fun place to stay.

Mr Thompson, August 2020

July 2020

The Rainforest Chapel is beautiful, exactly what we expected from the listing and photos.. With Some areas even better, eg new sofas and a very well Equipped kitchen. It was so spacious and tastefully decorated and on hot days was lovey and cool (the windows upstairs do open). We had a wonderful stay, with access to the forest just a short walk away as well as being close to so many local attractions. Thank you.

Mrs Knight, July 2020

Lovely accommodation situated perfectly for the forests.. Could have been a little cleaner but was acceptable. Welcome pack was a lovely gesture. We were comfortable for the week and would recommend it. There is a manhole cover outside the property (not the owner’s responsibility) that makes a noise like someone knocking on the door every time it was driven over! Made the dogs jump up for the first few days until they got used to it! Personally I would be contacting the local authorities (who have marked it as an issue) to push them into repairing it! Okay for a week but I would hate to live with it!

Mrs Dobson, July 2020

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 parents already want to work out a way to return.

Miss Mccarthy, March 2020

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

Miss Marbrow, February 2020

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 Easten, December 2019

November 2019

Perfect location to explore the area.. Perfect for dogs. Very friendly and helpful people in the village.

Mrs Mulvaney, November 2019

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.

Mrs Young, September 2019

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.

Miss Morrant, July 2019

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.

Mr Clements, 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.

Miss Jones

May 2019

Facilities to do recycling would have been good..

Miss Brisco, June 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 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

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

We loved the location for the beautiful forest walks and attractions such as Puzzlewood, Clearwell caves and Symonds Yat were an easy drive to get to.. We also used the Lidl in Cinderford. The indian restaurant and chip shop was very good and very close to the chapel. We really enjoyed staying in the chapel. It had great facilities, a huge range of toys and games to entertain the children. The kitchen was lovely and the peninsula was great to sit at and watch telly at the end of the day. We missed not having salt and pepper and a pizza wheel but the property was very well equipped otherwise. The chapel is a real pleasure to stay at, a beautiful space beautifully decorated.

Mrs Mistry

September 2017

Great location and brilliant walks for the dog.. The chapel was well equipped with everything we needed.

Mrs Mackay Tumber

August 2017

The Rainforest Chapel is quirky and incredibly comfortable - a lovely venue from which to explore the stunning Forest of Dean and beautiful attractions in the surrounding area.. Would highly recommend.

Mrs Bowman

July 2017

Well equipped and clean property - would recommend but wouldn't go again as we would want to 'do' a different area

Tell us about your rental experience while staying at Rainforest Chapel. Let us know if the listing matched your expectations. You can share your comments about the location, property owner/manager and all the unique features that made your stay a memorable one.

Write a review

Rainforest Chapel in Ruspidge, Gloucestershire