Covid-19 Guest Charter

What we are doing to ensure that you have a great and most importantly safe stay at The Dovecote Barns

Our priority at this time is the safety of guests and our team, which means that while some elements of your holiday will have to change slightly, we know that we can still offer you a great base for a great holiday.  For our updated terms please click here.

The additional hygiene and social distancing measures we are introducing are outlined below.

There are options on home delivery of home cooked meals from our local Pickled Postie Café as well as takeaway services in addition to the opening of restaurants and pubs which will need to be pre-booked.  Details are emailed with your booking.

We ask that you maintain social distancing whilst staying at the barns, wash your hands regularly and that you use face masks when outside or in local indoor restaurants where possible.  Please adhere to social distancing from other guests, this is especially relevant for younger children.

Test and Trace – Prior to Arrival

In order to comply with NHS test and trace, prior to your arrival, you need to provide us with names, telephone numbers and email addresses of everyone in your party.

If there is a group, we need the name and telephone number of the ‘lead member’ of the group and the number of people in the group.  Pre-prepare this information on paper so that when you go to a pub or restaurant, you have this detail ready to handover to save time on entering.

This information will solely be used for the NHS test and trace system if required.  If this is not provided prior to arrival, it must be provided on arrival.  This information will then be destroyed (currently 21 days after departure).

Check In

Check in is from 4pm & Departure time is 9.30am. As per usual, we will ask that you text us a half hour before arrival to let us know you are on your way.  We will greet you, with facemasks, socially distanced.  The barn will be unlocked, and hand sanitiser available near the entrance door.  All information will be readily available for Covid compliant procedures, but we are onsite for any additional questions.

Cleaning Procedures

We have doubled our cleaning staff numbers to ensure that your property will be cleaned and sanitised in line with the PHE, Visit England, NHS and PASC guidelines and have attained our COVID-19 “We’re Good to Go” certification.

This additional housekeeping means arrival time is not before 4pm on the day of arrival and departure times is now 9.30am.

Hand sanitiser dispensers are now located at the entrance of each barn.  We would ask that you also bring your own small bottle of hand sanitiser to carry around with you at all times.

We supply hand soap in all kitchens and bathrooms together with cleaning and anti-viral spray under your kitchen sink, we ask that these are not removed from the properties.

All bed linen and towels are provided, however due heightened risk for our cleaning staff, we ask that you remove all your used kitchen items for machine washing, bedlinen, used towels and bath mats and place them in separate piles in the entrance way of your barn on departure.  Instructions are provided in your barn.

Recycling and Household Waste

Please empty and put all household waste bags directly into the grey household waste bins located in the car park provided.  Please put all paper and cardboard in the appropriate grey recycling bin in the car park.  Please put all mixed bottles, cans and plastics recycling in the large mixed recycling green bin located in the car park.

We are not currently using the recycling bags we have always used to avoid additional risk to our cleaning staff.  If you use a kitchen bag to transfer items to the bin store, this must not be put in the recycling bins.  It must be disposed of in the household waste bin instead.  Please help us to reduce spread of the virus and recycle your waste correctly.

Kitchen Crockery, Cutlery, Glasses and Saucepans

Guidelines state that all crockery, cutlery and glasses and pans should be put through the dishwasher between changeovers.  This is not possible in the changeover window so we ask that once you touch anything or use anything, that you keep it out on a work surface until it goes into the dishwasher for cleaning at a high setting.  Please wash your hands before you empty the dishwasher items back into the cupboards and drawers.

Equipment and Games Cupboards

As many of you know, we usually offer lots of games, books, maps and leaflets in each barn, but if it these cannot be safely cleaned and sanitised between guest use we have had to temporarily remove them.

Soft Furnishings/Ornaments and Decoration

To reduce the risk of spreading the virus, these have been temporarily rationalised.  I hope you can understand that your barn may not look at ‘finished’ as it normally is, but these are not normal times!  We will introduce back those finishing touches as soon as we possibly can…safely!

Eco Communal Laundry

For the meantime, the eco communal laundry is not open to guests.  However, we have purchased separate irons and ironing boards that have been placed in your individual barns for any ironing needs you may have during your stay.  If you need to use the washing machines, please contact us to arrange this on an individual needs basis.

Reception Hours

We live onsite so are always around, but to help maintain social distancing, we ask that you contact us by text first before coming to the farmhouse door.  We always want to provide a personal welcome and say goodbye at the end of your stay, but these are exceptional times!

Your Health

If you show any signs of having the virus then you must immediately inform us and go and get tested (details of how to do this are provided in your accommodation).  The test result must be shown to us. If positive, you will need to leave site immediately if any member of your party can drive you. If that is not possible and you have to self-isolate at the barns, then you will have to pay for all bookings that have to be cancelled as a result, as well as your extended stay.

We currently have HMG guidelines that only two households (which can include a bubble) can holiday together. We cannot police this and ask therefore that you risk assess your own party and decide for yourself if your group is appropriate.

Remember the best way to stay safe is to regularly wash hands thoroughly.  We hope this information is helpful. We would like to reassure you that we are doing everything we can to ensure your safety whilst giving you a lovely holiday.

Please do not hesitate to email or phone us with any questions or worries you may have and we will do our utmost to help.