Sustonica, the first global sustainability standard for holiday lets.
Our aim is to create lasting holiday memories and we intend to do so both responsibly and sustainably.
To deliver on this we've set out a number of environmental and social pledges which help to focus our efforts;
you can read more about them in our Impact Report.
This is why we've partnered with Sustonica, the first global certification for holiday lets,
to support our owners to be more sustainable.
The Sustonica certification focuses on four key areas: energy conservation, water conservation,
waste reduction and promoting inclusiveness. They are on a mission to become the most widely
recognised sustainability standard for holiday rentals and a catalyst to reduce emissions of holiday
lets and influence guests to reduce their own household consumption too.
Properties that display the Sustonica badge have successfully passed the criteria,
which align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council standards,
and their owner has made a commitment to look after our planet as well as you.
"The Milking Parlour was so much more than we expected."
It was so comfortable and plenty of room for our party of 11 for my Dads surprise 80th Birthday
Reviewed by Elaine5.0★Oct 2024
"The house was amazing."
It was clean, well equipped and had plenty of space for a family get together. The games room was ideal especially for a family that have played table tennis. It is some where you would definately go back to. A place where you can make memories.
Reviewed by Nicola5.0★Sep 2024
"Super property for a large crowd with plenty of room to sit in the living room, nice bedrooms, plenty of bathrooms and a very well-stocked kitchen."
Very quiet location and nicely arranged so privacy from the other cottages.
Only downside - outdoor sitting space isn't in the evening sun and is all hard paving, not attractive.
Reviewed by Ann4.7★Aug 2024
"This was a lovely property."
We were impressed with the quick response to the wasps nest. The house was clean comfy and well presented. We found the entrance road super narrow by t otherwise loved it.
Hi Judith,
Thank you for your lovely feedback, we really appreciate it.
We appreciate you highlighting the issue regarding the wasps, We endeavour to deal with all issues as promptly as possible, to ensure you have a comfortable stay with us.
We hope to see you back at Westhope Country Retreats in the very near future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Judith5.0★Jul 2024
"The property was wonderful, clean, safe and great space for everyone."
Owner was extremely helpful and friendly -highly recommend
Hi Jessica,
Thank you for your feedback, we really appreciate hearing guests have enjoyed their stay with us.
We endeavour to assist our guests with any issues that arise during your stay.
We hope to see you back at Westhope Country Retreats in the very near future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Jessica5.0★Dec 2023
"The pictures on the website don’t do the cottage justice."
It was a lot bigger than we imagined.
The hot tub and games room were a godsend for the children.
The added touches on arrival - the wine, mince pies, milk, even the biscuits the dog were much appreciated.
Hi Paul,
Thank you for your lovely feedback.
We are in the process of arranging to have our images re done to show the alterations and improvements being made in the property.
We are very pleased to hear that you managed to make use of the games room.
We endeavour to make guests stays as comfortable as possible including the little touches for our furry friends.
We hope to see you in the very near future at Westhope Country Retreats.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Paul5.0★Dec 2023
"The cottage was absolutely gorgeous and the attention to detail was lovely."
It was beautifully decorated for Christmas and the mince pies and mulled wine were a lovely surprise.
The only criticism is the early 9.30am check out time as this was a struggle with 4 small children. But other than that, it was wonderful and we’d definitely come back!
Hi Hayley,
Thank you for your feedback, we really do appreciate this.
We endeavour to make guests stays comfortable with our home from home feel.
We are currently discussing the advantages of altering the check in/check out times with the housekeeping team, to ensure this is manageable whilst keeping on top of the welfare of our staff.
We hope to see you back at Westhope Country Retreats in the very near future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Hayley5.0★Dec 2023
"This property worked really well for a family group of 3 generations."
We loved the open plan living area and generous kitchen island. It was great to have a bathroom for every bedroom with the extra benefit of a downstairs toilet. The downstairs bedrooms worked well for a family and we really enjoyed using the hot tub and outside seating area. It was a really quiet location and there were plenty of local walks, as well as not being too far from places like Ludlow and Shrewsbury. A really lovely week.
Reviewed by Jonathan5.0★Apr 2023
"Our party of 6 adults and 3 children had a great holiday at The Milking Parlour."
We found it clean, welcoming and comfortable, with the hot tub and games room an added bonus. A lovely barn conversion with very spacious rooms but also very cosy. Location in a quiet valley with walks through woods to views of the hills. A short scenic drive to Church Stretton led to the Long Mynd and the beautiful Carding Mill Valley. The Discovery Centre in Craven Arms is worth a visit and we were pleasantly surprised the local supermarket there had “everything” we needed. Tuffins is well worth a visit!
Reviewed by Jennifer5.0★Mar 2023
"Lovely property."
For us it was tricky to find & a bit more off the beaten track than I would have preferred - I probably should have researched the area better as it didn’t matter for myself & husband but we had family joining us from all over & it caused issues. We were disappointed that the sun was mostly at the front of the property, where the garden, seating area, hot tub were all shaded, so that affected our use out there - we had glorious sunshine but not where it was needed.
But it is a lovely area & we had a wonderfully relaxing week. Thank you
Reviewed by Sally5.0★Oct 2022
"Brilliant holiday cottage was very well furnished and fitted out for a party in excess of 12 so it was great for our party of 9."
The children loved the hot tub and the games room and gym. Big enough for 3 generations so we were not tripping over each other or fighting over the tv control as ther were 4 tvs.
Reviewed by Janet5.0★Aug 2022
"Lovely cottage: well kept and spacious."
Reviewed by Janet4.7★Jul 2022
"An ideal venue for our family get together of 11 people and not forgetting Nuno, the dog."
We all loved it. Plenty of space, both indoors and outdoors, for everyone and the split of the bedrooms was ideal. The hot tub was the right size and everyone enjoyed it. We ordered a Tesco home delivery and they were there for when we arrived. The large fridge was full and so was the smaller freezer by the time we had finished. Would have preferred a larger freezer because of the amount of food ordered, but fortunately because of the late arrival time we were able to eat the large pizzas etc on the night so all was ok. The games room was located close by and both the younger and older members of our party made use of it. There are a number of walks close by, mainly on the roads and we thought that may be difficult dog walking. Fortunately the roads were not used by much traffic and so this didn’t cause any issues. A minor issue cropped up during our stay and a quick call to Chloe resolved it. We loved the extra info sent by Chloe to us prior to our stay and I was able to copy to everyone in our group. Really enjoyed our stay and will I am sure be booking again
Reviewed by Robert5.0★Jul 2022
"We had a lovely stay here and found the house to be well equipped with everything we needed"
Reviewed by Nicole4.4★Jun 2022
"What a amazing weekend, the accommodation was fab, also the amenities were spot on."
The children thoroughly enjoyed the games room , said the adults ! Would recommend this cottage to anyone . This visit was a celebration of a 70th birthday, it was perfect with a welcome bottle of wine & lovely homemade Victoria sandwich cake , what more would you want !
Reviewed by J5.0★Jun 2022
"Fabulously well presented and equipped house."
We had a great weekend stay.
Reviewed by Tracey5.0★Mar 2022
"House was brilliant for our extended family holiday (4 generations)."
There was plenty of room for all of us, everything there that we could possibly need.
Owners and staff really friendly and helpful, would love to go back again.
Reviewed by Deborah5.0★Oct 2021
"Beautiful holiday house with outstanding country views."
The house has everything you need, and you can tell that a lot effort and care is put into running the holiday house. I have stayed here twice! I would recommend staying here. Thank you for the lovely stay.
Reviewed by Heidi5.0★Oct 2021
"Christmas trees, where a lovely touch and the cake and wine where delicious,and the dogs had a great time too."
Reviewed by Sarah4.4★Dec 2020
"Beautiful cottage, well equipped, can highly recommend"
Reviewed by Paula4.7★Oct 2020
"The cottage was beautiful."
Very well equipped, clean and spacious
Reviewed by Lynn5.0★Sep 2020
"We had an amazing family holiday!"
We would defo recommend the milking parlour.
Reviewed by Hannah5.0★Feb 2020
"A superb property - ten of us spent a weekend at the Milking Parlour for my wife’s 50th."
Lots of thoughtful touches on arrival (such as milk, wine and a very nice victoria sponge), great layout and fantastic facilities. Dealt with Marianne and Chloe at the site before arrival, their support and advice was spot on regarding taxi and pub recommendations. Overall, very impressed - thanks for a great weekend!
Reviewed by Matt5.0★Jan 2020
"Awesome place, loads of space, all in perfect condition, great communication with owner, delicious cake and wine and chocolate."
Massive thank you.
Reviewed by Rebecca5.0★Jan 2020
"I have absolutely no complaints about The Milking Parlour but because I had the property for a week I was having a changeover of guests from family to friends."
I needed to get a change of bedding for those rooms but I was told categorically ‘No’ by the girl at Sykes who said it would be like having two bookings ( I don’t think so). I later found out - after having the washing machine on several times - that this is a service that the Milking Parlour offer!
Reviewed by Angela5.0★May 2019
"Had a lovely weekend away with a group of friends we had a lovely time."
The cottage was lovely actually better than I was expecting from the pictures. We had plenty of bathrooms and the homemade cake was a lovely touch! The only few suggestions I have are some of the beds were a bit uncomfortable I could feel the springs in my mattress so wasn’t the most comfy sleep. Also would be useful to provide additional towels to use in the hot tub or alternatively suggest guest bring their own. We would certainly return the cottage was clean and homely and we really enjoyed our stay.
Reviewed by Rebecca4.7★Jan 2019
"Excellent. Very clean cottage."
Lovely helpful staff.
Reviewed by Adam4.7★Aug 2018
"The Milking Parlour provided a great place for our annual family summer holiday."
We loved the layout of the property and all the bath/shower facilities. The bedrooms provided a suitable mix of sleeping arrangements for our three generation group. The beds were large but a little too soft for some of us! The kitchen area, though quite compact, was very well equipped. Throughout the property there were plenty of comfortable places to sit; around the dining table, in the lovely open lounge area and outside on the enclosed, private patio. The grandchildren thoroughly enjoyed the hot tub and the shared games room. We very much appreciated being allowed to walk the dogs in the field opposite our holiday home.
There were so many interesting places to visit in the local area that we were never short of something to do and we wished we’d had a few more days to explore this beautiful, peaceful area. The owners were very welcoming and helpful.
Reviewed by Fred4.7★Aug 2018
"Fabulous house for big family, surrounded by beautiful countryside."
We all had a great time.
Reviewed by Moira3.8★May 2018
"Welcomed soon after arriving - and lovely touch to have a homemade cake plus wine and chocolate waiting."
Everything was exactly as described and very clean and comfortable.
Reviewed by Jane4.7★Apr 2018
"From booking, to leaving at the end of our break, both Sykes and the owner were fantastic and very attentive to any requests we had."
Reviewed by Alison5.0★Mar 2018
"We were all really pleased with our holiday cottage and the efficiency of Sykes's organisation."
We would certainly use you again and recommend you to others but have unsubscribed for now as we found your emails far too frequent.
Reviewed by Julie5.0★Feb 2018
"Fabulous lodge, great for large groups."
Marianna looks after us very well, from checking in on us the first evening, to the extra touches in the lodge.
Our second visit for a pre family Christmas. We also booked the lodge next door, as there were 13 of us. Marianna made contact with us the week before our arrival and made arrangements for plenty of table space, crockery and glasses!
Would highly recommend.
Reviewed by Anna-marie5.0★Dec 2017
"Loved it - open plan set up worked well for group of us."
lovely feel quiet and loved the hot tub
Reviewed by Lisa5.0★Nov 2017
"Fabulous weekend in a beautiful barn conversion that offered everything we needed."
Reviewed by Beverley4.8★Jan 2017
"Beautiful barn conversion."
Very spacious and well kitted out.
Reviewed by Angela4.8★Oct 2016
"Wonderful experience from booking to leaving."
There was a water leak sadly the morning of our departure which was helped by quick communication & provided with bottled water to help us out as much as possible in this situation. Cake, wine & chocolate was a lovely kind gesture & made us feel very welcome. Great accommodation & Skye's booking and service was outstanding.
Reviewed by Helen5.0★Oct 2016
"We spend three night enjoying our wedding celebrations."
We had close family and friends with us and the owner of the cottage made our stay just beautiful. I cannot recommend enough! The location is beautiful and the views are breathtaking. Rooms are spacious and there is enough space for the whole family to rest and spend a quality time together. Hot tube night was special too!!
Five Bedrooms - 1 x super king-size with TV and en-suite shower, basin and WC, 1 x king-size with TV and en-suite shower, basin and WC,1 x sofa bed, please note not suitable for adults and extra linen can be provided at an extra charge
1 x twin with dressing room, 1 x ground floor twin - both beds are 3'6 so are suitable for adults but the room is small, 1 x ground floor family room with 1 super king-size (zip/link, can be twin on request) and 1 single with TV and en-suite bath with shower over, basin and WC
Shower room with shower, basin and WC
Ground floor shower room with shower, basin and WC
Ground floor basin and WC
Open plan living area with fitted kitchen, dining area and sitting area with woodburner
Private hot tub
Oil central heating with woodburner in living area
Electric range oven and hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, washing machine, dishwasher, 4 x TVs with Freeview, WiFi
Shared games room with pool table (50 pence pieces required), table football, table tennis, selection of books
Gym with TV and cross trainer, rowing machine, multi-gym and weights
Fuel, power and starter pack for woodburner inc. in rent with honesty box for extra wood
Bed linen and towels inc. in rent
Travel cot, highchair and stairgate on request
Off road parking for 4 cars
Enclosed rear patio area with furniture, charcoal BBQ (charcoal not included)
Private hot tub
Two well-behaved pets welcome
Sorry, no smoking
Shared bike storage
Shop 6 miles, pub 4.8 miles
Note: For any guests who wish to use the hot tub, the owner requires a disclaimer to be signed before use
This will be emailed to you by the owner once you have booked
Please note: If you booking is to celebrate a special birthday please notify us before confirming your booking as the owner needs to be consulted
Please note: This property has a good housekeeping bond of £350
The property
The Milking Parlour is a charming 19th-century barn conversion situated within 250 acres of farmland, in the scenic Hope Valley.
This Westhope cottage makes a wonderful home for a large family or group of friends.
Lovingly converted to combine modern living with original character, this charming accommodation boasts spacious open-plan living accommodation with a woodburning stove, five bedrooms (three with en-suite bathrooms) and a private rear patio garden with a hot tub, ideal for alfresco dining.
Outside discover the charming feature well, adding a touch of character to the exterior of The Milking Parlour.
As you step inside, you'll be greeted by the inviting living/dining room, complete with a woodburning stove nestled in the fireplace, perfect for relaxing nights in.
Above the fireplace, you'll find a mounted TV for entertainment, and the dining table is elegantly set for eleven guests to enjoy a meal together.
The kitchen boasts a breakfast bar for two guests, as well as an oven and hob to whip up delicious meals during your stay and a fridge/freezer to store any treats.
With five bedrooms to choose from, including a super king-size with a TV and en-suite, a king-size with TV and en-suite, a ground-floor twin, a twin, and a ground-floor family room with TV and en-suite, there's plenty of space for everyone to relax and unwind.
In some of the bedrooms, you'll find an exposed brick wall adding a touch of rustic charm and wooden beams adorn the bedrooms that aren't on the ground floor.
Step outside into the garden where a patio awaits, complete with furniture and a bubbling hot tub, perfect for soaking under the stars and enjoying the peaceful surroundings of Shropshire.
After exploring Shropshire return to The Milking Parlour and throw a log on the woodburning stove.
Note: Cottage is next to Refs. 1863, 2913, 12657 & 26471 and 947385 together they sleep 50.
Note: Dogs to be kept on leads at all times outside due to livestock.
Westhope Country Retreats
These six quality brick-built barn conversions are situated in a lovely courtyard setting on the owners' 250-acre farm, on the edge of Westhope village, just six miles from the delightful town of Church Stretton in Shropshire. Originally part of a 19th century stable block, these Westhope cottages have been sympathetically renovated and furnished to a high standard, boasting original, exposed beams and trusses throughout, yet offering all the comforts of modern living. All six of these lovely cottages boast their own private hot tubs, and all enjoy shared use of the games room and gym, great to while away the hours of an afternoon. Situated at the southern end of Wenlock Edge, the area offers great walking and cycling opportunities and provides a delightful location to relax and unwind. Discover the Long Mynd hills or medieval Ludlow and Shrewsbury with their wonderful architecture, castles, shops and restaurants. Just 3 miles away is Acton Scott Working Farm, as seen in the Victorian Farm TV programme. With day trips to the museums at the World Heritage Site at Ironbridge, scenic rides on the Severn Valley Railway, Stokesay Castle, Wroxeter Roman City and many wonderful country houses and gardens, this great location has plenty to offer all the family.
Note: This property has a Good Housekeeping bond of £350.
View on map
Where you’ll be staying
WESTHOPE
Church Stretton 6 miles; Ludlow 9 miles.
The scattered village of Westhope stands amidst rolling farmland in the scenic Hope Valley, at the southern foot of the famous Wenlock Edge. There are lovely walks with rambling and cycle trails along the local paths and bridleways, whilst many of Shropshire's main attractions are within easy driving distance. Enjoy Church Stretton, known as Little Switzerland, with its antique shops and tea rooms, surrounded by the beautiful Long Mynd Hills, the Acton Scott Historic Working Farm or the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre. The World Heritage Site at Ironbridge, Attingham Park, the market towns of Much Wenlock, Shrewsbury and Ludlow with their medieval castles, excellent shops and restaurants are all within easy reach of this lovely part of Shropshire, as are the lovely village of Clun, the market town of Bishops Castle and Carding Mill Valley.
Important Information
Note: Dogs to be kept on leads at all times outside due to livestock.
Note: Please call our reservations department before booking if guests are celebrating a significant birthday.
