Please ensure you have read the Property Rules and Health and Safety information carefully. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Peter lives on site, in the Coach House adjoining the main house. The best time to catch Peter for general queries is between 10.00am-1.00pm. Alternatively please contact Emma on 07957 398127.
Check-in
Self-Check-in in after 16.00 hrs, the guest should receive a text with instructions. The door will be open.
Check-out
Check-out is 9.30am on your departure day to enable us to fully prepare the properties for our next guests. Use of the leisure facilities ends at this departure time.
When departing, please leave the front door key on the dining table.
Please leave your cottage clean and tidy, disposing of all rubbish and empty bottles in the communal waste bins and ensure all crockery, cutlery, glassware and cooking utensils are clean and replaced in the cupboards. If staying in a larger group, return any inventory items shared between cottages to the appropriate property.
Car parking
Guests staying in Maristow, Meavy, Haytor, Burrator & Yennadon Barns, after unloading, kindly leave your car in the main car park located behind the row of barns, behind the main house. This includes the cars of any day visitors.
Guests staying in the Garden House, Gitcombe Retreat and Coach House can park directly outside their property.
Guests staying in Gitcombe House can park directly outside the main walls. Please ensure your car faces the house as this allows three cars to park outside. If you have more than three cars, then please park these in the main car park below the other barns
For safety purposes, we operate a ‘one way’ system around the main row of barns, behind Gitcombe House. When driving up the gradient, towards the barns, please leave these on the driver’s right hand side, proceeding in a clockwise direction.
Housekeeping
Our housekeepers do an interim clean for guests staying two or more weeks, usually mid-morning/early afternoon, on the same day of the week that you arrived (i.e., Friday or Saturday). Please note this is not a full clean, as the property is occupied. We clean the kitchens and bathrooms, change your bed linen & towels and vacuum the floors throughout. Food/personal items are cleaned around, but not moved. Personal items are not tidied.
Wifi access and phone reception
Free wifi access is available at points in each of the properties and in both the indoor and outdoor leisure facilities at Gitcombe. The wifi signal is called “Gitcombe Guests”. All properties have Bluetooth/radios.
We have reasonable mobile phone reception, depending on your phone and network. We are located in a rural valley, so the signal can be variable. If you have any difficulties, there is usually a strong signal outside the indoor pool complex. Wifi calling is advisable and there is a landline in the Hayloft above the garage.
Appliances
Manuals for appliances are located in each property, usually in the kitchen drawers or small units above the fridges. There is a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket in the kitchen and a torch, for emergency use on each floor (if one is missing, please let us know). Please familiarise yourself with the location of these items.
The lights in some properties work on a ‘push & slide’ mechanism for switching on/off as well as to dim them. Please remember the environment and switch off the lights when you go out.
Some lights in Garden House, and in some of the bedrooms in other properties, are linked to a central wall switch. If this is switched off, the lights and freestanding lamps lights cannot be turned on individually until you turn this switch on!
There is a hair dryer in each property, generally in a wardrobe or a bedroom drawer.
Do not remove the television connection to the satellite which offers the full range of Freeview channels.
Please do not put wooden chopping boards in the dishwasher.
Never leave the cooker, or other appliances, unattended whilst in use.
Broken or misplaced items
We do our best to check the inventories each week but things do get broken, misplaced or left in another cottage during gatherings of larger parties, and these may not be noticed during our weekly housekeeping. If you find something is missing or is/becomes damaged, or it is not as you would expect, do let us know straight away so that we can try and do something whilst you are here. To ensure consistency of inventory brands and styling, please talk to Peter or the team before replacing anything that you may have damaged or broken.
Log burners/open fires
If using the log burner/open fire, do help yourself to logs and kindling, located in the open-fronted log store, opposite the row of barns behind the main house.
We supply an initial quantity of firelighters; further supplies are available from local garages/supermarkets. The fire needs plenty of kindling wood/firelighters, a few smallish logs together with an ample supply of air to get it going. So, to start the fire, do not overcrowd the grate or overload it with very large or damp logs! Close the burner doors and open the vents. Close the vents to control the air input and fire once is has got going.
Log burners and open fires to be lit by a responsible adult.
Matches & lighters are placed in log baskets for your arrival. Please always keep matches or lighters out of reach from children.
Make sure the fire guard is always used. Always shut the fire down completely when leaving the property.
Please note, candles are not permitted in our properties. Please do not use them during your stay.
BBQs
All properties have a free standing Weber BBQ during the summer which can be found in your patio area. Please can you clean the BBQ’s when you have finished and please keep their use to your patio (ground floor patios in Meavy & Maristow). Regrettably, BBQs cannot be used anywhere else on site.
We are extremely fortunate in having our own water supply from within the grounds of Gitcombe, which is why the water tastes so good! Supplied from a private borehole, the local environmental health department test it twice a year to ensure compliance with the necessary regulations.
We are mindful of unnecessary wastage, particularly during the summer months, when the demand is often at its highest and the rainfall – usually – at its lowest! That is not to say that we do not want you to enjoy your relaxing baths and showers, but please be aware of your usage. Do ensure that you turn the taps off fully and that children do not leave showers running. Dishwashers and washing machines run perfectly satisfactorily on the shorter settings, more economical in use of both water and electricity and probably kinder to the items cleaned.
Please ensure that you switch the lights off when you leave your property or leisure facilities, and that nothing is unnecessarily left on ‘stand-by’ mode, including your television, mobile phones or chargers.
The loos here empty into a septic tank. Please do not flush anything down them other than natural waste and loo paper!
Hot Water
Maristow, Meavy, Haytor, Burrator & Yennadon: these barns have energy efficient hot water systems which use Economy 7 overnight electricity, with a backup booster system.
You will have a full tank of hot water to see you through the day. If you need more hot water, there is a booster switch located by the hot water cylinder, either inside or outside the lower under stairs cupboard. To boost the hot water, press the button on the switch once to boost for half an hour, twice for one hour and three times for two hours. The corresponding red light on the switch will illuminate.
Heating
Garden House – please do not reprogramme the central heating to run on constant or overnight. The Garden House has underfloor heating in the living area with conventional radiators in the bedrooms.
Maristow, Meavy, Haytor, Burrator & Yennadon Barns – these properties have underfloor heating/electrical heating throughout. Please do not attempt to adjust the thermostats as the programme settings are a little more complicated than appears and you may find yourself with heat when you do not want it and no heating when you do! If you wish to adjust the temperature in your barn, please let us know and we will assist.
All properties – for additional background heat, complimentary logs and kindling (sourced from the Gitcombe Estate) are available in the log store, behind the main house, for those properties with log burners/open fires. Please help yourselves.
NB –Towel Rails: The heated towel rails in Garden House are programmed to come on and off automatically with the central heating. Maristow, Meavy, Haytor, Burrator & Yennadon, the towel rails are programmed on a switch outside the bathroom door
Fuse Box
In the event that the electricity trips (perhaps because a light bulb has ‘blown’) the fuse box is located within each property (usually within the broom cupboard where the washing machine/tumble dryer is located). The exceptions to this are Gitcombe House, Gitcombe Retreat. The fuse box for Gitcombe House is located under the stairs, in the cupboard opposite the pantry. Gitcombe Retreat’s fuse box is downstairs in the utility room. Message Emma on 07597398127 if you require replacement light bulbs.
Property features for parties with children
Each property has a travel cot, highchair and bed guard for a single bed normally stored in an under stairs cupboard, in one of the wardrobes or in the living area. Booster seats are available by request.
Travel cots
If you require more space in the bedroom, travel cots can be placed within the single bed frames.
The mattress can be removed and stored underneath another single or double bed. The slatted bed base rolls up for removal. The cot can then be placed within the remaining wooden bed frame.
We suggest assembling the cot in-situ as it is a close fit. Should you need any assistance with this then please let us know.
Unfortunately, “Health & Safety” procedures prohibit us from erecting the cot for you – sorry!
Large, communal mixed waste bins are located to the front of the main house, behind a green slatted store area.
Please do not leave nappies or rubbish directly outside your property, as this attracts the attention of our local wildlife!
Kindly break up boxes before disposal, otherwise the bins become very full, very quickly.
We do not formally recycle here as our local council classes our refuse as commercial/trade waste, and collects and processes it accordingly. We are looking at alternative options. The nearest bottle banks are located at Morrisons supermarket, Totnes and the Ham car park, Dittisham.
There is no smoking or vaping permitted anywhere at Gitcombe, in the properties, facilities or grounds. Gitcombe operates a strictly NO DRUGS policy.
Leisure facilities are available for the sole use of resident guests of Gitcombe, at the times stated. In the interests of the safety and well-being of all guests, we ask that you use these facilities subject to the times and safety ‘rules’ as set out below.
Please observe the safety notices displayed at each facility.
Please Note:
The indoor and outdoor leisure facilities, grounds, gardens and patios at Gitcombe are all unsupervised and used entirely at guests’ own risk.
Please ensure children under 18 years are supervised by a responsible adult at all times and kindly observe the safety notices. Do not give your children the code for the pool or allow them to find the pool code in our communications/guest service manual/plan your stay
The outdoor pool is open when the cover is off. Please do not remove the cover yourself; it is easily damaged.
Please always switch off the indoor pool lights as you leave. Thank you for your co-operation.
We respectfully advise that the hot tub and pool shut at 8.00pm each night so that we can clean, test the waters and prepare for opening at 8.00am the following morning. If the water testing levels are incorrect the facility will be temporarily closed.
Parts of the grounds are very steep, so please take great care. The old quarry faces contain loose material and are not for climbing! The grounds, children’s outdoor play area and decking surrounding the indoor pool complex can become slippery during and after rainfall, heavy dews, and leaf fall, so please go carefully, especially if carrying an infant or child.
There is a small, fenced waterfall to the front of Gitcombe House.
All facilities and grounds are unsupervised and used entirely at your own risk. Ensure that children, (under the age of 18) are always under the supervision of a responsible adult.
The indoor pool complex is accessed via a keypad. The code is: 1 2 3 4. After entering the code, the door bolt will release allowing you entry to the swimming pool. Please take your charged mobile phone with you in case of an emergency.
The level of the water in the indoor pool is at a constant depth of approximately 3 feet – there are no depth changes – so no diving. Please take a mobile phone with you to all facilities so in the case of an emergency you may dial 999. There is also a land line available 24/7 in the Hayloft above the garage and a first aid kit directly below. Please see the Estate Map.
Children UNDER 18 YEARS must always be supervised by a responsible adult in and around the pool area. Do not give a child the pool code entry number.
All children (18 years and under) must be accompanied into the pool by a responsible adult. The responsible adult MUST get into the water with the child or children and always maintain a close watch over them.
Any children who are weak or non-swimmers should wear suitable recommended buoyancy aids and stay in close contact with the supervising adult.
All pools and hot tubs are checked daily by the Gitcombe Pool team. Water levels are appropriately tested and if found to be incorrect the pool will be temporarily closed. The owner of the Estate has attended appropriate local training courses. Toddlers must wear the appropriate nappy swimwear.
Kindly remove all footwear when entering the indoor pool suite and remove your towels and bathing costumes when leaving this facility. Please also remove large inflatable toys as we cannot ensure their safety, or that of anyone else, if used by other guests.
The outdoor pool, indoor swimming pool and hot tub are for use by competent adult swimmers. No loan swimmers! Children may use the facilities only if supervised by a competent adult swimmer. Young children are less able to regulate their body temperature, their skin is more sensitive to chemicals, they have less reliable control over their bladder and bowels, and they have an increased drowning risk if they are unable to stand in the hot tub, we recommend no children under 5 years. Please do not run when beside the pools or on the decking. There are safety poles and floats by the pools for use in the event of anyone getting into difficulty. Please familiarise yourselves with their location.
The outdoor pool is available daily, in season (usually end of May – early September), when the pool cover is rolled back. Please do not remove the cover yourself. The pool occasionally closes for maintenance or if weather conditions are unsuitable. The depth of the outdoor pool graduates from approximately 3 feet at entry point to approximately 6 feet at the far end by the cover roller. The pool has gentle steps at the entry/shallow end. Diving is not permitted. There are safety poles and floats by the pools for use in the event of anyone getting into difficulty. Please familiarise yourselves with their location.
Hot Tub Instructions:
If using the outdoor hot tub/Jacuzzi, please replace the cover.
In the winter it will have two covers, please replace both. This helps to maintain temperature and to keep it clean.
If you would like to enjoy some bubble jets whilst in the hot tub, the switches are located on the outside of the pool building, opposite the hot tub. The jets last for approximately 10 minutes.
The sauna and steam rooms are operated on a ‘self-use’ basis. The top box is the steam room control panel which you turn on with the white button. Use the touch screen and touch the “cloud” button and it will come on for an hour. The sauna is the control box below, touch the screen and press start. Both are on timers and take 15 minutes to heat up within the one hour slot, but please switch off after use. If you experience any difficulties using the controls, do let us know.
Sauna & Steam Room Instructions:
The sauna and steam room touch screen control units are located in the wall cupboard, immediately to your left as you enter the indoor pool complex. This cupboard is left open for you to access.
The sauna and steam rooms can be turned on as and when you require them. Both rooms take approximately 15 minutes each to reach temperature. We advise switching them on when you arrive in the complex so you can enjoy a swim and then retire to the sauna and steam room to relax after. By this time both rooms should be up to temperature.
Once switched on each session lasts 1 hour. After which they will automatically switch off.
Steam room control unit:
Sauna control unit:
The pools, hot tub, sauna and steam room should not be used if under the influence of drugs or alcohol, if you are pregnant (this does not apply to the swimming pools), have a heart condition, are undergoing medical treatment or if you are considered medically overweight (except on the advice of your medical practitioner).
The sauna, steam room and hot tub are unsuitable for small children or babies. Older children can use the facilities if supervised by an adult who is responsible for their safe use of the facilities. Do not let children swim under the water in the hot tub!
Do not take food, drinks, bottles, glasses or fragile materials into the pool areas, sauna or steam room or in or around the hot tub. Please do not use boogie boards or inflatables that have been on the beach in the pools – these shed sand in the water and block the skimmers and filters.
For hygiene reasons, place disposable nappies in a protective bag before putting them into the waste bins whilst using the leisure facilities and back in your cottage. The children’s soft play area is for the use of children under 5 years of age only.
Please close the glazed door to the soft play area when entering and leaving, to retain the heat in the swimming pool area and prevent condensation. Similarly, close any open windows when leaving, to avoid insects entering the building and to maintain temperature levels. Kindly replace balls in the ball pool, when you have finished with them, ready for the next guests.
The sauna, steam room and hot tub are unsuitable for small children or babies. Older children can use the facilities if supervised by an adult who is responsible for their safe use of the facilities. Do not let children swim under the water in the hot tub!
Do not take food, drinks, bottles, glasses or fragile materials into the pool areas, sauna or steam room or in or around the hot tub. Please do not use boogie boards or inflatables that have been on the beach in the pools – these shed sand in the water and block the skimmers and filters.
For hygiene reasons, place disposable nappies in a protective bag before putting them into the waste bins whilst using the leisure facilities and back in your cottage. The children’s soft play area is for the use of children under 5 years of age only.
To protect the court surface, please wear trainers or soft-soled shoes only. Do not use roller blades, skateboards or bikes on the court.
Tennis racquets and tennis balls are available in the toy shed.
Our toy shed, behind the main house, opposite the row of barns, and next to the log store, is always open for you to help yourself. You will find in there: fishing nets, crab lines, windbreaks, buckets and spades, tennis racquets and a selection of balls, and other toys. Please return these items in the same condition, when finished with, and kindly replace anything lost or broken.
Here are a few simple points to remember about fire.
Please familiarise yourself with the layout of the property and the grounds.
Please remember to do the following checks:
Fire blankets/extinguishers are found in each property – your safety comes first!
DO NOT GO BACK INTO THE PROPERTY
Please remember Gitcombe is a non-smoking site!
Find out more information about how to get here, the indoor and outdoor facilities, recent reviews and more…
Stunning collection of luxury holiday cottages set in the beautiful Gitcombe Estate near Dartmouth, South Devon. Exceptional indoor & outdoor facilities.
