Rural Retreat, Properly Accessible: Our Stay at The Cow House
5
5
Date of visit: June 2025
I have experience of challenges around: moving around
Overall Rating
Excellent
Tucked away down narrow Shropshire lanes, The Cow House is exactly what you’d hope for in a rural getaway—quiet, green, and thoughtfully converted. It’s part of a working farm, though you wouldn’t know it from the peaceful surroundings, aside from the occasional cow and sheep mumblings! The building has a mostly step-free layout, with three bedrooms on the ground floor, including a fully accessible room with a connected wet room. The third bedroom is reached via a couple of steps, and the fourth bedroom is upstairs, reached via a narrow stairway. It shares a bathroom and toilet with one of the ground-floor rooms. The accommodation comfortably sleeps up to eight people. I used my power chair throughout my stay and experienced no issues, either indoors or outdoors. The flooring is smooth wood—easy to navigate—and I believe there’s underfloor heating, which I imagine is very welcome in the colder months. The open-plan living and dining area is spacious, featuring quality furniture that can be easily rearranged. The kitchen is well-designed and very well-equipped, and the owners are more than happy to make layout adjustments if this makes the area more user-friendly for wheelchair users. (My culinary services were not required!) The accessible bedroom is generously sized; we opted for two single beds, but a double bed is also available upon request. I'm not sure whether a hoist would fit under a single bed, but bed raisers would solve the problem. The connected wet room is well-equipped, featuring a soft-close sliding door, accessible storage, and ample room to manoeuvre. There is a comprehensive list of equipment which can be provided. We used a raised toilet seat and a shower chair, both of which were available from the list. There’s no fixed drop-down shower seat, and no drop-down rail in the shower area. There’s good Wi-Fi throughout, and modern televisions in the lounge and all bedrooms. Another thoughtful touch: an extensive collection of helpful local guides, packed with ideas for things to do and see nearby, including accessible attractions. The owners had provided beautiful flowers, bread, some butter and ice cream as a welcome treat. Outside, the seating areas are level and wheelchair‑friendly. Parking is conveniently located just across from the front door, providing ample space for unloading and loading. The owners are extremely obliging and will do everything possible to provide any equipment you may need to make your stay easier. A couple of minor things: the pull cord for the bathroom light in the accessible wet room could be a little longer, and a drop-down grab rail would be beneficial. But these are minor quibbles in what’s otherwise very well-appointed accommodation. If you’re after a peaceful, rural escape with proper accessibility and genuinely thoughtful hosts, The Cow House is a real find.
Disabled Access In and Around
Excellent
Aside from two bedrooms, the ground floor is fully accessible
Parking & Transport
Excellent
Parking is easy and plentiful.
Accessible Toilets
Excellent
Staff
Excellent
Very helpful and welcoming owners.
