Bere Cottage

Canterbury

4.33

(61 Reviews)

4 guests

2 bedrooms

3 beds

1 bathroom

Property Overview

Bere Cottage is a beautiful and cosy oak-beamed cottage with 400 years of history. Nestled in the picturesque village of Westbere and just 50m from one of the oldest pubs in the country, it offers the perfect bolthole from which to explore East Kent via car or bus. Whether you’re staying in with the open fire or exploring the countryside, there is something at Bere Cottage for all breaks.

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Property Details

The Space
Bere Cottage is a welcoming two-bedroom holiday home with charm in abundance. You’ll have exclusive use of the property during your stay which includes a cosy living room, kitchen diner, two bedrooms, a family bathroom and a private garden.

Beautiful, exposed beams and sash windows in the living room create a cosy cottage feel. With a large open fire and two comfy sofas, it’s the perfect place to retreat to.

Continue onwards through the cottage and you’ll reach the kitchen diner. Traditional in style, this space is in keeping with the rest of the property. You’ll have everything you could need in the kitchen for your self-catering break including modern appliances and cookware. Enjoy your home cooked meals at the dining area which includes a wooden dining table and green chairs.

The family bathroom has stylish, mint green tiles and a high vaulted ceiling. A bathtub with an overhead shower, WC and basin complete the space.

Outside you’ll find a large garden with outdoor seating where you can eat alfresco style!

Head upstairs to the first floor and you’ll find the master king bedroom. The second bedroom is a twin and can be reached by climbing the spiral staircase. Both rooms have plush bedding to ensure a comfortable night’s sleep.

Neighborhood
Westbere is a picturesque village in Kent around 4 miles north-east of Canterbury city centre and close to local attractions, beaches and country walks. The local pub, the 14th century Old Yew Tree, is just 50m away and is the perfect place to have a meal or an evening drink whilst enjoying the calm atmosphere.

One of the most famous and culturally significant cities in the UK, there is plenty for you to explore in the unique medieval city of Canterbury.

Discover Canterbury Cathedral which is one of the most iconic landmarks in England and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With stunning architecture, intricate stained-glass windows and a rich history, it’s no surprise it has over one million visitors per year!

You can also visit The Westgate Towers Museum and Viewpoint where you can enjoy spectacular views of the city from the top of the largest surviving medieval gateway in England and learn all about the city.

As well as historic attractions, Canterbury also has a vibrant arts scene, theatres and events throughout the year making it fun for all ages. A fantastic destination for shopping, dining and drinking, the city has an abundance of independent shops, eateries and bars waiting for you to explore.

Canterbury Festival is an annual two-week festival which offers a spectacular of music, contemporary dance, comedy, theatre, lectures, and much more! This festival is a fun and cultural experience, attracting audiences of up to 70,000 people. You will experience unique opportunities that are only available as part of Canterbury Festival!

Getting Around
Canterbury is served by two rail stations with regular journeys to Margate, Ramsgate, London St Pancras and London Charing Cross. Plus, the journey into London is under 1 hour with Southeastern trains which is handy!

The nearby towns of Ashford, Broadstairs, Dover and Margate can be reached via car under 45 minutes so Kent can be explored easily. If you fancy heading to the seaside, the beautiful town of Whitstable is a short 20-minute drive away.

If you intend to explore by bus, the nearest bus stop is within walking distance and serves the University of Kent, Whitstable, Herne Bay and Margate

  • BBQ grill
  • Dishwasher
  • Free parking on premises
  • Heating
  • Indoor fireplace
  • Iron
  • Refrigerator
  • Stove
  • TV
  • Washer
  • Bathtub
  • Bed linens
  • Carbon monoxide detector
  • Children’s books and toys
  • Children’s dinnerware
  • Cookware
  • Dishes and silverware
  • Essentials
  • Family/kid friendly
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Fireplace guards
  • First aid kit
  • Garden or backyard
  • Hangers
  • Hair dryer
  • High chair
  • Hot water
  • Internet
  • Kettle
  • Kitchen
  • Long term stays allowed
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Patio or balcony
  • Private entrance
  • Shampoo
  • Smoke detector
  • Toaster
  • Towels provided
  • Village
  • Wireless Internet
  • Suitable for children (2-12 years)
  • Suitable for infants (under 2 years)
  • Coffee maker

Guests have access to the full property. The keys are accessed via a key safe box, and full details will be provided prior to your stay.

There is private on-site parking for two cars. Please note it’s a tight turn to get onto the road if you have a larger car.

This is a 400-year-old property and as such, please be aware that the staircases may be considered steep with shallow steps and there are low beams in some areas.

Please note access to the second bedroom is via the master bedroom.

Check-in: 15:00

Checkout: 10:00

Virtual Tour

Guest Reviews

4.33

(61 Reviews)

Frederique

18/08/2024

Be aware that the first message you'll receive after booking is a request to pay £25 for accidental damage insurance, so worth taking that into consideration when looking at the overall cost. The cleaning fee of £120 also struck me as being incredibly high, especially since when we got there, the cottage was not super clean either. I guess it's to be expected with an older cottage, but it still stung.<br/>But the location is amazing, down a really quiet, cute, leafy street, and the cottage looks lovely when you first approach it. If you put aside the two points above, we had a lovely time in the cottage, and we were lucky with the weather so we were able to make full use of the garden too. The kitchen is well-equipped and everything worked fine in the cottage. Self check-in and check-out was very easy. The communications with the agency were all automated, but they send you all the information you need, so I didn't need to contact them for anything else.

Morgane

08/07/2024

Cottage charmant à proximité de Canterbury. Au calme, bien équipé, avec des jeux pour les enfants. Tout était parfait!

Zhi

06/05/2024

We had a fantastic three nights at Bere Cottage in May. Quiet location, but accessible and with own driveway, everything worked well. The kids loved the open fire and exploring/discovering the cottage (always under supervision, especially on the stairs), there were even toys, puzzles and books which happened to match their interests perfectly! The main areas, like the bathtub, we found to be very clean. Will bring slippers if we hopefully stay again as the stone kitchen floor is cold.

Kathrin

19/04/2024

We left the property 3 days earlier as it was unacceptable.<br/>Upon arrival, the host refused to hand out the access code to get the keys unless we paid an extra £25 for a so called “break cover”. This extra cost was not stated on the Airbnb booking and there was no option to decline this “insurance fee”.<br/>As we went to enter the house, we found two dead mice at the doorway of the property, <br/>and there were dead insects on carpets, sofa, window sills, .... . In other words, the property hasn’t been cleaned or vacuumed very well at all.<br/>In the kitchen, most of the dishes, cups and cutlery had not been washed well. They were covered in stains as well as had a thin greasy film covering them. <br/>In the evening we went to use the TV only to find the remote control had not been supplied with batteries and there were no spares in any cupboards.<br/>The description of the bedrooms in the house was very misleading. One of the two bedrooms was only accessible via the other bedroom.

Carol

03/02/2024

Bere Cottage is well placed to explore this part of Kent. It’s a lovely, period cottage in a quiet & peaceful location with easy access to great walking & a nice pub very nearby. Kitchen, passageways & bathroom are compact, furnishings/carpets a little tired yet it was comfortable & cosy enough for two of us.

Christina

01/01/2024

We had a very nice break at this attractive & quirky cottage. Lovely old building but stairs quite challenging. Realistically it’s for a couple as the 2nd bedroom has to be accessed via the 1st one and the bathroom is on the ground floor. Excellent location for local pub and many places to visit within 30min drive. Note this isn’t a luxury place so provisions/ appliances etc are quite basic. However there was a Nespresso machine (not included on the listing which was a shame as we then couldn’t use it!)<br/>Note it’s run by a company rather than individual. This meant that communication was good & initial issues at check in dealt with quickly but really didn’t appreciate getting stung for extra security deposit after booking, also very tight on early check out time - even on NY Day. Also our first Airbnb experience with no welcome pack, not even a pint of milk and no heating on arrival. So it all felt a bit tight rather than the personal touch that we’ve had with other Airbnb stays.

Damitha

26/12/2023

Great place to spend a holiday.

Jo

23/12/2023

Fabulous cosy cottage that is well kitted out and in a great location. Our host was so helpful when we needed it. I highly recommendthis cottage, so peacefuland beautiful.

Jane

03/11/2023

Only toilet downstairs and very steep steps to the bedroom

Donna

24/10/2023

We really enjoyed staying in this beautiful cottage. It was cosy and peaceful with lots of charm.

Marcel

08/10/2023

Acostumbrado a las grandes ciudades, la estancia en este agradable Cottage fue reparador.

Vince

16/09/2023

Loacation, garden<br/><br/>Difficult to access driveway as hedge very overgrown <br/>No tea towels, oven gloves, had to go and buy some<br/>Dishwasher had no salt or rinse aid<br/>Light not working on very steep stairs<br/>Bedding laundered but still a bit stained<br/>Glasses needed washing before use<br/>Agent emailing for a tip of £10-£30 in order to keep staff ?

Harvey

03/09/2023

Proximity to excellent local pub and surrounding towns. Character of property. General facilities.<br/><br/>Stairs were difficult to climb for my elderly mother. Garden was not maintained.

Bridget

29/08/2023

Very pretty village lovely pub and not too far from Whitstable and Tankerton also Westgate on Sea.<br/>Beautiful surrounding lake.<br/><br/>I think for the amount charged for cleaning the carpet was dirty also the stairs in the property were quite tricky, although appreciate the age of property, and when grandaughter visited she caught her foot on some trackingbon the stairs.

Jill

21/08/2023

Charming cottage.<br/>Lovely peaceful hamlet with ancient pub a stones throw away..<br/>Kitchen well equipped.<br/>Surrounding towns.<br/>Vibe.<br/><br/>Had to walk through one bedroom from the other to go downstairs to communal areas eg bathroom.<br/>Stairs very steep.<br/>Beams very low.<br/>Nails protruding through carpet on.stairs -a hazard.

Hrvoje

13/08/2023

Clean and comfortable beds, and the house provides everything you need for a family weekend runaway.<br/><br/>Charming and cosy Kentish home in a charming medieval village, just 20 minutes from Canterbury and very close to al attractions.

Richard

11/08/2023

De pub aan de overkant. Tv met erg veel zenders. Prima WiFi.<br/><br/>Bij aankomst was het huisje echt vies. Alles in de keuken was plakkerig en zat onder een vettige stoflaag. Smerige koelkast. Onder de bedden lag nog afval van de vorige huurders. We hebben geklaagd bij de beheerder (een bedrijf met de naam Blue Fox). Als reactie kwam er een mail met de melding dat ze met het verantwoordelijke schoonmaak bedrijf zouden spreken. Daarna hebben we niks meer gehoord. We hebben zelf moeten schoonmaken. Verder was ons van te voren niet duidelijk dat de tweede slaapkamer alleen bereikt kan worden via de eerste. Ook is het huis niet echt geschikt voor langere mensen (we hebben vaak ons hoofd gestoten aan deurposten en balken). Het huisje en de tuin maakten een verwaarloosde indruk en is echt geen 1100 euro per week waard. Vanwege het gebrek aan hygiëne hebben we veel buiten de deur gegeten wat ook extra kosten met zich meebrengt. Kortom een afrader.

B

08/08/2023

Anestis

15/06/2023

Siobhan

26/05/2023

The area was a quaint and idyllic village, perfect for quiet country walks.<br/><br/>The staircases were a little tricky with a 23 month old, probably my ignorance when booking.

Roger

17/05/2023

quint period cottage. stairs very steep but usable. kitchen was adequate and living space good<br/><br/>parking space very difficult to enter/exit. stairs very steep to carry any luggage to. agent/company handling rental were impossible<br/>to deal with. lots of automatic emails but<br/>no customer service. will not provide details of cottage until 24 hours before arrival

Jocelyn

04/05/2023

This is my go-to place to stay in the Canterbury area. Beautiful cottage, clean and extremely peaceful. Another perfect stay. Thank you!

Harriet

17/04/2023

Lovely little cottage, when the key wasn’t there in the first place the guy on the phone was super helpful and it was sorted in minutes. Really comfy beds. Toys for the kids was an absolute bonus for them plus tv with apps that work for those early risers! We had a perfect stay here thank you

Prabhat

09/04/2023

was not satisfied with the inhouse kitchen amenities. not sufficient cooking essential like spices, and other basix stuff. we didn't find it clean. not recommended for families with kids as there are low ceilings and stairs which are dangerous for kids.

John

27/03/2023

An attractive property, good standard, well equipped and clean. The Yewtree pub nearby is fab.<br/><br/>The second floor bedroom is accessed through the first floor bedroom so you need to be on very familiar terms with each other. Both sets of stairs are very steep and winding.

Collin

24/03/2023

Great place, served us well for our vacation. Just a short bus ride to Canterbury Center and has a couple good pubs in walking distance.

Nicholas

29/01/2023

Nice semi-detached cottage with a very short walk of the pleasant Yew Tree pub. Had all the equipment needed. Room with 2 beds is on the second floor and accessed through the main bedroom which occupies the first floor. Garden looked pleasant but too cold to use though I could see a nice breakfast being had. Room for children to play as well. Canoeing nearby which looked like great family fun in the summer.<br/>Main issue was the early check-out and lack of dialogue with Blue Fox Management Company who were abrupt in their approach. They took too long to respond by which time I had to book and needless to say they then said no to a later check-out. Just left a bit of an after taste but not the end of the world.<br/>Canterbury is close - Tiny Tim's is highly recommended - and a walking tour was fun. Whitstable is half an hour away and no doubt interesting on a sunny warm day (which it wasn't!).<br/>Would probably stay again if in the area but for the check-out time.

Gabriela

05/01/2023

Jeremy

23/12/2022

Quaint cottage just outside Canterbury. Excellent quality / price. Excellent amenities and quality linen , peaceful village with beautiful houses. Incredible inn from year 1350 opposite the house.<br/>Only 2 things negative. Stairs are super dangerous with children and adults very vertical with head hittings possible (low stairs ceiling) and very cold kitchen if you are staying in winter. Other than that , this cottage is super cute and worth 5 star rating. <br/>Extra info. It’s a management company running the cottage so no personal contact other than text messages.

Maggie

15/12/2022

Characterful cottage in a great position in a lovely village with a great pub opposite and Westbere marshes and lake just over the road<br/>Lovely cosy sitting room with real fire and a spacious and comfortable main bedroom<br/>The cottage was warm and comfortable even in December<br/><br/>The property description does not make clear that the second bedroom is accessed through the first. We only knew in advance of booking because it was mentioned in another review. The stairs are also very steep and narrow <br/>The kitchen is generally well equipped but the crockery is looking a bit tired and could do with refreshing <br/>The fridge is not in an acceptable condition and well overdue for replacement.<br/><br/>The single beds in the top, not very warm, bedroom have quite basic mattresses with very easy felt springs. The probable assumption is that they will be used by children but children deserve decent beds too.<br/><br/>The property is managed by Blue Fox rentals <br/>Be aware that having booked, you will be expected to upload personal information eg a photograph of your passport to a third party site to verify your identity. This is not made clear until you have booked and paid and you cannot access the check-in information without completing it.<br/><br/>Despite being bombarded with emails and messages from Blue Fox all ending with entreaties to "reach out" in case of any problems, our message to say that the lock was not working properly and the key had bent and would not function in the lock was not responded to at all. Another reviewer has mentioned the same lack of response to a reported problem. Fortunately, we were able to get back into the cottage eventually and have lubricated the lock so it now works. A flicker of interest from Blue Fox would have been nice.

Ditch

20/11/2022

Gergana

23/09/2022

The cottage is very nice, clean and has everything you need. Of course there are squeaky doors, steep stairs and low beams to be aware of but is part of the charm of the place and to be expected.<br/><br/>Unfortunately the customer service of the agency running the property was very disappointing. They kept on sending me automated messages with partially confusing information e.g. online check-in on two different platforms, emails and SMS asking if everything is all right with our stay but never actually answered my questions. For instance I wrote to them that the trays of the fridge were broken when we arrived and sent some pictures. The response to this email was absolutely unrelated to what I wrote and they sent me a bill for our stay which made no sense. So they either have to train their AI better to recognize what the customer request is about or have actually real people contact the customer.

John

20/09/2022

Location and comfort<br/><br/>Wash-hand basin not usable due to broken linkage for plug; no response from host when we notified them.

John

25/08/2022

Sabine

23/08/2022

Bendada

09/08/2022

We had a wonderful time, everything was easy and available. Beautiful cottage appreciate everything, will definitely use bluefox again.

Lucy

17/07/2022

very cosy, clean and great location within walking distance of a pub<br/><br/>husband kept having to duck the low beams ?

Jocelyn

15/07/2022

Had a great visit- stayed for just over a week: two adults and two kids (4 and 8). It's a small cottage (with a couple of low door frames and a narrow staircase- be careful!) but we were outside most of the time so no problem. Charming, peaceful and excellent location for Canterbury or the coastal towns.<br/>Had all the usual facilities (dishwasher, washer etc) and everything was clean. The booking was easy and the owner answered any questions immediately. The pub opposite (The Old Yew Tree) is fantastic- good food and cheerful service. Would definitely stay again.

Paul

26/06/2022

beautiful and high quality<br/><br/>nothing - although the low beams did hit me a couple of times but that is to be expected in a period cottage

Hagit

23/05/2022

Charming cottage, full of character,.comfy and clean. The local pub is very close with good food and nice atmosphere<br/><br/>Be aware that the stairs are steep, and the stairs to the second bedroom is through the main bedroom. We didn't mind, but it's not for everyone

Kevin

22/05/2022

Nadiia

09/05/2022

A very nice historical cottage in a picturesque village. <br/>It’s cosy, clean and warm, with a lovely garden.<br/>Good communication with stuff.<br/>Thank you

Olivier

24/04/2022

Overall nice cottage in a charming village<br/>Would recommend that you bring your own toiletries (shampoo, conditioners)

Gwendolyn

11/04/2022

Gezellige cottage. Goede locatie. Voorzien van wat we nodig hadden. Leuke regio.<br/><br/>De check-in gegevens waren niet goed gecommuniceerd. ik heb de organisatie moeten opbellen om de code te verkrijgen. Ze namen wel snel op en hebben me meteen geholpen.

Isabelle

03/04/2022

We stayed for a week in this lovely small cottage. On top of being very nice and well furnished, it is situated in a beautiful countryside, surrounded by local landmarks, such as a delightful pub from the 14th century.<br/>We heartily recommend this place for anyone wishing to travel or stay in the area.

Suzanne

31/03/2022

The cottage was comfortable, cozy and clean with everything we needed for a lovely 3 night stay. The local pub 2 minutes walk away served wonderful food and excellent service.<br/><br/>The only thing I didn't like were the steep stairs, especially when getting up in the middle of the night.

Anastasia

23/03/2022

lovely village and very cute accommodation<br/><br/>not practical - the second bedroom is through the main bedroom; low ceilings - the door between kitchen and living room needs a sign 'mind your head'. decor a bit dated;

Milla

14/03/2022

Great spot, great cottage. Cosy and roomy, with a lovely fire.

Adrian

26/02/2022

Character of property and location<br/><br/>Banging my head

Wayne

19/02/2022

Charming cottage, with lovely decor. I kept bumping my head on the beams (I’m 6’1”) but that’s to be expected with a traditional property like this. Two lovely bedrooms and a fun living area on the ground floor with a big fireplace. We wish we could have stayed for five nights or more, instead of just the three, but maybe we’ll come back. Westbere is a sweet village, with a great pub. Location is handy for Canterbury, short bus/car ride away. Hosts were conscientious, texting us to see if we had all we needed etc. Great stuff, thank you!

Joanne

13/02/2022

Highly recommend the cottage. Great location right across from the village pub but still very quiet. Comfy beds, cozy fireplace with logs ready to burn and well equipped kitchen. Great communication with host, easy check in and out.

Lisa

07/02/2022

Beautiful cosy cottage with georgeous log fire. Everything we needed for a long weekend break. The kitchen was fully equipped and the beds very comfortable. The cottage was spotlessly clean with plenty of books to relax with. Some lovely walks close by which lead to pubs for lunch. A well placed property to explore the kent surroundings. Highly recommended.

Helen

31/01/2022

The cottage was very comfortable, warm and, being so old, was full of quirky character. The area was very quiet. We enjoyed our short break here and would stay again.

Georgina

15/10/2021

We loved this cottage- so much character and everything we needed facility wise. Set in a beautiful little village opposite an excellent pub, would highly recommend staying here.

Karin

26/09/2021

Unique property in a fabulous location with a great pub really close

Joe

14/08/2021

We had a fantastic time in this lovely little cottage. I have to say the photos don't really do it justice, as it looks much nicer in person and therefore perhaps they need a new photographer to capture just how nice this place is.<br/>What's lovely is that you have everything you need. The kitchen has a cooker, a dishwasher, a fridge and a small (very small) freezer compartment within it.<br/>The cottage also has a front and back garden along with a BBQ should you wish to use it. For winter months there is also a wood burning fire. <br/>As others have mentioned, the ceiling can be quite low in places and the stairs very steep, however, this is a minor issue.<br/>The cottage is also in a great location, allowing you to visit Canterbury, Hemes Bay, Margate, Ramsgate, West Cross Shopping Centre and Broadstairs. I would highly recommend the latter as it is a beautiful town. In addition, you can also walk around the marshes which are just along the road and over the railway line. We walked all the way around (2.5 miles) and this took us to the UK's smallest town and a great little pub. It gets a little muddy, but it was a fantastic walk.<br/>Overall we had a great stay. <br/>As for issues, the WiFi did not connect to our devices when we got there and the only way to connect we found was to scan the barcode on the router with your device. The instructions for entry were also confusing and out of date, but these are minor issues that can easily be remedied. <br/>We would definitely stay again.

Claire

06/08/2021

The location of this cottage is wonderful - we enjoyed walks from the front door (to the lake and to nearby Fordwich - ‘Britain’s Smallest Town’ which is very pretty). Westbere itself is lovely and the locals were very friendly. The Yew Tree pub is literally across the road and was very welcoming - yummy food and attractive beer garden. Canterbury is a short drive away and there are plenty of coastal towns to explore on day trips too. The cottage is full of character, it’s comfy and has a small but private relaxing garden. We were very happy there.

Dale

31/07/2021

Bere Cottage is a lovely property, in a charming location. It has all you need for a relaxing and comfortable break. Can wholly recommend the Yew Tree pub over the road - food is exquisite and the welcome is friendly. Great base to explore Canterbury and Kent from. Would recommend the canoeing from Fordwich - great fun. My son and daughter wanted to know if they could the cottage! They didn’t want to leave. Great place, great value - all you could wish for.

Julie

11/07/2021

Charming house in charming old village

Rob

01/07/2021

This is a good period property with lots of character.<br/>Mind your head on the low doorways, but other than that, it's nicely located.<br/>Could do with a bit of TLC & a thorough clean.

Andrew

02/06/2021

This is a lovely cottage, in a really pretty and peaceful Kent village. It's well decorated inside, full equipped and everything works. It is 'cosy' and tall people might find it difficult. Likewise the very old or young might find the stairs a challenge. However as a family of four it was ideal for us. Not far from Whitstable, Kent beaches and Canterbury. I think we were quite lucky to find it, and would certainly stay again.

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