Accessibility Information

We aim to support you so that you can have a wonderful break in Cornwall. Hopefully you will find this information useful, but please do contact us if you have any accessibility needs, special requirements, or need further information. We have included here some information that previous guests have found useful, enabling them to have a comfortable stay and enjoy all that the area has to offer.

We include accessibility information in all blogs and areas of this website but this page provides links to information that may be of specific interest.

Accommodation Accessibility Statements

We have four luxury 5* cottages on our 22 acre estate, and can offer different options for guests with a variety of accessibility needs, from our fully wheelchair accessible cottage (Heather Barn) to an induction loop, hypoallergenic bedding and a mini fridge for storing medication. Links to the individual access statements for each cottage are provided below, but the information beneath those is relevant for all our cottages.

Heather Barn (sleeps 4) – Luxury 5* accessible holiday cottage (NAS M3(a) and M1 rated)

Heather Barn (sleeps 4) is fully wheelchair accessible cottage. See below for more information on Heather Barn and for pictures of this luxury cottage visit the Heather Barn page.

 

Heather Barn (National Accessible Scheme M3A – wheelchair friendly) is a single-storey conversion which has been designed with ease of access (as well as a luxurious finish) as a priority. As the recipient of a National Accessible Scheme M3A grading, it is very suitable for wheelchair users, less physically able guests, or those with young children wanting a stair-free environment.

For the full Access Statement for Heather Barn please click here

Other cottages: Tree Barn (sleeps 4), Owl Barn (sleeps 6), Coach House (sleeps 2)

The other three cottages all have stairs, and as such are unsuitable for wheelchairs. There is a full Access Statement for each cottage – please see the links below.

For the full Access Statement for the Coach House please click here For the full Access Statement for Tree Barn please click here For the full Access Statement for Owl Barn please click here

Mobility Equipment Hire

There are several mobility shops in the area (in both Saltash and Plymouth) which do equipment hire, which may be of use.  Saltash is closest, but it depends on what you need as to which location is likely to have it available,

If you find a mobility scooter useful, but are struggling with boot space, then it is worth contacting Tamar Mobility, which is close to Waitrose (about 4 miles from us).  They have a variety of types of folding mobility scooters for hire.  Telephone 01752 841879

If you need items such as wheelchairs, commodes, walking frames etc, then we can also arrange to hire those for you through the Cecily Baker Charity in Saltash.  They ask for a small donation per item, and it would need to be collected (but we could usually do that for you).  Please contact us if you need help with arranging these items.

Onsite, we have elephant feet (for beds/chairs), a bed grab rail, shower chair, foot stools, and a hard backed chair.  There is no charge for these – just let us know what you need.

A further charity is Access Plymouth. For full details please see their website www.accessplymouth.co.uk .

A further business for mobility hire is  Mobility Shop Plymouth and we have personal experience of Mobility Hire Cornwall who have rented riser beds and hoists to guests here previously, and provided an excellent service.

Oxygen

If you require oxygen, you can now get it delivered free of charge when you are on holiday in England or Wales.
Please see below for useful links:
www.airproducts.com/medical/uk/homecare/homecare5.html

Anti-allergenic Bedding

The beds all have goose down duvets and feather and down pillows. However, we stock a range of hypoallergenic duvets and pillows for use by any guests who prefer a feather-free environment. Just ask when you book, and we’ll make sure these are in the cottage for you. This applies to all of the cottages.

Toiletries

We offer our guests complimentary luxury toiletries in the bathrooms. The Temple Spa range that we supply is based on botanical actives derived mostly from Southern Europe. “Unique to Temple Spa is advanced and innovative technology that combines natural boosters with the main active ingredients which increases the effects of the main actives. This process brings out the best performance of the formulas, being much more than just great aromas or textures”.

Mini Fridge for Medication Storage

If you need to cold-store medicines within easy reach in your bedroom, we have a small(ish) 45l Dometic fridge, which you can plug in in your bedroom (saves running downstairs in the middle of the night!).  It’s bigger than those tiny drinks ones, but is properly thermostatically controlled, so safer for storing medicines. This is available in any of the cottages.

Hearing Loop

We have on site a Geemarc Hearloop LH600 – a fully integrated room loop system for hearing aid users with the T switch transmitting the sound directly to your hearing aid. This can be used in any of the cottages. It can connect to the television or your games console (or anything with a 2.5mm, 3.5mm or SCART connection), and also has a microphone for use during conversations and for general use. For the full specification please click here.

Public Transport

The closest railway station is Saltash (but the most practical is Plymouth, which is 10 miles away). There are no buses locally – the nearest bus stop is in Hatt, 4 miles away (there are no taxis available in Hatt or Saltash unless you pre-book). If you arrive by train at Plymouth, there is a black cab rank at the station, and the journey to Kernock will cost about £20. For the return journey, do make sure that you book a cab in advance, as it can be very difficult to get one at short notice. A.W. Cabs are Saltash-based and also have a people carrier for larger groups (01752 848400). Two other Saltash-based firms can be contacted on (01752) 848422 and (01752) 848484.

Food Information – Welcome Packs

We provide our guests with a welcome pack, which may include food products such as local bacon, sausages, eggs, fruit juice and milk. If you are vegetarian or don’t eat pork, or may be unable to eat any of these because of food intolerances, please do let us know so that we may substitute with something more suitable.

If you do have food allergies or intolerances then it is worth knowing that Waitrose (Saltash) and Tesco (Callington) both have a Free From section in-store including gluten-free and dairy-free products, or you can pre-order groceries online. Both also stock goat’s milk and other dairy-free milk alternatives such as soya milk and almond milk. For more information on food shopping in the area please visit our Local Info page.

Accessible Places to Visit

Cornwall has some of the most diverse and interesting places to visit, many with facilities for visitors with disabilities or those pushing buggies. We have added access notes on our website for all places, where possible, to help you plan. The information is provided by the attraction; most attractions will provide access and facilities for our less mobile visitors, but it is best to check specific requirements with the attraction before your visit. Full contact details for local attractions and places of interest are provided on the Information page, along with access notes for most of the attractions, pubs and restaurants.

China Fleet Country Club

During your stay, we provide you with membership to the China Fleet Country Club, which is fully wheelchair accessible and has a water wheelchair and ramp to the pool (apparently excellent – I have very good reports back from wheelchair-using guests who say that the staff are very helpful and it all works really well).  It is probably worth giving them a call before you arrive if you want to use these (01752 848668). The restaurant and brasserie are accessible and they have accessible toilets.

Pubs and Restaurants Accessibility

If you look at the Pubs and Restaurants section of our website we have added Access information to each entry to help you establish which ones are accessible, and where they do or don’t have accessible WCs (several venues can accommodate wheelchairs, but don’t have accessible loos).  We have checked this information with each establishment, but If you are uncertain about the level of access it is best to contact them direct on the number provided, or check their website, particularly if you use an electric or non-standard-width wheelchair.

Useful Links

Trampers

One thing you may like to check out for your trip – there are a lot more places in the South West which are now doing trampers. In case you aren’t familiar with them, the tramper is a “high quality class 3 cross country buggy”… as seen on Top Gear, so they do have a certain cred! Many previous wheelchair-using guests have recommended them – they do let you do stuff that it isn’t possible to do in a normal wheelchair, and can radically improve the “visitor experience” for both non-wheelchair-using less mobile guests and habitual chair users, of a lot of these great places!  They have also been used by guests who have arrived on holiday with broken legs or ankles after recent accidents, who were delighted that they had more opportunity to join in the family fun than they thought they would.  They have them at places like Mount Edgcumbe, Trebah Gardens, Tamar Trails, Siblyback, Dartington Hall and Saltram, which means you can do some lovely walks, and also at some of the NT places. If that sounds appealing then have a look at www.countrysidemobility.org which shows you the different local sites that have trampers and how to book them. Temporary membership is £2.50 for 4 weeks, and tramper hire is £2.50 an hour (but is free at some venues such as NT venues where you have paid an entrance fee).

Accessible South West is a directory designed to assist visitors with disabilities travelling to the South West of England find suitable places to visit. The directory includes accessible information on attractions and other places of interest, places to eat, public toilets, and beaches. There is also information on disability groups and organisations that can assist the disabled traveller whilst staying away from home, and local suppliers of accessibility equipment to hire. www.accessiblesouthwest.co.uk/

National Trust

The majority of the National Trust properties have accessible facilities. These are listed for each property on the NT website under www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/
Those with “improved disabled access” in Devon and Cornwall are listed below:

1. Trelissick Gardens
2. A La Ronde
3. Buckland Abbey
4. Castle Drogo
5. Finch Foundry
6. Lydford Gorge
7. Antony
8. Cornish Mines and Engines
9. Glendurgan
10. Levant Mine
11. St Michael’s Mount
12. Old Post Office Tintagel
13. Trelissick
14. Trengwainton

Beaches

A number of Cornwall’s beaches have sand chairs available for hire for visitors with disabilities.

Place/Location Hire/Collection Point/ Contact

• Bude: Summerleaze Beach – Summerleaze Beach Office: 01288 352226
• Falmouth: Gyllyngvase Beach – Gyllyngvase Beach Café: 01326 312884
• Kerrier: On rotation Kerrier – District Council: 01209 614397
• Looe Town: Beach Looe Town Trust – Seafront: 01503 263709
• Newquay: Fistral Beach – Fistral Surf Hire Shop: 01637 850584
• Towan: Beach Blue Reef Aquarium: 01637 878134
• Polzeath: Polzeath Beach Anne’s Cottage Surf Shop: 01208 262812
• St Ives: Porthminster Beach Lifeguard Office: 01736 793940
• St Michael’s: Marazion Beach – The Godolphin Arms: 01736 710202

Easily Accessible Routes to Scenic Walks in Cornwall

There are many scenic routes in Cornwall suitable for disabled visitors or those with buggies and pushchairs where you can get out and enjoy the beautiful coast and countryside. You may also like to look at the accessible routes page of the South West Coast Path site, which has good information on easy going walks for people with mobility problems, pushchairs, wheelchairs and mobility scooters. Those walks with a worthwhile length along fairly flat paths that are at least 850mm (2’6″) wide, have a minimal cross camber, and no steps or stiles are marked on a map with a wheelchair symbol. The most accessible paths have also been graded with 1 to 3 stars dependent on their gradient and surface.

*** – A smooth and level path, likely to be suitable for all types of wheelchairs and pushchairs.

** – A reasonably smooth path with some gentle ups and downs.

* – A path with a firm but uneven surface and/or gradients steeper than 1:10, more suited to a powerful mobility scooter or an all-terrain pram.

The Walks with Wheelchairs site also gives 20 routes in Cornwall that are accessible to those in wheelchairs or pushing buggies.

You could also try their affiliated site http://www.walkswithbuggies.com/Cornwall which is designed for parents with pushchairs. It gives information on which walks are suitable for single buggies or double buggies etc.

 

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