A traditional mariner's cottage, situated 50 metres from the Quay in the heart of Appledore, close to several popular pubs and restaurants. The cottage has been fully modernised and combines traditional character with modern facilities.
We are very happy to provide any information on the cottage, so feel free to message me with any questions. Please read the 'Other details to note' before making a booking request to check if the cottage is suitable for you. One medium sized dog welcome.
The space
Oyster Shell Cottage ideally located in the heart of Appledore, a short distance from the quay and several pubs and shops. The cottage was extensively renovated in 2017/2018, including installing a new central heating system, replacing all the plumbing and completely re-wiring. The cottage has fast reliable broadband, with the router in the lounge.
There is a single step leading into the cottage. Through the front door, the cottage has a small internal hallway, so unlike many cottages the front door does not open straight into the lounge space. There are hooks to store coats, and leave outdoor shoes.
The open plan living room/kitchen-dining room blends the cottage's traditional features and character, with sympathetic additions and contemporary lighting. The downstairs is light and airy as we are lucky to have high ceilings (by Appledore cottage standards). The corner sofa seats four comfortably, as does the dining table.
In the lounge we have a Samsung smart TV plus a Roku media device / soundbar to access on demand services. Free to air on demand services are logged in, and we also provide Disney+ as this has a good selection of films and other on demand programmes. There is also a DAB radio / bluetooth speaker and an Amazon smart speaker. We leave a range of local guidebooks and maps for guests to use. There is a selection of board games and jigsaw puzzles left in the cupboard below the TV.
The kitchen itself was handbuilt when the cottage was renovated, with a polished concrete worksurface. It has built in modern gas hob, electric oven and fridge. There is no freezer. There is a good selection of cooking utensils, as well as crockery, cutlery, glasses, chopping boards etc. We also leave a few basics such as cooking oil, salt, pepper, herbs and spices, kitchen foil etc for guests.
We have a stylish contemporary downstairs bathroom (bath with a shower over the bath). The illuminated mirror above the sink is turned on and off using a hand movement below the right underside of it. Bathroom cleaning materials are below the sink unit. There is a hairdryer in the bathroom drawers.
The cottage also has a small, separate, laundry area which houses a separate washing machine and tumble dryer. There is an iron, ironing board, vacuum, fire extinguisher, fire blanket and first aid kit. We leave washing liquid or tablets for guests to use.
The short corridor space, which the bathroom and laundry are either side of, leads to a small attractive private courtyard, with slate paving. There is an outside table which seats four so you can eat outside, if you wish. There is a washing line and outside hose. The walls are high so the space is secure.
Off the living area, stairs lead to two attractive bedrooms. There is a rope handrail on the right hand side going up the stairs, which are quite steep. While this is not unusual in Appledore, it is something to be aware of, and means that the cottage is unlikely to be suitable for guests with mobility issues, or very young children.
At the rear of the cottage we have a double bedroom. There is a Laura Ashley traditional metal framed double bed. We have plenty of storage with a built-in wardrobe and a chest of drawers. Small shelves on both sides of the bed have touch sensitive LED bedside lights. The curtains have blackout linings, which can be useful in the summer, and we provide alternative weight duvets and some extra bedding in the top of the wardrobe. The combination boiler is located in the second built-in cupboard, where there is some additional space to leave smaller luggage.
At the front of the cottage we have a twin bedroom, with two Laura Ashley traditional metal framed single beds. This also has a built-in wardrobe and two chests of drawers. The curtains are also blackout lined.
All bed linen and towels are provided. We leave duvets of alternative weights and there are additional bedspreads. We don't provide beach towels, so you will need to bring those with you.
We value our guests' privacy so the Amazon smart speakers are set up on a separate account and not linked to our home Amazon account. You are welcome to unplug them if you wish. Similarly, on demand services are set up on cottage specific accounts.
Please message before booking if you have any questions about the cottage's suitability, or anything else that you would like to know about the facilities, or the area itself. We are always happy to answer any questions and will generally get back to you pretty quickly.
Guest access
Guests have use of the entire house (except the loft space). Keys are left in a keysafe by the front door.
We send comprehensive pre-arrival information roughly a week before arrival, including the keysafe code, wi-fi access details and parking information.
Other things to note
Please have a look at the following which we hope provides some useful additional information when you are considering making a booking request. Please also check our booking / cancellation policy which is "firm" (only cancellations made more than 30 days of a check-in will be fully refunded) or "non-refundable" (no refund whenever cancelled).
Please also see "additional information" under the "House Rules" section of our listing as these form part of the booking conditions. We are very happy to answer any questions prior to you making a booking, so please feel free to get in touch.
Booking arrangements.
There are some times (generally the summer holidays) when our bookings will only be for 7 nights, and will be Saturday to Saturday. At most times we do shorter stays, and check in/out days can be more flexible. If the length of stay that you are looking for does not show as available please message us and we can see whether that would be possible.
Bookings with children.
Unfortunately, the cottage is not suitable for younger children so we do not take bookings if you have children under five years of age. Consequently, we do not provide cots, high chairs or similar. Please let us know that any children's ages when making a booking request, as we will need this information before accepting any booking.
Access and mobility issues.
If you have any mobility issues please contact us before making any booking and we can advise as to whether the property would be suitable for you. For example, the property would not be suitable if you use a mobility scooter. The stairs in the property are steeper than average and as noted below, there is no on-site or adjacent parking.
Staying with your dog.
One well behaved medium sized dog (up to labrador/retriever size) is welcome. This means it must not be destructive, is house trained, and is not left alone in the house if it has separation anxiety i.e. barks/howls when left. This means we cannot accommodate a puppy. This is a terraced cottage and houses are close together so this is really about not inconveniencing people in neighbouring properties.
Please let us know what sort of dog you have when making a booking request, including their age, and confirm that it meets our requirements. We will need this information before accepting a booking so if we have it when you make a booking request that helps.
If you have two (smaller) dogs please feel free to contact us to see whether we could accommodate that.
Parking.
There is no parking at the property. Like a number of the streets in Appledore, the cottage is on a narrow lane. It is possible to drive up the lane and unload outside the house, although the lane is narrow, and the exit at the top of the lane is relatively tight. We don’t drive up the lane to unload. We suggest either (a) backing up to where the lane narrows and unloading from there (which is within 30m or so of the cottage) , or, (b) unloading from where you park, whether that be on the quay or in the main car park. The Churchfields Car Park costs £10.00 per day (in season), or £34.00 for the week, payable by cash or contactless card. It is about 200 metres from the property. November to mid-March charges are lower.
Waste collection.
We have private rubbish collections which are on Friday, Saturday or Monday. If your departure is on one of those days you will need to leave bagged rubbish and recycling on the doorstep on departure. If your departure date is not a Friday, Saturday or Monday you will need to put rubbish out on whichever of those days is the latest during your stay.
Maintenance during your stay.
In the event that a tradesman needs to attend to rectify a problem during your visit we will (if practical) arrange for that to occur while you are in the cottage (if you wish). If you cannot be, or do not wish, to be there, we will let you know approximately what time any tradesman will be at the property. Any tradesman will either be people we know, and have used before, or those regularly used by our housekeeping company. Only urgent problems will be addressed during guests' stay unless otherwise agreed with guests.
