ACCESSIBILITY REPORT FOR OWLPEN MANOR ESTATE
Please find outlined below information that we hope will ensure you enjoy your stay at Owlpen Manor Cottages regardless of whether your life is affected in some way by a medical condition, disability, impairment, or a specific learning difficulty.
Manor House and Manor Gardens
The manor house has steep stairs and slippery floors, and as such the house and gardens are not suitable for people requiring access for mobility scooters, wheelchairs, walking frames or strollers. The gardens are set on a hillside, in the form of a number of terraces. There are steps from each terrace to the next, most of which do not have handrails. Visitors to the house and gardens who require disabled access can park in front of the manor house itself instead of walking down from the car park, and if any visitors need access to the gardens as a part of a guided tour, our staff are happy to escort guests.
Self-catering accommodation in the Cotswolds
We have nine romantic holiday cottages available on the Owlpen Estate, which range from a one-bedroom studio flat in a medieval coach house to a five-bedroom farmhouse. Many of the cottages are listed by the nation as buildings of historic or architectural interest. Therefore we have constraints on the degree to which these buildings can be adapted t0 ensure that they are accessible for wheel chairs. However, we would recommend two cottages on the estate that could be wheel chair accessible; Summerfield Cottage (all on one floor) and Woodwells, which has a twin room on the ground floor and adjoining shower. More details below.
Pre-Arrival
Enquiries and reservations can be made by phone or email.
There is a mainline train service from London Paddington to Kemble or Stroud. Kemble is 16 miles away (about half an hour’s drive), or Stroud is 8 miles away, (20 min drive) There is a taxi rank at both stations, however it is advised to pre-book if you arrive at Kemble. There are intermittent buses from Stroud to the village of Uley, half a mile away.
We do advise our guests to bring a car, as Owlpen is in a rural location. There is a post office / village shop in Uley, about a 10 / 15 minute walk away from the estate. You can purchase your basic necessities here. Otherwise there is a large Sainsbury’s in Dursley (a ten-minute drive away), a Waitrose and Sainsbury’s in Stroud, and Tesco in Tetbury. We can also arrange for online orders to be delivered to the property, for a small additional fee.
Reception
If arriving during office hours, please come to the estate office. Out of office hours, your key will be left in a folder, together with a map of how to get to your cottage: we shall provide you with information about its location once your booking is confirmed. Any problems, please knock on the manor House door and Lady Mander will be able to assist you.
Gravel driveway in car park next to reception. Two steps going up to the reception door. A light will be left on outside reception and your cottage if you arrive when it is dark.
Individual cottage accessibility
In our opinion, the most accessible cottages for any kind of physical disability are Woodwells and Summerfield.
Woodwells: Approach Woodwells by stone path, please be careful when it has been raining as this can be slippery. Two small steps going up through to double doors into porch. Through the front door, onto flag stone flooring throughout the hallway. Small step through to downstairs twin bedroom. Cloakroom next to twin room with grab rail to the right of the sink.
Peters Nest: Small step through front door on to wooden linoleum flooring straight into kitchen. Down two small steps into open plan sitting / dining area. Down stairs bathroom with two narrow steps going into bathroom. Low ceiling in bathroom and large climb into bath.
Over Court: Arrive on to stone patio, up one small wide step through front door. Up another small step on to wooden linoleum flooring in utility entrance hall, and kitchen.
Manor Farm: Up large one foot high step into porch. Another step on to carpet hallway.
Marlings End: Approached by a gravel drive. Up one stone step into covered porch and onto laminate floor. Downstairs loo.
The Court House: Narrow gravel path leading up to three steep stone steps and another tall step leading onto flagstone flooring in open plan kitchen / dining. Extremely steep, narrow stairs going up to first and second floor. Bathroom on ground floor. This cottage, in our opinion is for the fit and agile.
Summerfield: Sloped gravel driveway, two stone steps going up to a paved entrance. Through front door leading to small wooden laminated entrance hall. Bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, sitting room all on one floor.
The Grist Mill: Gravel pathway and stone slabbed entrance to front door. Through front door into small stone hallway with glass doors leading into open plan kitchen/ sitting/ dining room. Steep wooden stairs going up to first floor landing and very steep going up to second floor with low ceilings and open beams.
Apple Loft: Approach by two steps from the private parking area. Walk in to wooden floored hallway through door into open plan bedroom / sitting room. Two carpeted steps going up into kitchenette and bathroom. Big step down into bath.
Please call the office for any further information – 01453 860261
GENERAL INFORMATION
BOOKING – Each one of Owlpen’s holiday cottages is individual, and varies in character and suitability for young and old. If in doubt, or if you have specific needs, please telephone or email to ask our advice before making a booking. There is something for everyone. Weekly bookings are for seven nights (arriving Friday or Monday). Weekend rates are for 2-3 night breaks and midweek breaks are for four nights (Monday to Friday). Discounts are available for stays over 14 nights or when you book two or more cottages. Check-in time is 3pm, and checkout is 10am. We try to allow late checkouts when availability permits; please ask at the estate office.
RESERVATIONS – Accommodation at Owlpen is by reservation only. To make a reservation, please telephone and we will hold the dates you require for a maximum of 5 days, by which time we will need to have received a booking deposit of one third of the amount due. Bookings can also be made online at www.owlpen.com. Should the deposit not be received within the agreed period, the space will be released.
WELCOME – When you arrive there will be a tea tray prepared to welcome you. You can also order flowers, champagne and hampers, for that special occasion.
RECEPTION – Bella Wadsworth manages the estate office. Along with our friendly and accommodating staff are on hand to ensure your holiday in the Cotswolds will be care free. Reception is open at set hours, to answer queries, attend to cottage servicing arrangements, repeat bookings and to advise on sightseeing and local activities. Outside reception hours, post may be collected from the Estate Office livery cupboard to the left of the estate office door. There is also a wi-fi internet access point.
SERVICES – Cleaning services, 24-hour turn-around laundry, baby-sitting can all be arranged on request. We can also arrange activities such as riding, gliding lessons, guided woodland walks, taxi pick-up and drop-off, and many more.
TRANSPORT – We can advise about airport pickup, including helicopter transfers. Trains to Stroud from London Paddington (1hr 35 mins). Buses from London (Victoria) and Heathrow to Cirencester and Stroud. We can advise about local taxi services.
SHOPS – Day-to-day provisions are available in Uley, half a mile to the west. There is a post office/village shop, pub, village brewery and the Prema Arts Centre, which houses the delightful Vestry Cafe.
EQUIPMENT – There are microwaves, hair dryers, and books to read – many of them about Owlpen. The kitchens are well equipped: all our Cotswold holiday cottages have food mixers, toasters, kettles and irons. There are freezers and dishwashers in all cottages except the Apple Loft.
MEDIA & INTERNET – All cottages have Freeview or Freesat TV service and DVD recorders. Some cottages have smart TVs.
All of the cottages have wifi, and telephones. However, generally the estate is a ‘mobile free zone’, with patchy cellphone coverage in our deep Cotswold valley. Note that these services depend on temperamental, delicate and complex technologies, but we will do our best to keep them functioning.
INTERIORS – In each cottage we have created the subtle intimacy and feeling of a well-loved home. We take the trouble to furnish holiday cottages individually in a Cotswold country farmhouse style. We blend traditional and contemporary designs with antique furniture, knick-knacks, prints, plants, and fresh fabrics, all in lovingly co-ordinated interiors.
OUTSIDE – Cottages stand secluded in their own landscaped gardens, private environments with car parking and garden furniture, and views over the Owlpen estate or the Cotswold hills.
PETS – Owlpen offers dog friendly Cotswold accommodation in all of the suitable holiday cottages, where well-behaved pets are welcome – please see individual holiday cottage for details. They are not allowed on sofas and beds, please!
HEATING – Cottages are popular in all Cotswold seasons and are heated throughout. They are kept snug and warm to the requirements of a clientele from Tasmania to Alaska. Many holiday cottages have an open fireplace or wood-burning stove as well, for those who enjoy the pleasure of kindling or contemplating a log fire. Central heating is included and your cottage will, of course, be heated for your arrival in colder weather.
ACCESSIBILITY – Summerfield and Woodwells are our holiday cottages best suited for guests with limited mobility. They both have easy walking access with no internal stairs and a maximum of two to three steps up or down to access the property. Woodwells has more than one level, but all principal living rooms, and a bedroom and a bathroom, are on the ground floor. However, neither cottage is specifically fitted for the disabled, so please call the Estate Office to discuss your individual requirements so that we can advise on suitability for your needs.
DEPARTURE – There is no cleaning to be done. You are here to rest from household chores! Just leave the cottage tidy, do the washing up, and hand in the keys at the Estate Office on departure. We hope you will soon return, joining those who develop a deep and lasting affection for Owlpen and this corner of the Cotswolds.
PAYMENTS – Upon receipt of your non-refundable deposit, we will confirm your reservation by email, along with a notification of when the final balance is due. The balance is payable 4 weeks before your arrival. Towels and bed linen are included in the cost of your cottage hire. All prices include 20% VAT (sales tax).
COMMENTS – We welcome all comments and constructive criticism from our guests. However, we ask that all comments are made during your stay, so that we can address each one carefully and discuss any concerns that you may have. There is always someone in the estate office or manor house to talks things over with. Once guests depart and another arrives, we regret that we are not able to address concerns accurately.
CANCELLATIONS – All deposit payments are non-refundable. Because of our intimate size, any cancellations affect us significantly and consequently we adhere to a strict cancellation policy. In the event that that you wish to cancel your reservation, any additional payments that you make in addition to your deposit, less £50 per cottage booked, will be refunded if we receive notification of cancellation not less than 30 days prior to your arrival. Within 30 days we do not normally refund, but we will make every effort to re-book the space and, in the event that we are successful, we may reimburse you minus the deposit, and £50 booking fee per cottage booked. We advise you to arrange holiday cancellation insurance to cover the balance due in the event of an unavoidable cancellation. If you have to cancel your booking for any reason, please inform us immediately. By booking, you agree to our full terms and conditions which are available here.