Access Statement

Introduction

Ghyll Stile Mill Cottage is a 17th century stone built detached cottage that now provides self catering holiday accommodation on two floors. The cottage is built on a hillside so regrettably there are a number of inherent and unavoidable access difficulties. We have tried to provide as much access information as possible in this statement but if you have any queries please do call - we would like to help you in any way that we can. We are very sorry if any of the access issues preclude you from taking your holiday with us; however do let us know if there is anything that we could do to help facilitate a stay.

Booking administration and pre-arrival

• We have an extensive website complete with descriptions and photographs of the accommodation
• Provisional enquiries can be made directly from the website, by email, by telephone or by letter
• Confirmation of a booking needs to be sent to us by e-mail or by post using our booking form
• All guests are provided with written directions to the cottage, these are available in different font sizes and dyslexia friendly font
• We can usually arrange for a starter box of groceries to be available on arrival and, in special circumstances, we can also go food shopping once or twice during the week for guests
• This access statement is available on our website and in the 'Welcome File' in the cottage. The statement can also be sent out by e-mail or posted or it could be read out over the phone, if required
• The issuing of the keys for the cottage is arranged with us prior to visitor's arrival

Public Transport

• Drivers for the local bus service between Kendal and Sedbergh are usually prepared to stop at the head of our drive to allow passengers to embark and disembark. From this drop off point it is a 100 metres walk down an incline to the cottage. The drive is uneven in places and it can be wet and muddy
• Oxenholme, the Lake District', the nearest main line railway station at Kendal, is 8 miles away and Kendal bus station is a similar distance. If we are able to, we are very willing to collect guests from either of these locations
• Woofs taxi service is based in Sedbergh - 3 miles away

Arrival & car parking facilities

• There is a car parking place at the side of the cottage dedicated for the sole use of anyone staying in the cottage
• The car park is levelled concrete and is reasonably even
• The parking space measures 415 cm by 520 cm
• The entrance at the front porch of the cottage is gained by going up one of two flights of steps. The first flight consists of 10 steps and incorporates 2 bends. The heights of the steps for this access vary between 7 cm and 27 cm and, at its narrowest, the width is 40 cm. The second set of access steps can be reached by descending a short gentle slope from the car park then turning through almost 180 degrees and ascending 13 steps. These steps vary in height from 7 cm to 21 cm and have a minimum width of 100 cm. Neither of these two ways to access the front porch have a handrail but both have stone walls on each side that can be used for support
• Parking is 5 metres away from the front porch via the narrower steps and about 14 metres by going via the wider steps
• From the car park, there is also access to the back (kitchen) door of the cottage. This is gained by going up two steps (one 21 cm and the other 13 cm in height), then turning through 90 degrees and going up a ramp with an incline of 150 degrees. On both sides of this ramp there is a handrail: on one side this is 82 cm above the ground and on the other side the handrail is 83 cm above the ground
• There is a longer ramp also going to the kitchen door that incorporates no steps; this is approximately 40 metres long, is a little uneven and has a variable but lesser angle than the first incline described here. There is no handrail on this route to the kitchen though there are walls that can be used for support
• There is a light switch at the car park level to illuminate the access to both the front and back doors. The switch for this light is 113 cm above the ground. The lights are on a timer and switch themselves off after about 8 minutes

Front Porch

• There is a door mat on the floor of the porch just outside the internal front door
• The porch door is 81 cm wide by 200 cm high and is hinged on the left as you enter from outside. The keyhole is 103 cm high
• Inside the porch there are 6 coat hooks; these are 161 cm above the floor
• Near the hooks there is also a light switch for the outside lights - for people going out of the cottage. This switch is 168 cm above the floor

Front door and hall

• Access to the front door of the cottage is through the front porch
• The front door is 84 cm wide x 196 cm high with the hinge on the left as you enter the cottage. The keyhole is 100 cm above the floor
• From the inside of the porch, there is a step up to the front door This step is 22 cm high and there is an additional threshold rise of 3 cm
• The front door opens into the hall area. There is a light switch on the right hand side for the hall area and for the porch
• In the corner of the hall, near the light switches, is an AFFF foam spray fire extinguisher. The height of the handle for this is 55 cm above the floor. The fire extinguisher weighs 10 kilograms
• The floor of the hall is solid oak parquet blocks. These are dark brown in colour. Over part of the floor is a rectangular light brown hall rug (80% wool)
• On the hall table is the 'Welcome Pack'. Within this there is a lot of information and details about the cottage to help visitors during their stay
• Also on the hall table is a visitor's book as well as two very comprehensive lever arch files containing details of places to visit in the locality. These files are catalogued and indexed for ease of use by visitors
• Leading off from the hall is the L-shaped stairs, the dining/sitting room and the kitchen
• The space underneath the stairs is used to store the fire guards, iron, ironing table, high chair, baby changing mat, mop and bucket and vacuum cleaner etc. There is also a space under the stairs for visitors to hang their coats. The hooks are 146 cm above the floor

Dining room and sitting room

• The door from the hall into the dining and sitting room is of a concertina design and gives a maximum opening of 148 cm wide by 199 cm high
• The carpet is light brown and 80% wool (short pile)
• To the right is a 2 seater settee. Also in this room are 2 separate armchairs. The seats for this 3 piece suite are 35 cm above the floor when the cushions on the seats are compressed
• All the furniture is moveable and all is non feather
• Lighting in the room is by a central light, 2 double light wall fixtures and two separate standard lights
• There is a colour TV with remote control, a DVD / video player and a small portable radio
• On the left hand side of the room is the dining area. The table has two leaves that can be extended out to enlarge the dining area. The maximum size of the table is 90 cm wide x 152 cm long x 74 cm high. In its smaller closed position it is 90 cm square x 75 cm high and has legs on each corner. There are 4 dining chairs whose seats are 42 cm above the floor. Two further similar dining chairs are available in kitchen
• There is an outside double door from this room. This doorway is 115 cm by 185 cm and has a keyhole 104 cm above the floor. The doors lead up to the back garden via a flight of 9 steps and these vary in height between 11 cm and 23 cm. At their narrowest, the steps are 60 cm wide and the lowest head clearance is 172 cm

The staircase

• As mentioned previously the staircase is L shaped
• A small landing is two thirds of the way up the stairs where they change direction
• There are 9 steps to this little landing and a further 3 to the upstairs main landing
• The rise of stairs varies between 18 cm and 22 cm in height
• At its narrowest point the stairs are 66 cm wide
• When going up the stairs, there is a handrail on the right hand side. This is 75 cm above the treads
• The lowest head clearance on the stairs is 154 cm
• A smoke alarm is fitted above the flight of stairs

Kitchen

• The small kitchen has 2 doors leading into it - one from the outside and another from the hall. The outside door measures 84 cm by 191 cm while the hall door, which is a stable door, is 75 cm by 191 cm. The keyhole for the outside door is 99 cm above the ground
• When entering the kitchen from hall, on the left hand side is the light switch that operates 2 fluorescent tubes in the kitchen
• The work surfaces are 95 cm above the floor and are generally 49 cm deep
• The top edge of the sink is 91 cm above the floor. Below the sink is the cutlery drawer, the handle for this is 79 cm above the floor
• The 4 electric cooking rings are 92 cm above the floor and below these, in the same unit, is the electric grill and electric oven
• The handle for the drop down door to the grill is 82 cm above the floor. The handle for the left hand hinged door for the oven is 40 cm above the floor
• The middle oven shelf is 39 cm above the floor and the bottom of the oven is 17 cm above the floor. The control knobs for the whole unit are 125 cm high and with a forward reach of 51 cm
• A microwave is also available for cooking and this sits on a work surface. The uppermost control on the microwave is 121 cm above the floor
• An electric kettle also sits on a work surface
• Crockery, glasses, jugs, egg cups, bowls, tea pot etc are all stored in wall cupboards above the work surface. The height of the top shelf in these cupboards is 166 cm above the floor and the door handles are 160 cm above the floor
• The fridge is under a work surface. It has an ice box at 66 cm and the highest shelf in the fridge being 50 cm above the floor
• The flooring in the kitchen is solid oak parquet blocks. These are dark brown in colour
• There is a breakfast table in the kitchen with two chairs. The table height is 75 cm and the sitting surfaces of the chairs are 43 cm above the floor
• The washing machine is located in the kitchen. More details are given in the 'Laundry' section below
• There are 3 food storage drawers with handle heights varying between 18 cm and 65 cm above the floor
• Under the sink is a storage space for oven pans. Also here is the main stop cock for the water coming into the cottage
• Water is supplied to the cottage from a spring in a nearby field. There are three taps over the sink in the kitchen, one for hot water, one for filtered cold water and another for unfiltered cold water
• In the kitchen by the side of the back door there is a fire blanket. The pull tags for this are 135 cm above the floor

Laundry

• There is a front loading washing machine available in the kitchen
• The washing machine is 59 cm wide and 85 cm high and the handle for the door is 46 cm above the floor. The controls for the machine are 75 cm above the floor
• A drying rack is stored underneath the stairs
• A rotary washing line is available in the back garden of the cottage and a supply of clothes pegs is kept underneath a work surface in the kitchen
• Access to the rotary washing line is via 4 steps. The rise of these steps is between 25 cm and 22 cm. At their narrowest, they are 65 cm wide

Upstairs main landing

• Upstairs off from the main landing are two bedrooms and a bathroom
• There is also a double outside door from the main landing. This doorway is 115 cm by 154 cm and has a keyhole 88 cm above the floor. The doors lead out onto a metal balcony with 3 steps (varying in height between 20 cm and 24 cm) leading down to the back garden. At its narrowest point, this exit is 53cm wide.

Upstairs bedrooms

Bedroom 1 (with double bed)

• The door is 75 cm wide x 196 cm high - hinged on the right as you enter the room. The carpet is a russet/pink colour has a short pile and is 80% wool
• There is a standard UK sized double bed with a standard 140 cm wide by 190 cm long mattress. The bed height is 60 cm to the top of mattress
• Sheets, duvet covers and pillow cases are poly cotton and the duvet itself is non feather. There are 4 pillows provided (all of which are non feather ) and 2 additional pillows are available in the cottage if needed
• The space to the left of the bed is 56 cm wide
• The space to the right of the bed is 126 cm
• The room has a light switch to the left of the door as you enter the room and this switch operates a central light over the bed. There are two bedside tables one at each side of the bed and each has a table light

Bedroom 2 (with single beds)

• The door is 75 cm wide x 196 cm high - hinged on the right as you enter the room
• The carpet has a cream floral design and is short pile
• There are two pine single beds. The bed height of each of these is 42 cm to the top of mattresses
• Bed one has the right hand side against the wall and bed two has the left hand side against the wall
• The distance between the beds is 69 cm. The beds are arranged in the room at right angles to each other
• Sheets, duvet covers and pillow cases are poly cotton and the duvets themselves are non feather. There are 2 pillows provided for each bed and, as mentioned above, there are 2 additional pillows are available in the cottage if needed. All of the pillows are non feather.
• The room has a light switch to the left of the door as you enter the room and this switch operates a central light. Each bed has a bedside table with a table light

Bathroom and Shower

• The bathroom is equipped with a three piece suite and has a shower over the bath
• The door into the bathroom is 75 cm wide by 184 cm high. It is hinged on the right as you enter the room
• The sliding bolt to lock this door from the inside is 112 cm above the floor
• The toilet seat height is 42 cm. The distance to the left of the toilet is 17 cm. The distance to the right of the toilet is 38 cm
• The basin height is 78 cm above the floor and it has a plinth
• The top edge of the bath is 55 cm above the floor and the bath itself has overall dimensions of 168 cm long by 69 cm wide
• Free floor space is 155 cm x 130 cm
• There is an electric power shower (with a shower head on a 116 cm long flexible pipe) available over bath
• The carpet is blue and short pile
• The room has a light switch to the left of the door as you enter and this operates a fluorescent light tube. There is an additional fluorescent light tube over the basin and this has its own separate pull switch located over the basin
• Water is supplied to the cottage from a spring in a nearby field. As in the kitchen, there are three basin taps in the bathroom, one for hot water, one for filtered cold water and another for unfiltered cold water

Outdoor facilities, grounds and gardens

• There are three back doors from the cottage - one in the kitchen, one in the sitting room and another from upstairs
• The garden and patio area are on several different levels with steps and ramps between them. Some of these are narrow and they are not all level or smooth. There is no step free access to the back garden of the cottage
• Many of the paths throughout the property can become slippery especially when wet
• There is an open stream that passes through the cottage garden and this has a small ramped bridge over it. On the right hand side as you walk away from the cottage, there is a short handrail over this bridge. The height of the handrail above the ground varies between 55 cm and 63 cm above the path
• Patio furniture and a BBQ are available for guests to use
• In the total grounds for the property (which consists of both the owner's house and the holiday cottage) there are three streams, many paths, duck ponds, grassed and sitting areas. These are on many different levels with steps and ramps between them. Some of these are narrow and most are not level or smooth. Guests are most welcome to wander around and enjoy these facilities but unfortunately most are not accessible for people with limited mobility
• The central heating controls and timer are located in an attached building accessible from the back garden of the cottage. The top bolt for the door leading into the room is 151 cm above the ground. The door is 81 cm wide by 198 cm high. The central heating controls are 113 cm above the floor of the room
• There is a level grassed area with children's play equipment (swing, slide and climbing frame) available

Additional information

• The Welcome Pack is produced in dyslexia friendly font
• Pets and assistance dogs are welcome - please inform us on booking
• There is poor mobile phone reception in the cottage
• The premises are non smoking
• The nearest RADAR toilet is at Joss Lane car park in Sedbergh - 3 miles away
• All dimensions in this access statement are to the nearest cm

Future plans

• We have lots of plans for the development of the cottage not just to improve its general facilities but also to improve the access to the cottage for our guests. For further information on these plans, please see our web site or contact us by e-mail, telephone, in person or by post

Contact information

Cottage address:

Ghyll Stile Mill Cottage,
Killington,
Sedbergh,
Cumbria,
LA10 5EH

Owners address:

Ghyll Stile Cottage,
Killington,
Sedbergh,
Cumbria,
LA10 5EH
Telephone: 015396 21715
E-mail: nichghyll@aol.com or janetghyll@aol.com
Website: www.ghyll-stile-mill-cottage.co.uk
Hours of operation: Open all year including Christmas and New Year

Local public transport telephone numbers:

Bus - Traveline - 0871 200 22 33.
Train - National train enquiries - 0845 48 49 50
Local taxi firm - Woofs taxis - telephone 015396 20414
The nearest wheelchair accessible taxi - Theo's Taxis in Kendal - telephone 07747 055 674
Shopmobility in Kendal: 01539 740933

We welcome your feedback to help us continuously improve the facilities and access at Ghyll Stile Mill Cottage. If you have any comments, please phone 015396 21715 or email: nigckghyll@aol.com. Alternatively you can write to us at our home address.

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