COMBERMERE ABBEY COTTAGES
ACCESS AND FIRE RISK STATEMENTS

ACCESS STATEMENT:

Pre-Arrival
Combermere Abbey has its own website www.combermereabbey.co.uk  featuring details of each holiday cottage and we are also listed on a number of independent websites, including www.premiercottages.co.uk. The Holiday Cottages on the estate are listed buildings and have statutory obligations and limitations in terms of design and conversion details, which can restrict guests with severe access issues. This is clearly identified on the website which offers large type script and in publicity material.

Enquiries and bookings can be made by email, fax, phone (including mobile). 
The nearest regional train station is Whitchurch – 4 miles away, and the nearest mainline train station is Crewe, on the West Coast Line, 11 miles away There are accessible taxis at the station. 
A pre-arrival welcome pack to the main cottage complex at the Stables is sent to each guest informing them of the directions to the estate (sat-nav is unreliable), arrival and access procedures and codes. The separate pack for Stone Lodge, our stand alone cottage outlines the different access and entry information. The Housekeeper will be in touch with them by phone if arrival is delayed past 6pm.

Arrival:
Combermere Abbey Cottages are located in a rural location, and electronic gates are in operation from 6pm to 8am each weekday and during the weekends at the entrance to the estate. Guests are given the entry code in the welcome pack as well as a map of the cottages identifying the entry point to their cottage. Fob is attached to the key of the cottage for easy access during their stay. The drive to the complex of holiday cottages is one mile long on a tarmac drive. The entrance to the Stone Lodge cottage is outside the entrance to the main estate and clearly marked.

Stone Lodge: guests drive up a short 15 yd drive off the main road into a private parking area. The path (designed at for wheelchair guests) is down a gentle slope to the terrace leading to the front door.

The Stables Courtyard Cottages: guests travel down a mile long tarmac drive and follow signs to the tarmac surfaced car park. They are given a clear map showing where the key to their cottage is located. All the cottages have two entry doors, from the external car parks and the interior courtyard. The car parks for the respective cottages are clearly identified, and there are designated spaces for disabled visitors. Cars are permitted in the central courtyard to unload for all cottages except Wellington Cottage but must park in the designated car parks once unloaded. The maximum distance between the car parking and any cottage entrance is 30 yards. Alternative access to all the courtyard cottage doors is across a cobblestone courtyard. This is on one level, but is somewhat uneven in places – due to its listed status, it cannot be replaced. Access from the main parking area for Crossley is directly off the car park; Cotton and Wellington cottages are via their private gardens and along lit pathways to the second front entrance. Access to Beckett, Stapleton, Callander and Malbanc are via a lit pathway down a gentle slope to their back doors. These are gravel paths and not reliably accessible for wheelchairs. Stapleton can be accessed for wheelchairs from the main cobblestone courtyard. Poole and Empress cottage entrances are on a flat surface from their private parking area. Several of our cottages have ground floor bedrooms and bathrooms and are used regularly by guests with less severe disability issues. All the doors are wider than average, being the original stable doors. There are 1” threshes into the cottages from both entrances.

All cottages are equipped with detailed information books, giving mobile phone numbers for the Housekeeper, Estate Owner and Maintenance Manager. Important information is also available outside the main administration office, which is open at clearly identified times.

The Gardens and Grounds: The Walled Garden just behind the Stables complex has a two acre garden for use by guests. Access is via the tarmac rear carpark through a set of wrought iron gates. There is a central fully accessible pathway, and access through the pleached hornbeam hedges via a grass lawn. Wheelchair access is possible in dry weather or with assistance. Access to the Pleasure Garden is across mown grass paths and into the woodland where the designated pathways are on a slope to the lakeside and not recommended for wheelchair-bound guests.

Cotton Cottage: One of the two original cottages in the Stables, this cottage can be accessed from a private garden and also the central courtyard. Both the entrances are up two steps. This cottage is not suitable for wheelchair-bound guests. The two bedrooms are on the first floor, accessed by a staircase from the front hall. Neither the master bedroom shower or twin bedroom bathroom are suitable for wheelchair guests. However, it accommodates guests with less stringent mobility or hearing issues.

Wellington Cottage: The other original cottage is accessed only from its private car park area via a pathway through a private garden. This cottage only has one entrance, accessed up two steps. This cottage cannot accommodate wheelchair or sight-impaired guests. There is a change of level between the living room and kitchen down two steps and a staircase up to the bedrooms, bathroom and shower room on the first floor. This listed cottage with its two double bedrooms and single room is not recommended for guests with mobility issues.

Poole Cottage: This cottage, created from the original stable stalls, can be approached from two entrances, the cobbled courtyard and the tarmac car parking area. The front door is 15yds from the car, along a short gravel pathway. On two floors, this cottage has a spacious carpeted dining room hallway with table and chairs leading through a wide open arch to the sitting room with a coal look gas fireplace on the ground floor. On the same level is the kitchen, cleverly designed to fit into a long thin galley space, but with limited turning space. A carpeted stairway leads to the first floor and the master bedroom with its private bathroom across the landing and a twin bedroom with en suite shower room. Neither rooms have threshes, however, while comfortably and elegantly decorated, they are not particularly spacious. Both the master bedroom and its private bathroom and the twin room with en suite shower are well appointed and carpeted.

Empress Cottage: Parking for this cottage is about 15 yards from the tarmac parking space with access to the front door via a gravel pathway and entered via the original sandstone flag into a small hallway. Immediately opposite is the one bathroom with its power shower, servicing both bedrooms with showers. Guests can also access this cottage from the cobbled courtyard directly into the sitting/dining room. There is a 4” step into the spacious light an airy sitting room, which leads into the kitchen with its elegant wood panelling Features from the original stables have been incorporated into the design and there is wide floorspace. The carpeted floor leads upstairs to the twin bedroom on the first floor. The original beams and glass fronted feature help to create a very elegant, private bedroom area with dressing table and chaise longue.

Stapleton Cottage: This cottage was created from the original tack room and features decorative elements of the original space. The main access for wheelchair users is from the cobbled courtyard.  The approach from the carpark is down a gentle but gravelled, well lit pathway not designed to accommodate wheelchair access, but acceptable for guests with slight mobility issues. This cottage was originally designed for assisted disabled and has wide entrance doors. From the courtyard, there is a flag hallway leading to a downstairs twin bedroom and ensuite disabled shower room. Electric points and furniture are placed to enable wheelchair access and functionality. The sitting room is spacious and divided from the kitchen leading to the kitchen area. The carpeted double bedroom is reached upstairs from the sitting room and has an en-suite bathroom with non-slip flooring.

Beckett Cottage: The largest of the holiday cottages, access from the car park is down a well-lit path, across a private stone terrace and through double doors into a spacious carpeted dining room. Up a 4” step, the dining room leads to a self contained twin bedroom suite, with tiled hallway, carpeted bedroom and ensuite shower room. Across the room is a door leading to a hallway to the huge double height sitting room with fireplace and oak floors. Off the hallway is the kitchen, with its original tiled floor and also the carpeted master double bedroom with ensuite bathroom with cork flooring. These rooms are spacious and comfortable. A short carpeted stairway from the main sitting room leads to a second twin bedroom which can be converted to a double room with ensuite bathroom. The door from the main sitting room leads onto the cobbled courtyard.

Stone Lodge: This cottage is the only stand alone holiday property, and situated at the entrance of the estate. It has its own driveway and carpark area, and access down a concrete path onto a well lit flag stone terrace. Entrance into the cottage is up a gentle ramp into the beautifully equipped kitchen. This cottage is listed and has been sympathetically adapted. From the kitchen a short passageway leads to the gothic carpeted sitting room with wood burning stove and a door leading to a steep original staircase to the second floor and its self-contained twin bedroom and bathroom. The original stone lodge hall/dining room off the sitting room is fully carpeted and leads to a downstairs master bedroom with adjoining wet room shower. There is an area for the washer dryer contained in the bathroom.

Additional information:

• All courtyard cottages have broadband access and DDI phones with dedicated phone numbers in case of emergency. Numbers are sent in the welcome pack.
• Shared laundry facilities are housed in a special room in the cobbled courtyard and easily accessed from all cottages.
• The Administrator’s office is open each weekday, and the times are clearly posted.
• The Housekeeper is on site each day and has a designated office.
• Each cottage has detailed information books written in 14 font, on all aspects of cottage set-up and equipment, as well as important local tourist and recreational information.
• An Information Centre and Shop are located off the main carpark area, and are open 24/7 with local information leaflets and entertainment library for the use of all guests.
• Mobile phones do not have very consistent reception, with the exception of Stone Lodge.

FIRE RISK SAFETY ASSESSMENT

Source of fire ignition:
The main fire hazards at Combermere Abbey Cottages probably come from the use of wood furnishings due to the age of the building, embers falling from the wood burners and open fires, from cooking fires (Beckett), from guests smoking (outside) and from stray embers from barbecues or bonfires.

Sources of fuel:
The main sources of fuel at Combermere Abbey Cottages that are combustible are logs and LPG.

Identify people at risk:

• People in and around the premises:
  We have our guests and staff and our family; there may be other visitors from time to time. Some will be small children and elderly relatives or may have mobility issues.

Evaluate, remove or reduce and protect from risk:

• Evaluate the risk of a fire starting:
  The likelihood of logs catching fire without assistance is viewed as unlikely. The likelihood of a cooker fire (Beckett only) depends on the care exercised by the guests. Fire extinguishers are provided. The LPG gas is stored in appropriate tanks away from the main building and it is very unlikely that the gas will catch fire in such circumstances. The highest risk probably comes from the embers falling onto the carpet from the wood burners and open fires, although all have hearths that meet building regulations. All the wood burners and gas coal fires have been fitted by qualified fitters and are tested regularly. There are fire guards in all cottages, whether open fire or gas fire should they choose to use them.

• Evaluate the risk to people from a fire:
  The cottages have been designed to have two ground floor exits, one into the central courtyard and the second out to the car park areas, except for Wellington Cottage, which only has one door and one kitchen window. Fire information sheets are pasted onto notice boards in all cottages, and guests are informed they must account for all their party in the event of fire. 
Combermere Abbey Cottages does require the names of each guest in a cottage, as well as all guests for group bookings. Guests are advised to ring 999 and explain that they are at Combermere Abbey holiday cottages, not the name of their cottage, and then to alert the Combermere Abbey number. Guests at Stone Lodge at the top of the drive are asked to explain they are in the lodge cottage.

• Remove or reduce the fire hazard:
  The building was converted in the past 20 years, and we are fully compliant with the building regulations. The logs and LPG Tanks are stored away from the occupied building, and any smoking has to take place outside the building – there are specific sand buckets in the courtyard.

• Protect people by providing fire precautions:
  We have provided fire extinguishers in each cottage, and guests have fire precautions posted on notice boards as well as explained upon arrival. There are fitted smoke detectors and or heat detectors in all cottages to current Building Regulations.

Record, plan, inform, instruct and train:

• Record any major findings and action you have taken:
  Aside from the above we have not had any major findings to report.

• Discuss and work with other responsible people:
  We have had extensive discussions with the local fire Service and all department managers: Administration, Housekeeping and Maintenance are aware of the options.
• Prepare an emergency plan:
  The Emergency plan is explained clearly to guests. Get all your party out and accounted for and call 999 and say you are at Combermere Abbey holiday cottages or at the lodge cottage (whichever is applicable). They are then told to contact us. The gates to the estate are opened immediately for the fire service.
• Inform those using the house:
  As above we ask our guests to notify as soon as any emergency situation arises.
  
• Provide training:
• All full time staff have been trained, and part time staff have also been trained into the basic procedures, get everyone out and accounted for and dial 999 and say Combermere Abbey holiday cottages. Then notify the owners, but take no risks.

Review: - Review the fire risk regularly: 


Next review in August 2012