Beyond The Woods Accessibility
Beyond The Woods - Access Statement
This access statement does not contain personal opinions as to suitability for those with access needs, but aims to accurately describe the facilities and services offered to all guests/visitors. This statement has been drawn up by the owner(s) of Beyond The Woods and therefore Sleeps12 do not accept responsibility for any omissions or inaccuracies. Please call us on 01823 665500 if you have any questions regarding the accessibility of this property that are not answered within this statement.
Introduction
Beyond The Woods was built in the 1930’s as a 2-up-2-down farm worker's cottage; since then it's been completely transformed and now offers luxurious and spacious self catering holiday accommodation for 14 people. 2 extra guest beds are available at an additional charge each - these are great for children.
Alan & Christine, the owners of Beyond The Woods are aware of the need for holiday houses to be be accessible to people with additional needs. Their son was born with Kleefstra Syndrome (a rare chromosome deletion) and so knowing their own needs they have considerately extended the house to ensure accessibility for all. If there are any portable devices that can be provided to make your stay easier, or anything the owners can do to help, please let us know and we will put you in contact with them before your visit so that you can discuss this with them. They really do want to go that extra mile to ensure Beyond The Woods is the perfect place for everyone to enjoy.
Pre-Arrival
By Road: You will find detailed directions in the check in information that can be viewed after you have made a booking.
Buses: The nearest bus station is at Taunton, 10 miles away. Buses run from Taunton to Wellington, which is the nearest town to Beyond The Woods (4 miles away). Taxis are readily available from the centre of Wellington.
Trains: There are train stations at Taunton and Tiverton Parkway, both about 10 miles away. Taxis are usually available from both stations.
Food Deliveries: Asda, Waitrose, Sainsburys, Tesco and COOK will all deliver groceries to Beyond The Woods.
Arrival and Car Parking: From the road there is a 400m drive leading to a large parking and turning area. It is possible to get a vehicle right up to the ramp by the front door.
From the car park area to the front door there is a gentle paved ramp with a 1.5m square-paved area right in front of the front door. There is a level threshold through an 800mm doorway directly into the large hallway (5m x 3.5m).
WIFI: Beyond The Woods does have wireless broadband, though be aware that this is a very rural area so speeds may not be as good as you are used to. Please see here for more details.
Mobile Reception: Mobile reception is of varying quality and guests have reported that their mobile devices work better outside of the house. Unfortunately this is one of the downsides of living in a rural area.
EV Charging Point:We have a Type 2 EV charging point for guests use, though you will need to bring your own connection cable.
Inside The House
Note that the rooms are all individually designed, and several have curved walls, so room dimensions are only approximate.
The ground floor is on two levels. The living/dining room is lower than the rest of the ground floor and is accessed via a ramp from the hallway, through double doors measuring 1.5m, or via two 1m wide oak steps (depth 30cm, height 18cm) from the kitchen. The living area and the snug are fully carpeted, but the rest of the ground floor is either tiled, wood or marmoleum.
The living room (approx. 10m x 4.5m) has a large flat screen TV, Skybox, DVD Blue-Ray player, surround sound and an iPod dock, 4 x armchairs, a very large circular pouffe, a 4 seater sofa and 2 x 3 seater sofas. There is an open fireplace with a slate fire hearth.
The dining area (4m x 5m) adjoins the living room. There is a large oak table, 800mm high and 3.4m long, with oak chairs to easily seat 14.
The kitchen links to the dining room via two steps and a 1m doorway; it is level to the hallway via a 800mm door and level to the snug through a 750m door. In the kitchen there are 2 fan assisted electric ovens, a microwave, a fridge/freezer, 2 dishwashers, 2 sinks, an 'Insinkerator' for instant hot water, and ample storage. There is also a solid Corian topped kitchen table, 800mm high, with seating for 5.
The snug has doors with level thresholds to the kitchen and hallway, both 750mm wide. It also has French windows, with a level threshold and a width of 1.2m, that lead out into the garden. In the Snug there is a large flat screen TV, a DVD Blue Ray player, a Bose iPod dock, a low 3-seater sofa, 2 leather swivel chairs with matching foot rests, and several large floor cushions.
The utility room is also off the hall, through an 800mm doorway. There is a washing machine, tumble dryer, double sinks and draining board, ironing board, hoover, and various cleaning equipment and materials. This room also has an external door, with a level threshold 800mm wide, which leads to an external, undercover smoking area with bench seating and an ashtray. There is a wooden “Sheila Maid” hanging from the ceiling in the utility room, which provides useful drying racks for laundry or wet swimming costumes.
The final room leading from the Hall is Bedroom 1 (5.7m x 3.5m), through a 800m doorway. This room has an en-suite wet room (2m x 2.4m) accessed through a 800mm door.
The wet room is fully tiled with no ledges to negotiate. The toilet is 420mm high, the washbasin 830mm high with a single lever tap, and the shower controls are 1.2m high. The shower head can be fixed at any height between 1.4–2 m high, or can be hand held. There are two lever controls, one for the temperature and one for flow. In the store cupboard, available to anyone who asks, we keep a height adjustable shower stool, a toilet frame and a couple of super grip suction mount hand grips which can be placed wherever needed (these can also be used in the spa hall).
The 1m wide carpeted stairs lead up to the first floor from the hall. The first floor has carpeting on the landing and in all bedrooms. The bathrooms and en-suite shower rooms have either tiled or laminated floors. All doorways upstairs are 750mm wide.
Bedroom 2 is approximately 6.5m x 5m with a large curved wall. It has an en-suite shower room 1m x 3.1m. The washbasin is 850mm high and has a single lever tap, the toilet is 440mm high. The shower has an outwards opening swing door with a 10mm ledge to step over onto the shower tray. The shower can be fixed at any height between 1.4–2 m high, or even hand held. There are two lever controls, one for the temperature and one for flow.
Bedroom 3 is 3.1m x 6m.
Bedroom 4 is 3.4m x 3.1m. It has an en-suite shower room 1m x 3.1m. The washbasin is 850mm high and has a single lever tap, the toilet is 440mm high. The shower has an outwards opening swing door with a 10mm ledge to step over onto the shower tray. The shower controls are 1.2m high, the main showerhead is fixed but there is also a variable height shower, which can also be hand held.
Bedroom 5 is 3.2m x 4m It has an en-suite shower room 1m x 3.1m. The washbasin is 850mm high and has a single lever tap, the toilet is 440mm high. The shower has an outwards opening swing door with a 10mm ledge to step over onto the shower tray. The shower can be fixed at any height between 1.4–2 m high, or even hand held. There are two lever controls, one for the temperature and one for flow.
Bedroom 6 is 3.1m x 3.5m. It has an L-shaped en-suite shower room 2m x 2m. The washbasin is 850mm high and has a single lever tap, the toilet is 440mm high. The shower has an outwards opening swing door with a 10mm ledge to step over onto the shower tray. The shower can be fixed at any height between 1.4–2 m high, or even hand held. There are two lever controls, one for the temperature and one for flow
Bedding: We use non-allergenic bedding throughout and have waterproof mattress protectors available.
The large family bathroom is 4 m x 2.3m. The bath is 600mm high and 1.7m long. It has a single lever tap with a pair of stainless steel grab handles. The basin is 820mm high with a single lever tap. The bidet also has a single lever tap and is 400mm high, as is the toilet. The shower is 900mm x 900mm and has an outwards opening swing door with a 100mm ledge to step over onto the shower tray .
Outside there is a very large garden with a large lawn area with a netted trampoline. The entire garden is fully accessible with gentle slopes to aid access. There are also steps for more direct routes. There is a large rubber surface with a roundabout in the middle of it. There is decking directly outside of the dining area, with garden furniture that allows seating for 14. The decking is accessed through wide French doors with a level threshold.
Spa Hall
There is a gentle hard surfaced path down to the swimming pool. Access to the spa hall is through a 1m wide door, again over a level threshold. Level surfaces are maintained around the pool and hot tub and through to the changing and wet room.
The changing room is 2.5m x 4m, with a door 900mm wide. There is an L-shaped slated wooden bench 460mm wide and 460mm high, with a maximum length of 1.8m long, .
From the changing room through a 900mm wide sliding door is a wet room with a shower with lever controls and a fixed and hand held showerhead, a toilet 410mm high and a basin with a single lever tap at a height of 840mm.
Access to the swimming pool is via fixed steps in the corner of the pool. There is a fixed handrail alongside 5 x 220mm steps. The pool is L-shaped, 13.5m long x 5m at it’s widest. The large shallow end has a depth of 1.3m and the deep end has a depth of 2m.
The hot tub also has a fixed handrail and has a ledge of 100mm high to step over onto 2 further steps down into the hot tub.
The sauna has a heat resistant glass door of 700mm wide.
Outside the pool is another seating area with a table and chairs.
Children
We welcome children of all ages. We have 3 travel cots, 3 high chairs and stairgates for the top and bottom of the stairs. Waterproof mattress covers are available too. In the snug there is a cupboard full of pre-school age toys and in the room, disguised as a table, is a 'fantasy playcube'. There are a few bath toys and a non-slip bathmat in the family bathroom. There are books throughout the house to suit all ages.
Assistance Dogs
Assistance dogs are very welcome at no extra charge.