Contact for accessibility enquiries: Juliet Cleave
Download a printable PDF copy of this guide.
Accessibility Guide to Tom's Cottage Cornwall
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Welcome
We strive to make everyone’s stay with us a happy and enjoyable one.
We also aim to be totally transparent so our guests can book with confidence.
Tom’s Cottage is an 1800s farmhouse surrounded by countryside. It is a detached house with no other properties in the immediate proximity and accessed by a ¼ mile entrance lane.
The lane has shared usage with one residential property and occasional farm traffic.
The house stands within its own garden on 3 sides, the 4th side being the parking area and main entrance.
Arrival
The house name is fixed to the wall beside the main entrance door, below which is the key safe.
Although we generally operate a self-check-in system, we are more than happy to meet you on arrival and provide a guided tour of the house and garden.
Please do let us know if this is your preferred option - ideally when booking. We will need an estimated time of arrival to be able to greet you.
Directions and the key safe code are supplied to the lead guest (the person making the booking) 2 months prior to arrival date, or nearer if a late booking.
Good to know:
- Distance from car park to door: 9m
- Height of key safe: 1400mm
- Height of EV charger: 1220mm
1. Approach to parking area & entrance door
4. house name plateAt a glance
- Accommodation is over 2 floors, with living areas on the ground floor and bedrooms upstairs
- The house is equipped with standard furnishings and fittings throughout
- Overhead lighting throughout, plus side-lamps in den, dining and sitting rooms; and bedside lights
- Any multiple light-switches are labelled to correspond with specific lights
- Main access door has 2 upward steps from parking area and the ground floor has some internal steps (detailed below)
- A stepless side path leads to the back patio and kitchen glass door, serving as an alternative access route
- From the kitchen there is a small step down into the dining room, and a small step down to the passageway that leads to the wet room
- The wet room is on 1 level and flooring tiles are laid in a 70:30 ratio
- The dinning and sitting rooms are on the same level and are carpeted
- The stairs are solid and within their own stairwell. Carpeted with a handrail fitted on the left going upstairs
- Once upstairs there are no steps and the flooring is carpeted throughout, except the bathroom that is vinyl over floorboards
- Each room has the appropriate fire alarm fitted, all being mains interlinked with battery back-up
- Emergency lighting is mains powered with battery backup, and located to light exit routes to the 3 external doors
- From the back patio (accessed from kitchen glass door) there are 3 steps up leading to the back lawn. Steps are 190-200mm H x 560mm D x 850mm W
- The front garden is accessed from the front door, through the character porch
- The porch has slate slab flooring with a small threshold step down into it from the front door, with another small step down onto the front garden path
- Once in either the front or back gardens, both lawns are on their own level although slightly sloping in places
- A connecting path between the 2 gardens is situated between the front patio and a flower border. This consists of stepping stone slates leading to 2 granite steps down onto the front lawn
- Distance from the parking area to the main entrance door is 9 meters; and is fairly even with a tarmac surface
Nearest bus station: Wadebridge (5½ miles)
Nearest railway station: Bodmin Parkway (11 miles)
Nearest airport: Newquay (14 miles)
Cornwall Council’s list of wheelchair accessible taxis can be found here and include Parnells of Bodmin 01208 75000
Outside
The parking area, EV charger and gardens are for the exclusive use of Tom’s Cottage guests.
The back garden is discreetly fenced along its hedge boundaries and the front garden is enclosed by traditional stone walling.
The gardens are established lawns with cottage type flower borders.
From spring to autumn, the back patio (outside kitchen door) is home to a 2-person bistro set, the front patio has seating for 8 and other seating is placed throughout the gardens. All garden furniture is standard measurements.
Entrance lane
The entrance lane is about 400m long and is a private drive shared with 1 other domestic property, plus occasional farm activities (like sheep being moved between fields).
The surface is hardcore stone that is maintained for regular domestic traffic.
There is a small ford near Tom’s Cottage that is passable for regular cars. Please check with us if you intend bringing long or low-slung vehicles
This is the only access to Tom’s Cottage and there is no alternative parking to the designated area beside the property.
House Entrance
The main entrance is the door visible from the car parking area, with Tom’s Cottage name plaque and key safe beside it.
The parking/doorway area can be lit by an external light (switch inside door) – call ahead if you expect to arrive after dark and we’ll leave it on for you.
A side path runs to the side of the house on a gentle slope, leading through a garden gate onto the flat back patio. From there, an external glass door opens directly into the kitchen. This route avoids external and the largest internal steps into the main living areas.
Good to know:
- Main doorway: 1040mm W x 1910mm H
- Door trim internal height: 70mm
- Main door steps: 1200mm W
- Top step: 130mm H x 385mm D
- 1st step: 170mm H x 410mm D
- Step base: 30mm H x 250mm D
- Width of back garden gateway onto patio: 815mm W
- Kitchen door from patio: 710mm W x 1840mm H
- Door trim: 25mm H internally, 45mm H externally
3. Entrance Lane
5. Main entrance from car park, with side path to the left of bin store
6. Back patio access to kitchen door
7. Main entrance doorGround Floor
Utility Room
Floor space of 4.2m x 2.65m with overhead strip light.
The snug is accessed direct from the utility room (on the same level) and 2 steps up into the passageway leads to the downstairs loo/shower-room and kitchen.
Washing machine and fridge-freezer are located in the utility room, where the flooring is original slate flagstones.
Good to know:
- Bottom step to passage: 120mm H x 340mm D x 1115mm W
- 2nd step to passage: 90mm H x 300mm D x 1225mm W
- Doorstop (white): 75mm H onto passage floor
- Doorway: 980mm W x 1905mm H
Snug
A quiet spot away from the main living spaces in the rest of the house
Carpeted, with bean-bags and desk chair that can be rearranged to suit individuals.
Good to know:
- Floor space: 10.1m x 2.6m
- Doorstop: 50mm H up onto carpet
- Doorway: 890mm W x 1805mm H
- Desk to underside: 650mm H
- Desk (top surface): 775mm H
Passageway
1020mm W at its broadest and 715mm at its narrowest, the passageway’s width at the turning point into the shower-room is 830mm.
Colour contrast strip (in black) on the step up into the kitchen.
Good to know:
- Kitchen doorway: 680mm W x 1910mm H
- Step up into kitchen: 80mm H onto same flooring surface.
- Upper part of door is glazed, and has a latch to secure it open against the wall when not closed.
Wetroom (shower-room/downstairs loo)
Measuring 3.6m x 1.8m the wetroom is on the same level as the passageway and is accessed via a sliding door. Flooring is laid on a 70:30 ratio. Movable loo roll stand.
Good to know:
- Doorway: 765mm W x 1840mm H
- Basin (to rim): 850mm H
- Loo (to seat top): 420mm
- Chair (to top of cushion): 440mm H x 450mm W
- Shower controls: 1300-1500mm H
- Shower head (movable): 1490mm-1980mm H
Kitchen
Food preparation area is hard-surface flooring with the breakfast area carpeted beneath the table; which seats 4 (plus stool for perching at a counter-top). External glass door to back garden patio.
Empty cupboard provided for guest provisions. Appliances include electric oven, microwave, fridge and dishwasher and equipped with kitchen utensils.
The broom cupboard is situated in the kitchen and contains domestic paraphernalia eg ironing board, vacuum cleaner etc
Room measures 5.8m x 3m; 3 overhead lights throughout room.
Good to know:
- Room width between cupboards: 1600mm
- External doorway (to back patio): 710mm W
- Doorway to dining room: 730mm W x 1810mm H
- Step down into dining room: 50-60mm H
- Worktops: 920mm H
- Wall cupboards knobs: 1440mm-1500mm H
- Kitchen table surface: 1180mm x 745mm
- Kitchen table top of surface: 725mm H
- Kitchen table underside: 640mm H
- Kitchen table chairs seat tops: 445mm H
Dining Room
Room dimensions: 4.35m x 3.6m
From the kitchen, this room needs passing through to reach the sitting room. Window looks out over the front garden and catches the afternoon sunlight.
Original feature fireplace (not operative) along the long wall opposite doorway.
Seating for 8 around dining table and overhead light.
Good to know:
- Window-seat: 570mm H
- Table to old fireplace wall: 1100mm
- Table to stairwell wall: 1735mm
- Table surface: 740mm H
- Table under-surface: 600mm H
- Chair seats: 435mm H
- Doorway to stair hall: 780mm W x 1840mm H
Sitting Room
Seating for 8 in the form of 2 sofas, an armchair and a movable footstool; room dimensions are 4.2m x 3.6m.
Carpeted with smart TV including subtitles facility and log burner (initial fire laid and fuel provided for 1 evening).
Good to know:
- Doorway: 780mm W x 1840mm H
- Sofas, to cushion seat tops: 430mm H
- Chair, to seat top: 370mm H
- Footstool top: 380mm
- Coffee table surface: 400mm H
- Coffee table rim surround: +25mm H
8. Entrance into utility room
9. The Snug
10. passageway looking from kitchen back to entrance door
11. part of wetroom showing doorway
12. kitchen with breakfast & prep areas plus door to back garden
13. dining room showing door to stair-hall (that leads to the sitting room and front porch)
15. Sitting roomFirst Floor
Front hall and stairs
Carpeted and on the same level as both the dining and sitting rooms that lead off it either side of the stairs.
Front door opposite the stairs, leading into the porch and front garden beyond.
Good to know:
- Front doorway: 760mm W x 1840mm H
- Hall: 830mm W
- Stairway width (bottom): 680mm
- Stairway width (top): 730mm
- Stair tread width: 790mm
- Stair rise height: 205mm
- Top of banister height from stair tread: 715mm
- Stair gates fitted at both the top and bottom of the stairs.
Upstairs landing
The passage at the top of the stairs, floor-covering is a continuation of the stair carpet. Stair gate fitted at top of stairs.
Bathroom lies directly in front of the top of the stairs, with 2 bedrooms lying either side of the stairs.
Good to know:
- Landing passage (at narrowest): 900mm W
- Headroom at entrance to stairs: 1955mm H
Bathroom
Room dimensions 2.3m x 2m with bath along 1 wall (behind the door) and over-bath shower. Basin under window and loo alongside creating ‘free-space’ immediately inside the door.
Flooring is floorboard effect vinyl on original floor boards.
Good to know:
- Doorway: 760mm W x 1780mm H
- Windowsill: 975mm H
- Loo seat top: 425mm H
- Sink (rim): 840mm H
- Bath-side: 545mm H
- Bath, internally: 1300mm L x 430mm W
- Shower control, to bath base: 1230mm H
- Shower head range, to bath base: 1530mm-1930mm H
14. stair hall
16. upstairs bathroomBedrooms
Bedroom 1 - Double
King-size bed with window overlooking the front garden. Carpeted with original built-in wardrobe. Chest of drawers, dressing and bedside tables plus chair.
Room dimensions: 4.2m x 3.9m
Good to know:
- Doorway: 750mm W x 1800mm H
- Space around bed –
- Inside doorway (drawers to bed): 880mm widening to 970mm
- Foot of bed to window-seat: 1600mm
- Bed to radiator wall: 920mm
- Surface heights –
- Bed, to top of mattress: 533mm H
- Bedside cabinet top: 540mm H
- Chest of drawers surface: 965mm H
- Wardrobe handle: 1150mm H
- Dressing table, top surface: 770mm H
- Dressing table, underneath: 620mm H
- Stool, top of seat: 460mm H
- Stool seat area: 505mm x 435mm
- Window-seat: 485mm H
- Chair, seat top: 385mm H
- Chair, seat area: 580mm W x 480mm D
- Chair, backrest (seat to top): 460mm H
Bedroom 2 - Double
Another king-size bed, also with window overlooking the front garden. Carpeted with original built-in wardrobe. Chest of drawers, dressing and bedside tables, plus chair.
Room dimensions: 4.8m x 3.9m
Good to know:
- Doorway: 750mm W x 1800mm H
- Space around bed –
- Inside doorway: 1740mm
- Foot of bed to window-seat: 1660mm
- Chest of drawers to bed (narrowest point): 665mm
- Surface heights –
- Bed, to top of mattress: 530mm H
- Bedside cabinet top: 545mm H
- Chest of drawers surface: 780mm H
- Wardrobe handle: 1120mm H
- Dressing table, top surface:785mm H
- Dressing table, underneath: 590mm H
- Stool, top of seat: 460mm H
- Stool (round), diameter: 370mm W
- Window-seat: 460mm H
- Chair, seat top: 400mm H
- Chair, seat area: 585mm x 485mm
Bedroom 3 - Twin
Twin bedroom with 2 standard single beds, access to each from the central space between. Shared bedside cabinet and lamp.
Clothes rail and dressing table, both beside the window-seat. Window overlooks back garden.
Carpeted. Room dimensions: 4.2m x 3.1m
Good to know:
- Doorway: 760mm W x 1780mm H
- Space between beds: 840mm W
- Surface heights –
- Beds, to top of mattresses: 510mm
- Bedside cabinet top: 595mm H
- Dressing table, top surface: 765 mm H
- Dressing table, underside: 590mm H
- Stool surface: 460mm H
- Stool seat area: 380mm x 280mm
- Window-seat: 490mm H
- Clothes rail –
- Rail from floor: 1440mm H
- Bottom shelf: 80mm H
- 2nd shelf: 340mm H
Bedroom 4 - Single, with truckle option
Standard set-up in this bedroom is as a single (pictured) but is easily converted into a 2nd twin room on request at booking.
Both beds are standard single size, although the truckle is on a pop-up frame; and the furniture lay-out alters to accommodate the truckle-bed when in use (with the main bed remaining in place and the truckle bed positioned against the bathroom wall, with the clothes rail, bedside cabinet and dressing table shuffled around).
Overlooks back garden, carpeted; cupboard housing hot-water cylinder in corner.
Room dimensions: 3m x 3m
Good to know:
- Doorway: 750mm W x 1790mm H
- Single bed mattress: 460mm H
- When in-use -
- Truckle bed mattress: 500mm H
- Space between beds: 1060mm W
- Surface heights –
- Bedside cabinet top: 565mm H
- Dressing table, top surface: 770mm H
- Dressing table, underneath: 605mm H
- Stool surface: 460mm H
- Stool seat area: 380mm x 280mm
- Window-seat: 485mm H
- Window-seat unusable when room rearranged for use of both beds
- Clothes rail –
- Rail from floor: 1430mm H
- Shelf: 210mm H
17. bedroom 1 (double)
18. bedroom 2 (double)
19. bedroom 3 (twin)
20. bedroom 4 (single with truckle option)General Info
Bed linen and bath towels are included – beds will be made up ready for your arrival.
Sainsbury’s deliver to our postcode and Fee’s Food are delighted to make deli and ready meal deliveries to Tom’s Cottage. For that iconic Cornish delivery visit The Cornish Hamper Store and arrange a pasty and cream tea delivery.
Home Spa Cornwall specialise in providing treatments at home – from beauty to relaxation massages, and are available to guests at Tom’s Cottage.
A welcome tray will be waiting for you on the kitchen table, along with a pint of milk in the fridge - everything included for a cuppa and tea-treat on arrival.
Dog(s) feature in our welcome too – when the furry member of the family is joining you at Tom’s Cottage there’ll be a toy to enjoy, some bedding and dog towels along with some essentials in case anything’s been forgotten (like water bowls or a lead).
The guest information folder is kept in the kitchen, providing a wealth of information on the local area and Tom’s Cottage; along with local attractions leaflets and a ‘what’s on this week’ blackboard.
Our blog ‘Tomage’ and social media pages (@tomscottagecornwall on Facebook and Instagram) are regularly updated with local area information.
Heating is provided by oil central heating (boiler situated in kitchen) throughout the house, with the exceptions of: -
- the den (which has a free-standing electric heater)
- the downstairs wet-room (which has underfloor electric heating)
- the utility room and passageways
In addition to its radiator, the sitting room also has a wood-burner.
Broadband is provided by super-fast fibre, with speeds of 500MBs in the kitchen and 190MBs in the furthest away rooms (the den and sitting room).
Mobile signal is patchy - best coverage is by switching over to wifi calling.
Feedback is always welcome and can be made in a variety of ways –
- the guest or maintenance books in the kitchen (pen provided)
- emailing us direct at
- contacting our agent Classic Cottages 01326 555555 Sapphire House, Hayle Business Park, Cornwall, TR27 5JR
- guest feedback questionnaire (issued post-stay)
Location & Travel
Tom’s Cottage is in North Cornwall and can be found on Google Maps here
60 miles west of Exeter, Tom’s Cottage lies 2 miles inland of Port Isaac.
Detailed directions are provided prior to arrival.
Due to rural (low) levels of public transport many of our guests travel by car to Tom’s Cottage.
The 3 main routes to us from beyond Cornwall are: -
- M5 to Exeter and then the A30 to Launceston, turning off for North Cornwall on the A395
- From North Devon/Exmoor along the Atlantic Highway (the A39)
- From Plymouth across the Tamar Bridge and following the A38 through the Glynn Valley
Just off the A30 in the Launceston area, we recommend Lifton farm shop for a comfort break. The restaurant and produce are genuine farming fayre, and about ½ hour from Tom’s Cottage. Forward parking available
If you arrive early to the area, we recommend either Trevathan farm shop and restaurant for a family pit-stop, or St Kew farm shop and café for their bistro style menu and homestyle gifts. Both stock fresh produce/groceries
Traffic England provides real-time traffic information
Public Transport
Local bus station: Wadebridge (6 miles)
Go Bus Cornwall operate local services, further information hereLocal train station: Bodmin Parkway (11 miles)
On the Paddington-Penzance line & served by Great Western Railway, station and train information can be found hereLocal airport: Newquay (14 miles)
Cornwall Airport Newquay information can be viewed hereAn accessible taxi list is provided by Cornwall Council here
