Old Pound Smithy

We stayed here for 5 nights with our dog and had a fantastic break. The cottage is beautiful and rustic but has everything you need. Comfy bed, large living area with the log burner which was so cosy in the evenings. The hot tub was amazing and just what we needed after a busy day walking along the coast. Lovely hosts who were around if needed. Easy drive to get to the coast to visit lots of the beautiful beaches. The Farmers Arms pub in the village and the chip shop are both fantastic!!
Highly recommend staying here and would definitely come back again.

I was given a 1 day Blacksmithing Experience for my birthday and I would just like to say what a fantastic time I had. Dave was a great tutor and I proudly arrived back home with one bottle opener and a candle stick which my wife was delighted with as was I (thanks, Dave for staying late so that we could finish the project).

Look forward to coming along again for another course.

Definitely a 5 star day!

Given as a Christmas present to my daughter and her partner. They had the most wonderful time. Exactly as described. Booking was easy and the owners contacted me regularly to update me. Would highly recommend to anyone who prefers experiences as presents instead of material things.

A fantastic day making a geometric flower sculpture, Bex and Dave were great hosts and fantastic teachers, taking us through all the stages. I came away with the most beautiful sculpture that now has pride of place in the garden, would thoroughly recommend this experience! They have a yurt on-site that looks pretty amazing too!

The blacksmithing experience was truly inspiring. Dave is a very good teacher. His light touch approach never meant that students felt unsafe just that they had confidence that they could learn. And learn we all did. Anyone who has ever thought about trying forging should book a course forthwith.
Many thanks for a most enjoyable and illuminating experience.

An exceptional time at the Old Pound Smithy. Dave is a rare gem and made the entire experience a joy. He is a natural teacher and with his calm and gentle approach he was able to inspire his students to truly believe in themselves. The Smithy was easy to find, sufficient parking space, there's a Hub with plenty of comfy seats for those wishing to keep warm and have a cuppa, plus a loo opposite the workshop. There is a bench on the other side of the workshop for folk to sit at and watch family/friends when weather permits. Utterly mesmerising, informative and a wonderful way to spend time away from the world. Couldn't recommend highly enough. We wish you both all the very best for your continued success.

Had a great time and really enjoyed the day. Both Dave’s were good at instructing the processes of blacksmithing and it was great to come away with a couple of pieces that I made completely from scratch. It was bought for me as a gift and made a great present.

We had a lovely stay at Straw Cottage. A sweet little cottage in beautiful surroundings. Still got the use of the hot tub in November as our dogs wandered round the garden. Then all wrapped up inside with the cosy wood burner fired up.

Thank you very much for providing your excellent 1 day blacksmith experience. It is a great course: fun, well planned and in charming setting with, of course, brilliant guides. I will tell anyone I meet just how much fun my son and I had!

We had a great time trying blacksmithing at the Old Pound Smithy. Lovely warm welcome, clear and supportive explanations and we both made a bottle opener (harder than it sounds!) Highly recommended for an experience you won't forget, with a family you will remember.

The blacksmith day was amazing. Dave is a natural teacher, informative patient and encouraging. You get to do a lot of different techniqus in one day. Bex was always on hand to help out. I was allowed to make something completely different to everyone else which was so kind of them and unusual on craft days. It is hard work and you will leave with a layer of black grime all over, but you will be happy with a sense of achievement. Wonderful day.

We had a wonderful time learning blacksmithing! Loved the old fashioned bellows in the workshop and we each had plenty of space with our own fire and anvil. Learned loads from lovely teachers, would definitely recommend.

What an amazing place. We booked the 2 hour blacksmith taster course for our staff doo and had such an awesome day. David and Bex are so accommodating, friendly and knowledgeable and we all left with our own bottle opener and massive smiles all round. I can't recommend them highly enough and will definitely be back for more. Thanks again guys

Lovely accommodation, away from it all. The garden is beautiful and the cottage is well equipped. Woolsery is a lovely village, the pub is very nice and the food is amazing. Nice local shop. David, at Straw Cottage was very friendly and was around if we needed him. Thank you

1 day knife making course

The instructor was professional and knowledgeable and made us all feel welcome and at ease with the task at hand, gave constant coaching advice throughout and kept us on the straight and narrow. With continued and regular breaks we all made 4 fantastic knives that we were all super proud of.
Thank you for the experience, it was amazing!!

Wow what a beautiful yurt!
We were very impressed with the yurt and the garden areas they were very pretty and well thought out. It was very secluded and was lovely to have the little gate to access the land and lake areas.
It had everything you needed for a lovely holiday. Thank you to Dave who made us very welcome and helped us set up the log burner for the first night.
Hot tub was also lovely!
We will recommend to our friends 😀

I really had a good day which was a birthday present from my partner. My tutor was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. He made the day most enjoyable. My partner was able to watch and take photos. Would certainly go back for a second course.

What a find! We had the most amazing stay at Straw Cottage. We really recommend the half day blacksmith course - definitely an experience not to be missed. Dinner at The Farmers Arms was 5 star and the hot tub was very welcome, even on the rainy days! Lots to see and do locally including some great coastal walks. The cottage is surrounded by wildlife and waking up to birdsong every morning was a treat. If you’re looking for a place to switch off, we fully recommend Straw Cottage.

Really lovely cottage. Unique and cosy. Great location. Fun blacksmith course run by the owners. Highly recommended. Hot tub and log burner were perfect. Thanks

We had the most magical weekend at whittlers yurt. David made us feel really welcome and came to say hello wirh his gorgeous dog Rusty.
The attention to detail and little touches in the decor and grounds made for a really special, boutique feeling experience.
The hot tub was lovely, well kept and a nice big size for 2 people. We enjoyed a really romantic evening looking up at the stars in our private back yard. It was really quiet and although there were other people staying in neighboring tipis, we didnt see them and it all felt very private.
The yurt itself was exceptionally clean, smelled fantastic and the bed was incredibly comfy!
There was a good amount of storage in hand painted furniture and they'd used the space really thoughtfully.
It wasnt cold enough to use the log burner in the yurt, but we'd definitely like to try the next time we return!
Its a short drive into town and the local attractions- would highly recommend taking the 10min drive down to Bucks Mills to walk across the beach and see thw waterfall. That was easily the highlight of our trip.
We're already planning our next trip back, and will be signing up for a blacksmith lesson too! Thank you so much!