Nutcombe Farm is set in North Devon’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so we are therefore lucky to be surrounded by beautiful countryside. Please make sure all members of your party are aware of the hazards of the countryside and especially ensure children are supervised to a level appropriate to their age and maturity.

Please find below a few matters to be aware of to make your stay at Nutcombe safe and enjoyable. Please take the time to read through them and don’t hesitate to ask at the farm house or email us at nutcombecottages@googlemail.com if you have any questions.

FIRE SAFETY

Due to new Fire Safety Regulations in Self- Catering Accommodation from 1^st October 2023, we have enhanced our fire safety and guidance to guests. This means we now have to display Fire Evacuation Plans and other information in the cottages. We have tried to keep this to a minimum. Therefore, it is very important that you take the time to read our Fire Safety Guidance in the Welcome Folder for your own safety.

Due to the new regulations, please note that we cannot allow:

• The use of your own electrical devices such as air con units, deep fat fryers or fans or any other high usage electrical equipment
• The charging of EV Vehicles or E-bikes
• The use of candles or ethanol burners.
• Smoking or vaping

Guest appliances have not been PAT tested and if a fire is caused by the use of any of these items, our insurance will be invalid, so please help us to keep everyone safe.

The charging of laptops, Tablets and mobiles is fine but please do not charge overnight, disconnect leads from the mains when charged and only use manufacturer provided charging leads.

OUR GROUNDS

Our grounds are steep in parts and may be slippery, especially the slate steps, particularly after rain. To the side of Nutcombe Cottage & Cider House there are original stone steps which lead to the lower terrace which are guarded by a locked gate at the top. Please do not attempt to use these steps as they are uneven and not suitable for use. There are also original steps to the front of the Cider House and Nutcombe Barn which again are not to be used by guests. They are part of the fabric and character of the original barns.

Please be aware that Nutcombe has several small springs that run through the property and two large ponds in the owner’s private garden. Please take care around water, especially with children.

DURING YOUR STAY

Your cottage will be thoroughly cleaned to our usual high standard however, we ask that guests follow some simple housekeeping procedures during your stay to help us maintain these standards and enable smooth changeovers for our next arriving guests.

• Maintaining hygiene For your convenience, we supply Antibacterial Spray & wipes, enough Dishwasher tablets for one a day, Washing-up liquid, washing-up brush & sponge, dishcloth, scourer, bathroom cleaner and hob cleaner. We also supply one Toilet Roll per bathroom, Hand-soap, kitchen roll, cling film and tin foil. Please use the cleaners to help keep surfaces clean but please do not flush wipes down the toilet.
• Think Planet! With energy costs high, please do not have the heating on whilst the windows are open and remember to turn the heating down if you are out for the day. We also ask guests to be mindful of leaving appliances on standby or left on charge when not necessary.
• Use the dishwasher Please ensure all used crockery, glasses, pots, pans and kitchen utensils are cleaned in the dishwasher. This ensures crockery and particularly mugs are kept clean and stain free and ready for our next guests.
• Bathrooms Please make sure the bathroom lights are used when using the bathrooms so that the extractor fans remove moisture to minimize the development of condensation mould. They are on a timer and will go off after 5 minutes once lights are turned off.

USING THE WI-FI

To use our free Wi-Fi search for Nutcombe Cottages and use the password farm24519

VIEWING THE TELEVISION

The television is fitted with a Humax Freesat box which offers over 200 channels as well as access to some On Demand services as well as your own Netflix account (remember to sign out before you leave). . Please see operating instructions in the cottage folder.

CENTRAL HEATING AND HOT WATER

The central heating and hot water in Cider House is timed to be on all day from 7am until 10.30pm. To control the heating, please use the thermostat located above the TV. Individual rooms can be controlled using the thermostats on each radiator.  If you experience any problems with the heating, please ask at the farm house.

WATER & DRAINAGE AT NUTCOMBE

At Nutcombe Farm we are very lucky to have our own spring water supplying all our cottages. We have our own water filter system that meets all appropriate standards so we can offer you superb natural spring water not only to drink, but to bathe in as well. It is extremely soft water and so you will notice the need for very little detergent/soap/shampoo etc. The filtration system can mean that the cold water runs quite warm initially. Just run the tap until it comes through cold. You may also notice that the water appears cloudy when first filling a glass. This is just air and clears after a few minutes. There are fresh bottles of our spring water in the fridge for you.

Being in the countryside also means we are not on mains drainage. We therefore have our own sewage treatment system on the premises. For this reason, please do not flush sanitary items, so called flushable wipes or cooking fats down the drains, or use any products containing bleach, as these will cause problems with the system.

YOUR DOG’S HOLIDAY AT NUTCOMBE

We welcome well behaved dogs at Nutcombe so to ensure they get the best out of their stay, please be aware of the following.

It is always a worry that whilst on holiday your dog may get lost whilst off the lead. Please make use of our Identi-tag for your peace of mind. Kindly return to the basket at the end of your stay for future four legged guests.

You are welcome to use the enclosed lawned area below the car park as a communal area for dogs and for hanging out washing. As a guest in The Cider House, please access the lawned area using the far gate near the washing line to provide privacy to guests in Nutcombe Barn.

Dog owners may also exercise their dogs off the lead; provided they are safe with livestock, in our three-acre field below the farm house garden which is available at all times. To access the field, proceed down the left-hand side of the garden and enter through a farm gate.

All other fields around the property are owned by a neighbouring farmer and unfortunately there are no public footpaths or rights of way for you to use. These fields are often occupied by sheep or cattle, so if your dog has a problem with animals, please keep them on an extended lead in our field. A determined dog will always find a way through a hedge if they put their mind to it.

There are bins provided in the gardens, so please make sure all mess is removed and disposed of appropriately using ‘poop scoop’ bags. We supply a few if you have forgotten your own.

North Devon has some fantastic places to walk your dog but please remember to keep them on a lead where there are sheep or when out and about near cliff edges.

PLEASE NOTE: Dogs are not to be left unattended in the cottages at any time. Please read our ‘Yours Dogs Holiday at Nutcombe’ for full details.

PLACES TO GO AND THINGS TO DO

There are so many places to go and things to do to list them all here. There are a few leaflets in the box under the coffee table, but for a more comprehensive guide, please take a look at our Local Area page on our website

BREAKAGES OR DAMAGE

In the unfortunate event that something gets broken during your stay, please notify us immediately or if not urgent, at the end of your visit in order that we can replace the items. A small charge will be made for any significant breakages. Please do not replace the items yourself without our agreement.

RUBBISH & RECYCLING

Waste collection at Nutcombe Farm can appear to be quite complicated, so please read the ‘Refuse & Recycling’ chart in the cottage folder to see which items can be recycled in North Devon. Please wash items for recycling before placing them in the waste collection area next to the car park.  Biodegradable corn bags are available to use in the ‘Food Waste’ bin together with bin liners in the bin cupboard, so please use them. Please do not put food waste or recycling in the general rubbish.

VACATING THE PROPERTY

Departure Time

Please vacate by 9.30am on the day of departure to allow us enough time to clean and prepare for our next guests.

Air the Property

Please open windows/doors when leaving (unless it is pouring with rain, then please use common sense) and leave internal doors open

Bed Linen & Bedding

We would appreciate your help in speeding up our changeovers by following these procedures:

• Please remove all sheets, duvet covers and pillow cases from every bed (used or not) and place in the fabric bag provided (see labels on the bags) and leave in the master bedroom downstairs.
• Please leave the mattress protectors, duvet and pillows on the bed.

Towels/T-Towels/Bathmats/Oven Gloves

Please place all towels, T-towels, fabric bathmats and oven gloves in the plastic bin bag provided and tie up. Leave with the linen bag in the downstairs master bedroom.

Waste Disposal

Please ensure that cottages are left clear of all waste on departure. Please follow these procedures:

• Empty & Wash all recycling and place in appropriate bins provided in the bin store
• Remove all rubbish to the bin store. Don’t forget bathroom bins, paper bins & any food in the fridge/freezer/cupboards)
• Please ensure black-bin rubbish bags are tied up before putting in the bin
• Empty and tie up food bags and decant to the larger bins outside (Do not place food waste in the general rubbish).

Basic cleanliness

In line with clause 7 of our Terms and Conditions, ‘guests are asked to undertake to leave the cottage, it’s fixtures and furniture in the same good condition as they were found to enable us to maintain a very high standard of cleanliness and comfort for our next guests’.

We would therefore appreciate you:

• Having a quick wiz round with the hoover to remove as much dirt, particularly dog hair as possible
• Leaving cupboards/fridge/freezers empty and surfaces clean.
• Completing any washing up and putting it away in the cupboards or on a wash in the dishwasher

Leaving the key

Kindly leave the keys to your cottage on the kitchen table. It will be fine for you to leave your cottage unlocked when you leave.

If you have used one of our dog tags, please return it to the folder for our future four legged guests to use.

Your participation in these procedures and prompt departure will help us ensure our changeovers are carried out efficiently to our high level of cleanliness for our next guests.

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

Please click to view our Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy and Access Statement.

If during your stay, you experience any problems what so ever or have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask at the farmhouse; we will be only too pleased to help or find someone who can. A list of useful phone numbers can be found in the cottage folder.

Lastly, we would very much appreciate it if you could take the time to complete our Visitors Book at the end of your stay so future guest can gain from your experience. Alternatively, you can submit an online review. If you would like to keep up to date with what’s going on at Nutcombe Cottages and special offers, please like and share our Facebook.

We hope you have a fantastic holiday at Nutcombe.

Kind regards

David & Jackie Penny