Heather Cottage
Self-catering holiday cottage
Self-catering
holiday cottage
Accessibility Details
This statement provides details about Heather Cottage, which some guests may need for deciding whether
the accommodation is suitable for them. Measurements are provided where appropriate, such as the clearance
width through doors and details of the stairs.
People with restricted mobility or other impairment may need such information to confirm suitability.
Introduction
Heather Cottage is a 2-storey mid-terraced house, one of seven holiday cottages arranged around
a level tarmac courtyard providing off-road parking. Easy access from a main road,
with space for turning round in the courtyard.
Unlike some cottages in the Lake District, road access is not a problem at any time of year.
From the cottage it is an easy mostly level walk into the centre of Ambleside, giving access to shops, Tourist
Information, Post Office, cinema, local buses and taxis. There are many good eating places, pubs and takeaways
within walking distance.
Bookings and Enquiries
All bookings and enquiries are handled now by Lakelovers (formerly Lakes Cottage Holidays), (part of Sykes Cottages),
who will provide you with the key to the cottage and will help with any questions or problems during your stay.
Arrival and Parking
- Road directions will be provided with confirmation of booking
- Easy route from nearby M6 motorway
- Easy road access from a main road
- Off-road parking for one car
Main entrance
- Entrance is just 5 m level walk from the parking space
- Outside light near entrance comes on automatically at night
- Key by combination keybox near door
- Door keyhole is 110 cm above courtyard
- Door handle is 115 cm above courtyard
- Single stone step 14 cm up from courtyard
- Further 3 cm up over metal threshold
- Entrance door opens inwards, hinged at right, clearance width 71 cm
- Door lock has thumbturn inside for easy exit
General Internal
- All rooms have high ceilings, making the cottage feel quite spacious
- Walls and ceilings are light colours, carpets are darker colours
- Decorations generally neutral with most woodwork as natural medium/light wood
- Skirting (except bathroom), doors, stairs, handrails are natural wood
- Door handles and fittings are solid brass
- Lounge/dining room, stairs, landing and bedrooms are fully carpeted
- All carpets are short pile
- All furnishings and bedding are non-feather
- Blankets available
- No smoking in the cottage
- Pets accepted, along with considerate owners. Pets are not allowed on any furniture or beds.
Dog hairs must be cleaned up before departure.
- Ground floor is open-plan lounge and dining area with kitchen at rear through wide archway
- Upstairs are 2 bedrooms and a bathroom. The only toilet is in the bathroom.
- Room heating is by overnight electric storage heaters plus fan heaters
- Water heating is by overnight electric tank heater with daytime top-up
- Most light switches are modern rocker type, typical height 135 cm
- All electrical sockets are switched, typical height 35 cm (except kitchen)
- Audible smoke alarms upstairs and downstairs
- Instruction leaflets in the cottage for all electrical appliances
Entrance Porch
- Coathooks height 170 cm
- Storage shelf height 75 cm, with racks underneath for shoes and boots
- Wall map of the Lake District and also map of Ambleside town
- Door into lounge opens inwards, hinged at left, clearance width 71 cm
Lounge and Dining Area
- Easy seating (2 armchairs plus 2-seat sofa) with seats height 45 cm
- Smart HD TV and Blu-ray DVD player. Digital radio / CD player / Bluetooth.
- Various board games and cards plus books, DVDs and CDs
- Dining table is to one side with restricted space and may need to be moved to use all seats
- Dining table is 120 cm x 90 cm and is 76 cm high
- Dining chairs have padded seats, 46 cm high
- Separate light directly over dining table
Kitchen
- Wide archway into kitchen, clearance width 128 cm
- Good lighting from suspended ceiling spotlights and over worktops and cooker hob
- Kitchen units are natural wood colour with wood knob handles of same colour
- Kitchen flooring is wood laminate, similar colour to kitchen units
- Solid worktops height 92 cm, speckled grey colour
- Kitchen sink has large bowl to left, small bowl in middle, drainer to right
- Electric cooker has ceramic hob with 4 zones and 2 ovens:
- Hob height 90 cm with control knobs at the front and ovens below
- Control knobs 90 cm above floor
- Main oven door is hinged at left
- Top oven/grill door hinges down
- Extractor fan and light above cooker, controls at height 165 cm
- Some cooking fumes may trigger smoke alarms: you may need to open windows and doors
- Fridge built-in below worktop. Small freezer in walk-in storage area under stairs.
- Dishwasher below worktop
- Walk-in storage area with light. Door opens outwards, hinged at right, clearance width 64 cm
- Restricted sloping headroom in walk-in storage area, 125 cm at lowest point
- Washing machine in walk-in storage area. Front loading. Washing and drying.
Stairs
- Stairs are in 2 sections, with a flat square half-landing part-way up
- 12 steps up to half-landing, then turn left and further 5 steps up to landing
- Width of each tread is 79 cm
- Half-landing is flat, 90 cm x 90 cm
- Handrail to left for part of lower section of stairs. Handrail to right for upper section.
Main Bedroom
- Door opens inwards, hinged at left, clearance width 71 cm
- Solid wood double bed with slatted base and centre supports
- Firm mattress width 135 cm, length 190 cm, top of mattress 60 cm above floor
- Non-feather duvets and pillows
- Wardrobe and chest of drawers for storage
- 2 small bedside units for personal items
- Furniture is natural wood, with wood knob handles of the same colour
- Bedside lights and spotlights give choice of illumination
- Clearance width around bottom and both sides of bed is at least 34 cm
- Largest free space clear of furniture and door is 140 cm x 100 cm, at right side of bed
Second Bedroom
- Door opens inwards, hinged at left, clearance width 71 cm
- Solid wood single bed with slatted base
- Firm mattress, width 90 cm, length 190 cm
- Top of mattress is 50 cm above floor
- Non-feather duvet and pillows
- Wall-mounted reading lights
- Small chest of drawers of natural wood, with wood knob handles of the same colour
- Storage cupboard (with light), used for laundry and equipment storage.
Double outward-opening doors with clearance width of 71 cm, but high step of 75 cm.
- Clearance width along one side of beds is at least 70 cm
- Largest free space clear of furniture and door is 100 cm x 100 cm
Bathroom
Modern bathroom with wide bath and electric shower over the bath with curved glass shower screen.
The bathroom includes the only toilet in the cottage, along with a washbasin.
Floor area is quite small but with high ceiling.
- Door opens inwards, hinged at right, clearance width 63 cm
- In emergency, bathroom door lock can be opened from outside with a coin
- Pull-cord light switch, cord 145 cm above floor
- Fully-tiled white with several contrasting narrow vertical strips of dark tiles
- Light-coloured laminate flooring. White skirting. White bath, basin and toilet.
- Toilet seat height 43 cm, limited gap to right of toilet of 26 cm
- Toilet is dual flush: push buttons on top of cistern, height 80 cm
- Basin height 80 cm
- Wide bath 55 cm high, inside width 70 cm at shower end
- Bath taps are on side of bath for ease of use, but may impede entry into the bath
- Bath and basin taps are smooth white ceramic, may be slippery to turn when wet
- Grab handle on back wall above bath, 110 cm above base of bath
- Grab handle in showering area, 70 cm above base of bath
- Electric shower is "Mira Sport", highest control 145 cm above base of bath
- Shower head is adjustable height and can be detached. Head has adjustable spray settings.
- Shower main switch is outside bathroom
- Electric heated panel for drying towels and warming bathroom
- Pull-cord fan heater, cord 170 cm above floor
- High 'Velux' skylight can be opened for extra ventilation if needed using a long wood pole.
Requires some coordination to engage pole's hook into window's eye to open and close the window.
Grounds
The cottage does not have a garden, but does have a small sitting-out area at the front with
a bench seat. View of Fairfield mountain range. Road traffic can be noisy.
Transport
Ambleside is centrally positioned in the Lake District so being a good base for exploring in any direction.
The roads can become congested at peak times and many roads are winding and require care.
In winter, some minor roads and high level passes may become unusable.
Good roads north to Grasmere and Keswick, south to Windermere and Kendal, west to Consiston and Hawkshead.
Local buses and taxis provide an alternative to using the car, and allow the many country pubs
to be enjoyed at leisure.
- Car:
You must turn left when leaving the courtyard as the road is one-way. At the bottom of the bank,
turn left to go south (Windermere) or west (Coniston), turn right to go north (Keswick) or to continue
round the one-way system. This junction requires care: two-way traffic to the left,
one-way traffic going off to the right.
- Bus:
Main bus stops are in the centre of Ambleside, 200 m from the cottage
- Taxi:
Taxis in the centre of Ambleside outside the Tourist Information office, 400 m from the cottage
- Train:
Nearest station is 4 miles south at Windermere, which joins the main line at Oxenholme near Kendal
- Boat:
Scheduled services on Lake Windermere from Waterhead at the south end of Ambleside,
1 km (½ mile) from the cottage
Local facilities
Ambleside has become a thriving tourist centre, providing many shops and services for visitors as well as for
the local community. As the town centre is an easy walk from the cottage, all these facilities are readily
accessible. Most walks are level or gently sloping.
- Tourist Information: in town centre,
400 m (phone: 015394 68135)
- Post Office: within Tourist Information
- Cashpoint machine (ATM): in the main street outside Tesco, 300 m
- Chemist: in the main street, 300 m
- Petrol station: at the top of Wansfell Road (only 50 m from the cottage, but you will have to drive round
the one-way system)
- Nearest shop for simple provisions: at the petrol station, 50 m
- Food shops, outdoor shops, gift shops etc: mostly around 400 m
- Nearest superstore: Booths
in Windermere, 4 miles south (015394 46114)
- We also have a Tesco Express in Ambleside: in the main street, 300 m
- Cinema: Zeffirellis in Compston Road,
400 m (015394 33845)
- Garden centre: Hayes,
400 m south (015394 33434)
- Doctors: Ambleside Group Practice,
800 m north (015394 32693)
- Dentist: Ambleside Mint Dental Practice
in Rydal Road, 600 m (015394 34999)
- Vet: Oakhill Vet Centre in Church Street, 300 m (015394 32631)
- Nearest open area for exercising dogs: Rothay Park, 500 m
- Nearest RADAR public toilet: Rothay Park (and also at the main car parks)
Useful phone numbers
- Emergency (fire, police, ambulance, mountain rescue): 999
- Police non-emergency: 101
- National Health Service (for medical advice): 111
( Statement date: July 2024 )