Access Statement for Pollywiggle Cottage, West Raynham, Norfolk

Introduction

Pollywiggle Cottage is a brick and flint cottage, approximately 250 years old situated on the edge of a small village. It is approached via a small country lane, which has no pavements. The cottage has a telephone and WiFi Broadband for limited guest use. Guest should provide their own laptop.

Pre-Arrival

• Our website provides a clear description of the cottage, its facilities together with photographs of the main rooms and maps showing its location
• Bookings can be made directly on-line via our website, by phone/fax, email or by letter. Payments may be made by cheque, bank transfer or cash
• Detailed travel directions are provided on request and always to the person booking after final payment has been received
• A car is essential to reach the property since there is no regular daily public transport apart from local taxi services
• The nearest RADAR toilets are in Fakenham 5 miles away
• This access statement is available on our website and in the information folder in the cottage

Arrival and Car Parking Facilities

The cottage is approached from a small country lane. The drive is approximately 18m long, with central grass strip. At its narrowest point it is 3m 30cm wide and has room for 4 cars parked one behind the other. Adjacent to the front door is a gravelled area about 16 sq meters with two open fronted bicycle stores for up to 8 cycles.

The Cottage Interior

As is typical of an old cottage, there are some narrow, low doorways (ranging from 1.68m-1.74cm high & 55cm – 78cm wide) and some low ceilings – the lowest is in the boot room at 186cm high. Upstairs the ceilings slope in all the bedrooms and the washroom because they are built in the loft space. In some cases the slope continues down to about 1m from the floor. The bedrooms can be seen on our website.

There are several small steps into some of the downstairs and upstairs rooms. All the bedrooms are located up a narrow winding, steep flight of 10 stairs with rope banister to the first floor.

There is one small bathroom downstairs with a power shower over the bath, a washbasin, shaver socket and WC, plus a small washroom with washbasin and WC upstairs. There is full oil-fired central heating with radiators in each room in addition to a multi-fuel burner in the sitting room. All radiators are fitted with thermostat control valves.

Short pile rugs and carpets are in all bedrooms and the sitting room. The rest of the floors are tiled, with one wooden floor in the main bedroom. All furniture is moveable except where it is recorded as built-in. There is good contrast of colours between walls, floors and furniture.

For more detail, the accommodation includes;

Downstairs

Boot room: (approx 3.7m x 2.5 m) north facing with tiled flooring and 13cm high threshold step from the main front door (width 78cm). This room houses a bench seat (45cm high), tumble dryer, the central heating boiler, rechargeable lantern, bicycle pump, umberellas and coat hooks. It is an ideal room for outside clothing and footwear. A door (width 75cm) with 3cm high threshold step leads into:

Sitting room: (approx 3.7m x 8m) south facing and carpeted with 2 large short pile rugs, a two and three seater settee (foam and feather filled), 3 cane chairs with foam seats, 5 variously sized coffee tables. This room has a central 9cm step down marking the division of the two original cottages on the site. A multi-fuel burner sits on a raised flagstone hearth (4cm high) There is  colour digital wide screen TV, DVD/VHS player, a Hi-Fi system, a fire extinguisher and smoke alarm. A door (width 73cm) leads to:

Rear hall: (approx 3.7m x 1.5m) south facing leading to the rear stable door (width 72 cm) with threshold step 15cm high into the garden. A door (width 55cm) leads to:

Bathroom: (approx 1.5m x 3m) south facing with 9 cm step down to tiled floor. There is a full length bath (68cm high and 166cm long) with power shower over, WC (43cm high to seat), wash basin (92cm high) and shaver socket with light over a mirror.

Pantry: (approx 1.6m x 1.3m) this has a tiled floor, fridge freezer, shelves and a door (65cm wide) with a 5 cm high threshold.

Kitchen: (approx 2.5m x 4.26m) north facing with tiled floor and 5cm step threshold through door (width 68cm) from rear hall. Four fixed worktops 91 cm high are over a dishwasher, washing machine, larder fridge and shelves. There is a stainless steel sink and drainer fitted into one worktop. The kitchen includes a free-standing electric cooker (92 cm high), a free-standing dresser, wall fitted plate racks above worktops and a microwave on a shelf (28cm above worktop). There is a fire blanket and fire extinguisher near the cooker. Wall and ceiling spotlights are evenly placed to give good illumination on all surfaces. A door (width 66cm) leads to:

A dining room: (approx 2.5m x 2.8m) north facing with flagstone tiles, a table (approx 1.7 m x 1m) and 5 armless, padded upright chairs and a bench (height of seats ranging from 43 – 48 cm). A smoke alarm is fitted on a ceiling beam. There is a step 13cm high through a door (width 65cm) to the boot room

Upstairs

10 carpeted stairs: (treads ranging from 17 – 24cm high) lead from sitting room and wind through 90 degrees up the staircase (71 cm wide) with rope banister on right.

Carpeted landing: (approx 1.5 m x 5 m) with built in wardrobe and low table with lamp, a full length mirror and smoke alarm fitted to ceiling. The landing leads to all bedrooms and washroom in the loft space, which have variously sloping low ceilings. There is a low step up (5cm) along the narrowest part of the landing (70cm wide) leading to:

Main double bedroom: (4m x 3.7m) east and south facing windows, polished wooden floor 5ft bed (mattress 54 cm high) with two bedside rugs, two bedside cabinets with touch lamps, one chest of drawers with lamp and mirror over, a built-in wardrobe, an easy chair, a full length mirror and hair drier. The door width is 68cm.

Double bedroom: (2.5m x 3.7m) has a 16cm step down from door (width 65cm), is carpeted with north and east facing windows. There is a 4’6″ bed (mattress 46cm high) with two bedside cabinets, rugs and touch lamps, a chest of drawers, a rocking chair and low built-in wardrobe. The window is very low and young children should be supervised.

Single bedroom: (approx 3m x 2m) carpeted with south facing window, a 3 ft bed (mattress 50 cm high), a bedside chest of drawers with lamp, bedside rug, cane easy chair, upright stick chair and airing cupboard with built-in wardrobe. The door width is 68cm.

Lower landing: (approx 1.8 m x 75cm) This is carpeted and approached through a door frame (76cm wide) with fitted child safety gate (45cm wide gate) with 15cm step down to:

WC and washroom: (approx 1.5m x 1.5m) carpeted with narrow north facing window and fold-up stool. The WC seat is 42 cm high and the washbasin is 78 cm high. The door width is 65cm.

Single bedroom: (2.5m x 2.8m) carpeted with a 3ft bed (mattress 50cm high), a bedside cabinet with lamp, dressing table with upright chair, low easy chair and built-in wardrobe. The north facing window is low and young children should be supervised. The door width is 62 cm.

Twin bedded room: (3m x 2.5m) with north facing window, two 2’6″ beds (mattresses 52cm high) separated by a bedside cabinet and touch lamp, bedside rug and low built-in wardrobe. The door width is 65cm.

Grounds and Gardens

The cottage garden is laid to grass at the front and rear with a variety of mature flowerbeds and assorted trees. There is a small herb garden for guest to use and a bike store open on one side for 8 cycles. Guests should bring their own cycle locks.

The back garden has a greenhouse, log store, an oil fuel tank and a small ornamental pond reaching about 50cm depth so parents with young toddlers must supervise them at all times near these.

There is a small circular tiled area where either the rotary washing line can be erected or a small portable BBQ can be placed safely. The property looks out over farm fields belonging to Raynham Hall Estate.

Additional Information

A welcome pack is provided to refresh guests on arrival and there is a comprehensive file of local tourist information.

For health and safety reasons smoking and candles are not permitted inside the cottage.

Pets excluding service dogs, are not permitted to stay at the cottage.

Contact Information

Address: Miss Marilyn Farnham-Smith,
79 Earlham Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 3RE
Telephone: 01603 471990 or 07974 804039
Email: marilyn@pollywigglecottage.co.uk
Website: www.pollywigglecottage.co.uk
Hours of operation: Open all year.
Emergency numbers: 01603 471990 or 07974 804039

Future Plans

Ongoing website updating

We hope to be able to take major credit and debit card payments by the end of 2010

We welcome your feedback to help us make regular improvements. If you have any comments please phone 01603 471990 or e-mail: marilyn@pollywigglecottage.co.uk. Alternatively you can write to us at our home address.