Back at the cottage, we lower ourselves into the outdoor hot tub, which has reached a tolerable temperature, and watch the stars gleam white as a blanket of darkness envelopes the cottage and a tawny owl hoots in the distance. So I occupy my time by reading the cottage’s literature, in which I discover that nearby, on the A465 to Hereford, is Lock’s Garage, described as “one of the great frontier stores in the whole country”. We spend the next few days in leisurely exploration – dog walks in the Big Wood surrounding the cottage, where there are signs of tree-cutting and squirrel traps on high platforms.