Vicarage Cottage

Accessibility Statement – January 2009

A brief overview

• Country location.
• Nearest towns are Shrewsbury 4 miles and Wem 8 miles.  
• Nearest Airports: Manchester 60 miles.  Birmingham 60 miles
• Nearest main road: A5 - 4 miles.  Nearest motorway M54 - 10 miles.
• Entrance via a gravel drive with ample parking area adjacent to large level lawned garden.
• Vicarage Cottage is a Grade 2  Listed building constructed in 1859.
• Front door reached by gravel drive and level paved footpath.
• The ground floor is covered with carpet, quarry tiles and ceramic tiles.
• Upstairs en-suite bedrooms are carpeted throughout and bathrooms have cushion-floor linoleum.
• There are no steps at ground floor level.
• There is a ground floor single bedroom and en-suite bathroom.
• The cottage is double glazed with fully controllable central heating system.
• Non smoking throughout.
• There are 2 double en-suite bedrooms on the first floor up a flight of stairs with 2 intermediate landings.
• Corridors and landings have good colour contrast and are well lit.
• Assistance dogs are welcome.
• Notices can be printed in large print or read on request.
• Staff trained under the Welcome Host scheme.
• 32"  LCD Television with Freeview and Teletext in the Sitting Room.
• Televisions in both  double en-suite bedrooms.
• VCR and DVD players connected to television and CD player in Dining Room.
• Alarm radios are provided.
• The cottage is fitted with mains  operated interconnected fire alarms, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers and fire blanket.
• Nearby bus route No. 576 to Shrewsbury and Oswestry with buses stopping on request along the route.
• Mobile telephone network is available.
• There is a greenhouse in the cottage garden and a deep cutting with a stream running along the boundary between the garden and adjacent woodland.

Detailed Access Statement for Vicarage Cottage,

Leaton, Shrewsbury , Shropshire . SY4 3AP

January 2009.

Introduction:

Vicarage Cottage is a brick built detached building set in the grounds of The Old Vicarage at Leaton and lies approximately 4 miles to the north-west of the medieval county town of Shrewsbury. The cottage was converted from a coach house/ dairy/brewery in 1999 and because of its Grade 2 listing has been sympathetically restored and maintained by its present owners. The building was constructed in 1859 and so this year it celebrates its 150^th anniversary together with the adjacent church of The HolyTrinity and The Old Vicarage next door.

The cottage stands back about 75m from the B5067 Shrewsbury to Baschurch road and is screened behind a yew hedge in a 2 acre lawned garden with flowerbeds and mature specimen trees. The stone built church with its fine spire is about 50m from the cottage and acts as a landmark to guests as they approach by road. Vicarage Cottage is surrounded by open countryside with views over extensive lawns, woodland, open fields and the distant Leaton Forest beyond which lies the River Severn. The geology of the area has been much influenced by the last Ice Age and the soil is heavy clay with underlying sand and gravel based on a bedrock of  yellow and red sandstone. The benchmark at the foot of the spire places the settlement of Leaton at 83 metres above sea level. The cottage is aligned in an approximately SW/NE orientation.   The Cottage grid reference on Ordnance Survey Landranger 126, Shrewsbury, is 469184.

Pre-arrival and Parking:

Our website – www.oldvicleaton.com  - gives details of the cottage and displays a virtual tour, an availability calendar and tariff for both weekly and short breaks. It also shows a ‘how to find us’ map with links to www.streetmap.co.uk for more regional directions. Bookings and enquiries can be made by email at m-j@oldvicleaton.com , telephone on 01939 290989 or letter to Mrs. Joan Mansell Jones, The Old Vicarage, Leaton, Shrewsbury , Shropshire . SY4 3AP .

The nearest bus stop is outside the church adjacent to the cottage. The bus route is the 576 Shrewsbury to Oswestry and buses will stop by request anywhere along their route by signalling an approaching bus to stop. It takes about 10 minutes to travel into Shrewsbury and in the opposite direction, Oswestry is about an hour’s ride away. Bus services are hourly in both directions between about 7am and 7pm with a gap in services between 2pm and 4pm each day. There is no bus service on Sundays. The nearest railway station is in Shrewsbury 4 miles south of the cottage. Guest information at the cottage gives details about local doctors, dentists and hospitals. There are also details provided about local shops, restaurants and pubs.

Arrival and Car Parking:

The cottage is available to guests from 3pm on their arrival day. Please call at The Old Vicarage next door to the cottage and you will be welcomed with a key and an introductory tour. There is ample off-road parking at the rear of the cottage for several cars. The driveway and parking area are gravelled and the pathway to the cottage front door is paved with old blue bricks. There are no steps on the outside path to the front door but there are 2 steps on the path which leads to the log store, refuse/recycling bins and oil tank at the far end of the cottage. The cottage garden and car park are both set on level ground though there is a slight rise in the path as it approaches the front door to allow for easy wheelchair access.

Main Entrance and Reception Hall:

The main entrance door is 188cm x 83cm with the hinge on the left. The keyhole is 99cm from the ground. The entrance hall flooring is of quarry tiles. Inside the entrance hall to the right is a glazed door, 186cm x 82cm with a hinge on the left which leads into the Dining Room. To the left is another glazed door, 186cm x 82, hinge on the right, which leads into the Sitting Room. A door directly in front,  186cm x 83cm, hinge on the left, leads through into the kitchen. The entrance hall has a single central ceiling light, single panel radiator, doorbell, fire extinguisher and fire blanket. An emergency light sits above the front door in case of mains electrical failure. A double light switch operates both the internal ceiling light and an external wall light which illuminates the path to the front door.

Dining Room:

Entrance from reception hall via glazed door. Flooring is quarry tiled throughout. There is a pine dining table, 140cm long x 110cm wide x 73cm high, set with 5 oak dining chairs. The room is illuminated by a ceiling triple light fitting, a standard lamp and a table lamp. An internally illuminated dresser contains a set of bone china crockery and a full canteen of cutlery together with other tableware including tablecloths and tablemats. The central heating boiler is housed in a cabinet under the stairs and a door, 194cm x 82cm, hinge on the right, leads off to the single downstairs en-suite bedroom. There are 2 single panel radiators in the Dining Room and two SE facing windows and another NW facing window. There is a hatch opening from the Dining Room into the Kitchen, 38cm x 42cm, at a height of 89cm. There are 4 double 13 amp sockets and also 2 way light switches at either end of the room which control the central ceiling light in the Dining Room and the staircase/ landing light on the first floor. All downstairs light switches in the cottage are at 138cm from the floor and all 13amp sockets are at 30cm from the floor except in the kitchen. The cottage fuse box is sited at ceiling height in the Dining Room – 255cm – at the foot of the staircase. A radio/ CD player sits on top of the boiler housing under the stairs and can be controlled by a remote control unit. Board games, tourist information and a ‘Where to Eat’ folder can be found on the glass topped coffee table in the Dining Room.

Staircase:

The staircase, constructed of Douglas Fir, rises to the first floor through a series of turns. From the Dining Room floor there are an initial 2 risers to a small landing area. The stairs then lead off to the left and rise a further 7 steps to another small landing area. The stairs and landings to this point are non-slip varnished wood. Another turn to the left takes you up  2 further steps to a small carpeted landing where the staircase then divides to left and right and climbs a further 3 carpeted steps in each direction to the front and rear en-suite bedrooms. Each riser is 20cm high and header 26cm deep. The stairs have banister rails on both sides except for the bottom 2 steps and the top 3 steps where only one side has a banister rail. The stairs are illuminated by a central ceiling light which is controlled by 2 way switches outside the bedroom doors at the top and at the foot of the stairs in the Dining Room. There is a double 13 amp socket at the top of the stairs. A large window near the top of the stairs illuminates the staircase during the daytime.

Ground-floor en-suite Bedroom:

The downstairs en-suite bedroom has a single bed, 194cm long, 96cm wide and 60 cm high. There is a quilted headboard, 3 drawer bedside table and matching wardrobe. The floor is carpeted in 80/20 wool. An over-bed light is operated by a pull switch adjacent to the left hand side of the bed and the central ceiling light is controlled by and architrave switch near the entrance door. A glazed door, 194cm x 77cm, with blind, leads directly onto the outside path and garden. The keyhole to this door is at 98cm. There are 2 double 13 amp sockets at 30cm height from the floor and also a TV aerial socket. The room has a single panel central heating radiator.

Ground-floor en-suite Bathroom:

The door from the single bedroom into the en-suite bathroom is 195cm x 82cm. The bathroom is floored with ceramic tiles. A hand-basin stands at 82cm height and the WC seat is 44cm from the floor. The central ceiling light is operated by a pull-switch cord. The shower cubicle is 119cm x 73cm with a rise of 26cm from floor level to the top of the shower tray. The electric shower is isolated by a pull cord switch outside the cubicle and is switched on and off by the stop/start button on the water heating unit which is at a height of 155cm. The bathroom has no natural light and is lit by a central ceiling light fitting with a pull-cord switch which works in conjunction with a timed extractor fan. There is a single panel radiator in the bathroom together with towel rails, cabinets and mirrors.

Sitting Room:

Entrance to the Sitting Room is through the glazed door from the hallway. There are dual aspect views over garden, woodland and fields. A large SE facing French Door, 236cm x 83cm, leads out onto the path and garden – there is a small drop of approx. 10cm from the room to the path. The French Door keyhole is at 98cm above floor level. A further window faces SW and offers views over the garden, fields and Leaton Forest . The room is floored with 80/20 wool carpet and has a 3 seater settee and 2 armchairs. There are several occasional tables and a standard lamp and table lamp. There are 3 double wall lights and a triple ceiling light controlled by switches near the glazed entrance door. There are 4 double 13 amp sockets and one TV aerial socket at 30cm above floor level. An open fire with a choice of fireguards provides extra heating on cold winter nights to supplement the double panelled radiator. There is a 32” LCD TV with Freeview together with DVD and VCR players and remote controls. A small library of CD’s, DVD’s and books are supplied for the entertainment of guests. There is a telephone directory covering the local Shropshire area and a lockable safe box for the storage of matches and firelighters.

Kitchen:

Entrance to the Kitchen is through the door from the Hallway (196cm x 83cm).The kitchen floor is quarry tiled throughout. Lighting is provided by a 4 spot ceiling light bar and 3 under wall cabinet lights. Lighting is controlled by a double switch at the door at a height of 138cm. The work surface covers an area of 430cm x 60cm including sink and hob. The kitchen units  are fully fitted with 6 floor standing cupboards, oven, fridge/freezer cabinet and 5 wall hanging cabinets. A ceramic tile splash-back rises behind all work surfaces. There are 3 double 13 amp sockets, one oven/hob on/off switch, one fridge freezer control switch, one washer/drier control switch, one extractor fan switch and one central heating control unit. All switches are at 108cm above floor level. A hatch leads through to the Dining Room and a window offers views of the church to the NW. A towel rail is fitted at 131cm above floor level.

Other kitchen amenities include a dishwasher, washing machine and drier, microwave, kettle and toaster. The room is heated by a single panel radiator.  A welcome grocery pack is provided for all weekly stay guests.

Upstairs Front en-suite Bedroom:

Entrance via doorway into vestibule and built in wardrobe storage area. Beamed sloping ceilings. Door 184cm x 75cm with hinges on left. Double light switch on the right inside the door at a height of 161cm. Large double door wardrobe and hanging/storage area on the right with sliding doors. Bedroom and vestibule fully carpeted throughout with 80/20 wool carpet. Double bed 192 long x 138 wide x 60 cm high with wooden double headboard. 2 round glazed bedside tables with tablelamps and radio alarm clock. The room is illuminated by 2 single ceiling lights controlled by switches beside the entrance door and one wall light with string pull switch at 130cm above floor level. Space to the left of the bed is 100cm and to the right is 75cm. A window with safety bar offers views over over fields and forest to the SW. There is an analogue TV with booster aerial and 3 double 13 amp sockets. A single panel radiator provides heating and an interconnected smoke alarm links this bedroom with all upstairs alarms and another in the dining room.

Front bedroom en-suite bathroom:

Hygienic flooring with ceramic tiled walls over bath, basin and WC. Height of basin from the floor 79cm, height of toilet seat from floor 44cm, Bath dimensions are 167cm long, 68cm wide and 53cm high. Heating is provided by a single panel radiator. The single ceiling light is operated by a string pull switch which in turn operates a timed extractor fan. There is an over-bath electric shower with pull switch isolator and stop/start button on the heating unit at a height of 176cm. The room is ventilated by extractor fan and a roof-light which is operated by a winder mechanism. There is an electric shaver socket with light as well as a bathroom cabinet, mirror, towel rail and hoop.

Rear en-suite Bedroom:

Entrance through door 185cm x 72cm hinged on the right. Flooring is 80% wool carpet. Room is illuminated by 2 ceiling lights controlled by a double switch near the entrance door at a height above floor level of 132cm. 2 roof-lights provide daylight and ventilation by winder mechanism and can also be used as emergency exits in the event of fire. 2 bedside cabinets with table-lamps and clock radio alarm. Analogue TV with signal booster and aerial socket. One double panel radiator. Sloping ceiling with beams. Space to the left of the bed 160cm. Space to the right of the bed 160cm. Double bed 192cm x 138cm x 60cm with wooden headboard. Double doored built in wardrobe with hanging rack. Ceiling mounted smoke alarm interconnected with other bedroom alarms and dining room alarm. Light switch to en-suite bathroom at 135cm. height.

Rear en-suite Bathroom:

Entrance from bedroom through left hand hinged door 185cm x 66cm. Hygienic flooring with 3 spot ceiling illumination with extractor fan. Electric shaver socket at 138cm above floor and backlit mirror over basin with pull-switch cord at 95cm above floor level. The basin stands at 82cm above floor level and the WC seat is 42 cm above the floor. A quadrant shower and tray is supplied with hot water from the boiler which is mixed by a control unit at 116 cm above the shower tray floor. The step into the shower tray is 14cm high. The walls of the bathroom are dressed with ceramic tiles. There is a towel radiator and double panel central heating radiator. The roof-light has a winder mechanism to provide extra ventilation if required.

Outdoor Facilities:

A large lawned area with trees and flowerbeds is available for guests to enjoy. There is a hardwood picnic table with parasol, two matching benches and a single chair. A clothes drying rack is fixed to the outside wall of the cottage at the end of the path near the steps. Refuse should be deposited in the bins to the rear of the cottage. There are bins for non-recyclable waste, paper, cardboard, bottles and tins. The bins are collected on a fortnightly cycle and your hosts will see that the appropriate bin is put out for collection each week.

Automatic heat/movement sensors operate security lights from dusk to dawn. These lights cover the car parking area and the pathway to the front door of the cottage.

Young children must not be left unsupervised in the garden as there is a greenhouse about 30 metres to the left of the cottage front door which could present a hazard and there is also an unfenced stream about 150cm deep at the bottom of the garden where the woodland begins.

The driveway is shared between guests and the cottage owners. Please be aware that there could be other vehicles and pedestrians who might be moving around at the same time. We ask guests to observe a discretionary 10mph speed limit within the grounds of The Old Vicarage.

For any further information please contact:

Joan Mansell Jones  

The Old Vicarage

Leaton

Shrewsbury

Shropshire

SY4 3AP

Tel: 01939 290989

email: m-j@oldvicleaton.com

website: www.oldvicleaton.com