Access Statement

Pre-Arrival

Our Website has full details of our cottages and current availability. Details of local taxi services are available in the cottages and on request. There is no bus service nearby but the wider network can be accessed via Corlink. Local services generally refer to our nearest one.  There is no shop or pub within easy walking distance of Helsbury Park and no shop or bar on site.

Arrival, Car Parking and Equipment Storage

Car parking is off road, right outside and level with Broadview and the Farmhouse, while the parking for Westhayes and Marhayes is accessed via five wide rustic granite steps (N.B. these are uneven the highest being 11”) with a single wrought iron hand rail up the centre. The car park surface for Westhayes and Marhayes is loose stone chippings, the Farmhouse is cobble and gravel. We have covered storage available for bikes near the barns.

Cycling on the B3266 is not an enjoyable experience as it is narrow and the traffic fast moving, however there is access to smaller quieter lanes within a few hundred metres.  The local area is hilly (some very steep).  Less demanding cycling is accessible on the nearby Camel Trail, a 10 minute drive.

General Area

Helsbury Park is sited on the side of a steep hill and our land slopes down to and includes the river in the wooded valley below.  The lower lying land can be very wet.  The land is accessed via a steep, rough farm track that can be muddy during rainy spells.  The view is stunning. There are limited flat areas beyond the gardens of the cottages.

All the gardens are accessed via one or two steps. There is a gravel terrace and picnic area level with Marhayes and Westhayes then one stone step onto a gently sloping lawn.  The rest of the land is accessed via five wide rustic granite steps (N.B. these are uneven and up to 11” high) with a single wrought iron hand rail up the centre.

In order to restrict the number of grazing animals on site (for the convenience of dog owners) most of the grass is cut for hay.  As our land is in Higher Level Stewardship with English Nature we are restricted to one cut per year.  While growing the grass can be very long and wet, however we mow paths to provide walks in the parkland and access to the woods.

The steepest field cannot be cut and therefore will contain ponies (or selected other grazing animals) from time to time.  Grazing/mowing times vary due to weather conditions and no assurances can be given for any particular week.

Cottages: Westhayes

You enter the cottage via one of four doors each having a small step (7.5”) into a tiled hall or utility area or directly into the kitchen or living room. There is a small w.c. on the ground floor, the bedrooms and further en suite bath and shower rooms are accessed via the stairs which have a hand rail on one side.

There are no internal steps on the ground floor or on the first floor once the upper landing is reached. The kitchen area has a tile floor, the lounge area is slate. The narrowest internal doorway is 2’4”.

Westhayes sleeps six in three bedrooms upstairs, two doubles with adequate access to both sides of the bed (one bed is king size) and one twin bedroom with access to one side of one bed and both sides of the other. Space between the beds is 2’9”.

The bathrooms are all en suite, one has a standard bath the other two have showers (no seat) shower doors are 2’ 1” and 1’ 7”.  Outside there is a gravel terrace and picnic area level with Westhayes then one 6” stone step onto a gently sloping lawn.  The rest of the land, the pool building and parking are accessed via five wide rustic granite steps (N.B. these are uneven the deepest being 11”) with a single wrought iron hand rail up the centre.

Cottages: Marhayes

You enter the cottage via one of two doors each having a small step (back 6” front 8”) into a tiled hall. There is a large bathroom downstairs with a tiled floor, the bedrooms all have en suite shower rooms (narrowest shower doors 1’ 4”) and are accessed via the stairs which have a hand rail on both sides.

There are no internal steps on the ground floor or on the first floor once the upper landing is reached. The kitchen and living area is open plan and has a slate floor. The narrowest doorway is 2’ 3” (utility room).

Marhayes sleeps six in three bedrooms upstairs, one double with adequate access to both sides of the bed, one twin bedroom with access to both sides of the beds, the space between the beds is 3’4”. A third room has a king size bed with adequate access to both sides. The en suites all have standard showers with the narrowest door opening 1’ 4”.

Outside there is a gravel terrace and picnic area level with Marhayes then one 6” stone step onto a gently sloping lawn. The rest of the land, the pool building and parking are accessed via five wide rustic granite steps (N.B. these are uneven the deepest being 11”) with a single wrought iron hand rail up the centre.

Cottages: Farmhouse

Having evolved over time the Farmhouse has numerous changes in level.  You enter the Farmhouse via one of four doors each involving at least one step. Doors enter directly into the breakfast room, dining room, the kitchen or living room.  There are two granite steps between the kitchen and the dining room and another two between the dining room and the living room.  None of the steps are standard being made of reclaimed granite. The breakfast room, which is on two levels with two slate steps the whole width of the room, is accessed from the dining room and leads to a small w.c./utility.

The flooring on the ground floor is predominantly slate with some carpeted inserts in the living room and wood on the lower level of the breakfast room.  The stairs and first landing are carpeted with a hand-rail on one side. The bedrooms, family bathroom and further en suite shower room are accessed via the stairs. The Farmhouse sleeps six in three bedrooms upstairs.  The master suite is accessed via two steps down while the two doubles are accessed off the second landing which is up a further two steps.  The master and second bedroom have ample access to both sides of the bed (one bed is superking the other king size) and the third double bedroom has narrower access to both sides of the bed.

The family bathroom has an antique roll-top bath (this is high sided) and a large shower (no seat).  This is on the same landing as bedrooms two and three.  The master suite has an en suite shower room with a walk in shower accessed via two steps up from the main part of the room.
Outside there are a number of levels and surfaces.  There is parking in the yard behind the Farmhouse.  The yard has a cobbled and graveled surface.  A step up onto a slate terrace leads to the kitchen door.  A further two granite steps lead to the door from the decking (which is on two levels) to the breakfast room door.  To the front, four steep granite steps lead to a graveled yard with a slate stepping-stone style path stepping up to the door into the dining room.  To the side is a walled and fenced garden on two levels divided by four granite steps.  The area is partly grass with gravel and paving and contains a well ‘capped’ by a large bird-bath.

Swimming Pool & Gym

The swimming pool and gym are housed in a separate building on site.  This has been built into the hillside resulting in a change of level equal to one storey between the main access track and the entrances/exits to the pool and gym.  The first approach comprises 15 shallow 4 cm steps followed by a turn and a further 11 steeper 17 cm steps.  The first door measures 89 cm or the second door can be accessed via a flat deck area.  The second doorway is also 89 cm or can be opened as double doors to 177 cm.  There is a small approx. 3cm lip to the doorway.

The deck can alternatively be accessed via a gravel slope and grass with one 7cm step up onto the deck itself.  The slope is quite steep, rising one storey high over approx. 15m. Inside there is unobstructed, flat access to the changing rooms/showers and lavatories.  The entrance door to each is 71 cm wide with internal cubicle doors in the w.c. measuring 61 cm.  The changing rooms are wet rooms and have shower stools.

The pool measures 15m x 5m and is a constant depth of 1.2m, ingress/egress is via a short ladder (3 rungs) at either end of the pool. The gym door is 74 cm wide or can be opened double to 145 cm.  Distances between the equipment average 60 cm with the average distance between the machines and the wall measuring 49 cm.  The door to the sauna is 87 cm wide with a small lip of approx. 3 cm.

Office & Play Area

There is a small building situated between Marhayes and the Farmhouse that provides WiFi access (two stone steps and a slate terrace outside) N.B. there are no computers in this room BYO. Access is via gates from the Farmhouse garden (Farmhouse visitors only please) or down the side of Marhayes.  Please respect other visitors’ privacy when accessing these facilities.

There is also a small amount of play equipment designed for use by children under 7 who must be under adult supervision.  The surface under the play equipment is chipped bark.  Dogs are not allowed in the play area.