Both hot water and central heating come from an oil fired 'combi-boiler' in the kitchen.
The hot water for taps and the shower is on all the time and the central heating is timed to come on in the morning from 10.00 to 11.00 and in the evening from 9.00 to 10.00 to dry towels and the shower room floor.
If you want central heating at other times press the ADVANCE button on the right hand side of the time clock on the boiler.
The house has under-floor heating which will take one to two hours to reach the desired temperature, so takes some getting used to, but when you do it is well worth it! The whole floor heats up providing an even warmth through out the house.
The shower room and towel rail will be warm whenever the central heating is on and room thermostats in the living room and downstairs bedroom can be set to your liking.
The woodburner needs firelighters, small (kindling) wood, from the basket, and logs. Please take great care when lighting and always close the doors and close the air vents when you are not in the house.
Firstly put two fire-lighters in the grate, light them and place six or so pieces of kindling wood on top, then gently put some logs on top of the burning kindling. Close the doors and open the two air vents below the doors. Stand back and congratulate yourself as the fire crackles away!
Adjust the air vents and add more logs as required, but please be careful the whole fire gets very hot, so open the door with the glove provided and make sure there is nothing flammable on top or near to the fire.
We have left you one 'load' of logs; please ask if you need more, they can be provided at £10 per load.
The fridge freezer, washing machine, dishwasher, cooker and microwave are fairly self-explanatory, operating instructions are in the wooden box in the kitchen or just ask if you are unsure.
There is a BBQ in the garden; we suggest you use firelighters and charcoal (in the blue tubs) for this one!
There is a washing line outside for drying cloths and a tumble dryer in the Drying Room for use when there is no 'solar' drying available!
There is a dustpan and brush under the sink, a vacuum cleaner and ironing board next to the coat hooks in the hall and an iron under the sink. However you are on holiday, so we suggest you leave them where they are!
Please bag your rubbish in black plastic bags (found under the sink) and put in the dustbins by the entrance to the top yard, behind the Blue House.
We strive to minimise the impact of all three houses on the environment. All electricity used comes from a 'green' tariff, the showers in the Link are pre-heated by solar energy, we use low energy light bulbs where possible and our cleaning products are environmentally friendly. We will also be replacing all the oil boilers with heat pumps and solar panels.
Please help reduce our use on fossil fuels by keeping the heating low and turning off lights when you are not 'at home'. Thank you.
You are welcome to recycle as much (or as little) as you like! Glass, cans, paper and plastic can all be recycled. You can put them in the metal bins in the Link or bag them and put them in the Recycling Room in the top car park behind the Blue House. Please put glass in supermarket carrier bags, plastic in the clear sacks and paper in the blue sacks.
Across the yard in the Link you will find additional showers, a drying room and a space for relaxing, reading, eating etc, please feel free to use this space as you wish!
The 'pull down' steps and Gallery are there for you to use as a sleeping area, however the steps are steep so if you are unhappy about using them please use the sofa bed, we will provide any additional bedding if required.
Please do not smoke in the houses and as the house sewage is broken down in an environmentally friendly tank please do not put anything down the loo that will not biodegrade! Thank you
In the house you will find a local St Austell OS map where we have marked some good local BEACHES and WALKS and the local PUB, you will also find a map of Cornwall and local tide table.
There is more information on local walks, attractions, National Trust, gardens, Eden, cycle hire, kids entertainment etc on the shelves in the Link, but if you need more information please, just ask.
There is a small shop at the campsite at Bodinnick, which is open around breakfast and teatime, good for the essentials.
The nearest larger shops are in Fowey and the best way to get there, if you are not in a rush, is to walk or drive to the car park at Bodinnick and take the ferry, then walk into Fowey.
There is a small village shop and post office in Lerryn, a pleasant village on the banks or the river, (grid reference 140570). The shop sells papers, food, wine etc.
There is a medium sized co-op supermarket in Lostwithiel, (grid reference 106598). If you are looking to do the 'weekly shop' there is a Tesco at Holmbush (grid reference 038526) on the way to St Austell or a Safeway by the Liskeard bypass (grid reference 642592)
Fowey has an excellent selection of pubs and restaurants.
We prefer:
Sam's -good 'young' busy atmosphere, bottled beer, seafood and home made burgers, but you can't book.
Jaspers -excellent seafood, relaxed atmosphere 'grown up' and you need to book. 01726 833023
The Red Herring -very small with seats outside, simple excellent food. 01726 833693
The Other place -good food, large, so good for families with a very good 'chippi' underneath. 01726 833636
The Old Quay -posh! 01726 833302
Jolly Jack' Deli -take-away sandwiches
Pink Murphy's -good for lunch, cream tea, but small!
Our 'local' is the Ferry Inn at Bodinnick, good atmosphere and pub food with a superb view down the river form outside. There are also good pubs which serve food at Lerryn, Lostwithiel, Pelynt and Golant.
There are various leaflets and guidebooks in the Link and a good Tourist Information Centre (01726 833616) in Fowey.
Here are a few things that we can recommend, please ask if you have a particular interest.
The Eden Project (grid reference 056547) is open seven days a week the best time to go is on a Saturday or later in the day. It is well worth a visit but can get crowded on a wet day!
You can cycle The Camel Trail from Bodmin (grid reference 061675) or Wadebridge to Padstow on the north coast. This is an old railway line and is excellent for a day out. The best route is from Wadebridge to Padstow and back. All manner of bikes, tricycles, trailers and tandems can be hired from Wadebridge or Padstow.
The Lost Gardens of Heligan are set around an old country house and were restored by Tim Smit, who is the driving force behind the Eden Project.
Lanteglos Church and Churchtown Farm (grid reference 145515 Tel 01726 870375) are a five minute drive from here. The church is ancient and peaceful to wander around. Mark and Charlotte Russell farm Churchtown organically and stock organic meat that they will sell you from their freezers. At Lansallos Barton just up the road they provide organic cream teas along with a lovely walk to the beach.
If you want to know how to read a grid reference, please ask David.
Adventure activities If you want to try Canadian Canoeing on the Fowey River, rock climbing on Bodmin Moor or experience a Moorland expedition on Dartmoor please ask David about activities with Adventure Cornwall.
Or you could just stay in your holiday house and have a relaxing massage whilst everyone else is getting wet and muddy or join a Yoga session! You can find further details in this folder or ask David or Catherine.
Please pile all the linen and towels you have used by the washing machine and leave the key on the inside of the door
We hope you have had a wonderful holiday!
If you have the time and inclination, please write your thoughts in the visitor's book and fill in the 'feedback' form, and do help yourselves to some post cards.
If you need us please come up the steps beside the Blue House, cross the car park and ring the bell by the front door.
David, Catherine, Eliza, Tamara and Tristan Collin
01726 870844
07919 623523