This place is just amazing!! We came to stay at Sherwood with our three children and our dog for five nights, and could have easily stayed for two weeks! Freya’s homestead is a warm, welcoming home from home, and is beautifully set up for exploring, for cosy nights in over board games in front of a log fire, cooking fresh organic vegetables from the garden (we made a delicious courgette and spring onion soup from our pickings!), running wild in the 60 acres available to you, and generally de-stressing, spending family (or friends) time, enjoying amazing views, and getting back to nature. You approach the homestead from a laneway, that ends at Sherwood, so you really are undisturbed, and our daughters and our dog were free to go out without any worries. You really need to experience Sherwood to fully appreciate how special the place is, and you will likely want to return! We certainly want to, and it is unusual for us to want to go to the same place twice! But we hope to go back next summer!
It is also really well placed for days out exploring beautiful West Cork. We went to Clonakilty and Inchydoney Island, Kinsale, Skibbereen and Baltimore, as well as going into Dunmanway itself, and doing the Sam Maguire trail, which is great for GAA enthusiasts like my family. Sam Maguire’s birthplace, where the trail starts, is only a couple of minutes from Sherwood. Dunmanway has a decent Indian takeaway and chip shop/pizza place, if you don't feel like cooking, and the Arch Bar is a very friendly pub. Even our dog was made to feel welcome there!
Freya was out of the country while we were there, but she was still the perfect host even in her absence. She was fully contactable, and made sure help was on hand if needed. Freya has also left an information booklet about Sherwood and the surrounding area, which is full of helpful tips and info. Freya says that Sherwood doesn’t have perfect lines, and is a work in progress, and should be enjoyed “warts and all”. This is one of the reasons we loved it so much. It feels like a home with a heart, not a show home. For us, it was perfect. (We didn’t notice any “warts”!) There is a choice of areas to relax in, wood burners at both ends of the house, two dining tables and a lovely big kitchen. The cabin was great for breakfasts with a stunning view, with numerous butterflies fluttering past the windows, and also a lovely area to spend family time in at night, especially when the fire was lit. The kids loved chilling in the snug during the day, when they weren't outdoors.
My husband, daughters and I (and probably our dog too!) can not recommend the place highly enough. If you are debating whether to book, debate no more! Just do it!! I don’t think anyone could fail to fall in love with the place, just like we did. We will definitely be returning!