Woodbank Newport, Monmouthshire

This is a fantastic house in a great location and provided accommodation for 3 families to come together under one roof. Although it was more expensive than we would usually pay, we initially fantasied how we could return. Arrived on the Friday before May bank holiday and on Saturday night found lower floor WC was backing up which was reported to owner Sunday morning. They were unable arrange blockage clearance until Tuesday a.m., and we foolishly accepted this given bank holiday. Implications were that 4 people sleeping on that floor needed to use communal WC on ground floor. 2 of them needed access during the nights. Outside the manhole cover was displaced by the raw sewerage coming out onto the grass by the garage next to the house. We had 7 children in party and there was continued stress trying to keep them away from the area whilst they played hide and seek. This was an issue for 3 of the 5 nights we were there. When we asked for a small reimbursement from the owner via Sykes as a gesture of goodwill, this was categorically refused. We also felt disappointed with Sykes Lettings Agency who accepted owners stance on this and closed our case, despite sending us an email full of significant misinformation to which I responded but I doubt that they read. A shame as we won't be returning or using Sykes again. Should anyone experience any similar issues, then I suggest you demand they be fixed within 24 hours. No point in showing any good will as you won't be shown any by the owner or Sykes agency.

We were originally meant to go away in March but had to rearrange the date of the holiday as it was the first week we went into lockdown the first time.. Sykes refused to refund our holiday but instead charged us another £313 to change the date. Every other holiday agent refunded or moved the date for holidays in this country. My family and I have always used Sykes to book our holiday home in this country but I will never use them again after this. The date we were forced to go on got locked down in the area we were staying at for the second time but we had no communication from Sykes at all and unable to get through on the phone to see if we had to leave the property.

Lovely surrounding countryside. Lovely house although more expensive than we are used to. While we were there the biggest bedroom was unusable due to overwhelming smell of paint which also permeated into an adjoining bedroom. Take extra bin bags as only one provided. Also extra toilet rolls.

The biggest bedroom was unusable due to the overwhelming smell of paint.. . Due to a cancer diagnosis one couple was unable to come with us so we were able to manage without using this room although the smell did permeate into an adjoining bedroom. Otherwise an enjoyable holiday.

Woodbank is a beautiful house in a beautiful setting, the views are spectacular.. You feel right in the countryside but you are not far away from local shops and amenities. The only downside are the showers not in every ensuite and not always easy to use. But that is only a small point and we really enjoyed ourselves and would recommend and have recommended Woodbank to our friends.

A splendid property in an excellent area.. As a group of 12 we did not need to use the largest lounge the kitchen and smaller adjoining lounge kept us all comfortably grouped together. The property its self is vast and the interior, the exterior just a little tired but this did not distract from the excellence of this property. Woodbank is well equipped if you ignore one TV not working there were several others that were. The kitchen very well equipped and enormous as was the dinning room.

The property its self is vast and the interior, the exterior just a little tired but this did not distract from the excellence of this property.. Woodbank is well equipped if you ignore one TV not working there were several others that were. The kitchen very well equipped and enormous as was the dinning room. As a group of 12 we did not need to use the largest lounge the kitchen and smaller adjoining lounge kept us all comfortably grouped together. A splendid property in an excellent area

Everything was brilliant! Although the property was fantastic, there were a few basic facilities missing, such as toilet paper, salt, pepper, bin bags, surface cleaner etc. Other than that, everything was brilliant!

I don't normally write reviews, but I felt I had to share my experience of this marvellous property. This is my second visit with a large group to Woodbank - we returned to the property for two key reasons: the fantastic amenities and the sheer beauty of the property and surrounding area. The amenities at Woodbank are second to no other place I have ever stayed at - including places I have stayed on business and for pleasure. The sheer number of rooms and bathrooms allowed us to comfortably accommodate around 20 people for our yearly off-site team building weekend. We had people arrive from Manchester, London, Birmingham and other locations around the UK, so the plentiful parking on the property was very helpful. We held our workshops in the traditional main dining room (which has a very large table) and we were pleasantly surprised by the reliability of the Wi-Fi and phone reception in the property - handy for those instagram posts too! The kitchen was big featuring multiple fridges, ovens and hobs, so cooking and prepping meals for such a big group was effortless - we also enjoyed using the BBQ on the patio on our last night. There is a audio system on the ground floor which fills the rooms with music - great for when we had finished workshops and started to unwind in the evening. There are plenty of lounging areas including the bottom floor snooker table room with large TV. The hosts were very accommodating, going above and beyond to cater for our needs and ensure our weekend was productive, comfortable and enjoyable. The design of the property was especially charming, the chic yet classic decor of the rooms made the property seem very grand and every room had character and was beautifully presented. The views from the rear patio of the property were especially breathtaking. Coming from London, it was a rare sight to be in such a spacious property, surrounded by rolling green hills and fresh air. It was so lovely to sit on the patio in the evening after our daytime activities to unwind. The local pub was only a mile away and the stroll on Sunday afternoon there was almost as pleasant as the friendly locals of Llanhennock (I still can't pronounce the name of the town though!) The gardens were very large and well maintained. Even though we didn't need to use the outdoor green space much, it was lovely to just to look at and admire from the house and patio - probably could have got a very large marquee in the gardens for bigger events. Truly a spacious yet cosy, clean and comfortable hidden gem in South Wales, I am so glad we have found this place - we will be back again next year!

Loved it. The house is beautiful and very well equipped for a large party.. The owners are very helpful and quick to respond to any concerns.

Excellent property would definitely recommend we had a fantastic weekend.. Had everything we needed as a family

Having stayed in Woodbank before I was expecting another amazing weekend and that is exactly what happened. The house is beautiful and the grounds and countryside surrounding it is simply breathtaking. I couldn't have had a better stay and I very much hope to visit again.

When you enter this house you are immediately left gobsmacked by its grandeur. The facilities are more than sufficient with added extras included a snooker table and small gym area. What is more important is the picturesque views and the stunning setting. Loved every minute of it!

Very clean and tidy house, situated in the middle of lush fields. Couldn’t have been more impressed.... beautiful views, big spacious rooms, nice big kitchen, perfect patio outside for a good BBQ, and a massive games room that’s perfect for big groups of guests. Definitely coming next year!

This place has everything you need for a perfect weekend away with a large group of people. Beautiful country side all around you. Comfortable bedrooms, spacious kitchen and lounge areas. Tv and snooker table for entertainement and a patio with a stunning view. I can’t wait to come back here again!

Mr Elsayed 19 Aug 18 .... Mr Elsayed 19 Aug 18 The house was lovely The view was magnificent from every corner of the house especialy From the seat in the balconies from which surrounding the house everyone enjoyed the time we spent there The owner of the house she was nice and very accommodating would highly recommend it for great memorable break

The property was wonderful.. Loads of rooms and plenty of space for a very large family celebration (ages 9 weeks to 72 years). The games room and large outside space went done really well - karaoke and inside games one day and a barbecue/outside games the next. Also, walking distance to a lovely interesting village. The owners were really helpful and kind. No complaints from us, a great time was had by all!

We all had a brilliant time the house, it was spacious and had a lovely feel about it.. The kitchen was very well equipped, unlike some other places we have stayed in. The owner gave us a great welcome and showed us around the property and answered any questions we had. We will certainly be using this property again.

Fantastic time together.. Very spacious... Adults and kids had great fun... Will recommend at anytime...

The house was fantastic.. The pictures really don’t do it justice, the place is huge! Fantastic location with beautiful views. Perfect for a big holiday and the owners have obviously listened to previous reviews about the kitchen equipment as we found it to have everything we needed to cater for 20 people. Would definitely go back!

One thing you will find with this property is that the photos do not do it justice! From when we arrived at the large black gates and drove down to the front door my jaw was on the floor. It really did take my breath away. The house itself is much bigger than i was expecting with enough room to make the weekend not feel claustrophobic and as if you were on top of each other. The standard to which the house has been done too was very high, it was beautiful but still usable. All the bedrooms were large and comfortable and clean. The many en suits which were attached to the rooms were all very large with beautiful facilities. The Kitchen was massive and was big enough for us to cook a 3 course Christmas dinner for 20 people which turned out fantastic even though none of us had experience using an aga. I would mention that it is worth bringing a few extra kitchen knifes, we brought an extra 6 and it was enough to get all prep, and carving done. The House's sound system was such a great addition the the weekend. with speakers in nearly every room the party was not confined to just one area and it lifted the overall good feeling of the weekend i believe. It is a simple aux cable connection so any phone, iPod or music playing device can be plugged in. The grounds surrounding the property are very well kept and this just enhances the many spectacular views from the balcony which surrounds the property. We are a party of 20 in our 7th year in a row of Christmas weekends and this has to be the best property and weekend we have ever had so far. If you are slightly doubting this as your selection, i would look no further as you will not find a better place.

One thing you will find with this property is that the photos do not do it justice! From when we arrived at the large black gates and drove down to the front door my jaw was on the floor. It really did take my breath away. The house itself is much bigger than i was expecting with enough room to make the weekend not feel claustrophobic and as if you were on top of each other. The standard to which the house has been done too was very high, it was beautiful but still usable. All the bedrooms were large and comfortable and clean. The many en suits which were attached to the rooms were all very large with beautiful facilities. The Kitchen was massive and was big enough for us to cook a 3 course Christmas dinner for 20 people which turned out fantastic even though none of us had experience using an aga. I would mention that it is worth bringing a few extra kitchen knifes, we brought an extra 6 and it was enough to get all prep, and carving done. The House's sound system was such a great addition the the weekend. with speakers in nearly every room the party was not confined to just one area and it lifted the overall good feeling of the weekend i believe. It is a simple aux cable connection so any phone, iPod or music playing device can be plugged in. The grounds surrounding the property are very well kept and this just enhances the many spectacular views from the balcony which surrounds the property. We are a party of 20 in our 7th year in a row of Christmas weekends and this has to be the best property and weekend we have ever had so far. If you are slightly doubting this as your selection, i would look no further as you will not find a better place.

The house and grounds are just stunning, fabulous location.. The owners were lovely and very accommodating. Would highly recommend Woodbank for a memorable break.

The house itself is so beautiful and spacious, with a spectacular view. Woodbank is very clean, with great facilities such as a pool table and speakers around the house, plenty of room for parking and a large back garden for games and relaxing walks. I would 100% recommend and can't wait to stay here again next year!!

The house is fantastic and made a great setting for a brilliant weekend.. Plenty of space for 5 families.

We had a fabulous holiday at Woodbank.. The house is stunning; comfortable and plenty of space for everyone. Very good facilities inside the home, and plenty to do nearby. Local shops, takeaways and restaurants a mile away. Supermarkets do deliver here, but the facilities in the house are so good that it's a shame to leave it. We loved every minute of our time here and will return.

Had a fab weekend. The house was in perfect working order, the garden is absolutely beautiful and has an amazing view. Best bit though is the games room! Will go again for sure!

An incredible house with beautiful grounds in a stunning setting. There is so much natural beauty around and the house is amazing. Couldn't have had a better stay, definitely visiting again soon!

A large group of us stayed at Woodbank for a long weekend and it is fair to say that it is by far one of the most beautiful houses we have stayed in. It has great views over the countryside, a huge number of rooms but still manages to be cosy. I highly recommend !!!

Such a huge house in an amazing quaint location. You will find it very easy to relax here. The house comes with all the amenities you will need along with a games room and gym. It also has an amazing garden and outdoor patio for barbecues and meals. The only problem you may have is that you don't get a chance to visit all the rooms because this place is huge! The house also comes with loads of board games and cards and TV and wifi.

I LOVE this place! very spacious - cosy, great panoramic view in the garden. The photos really don't really do this place justice you just need to experience it for yourself. Thank you for contributing to what turned out to be an amazing weekend!

Peaceful and tranquil setting with excellent facilities in beautiful grounds. Bedrooms were huge and clean, kitchen was enormous with ample large goods and great views and scenery throughout. Wifi, in-built speakers, snooker table were all great touches, along with a veranda. Would definitely recommend and plan to visit again.

Woodbank is a really special home set in a fascinating location. We needed a location for a team building weekend for 20 people, the Woodbank cottage provided the perfect number, sleeping 20 people in 8 huge and charming rooms. Prior to going to the cottage communication with the family was great and they responded to any question we had. The directions to the cottage were really easy to follow and we didn’t have any issues getting there. When we arrived we were completely surprised by just how beautiful the cottage is. Each room has its own personality and character and because of the size it lets everyone share single spaces and really have quality time together. We cooked over the weekend and it was a new experience using an Aga, thanks to its 4 ovens we were able to cook for everyone in one go. I’m pretty sure cooking in an Aga makes food yummier too! The owners have combined the rustic natural beauty of the property with hi-tech new technology such as an integrated sound system. This together with the pool room kept everyone entertained when the weather wasn’t the best. Luckily we did get some good weather and explored first the grounds; these are really well kept and have a variety of trees from weeping willows to apple trees, we were exploring for a few hours and there was still a lot to see. We then explored the local area, we were completely unaware of the history nearby and were once again surprised (spent all the weekend pleasantly surprised) with how much there was to see. What was particularly memorable were the views from the patio, during the day it provides a glowing verdant backdrop, which proved very popular with the ‘selfie’ crowd. In the evening the picturesque bright backdrop is replaced with dusky undulating hills lit up by the moon light. We were lucky enough to see the night sky lit up with stars which is not something you get in the major cities we were all from. Each and every person really enjoyed there stay at Woodbank and I would really recommend the cottage for large families and hope to return again next year!

We rented this property for my Husbands birthday so that we could celebrate with family and friends. The pictures of the property looked good and the reviews were also quite good. The pictures really do not do this place justice! It's huge and grand but actually feels homely and comfortable. The views from the patio/veranda were outstanding. All of the bedrooms were comfortable and the bathrooms amazing. We absolutely loved to be able to sit around one huge table in a grand dinning room to eat our Sunday roast. My Husband loved the integrated music system and everyone loved the very well kept full size snooker table. Do take sharp knives if you are planning on cooking which I did after reading other reviews and take extra loo roll as not a lot supplied. I hope that we will go back maybe next year as it was such a fantastic holiday with friends and family in the most wonderful house.

Everyone in my party was impressed with the house, from the size of the bedrooms to the kitchen with four chandeliers.. The snooker room was a bit hit with the men.

We regularly go on group holidays this is our 4th one . This house is outstanding. The pictures don't do it justice. I'm the cook for the holidays and I never wanted to leave the beautiful kitchen that was well equipped. The view from the kitchen was breathtaking. We all went on different excursion came back daily with are stories of what we had discovered in the area. Can't recommend highly enough.

My (now) wife and I rented Wood Bank as the venue for our wedding reception - this had not been our first choice, BUT, it was immediately clear that Wood Bank was vastly better suited to our needs than the location which had been our first choice - and I'm therefore so glad that we were able to be at Wood Bank instead - we were SO lucky. The house, grounds and facilities at Wood Bank were all first-rate, the manager of the property was very helpful, and our family fully intend to return in the future. Thank you! Outstanding.

The house is fantastic, with fantastic views. The owner was very pleasant and accommodating, and the location is good, near to town but far away enough to be on your own.

An excellent location and property.

The house and grounds at Wood Bank were as lovely as we had hoped they would be. We were extremely satisfied with everything about the house and the owner was most helpful. 5 Stars. Excellent.

Wood Bank had plenty of space for everyone. There were good facilities and it was situated in a lovely location. The property was ideal for a family get together

The house was beautiful, the games room was a real bonus and it was set in a beautiful location. The beds were comfy and the kitchen was well equipped, all was really lovely!

Wood House was a beautiful, well equipped cottage with plenty of room for all 18 of us. The younger children had so much room to play hide and seek, the teenagers loved the snooker table and gym. We all loved sitting on the terrace in the evening and admiring the beautiful grounds and surrounding views. All in all it was a great place for a get together!

We had a wonderful week at Woodbank house with our family of 18. The house was perfect and had enough space for us all. We were given one of the family rooms which was very spacious and had an ensuite with bath and shower and beautiful view. Our two adult sons enjoyed the games room where they played pool. We cooked every night and were all able to sit together at the large dining room table which was special. We have some happy memories of our time together there.

Beautiful house and grounds. Thanks for having us.

The house is absolutely fantastic and perfect for a large group weekend away. If anything the photos don't do it justice, it is even nicer than the website suggests.

We were a party of 20 people and there was plenty of space for everyone in comfort and loads of room for people to find a quiet space if they wanted to be on their own. A beautiful house with stunning gardens and views. We all had a fantastic time and would love to return.

Spacious accommodation and gardens, well suited for large gatherings. It had beautiful furnishings.

I am writing this review because Wood Bank is a special place and we as a family had a great week there, but it would have been even better if we had known more about the house and facilities before we started the holiday. This is a ‘heads-up’ that we hope will help you get the most of it. The very best features of Wood Bank are the enormous spacious rooms and the feel of opulence – helped by the dramatic antique furniture throughout. It really is grand and has stunning lawned areas around the house with much evidence of old overgrown gardens when you walk around revealing the remnants of what was probably a massive area of formal gardens in the past. The views are great and it is very peaceful… starting with the long winding drive opening up into a formal courtyard with grand entrance. There is plenty space to accommodate 20 with many peaceful areas to escape to even when wet and windy outside, so you actually needed to look for other people rather than feel crowded! The kitchen is very large too and great for a party kitchen – can practice ballet in it BUT not really designed for catering for the number of people it sleeps. If we were to go again (and we had a great time as a family gathering for all ages) we would have to take a lot of stuff to fill in the gaps, and we would not plan on cooking – either order in takeaways from Caerleon, have a barbeque if the weather was not so wet as we experienced, or eat out. Shame really as the dining room easily seated 20 and was wonderful to eat in. Unfortunately a number of our party were only there for the first half of the week, so we had to arrange a large supermarket grocery drop on the 1st day to make sure we could get off to a fast start to the holiday and not waste time shopping. Expecting sufficient storage space for fresh food and decent cooking facilities, we did buy in the food. In hindsight we wish we had planned on fast food deliveries – we would have spent much less time trying to make do with the limited facilities. (We were only trying to make Chilli, Pasta and marinated roasted chicken with accompaniments so we were not naïve or being too ambitious!) There are plenty serving dishes with grand effect, but the big AGA is reduced in size by the fact that there are no inner shelves and we could only find 3 cooking trays that would fit in, so it meant that you were constantly cooking and swapping into other areas to keep warm. The microwave is tiny, and quickly overheats in the cupboard space it sits. We moved it out but it still was mainly useful for warming the baby bottle. The cooker was also small and we only had 4 electric rings… but there was a catering style deep fat fryer if you want chips or Asian fryups. If you want to have a few people prepping veg and salad, you will need to take extra knives and there is very little prep area – just one square of normal height worktop to the right of the sinks, and otherwise you will need a few ‘little helpers’ as the central table is very low and at dining height. OK for serving a buffet off but we all suffered back ache! The one knife block with a few very blunt knives is limiting and the butchers steel was worn out. We went out and bought 3 knives and a sharpener & then gave the knives a treat and they were then OK. There was also not even a cheese grater, so we bought one and left as a treat for the next guests! Very few bowls (only one very small pudding dish and a large stainless one, and a single jug – but no more) made making things other than marinade difficult. There were no clingfilm or foil available either. There are 2 massive Belfast sinks in the kitchen, BUT no plugs or washing bowls. The standard domestic dishwasher could not hold the large trays or dishes so we had to buy more panscrubs and bowls to be able to wash up. The instant boiled water tap rather than a kettle was limiting too, as you could have a couple of cups of tea from it, but try filling a large pot to even cook frozen veg or parboil potato wedges and you are left to boil up cold water on the cooker which took ages. Watch the pan handles – some are coming loose and the screw heads are striped so won’t tighten. For storing food and drinks, the 2 fridges and 2 freezers in the kitchen are small for modern family living – cannot fit any more than ice creams and a few bags of veg in the freezers – certainly no room for 9” pizzas even – but there is an ice cube maker. Unfortunately the fridges are undersized even for beer and soft drinks and we had to restock constantly and there was a balancing act between salad and beer space. There is a large chest freezer in the utility room but the power cord did not reach a socket, so you will need an extension cord to reach. If you’re not planning on cooking that’s OK. After reading the above, you will probably decide to order takeaways!! But if only catering for up to 8 or so, you can probably manage better in the kitchen, but I would recommend smaller and more regular shopping trips. You are only 10mins approx. from Supermarkets in Newport – the local shops in Caerleon are OK in emergencies, but have very little stock or choice. In the bedrooms, there are very few flimsy hangers so if you don’t pack any (and who would expect to need them in such a place for a week… you would expect enough) you will have to use the drawers. Unfortunately the fittings of the antique handles are lethal to modern fibres and I now have 2 luxury bamboo garments which have been badly plucked and ruined by the back nuts. Going again I would take lots of hangers. There are no sink plugs (there are for the baths) and some of the taps and shower levers are broken. The water temperature was very low throughout and if the house is full, cold showers were all that was available at peak times, and lukewarm at best … when no one else in the house! For children, be aware that there are dangerous sets of stairs and NO child gates – we had to go out and buy two to make it at all safe. (The owner had none to supply when asked). Also the odd little pool (no fountain, fish or plants in so why is it there!?) in front of the main steps to the lawn is actually 6’ deep and very small surface, so if a child fell in it would take at least 2 in the water to try to get them out with 2 aiding from the side. It is lethal and thank goodness we only lost a frisby in there. Why is there no guard over it we have no idea?! (BTW there are 3 of us in the party who are life savers and swimming teachers / kayakers etc, so we are not afraid of water but that is a pointless risk). In the fitness / games room there were no power leads for the treadmill and cycle, although the owner said they are removed and coiled up… but none of us could find them in the week. Why are they separated one doesn’t know. The TV there is also much smaller than expected and not good for a big match or film. The Wii is also in the smaller snug upstairs and is a bit cramped to play. To finish on a high, the snooker table is fantastic. There are also loads of Board Games etc and they were very useful. The ground floor bedroom used to be a library and had a vast selection of books to choose from. In summer this house will come into its own as there are French Windows everywhere and lovely patios all round… including in some bedrooms. No doubt it is most attractive to a group of golf fanatics due to its proximity to Celtic Manor. There are quite a selection of things to do in the area so you will not get chance to be bored.

The property was huge, plenty of room for the 17 of us. The beds were really comfortable and the furniture was in character with the house, we felt we were staying in Downton Abbey! We all loved it from the youngest who was 8 to the oldest who was 70. Something for everyone.

This was a fantastic property with wonderful surroundings for all occasions.

It is called a cottage but anything but! A long drive leads up to the property situated amid lovely scenery. There are 8 large bedrooms with 6 of them having en-suite bathrooms. There is a large well equipped kitchen with an AGA, 2 fridges, 2 sinks, microwave and dishwasher. There is a lounge area off the kitchen, and an even larger lounge on one side of the house. As the property is on the side of a hill, there is a basement area that has a games room and gym. There are extensive gardens, patio furniture and BBQ. The place was warm from underfloor heating except the towel rails in the bathrooms did not appear to work. There is WiFi and several TVs and each room is wired to a sound system where music can be heard all over the property. The access is suitable for the disabled but there is only one bedroom on the ground floor and that doesn't have an en-suite. The 8 bedrooms sleep 20, so a lot are suitable for family rooms. Overall it is a fantastic place to stay in!!

What an amazing house there was nothing not to like. I want to live there!

The place really was outstanding in it's decor. I know it has recently been renovated but we were so impressed by the detail and effort that had gone into things. It really was a truly lovely place to stay