The Approach
The cottage is situated at the end of a level, tarmacked private
farm drive (250m). The name of the cottage is clearly displayed
on the front of the building.
The Courtyard
The cottage forms one side of a rectangular courtyard of
estate outbuildings. The courtyard is a level tarmacked area which
is clear from obstructions, smooth and slip resistant. It is possible
to park directly outside the cottage in an allocated parking space
that is within 3m of the entrance door.
The Main Entrance
Entrance to the cottage is reasonably level, with a very
slight ridge (40mm) caused by the stormguard in the doorway. There
is a canopy above the door which provides protection from the weather.
The door is single leaf and made of wood. The door is 770mm wide.
There is no delay mechanism and it is not a fire door so it does
not slam closed behind you. The lever-action door handle is at 1000mm
and contrasts in colour to the door. The door itself contrasts in
colour to the stone walls. There is no light outside the main entrance
but lighting is provided from lights on adjacent buildings. The
entrance leads into a short hallway with coat hanging space on your
left.
Internal Circulation
The cottage is mostly open plan inside. The hallway leads into the
kitchen from the main entrance. There is no door between the kitchen
and the living room, which is of benefit to a wheelchair user or
person with impaired mobility. The short corridor is 920mm wide.
The floor is tiled and there are a number of heavy rugs. There are
no handrails in the corridor but it is short and there are dado
rails at 1100mm. The colour contrasting is good. The walls are cream
and the corridor has light brown wood panelling to a height of 1100mm.
There are no high gloss finishes or complicated patterns. The corridor
is well lit. There are no steps or changes of level throughout the
cottage.
Living Room
The entrance to the living room is wide (920mm) and there
is no door. There is a sofa, two armchairs and dining table with
chairs on four sides. None of the dining chairs have arm rests.
Lighting is balanced and sufficient to allow for lip reading. The
furniture takes up around half of the floor space in the room. There
is a set of shelves stacked with tourist information, books and
videos which is at an appropriate height and accessible to all.
There is a television, video and DVD player in the room, all of
which have a remote control. The television has teletext for guests
that require subtitles.
The Kitchen
The kitchen is thoughtfully laid out with no obstructions. The floor
is tiled with terracotta coloured quarry tiles. The kitchen is long
and narrow with areas at either end which would provide the 1100mm
minimum space needed for the turning circle of a wheelchair. The
work surfaces are 900mm high. The kitchen cupboards are cream with
wooden pull handles. The cooker’s grill a drop down door when open.
The cooker’s oven has a vertically hinged door. The controls are
at the back of the hob. The microwave is on a bracket at a height
of 1400mm. The sink is stainless steel against a cream work surface.
The extractor fan pull cord is at a height of 1800mm although it
can also be operated from a switch which is at a height of 1120mm.
The kettle is cordless. There is a front loading washer/drier. The
fire blanket and fire extinguisher are at a height of 1400mm. The
oil central heating is operated from a free standing floor mounted
combi boiler. The controls are all at a height of 800mm.
The Bathroom
The bathroom is situated adjacent to the kitchen. The door
has a brass doorknob with twist locks. It opens to a gap of 720mm.
The bathroom is tiled with terracotta tiles. There are no mats.
The shower is over the bath. The bath rim is at 560mm. There is
a sturdy suspended bath seat available. The controls for the shower
are 1300mm high. The washbasin rim height is 780mm with knee room
underneath. The bathroom suite is white which contrasts with the
toilet seat and side panel of the bath, both of which are wood.
There is no toilet seat adjuster available. The mirror is at a height
of 1240mm.
The Bedrooms
The doors are single leaf and 720mm wide. The doors have brass doorknobs
with twist locks. The wooden doors contrast in colour to the cream
walls. The rooms are carpeted and there are no high gloss finishes
or complicated patterns. Non-feather pillows and duvets with poly
cotton covers and sheets are used.
The Double Room
In the double room there is a double bed, wardrobe, chest of drawers
and two bedside tables. There is extra lighting in the form of bedside
lights, which are operated from a switch on the lamps. There is
space to walk or manoeuvre a wheelchair alongside the bed. The bed
transfers on both sides.
The Twin Bedroom
The twin bedroom has two single beds and a wardrobe. The
twin beds trasfer from middle aisle. There is extra lighting in
the form of wall lights, which are operated from a switch on the
lights.
The Patio Area
A single leaf wooden door with a lever action handle leads
out onto an enclosed concrete patio area. There is a step down (160mm)
out of the cottage onto the patio area, although one can also walk
around the house on level tarmac and through a small wicket gate
to access the patio. There is an external light over the door. It
is operated from inside the cottage using a switch alongside the
door. It is at a height of 1370mm.
Over the years, we have welcomed many
guests to Bwthyn Y Saer holiday cottage. The cottage has been graded
by the Wales Tourist Board as having Catergory 2 accessibility.
It is all on one level which is ideal for those with mobility impairments
such as an ambulant disabled person who sometimes uses a wheelchair.
Whilst the lounge and kitchen have sufficient room to turn a wheelchair,
there is limited space to manoeuvre in the bathroom and bedrooms.
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