Nutcombe Farm is set in North Devon’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so we are therefore lucky to be surrounded by beautiful countryside. Please make sure all members of your party are aware of the hazards of the countryside and especially ensure children are supervised to a level appropriate to their age and maturity.
Please find below a few matters to be aware of to make your stay at Nutcombe safe and enjoyable. Please take the time to read through them and don’t hesitate to ask at the farm house or email us at nutcombecottages@googlemail.com if you have any questions.
Due to new Fire Safety Regulations in Self- Catering Accommodation from 1st October 2023, we have enhanced our fire safety and guidance to guests. This means we now have to display Fire Evacuation Plans and other information in the cottages. We have tried to keep this to a minimum. Therefore, it is very important that you take the time to read our Fire Safety Guidance in the Welcome Folder for your own safety.
Due to the new regulations, please note that we cannot allow:
Guest appliances have not been PAT tested and if a fire is caused by the use of any of these items, our insurance will be invalid, so please help us to keep everyone safe.
The charging of laptops, Tablets and mobiles is fine but please do not charge overnight, disconnect leads from the mains when charged and only use manufacturer provided charging leads.
Our grounds are steep in parts and may be slippery, especially the slate steps, particularly after rain. To the side of Nutcombe Cottage there are original stone steps which lead to the lower terrace which are guarded by a locked gate at the top. Please do not attempt to use these steps as they are uneven and not suitable for use. There are also original steps to the front of the Cider House and Nutcombe Barn which again are not to be used by guests. They are part of the fabric and character of the original barns.
Please be aware that Nutcombe has several small springs that run through the property and two large ponds in the owner’s private garden. Please take care around water, especially with children.
Your cottage will be thoroughly cleaned to our usual high standard however, we ask that guests follow some simple housekeeping procedures during your stay to help us maintain these standards and enable smooth changeovers for our next arriving guests.
To use our free Wi-Fi search for Nutcombe Cottages and use the password farm24519
The television isfitted with a Humax Freesat boxes which offer over 200 channels as well as access to On Demand services as well as your own Netflix account (These can also be accessed through the Smart TV but please remember to sign out before you leave). . Please see operating instructions in the cottage folder.
The central heating and hot water in Nutcombe Barn is timed to be on all day from 7am until 10.30pm. To control the heating, please use the thermostat located above the fire extinguisher at the top of the stairs. Individual rooms can be controlled using the thermostats on each radiator. If you experience any problems with the heating, please ask at the farm house.
At Nutcombe Farm we are very lucky to have our own spring water supplying all our cottages. We have our own water filter system that meets all appropriate standards so we can offer you superb natural spring water not only to drink, but to bathe in as well. It is extremely soft water and so you will notice the need for very little detergent/soap/shampoo etc. The filtration system can mean that the cold water runs quite warm initially. Just run the tap until it comes through cold. You may also notice that the water appears cloudy when first filling a glass. This is just air and clears after a few minutes. There are fresh bottles of our spring water in the fridge for you.
Being in the countryside also means we are not on mains drainage. We therefore have our own sewage treatment system on the premises. For this reason, please do not flush sanitary items, so called flushable wipes or cooking fats down the drains, or use any products containing bleach, as these will cause problems with the system.
We welcome well behaved dogs at Nutcombe so to ensure they get the best out of their stay, please be aware of the following.
It is always a worry that whilst on holiday your dog may get lost whilst off the lead. Please make use of our Identi-tag for your peace of mind. Kindly return to the basket at the end of your stay for future four legged guests.
You are welcome to use the enclosed lawned area below the car park as a communal area for dogs and for hanging out washing. As a guest in Nutcombe Barn you have direct access through the gate to the left of the front door.
Dog owners may also exercise their dogs off the lead; provided they are safe with livestock, in our three-acre field below the farm house garden which is available at all times. To access the field, proceed down the left-hand side of the garden and enter through a farm gate.
All other fields around the property are owned by a neighbouring farmer and unfortunately there are no public footpaths or rights of way for you to use. These fields are often occupied by sheep or cattle, so if your dog has a problem with animals, please keep them on an extended lead in our field. A determined dog will always find a way through a hedge if they put their mind to it.
There are bins provided in the gardens, so please make sure all mess is removed and disposed of appropriately using ‘poop scoop’ bags. We supply a few if you have forgotten your own.
North Devon has some fantastic places to walk your dog but please remember to keep them on a lead where there are sheep or when out and about near cliff edges.
PLEASE NOTE: Dogs are not to be left unattended in the cottages at any time. Please read our ‘Yours Dogs Holiday at Nutcombe’ for full details.
There are so many places to go and things to do to list them all here. There are a few leaflets in the box under the coffee table, but for a more comprehensive guide, please take a look at our Local Area page on our website.
In the unfortunate event that something gets broken during your stay, please notify us immediately or if not urgent, at the end of your visit in order that we can replace the items. A small charge will be made for any significant breakages. Please do not replace the items yourself without our agreement.
Waste collection at Nutcombe Farm can appear to be quite complicated, so please read the ‘Refuse & Recycling’ chart in the cottage folder to see which items can be recycled in North Devon. Please wash items for recycling before placing them in the waste collection area next to the car park. Biodegradable corn bags are available to use in the ‘Food Waste’ bin together with bin liners in the bin cupboard, so please use them. Please do not put food waste or recycling in the general rubbish.
Departure Time
Please vacate by 9.30am on the day of departure to allow us enough time to clean and prepare for our next guests.
Air the Property
Please open windows/doors when leaving (unless it is pouring with rain, then please use common sense) and leave internal doors open
Bed Linen & Bedding
We would appreciate your help in speeding up our changeovers by following these procedures:
Towels/T-Towels/Bathmats/Oven Gloves
Please place all towels, T-towels, fabric bathmats and oven gloves in the plastic bin bag provided and tie up. Leave with the linen bag in the downstairs master bedroom.
Waste Disposal
Please ensure that cottages are left clear of all waste on departure. Please follow these procedures:
Basic cleanliness
In line with clause 7 of our Terms and Conditions, ‘guests are asked to undertake to leave the cottage, it’s fixtures and furniture in the same good condition as they were found to enable us to maintain a very high standard of cleanliness and comfort for our next guests’.
We would therefore appreciate you:
Leaving the key
Kindly leave the keys to your cottage on the kitchen table. It will be fine for you to leave your cottage unlocked when you leave.
If you have used one of our dog tags, please return it to the folder for our future four legged guests to use.
Your participation in these procedures and prompt departure will help us ensure our changeovers are carried out efficiently to our high level of cleanliness for our next guests.
To click to view our Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy and Access Statement
If during your stay, you experience any problems what so ever or have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask at the farmhouse; we will be only too pleased to help or find someone who can. A list of useful phone numbers can be found in this folder.
Lastly, we would very much appreciate it if you could take the time to complete our Visitors Book at the end of your stay so future guests can gain from your experiences. Alternatively, you can go direct to our website and submit an online review. If you would like to keep up to date with what’s going on at Nutcombe Cottages and special offers, please like and share our Facebook page.
We hope you have a lovely holiday at Nutcombe.
Kind regards
David & Jackie Penny