Pet-Friendly Self-Catering Cottages
A pet friendly, eco-friendly sustainable cottage experience with a touch of Tolkien
Underhill Farmhouse
Sleeps up to
6 people
Rates from
R2500 a night
Where Underhill’s story began
The Farmhouse began as an original worker’s cottage and has grown, gradually and thoughtfully, into the home you see today. Reclaimed doors, windows and building materials are part of that evolution, giving it a character collected over time.
Overlooking the dam, the cottage opens onto a generous garden and pool. A mature stinkwood tree spreads its canopy around the braai stoep and pool area, providing natural summer shade. During lockdown, the stoep was enclosed and improved, creating a sheltered space to gather as the seasons change.
Inside, travertine bathrooms and an Italian-marble kitchen sit alongside the building’s more humble beginnings. That combination captures something of Underhill: finding a place for beautiful materials, giving existing things another life, and letting the surroundings shape the way a home is enjoyed.
Bring your dogs, settle into the garden, and make time for a leisurely afternoon beside the dam.
Bedrooms
There is a loft area above the lounge with a double bed, a second ensuite bedroom with double bed looking out onto the stoep and garden, and the largest main bedroom on the farm with king-sized bed, overlooking the dam.
Rivendell Cottage
Sleeps up to
Rates from
Winter sunshine, river air and materials with a past
Rivendell was the first cottage Julian built from scratch at Underhill. Its position beside the river inspired a home designed around the seasons: windows welcome winter sunshine, while shade, river air and a grass roof help soften the summer heat.
Look up and you’ll find beams made from alien trees cleared from the property, with coffee-bag ceilings adding another unexpected layer of character. Reject bricks, salvaged insulation and reclaimed materials found a purpose here, alongside Underhill’s first bottle wall and colourful stained glass.
Inside, changing floor levels create an unusual layout. One bedroom steps partly below ground, while high clerestory windows bring light into the interior. These details make exploring Rivendell part of the pleasure of staying here.
The enclosed stoep gives you somewhere sheltered to linger, with a pizza oven and braai inviting long meals and unhurried evenings. It’s a cottage shaped by experimentation, resourcefulness and the river on its doorstep.
Layout
A large stoep with dining area, braai area and wood fired pizza oven is perfect for long lazy lunches that flow into dinner. A plunge pool made from a Jojo tank and separate wood fired hot tub, are perfect for that hot or cold dip depending on your preference. Both have got covers should they be needed.
Bedrooms
There is a main bedroom alcove with king-sized bed in the main area, and then a separate second bedroom with single and double beds, and the smallest reading nook and library on the farm, with views of the Franschhoek mountains.
Hobbit Hollow
Sleeps up to
Rates from
A little home tucked into the riverbank
Hobbit Hollow grew from Julian’s long-held wish to build a house underground. Set into the riverbank, with earth surrounding three sides, it uses the ground itself to help moderate indoor temperatures. Thick rear walls and a concrete roof complete its snug, sheltered character.
There is a very Underhill story behind its proportions. The original ambition was to build two storeys into the bank—but once the first was complete, Julian discovered his measurements had other ideas. Hobbit Hollow became a single-storey hideaway instead.
Reclaimed materials, bathroom mosaics and stained glass give the interior its individual personality. During the floods of 2023, the main structure remained sound, although the stoep was damaged. The rebuilding brought another transformation: the damaged stoep area became a plunge pool, and the former plunge pool became a hot tub.
A painting records the flood’s high-water mark, adding another chapter to a cottage whose story continues to evolve beside the river.
Cozy Comfort and Artful Details
Inside the cottage, you’ll find a cosy haven featuring a king-size bed in the master suite, and a sofa bed in the lounge in front of the fire. A bathroom, complete with a skylight, welcomes the sun’s gentle rays. The fully equipped kitchen invites you to embark on culinary adventures.
Oak Cottage
Sleeps up to
Rates from
A treehouse feeling beneath the oak canopy
Oak Cottage began with an observation: Julian’s cats kept choosing this particular spot beneath the trees. Their judgement inspired a cottage that would share the same leafy shelter.
The building was fitted into the oak canopy without cutting branches to make room. North-facing picture windows welcome light and winter sunshine, while the trees provide summer shade. A grass roof, reclaimed timber floors and coffee-bag ceilings continue Underhill’s approach of working with what is already around us.
Two cantilevered decks reach out into the surroundings, creating places to sit beneath the canopy and enjoy the feeling of being in a treehouse. An outdoor bath and shower bring everyday rituals closer to nature.
The pool looks towards the Franschhoek mountains, and direct river access gives you another way to enjoy the setting. Oak Cottage is a place to slow down, watch the light move through the leaves, and understand why the cats chose it first.
A Warm Welcome
As you step through the welcoming sliding barn door into the entryway, you’ll be greeted by the stoep with a built-in braai and the French doors leading to a comfortable lounge area seamlessly connected to an open-plan kitchen. In the heart of the cottage, a closed combustion fireplace radiates warmth, making it the perfect place to unwind during the winter months.
A Tranquil Sleeping Nook
The cottage boasts a queen-sized bed, thoughtfully nestled in a window-filled alcove. This snug nook offers enchanting views of the meandering Botrivier, ensuring that you wake up to the beauty of nature.
Greenhouse Cottage
Sleeps up to
Rates from
R2000 midweek and R2500 a night weekends for 4 and R500 for each additional person
An Earthship-inspired home with a living pool
Greenhouse Cottage is Julian’s interpretation of an Earthship: a home that draws on the shelter of the earth, the warmth of the sun and the possibilities hidden in discarded materials.
Built partly into the ground, it incorporates reclaimed tyres, cans, bottles, doors and windows. A greenhouse corridor runs along the front, while stained glass, mosaics and murals bring colour and personal touches throughout. The outdoor bathroom continues that creativity with a bottle wall and an open-air shower.
A spacious kitchen and a generous stoep with a pizza oven and braai make gathering around food part of the experience. Beyond the enclosed garden, a riverside fire pit offers somewhere to settle as evening arrives.
Its swimming pool is unique at Underhill: a natural pool with a planted wetland area that helps filter the water. Frogs share this living environment—a reminder that here, nature is part of the experience, right down to your swim.
Luxury Bedrooms and Inside-Outside Cooking
Inside this eco-haven, you’ll find three spacious en-suite bedrooms, each graced with king-sized beds, ample wardrobe space, and inviting seating areas. The generously appointed kitchen and lounge area open up to a covered braai space and pizza oven, offering a seamless connection to the surrounding forest and the riverside fire pit. The cottage is booked as one unit, and the rooms can unfortunately not be booked out separately.
Bacuzzi Blyplek
Sleeps up to
Rates from
A tiny house with a bakkie full of ingenuity
Bacuzzi Blyplek’s story begins with the rear end of a Tata bakkie. Julian bought it years before he knew what to do with it, until someone suggested turning it into a hot tub. An unlikely object became one of Underhill’s most memorable examples of upcycling.
Its companion is a tiny house on wheels, built on a trailer and frame made in Cape Town. Inspired by the idea of living comfortably with less, the interior makes thoughtful use of a small space, including a bed that slides away when it isn’t needed.
Reclaimed exterior materials, hardwood floors and counters, natural branch uprights in the kitchen, and Julian’s own bathroom mosaic give the house its individual character.
A stoep with a braai extends the living space outdoors, while an outdoor bathroom adds to the experience. Set on the peninsula where two rivers meet, Bacuzzi Blyplek brings together tiny-house ingenuity, riverside living and a wonderfully unconventional place for a soak.
Facilities Inside and Out:
Indoors:
- Bathroom with toilet and shower.
- Double bed that cleverly slides under the kitchen when not in use, doubling as a couch.
- A fully equipped kitchen with a full-sized fridge, microwave, double gas burner, kettle, toaster, and ample storage.
- Reading nook and a gas heater for chilly evenings.
Outdoors:
- A spacious covered and enclosed deck with a braai area and seating.
- Firepit and outdoor bath / Shower in the garden for a touch of indulgence.
- Secure fenced garden, so your furry friends can roam freely.