Alum Waters Guest House Access Statement We aim to cater for the needs of all visitors in a 2 bedroomed annex to our traditional north-country farmhouse home, whose origins date back to 1314. The following statement is a summary of our provision If you have any specific questions please feel free to call or e-mail us and we will try to help.

Pre-arrival There is a bus stop approximately 200 metres away. Bus Services No 48 and 48A (New Brancepeth) to and from Durham City run in the main every 20 minutes on weekdays and Saturday. There is a more limited service on Sunday. For exact times please visit www.arrivabus.co.uk. If you require assistance with luggage please let us know when making your booking with us. The main north/south railway line station in Durham City is a maximum ten minutes drive by car or taxi. Bookings for a first class taxi service (Ken's Kars) can be made on 0800 0075836. We can be contacted on 0191 3730628.

Arrival & Car Parking Facilities On arrival at the Guesthouse there is one large white metal gate which is permanently open. There are no marked parking bays and there is ample space for 6 cars. The surface is mainly gravel with grass borders which have been the home of nesting pheasants and partridges during the past two summers. There is a large paved area near the house which is used for parking 2 cars. If you require one of these spaces please advise us when booking. We can assist guests with luggage. There is a newsagents/general store and post office in the village which are about 5 minutes walk away.

Main Entrance There are three entrance doors to the property - please knock at the centre door. Entrance to the guesthouse is made via the door to the right of the property. It has one step 13cm high. We have a temporary ramp available. Please let us know in advance and we will make sure it is ready for you on arrival. The door is 73cm wide and leads into a small hallway (2.4m x 1.3m) which offers entrance to the downstairs bedroom at one end, the staircase in the centre and the dining room/lounge at the other end. The floor area and staircase are fully carpeted.

Public Areas - General Interest A wooden bench is provided near the centre front door where guests can smoke or relax and watch dramatic summer sunsets to the north west. Our corridor on the ground floor is 67cm wide at its narrowest point.which is close to the breakfast room door. It is possible to manoeuvre a standard sized wheelchair but we have the facility to have breakfast served in the downstairs bedroom as it includes a drop-leaf dining table. The breakfast room and one bedroom are located on the ground floor. There are 13 stairs, each 19cm high 24cm deep and 78cm wide, to the first floor bedroom. There is no public WC as both bedrooms are en-suite.

Lounge/Breakfast Room Breakfast is served in the breakfast/dining room on the ground floor. There are no steps but access via the ground floor corridor can be limited to standard sized wheelchairs. The dining table can be extended to comfortably cater for upto 8 eight people so there is more than ample space for our maximum of 6 persons. There is a three seater sofa and a TV set also present for guests to use during evenings if they wish to stay in. The dining table is also available for take-away meals. Please note we do not allow Chinese or Indian take-away meals to be consumed in bedrooms. We do not play background music in any area.

Ground Floor Bedroom Entrance door is adjacent to the main exterior door and is 72 cm wide. There are 2 windows - one facing north (entrance) and one facing south (garden). Bedroom is 4.6m by 4.6m, centrally heated and houses one standard double and one single bed - both mattresses are 22cm deep "Staples Executive" which are extremely comfortable. The bedroom furniture comprises of one large mirror doored wardrobe, one dressing table, one chest of drawers (all matching), one drop-leaf table with TV (remote control and teletext) on top, one high backed armchair, one comfortable carver type dining chair, two bedside tables with lamps and a small cupboard for tea/coffee making facilities. There is still approximately 10 square metres of floor space (quality short pile carpet) available in which to move about or place luggage/packages. There is a gap of 80cm between the double bed and single bed and all other furniture. Central heating radiator, which is thermostatically adjustable, switches off at 10:30pm and comes on again at 7:00am. Hot water bottles and portable oil-filled electric heater are available on request. The bathroom is 2 metres square, tiled floor with 85cm x 85cm "Showerlux" cubicle (quarter circle in shape) with Mira shower - step up is 24cm, central heating radiator and window allowing excellent ventilation.

First Floor Bedroom The size and facilities offered by this bedroom are very similar to the ground floor bedroom. The main differences are that it has original oak beams, the windows offer panoramic views over open countryside, the bathroom shower cubicle is slightly smaller (76cm x 76cm) and there is no drop-leaf table available.

Grounds and Garden We have a large enclosed garden where we grow all types of fruit and vegetables. Fresh strawberries, raspberries, loganberries, tayberries, dessert gooseberries, plums, redcurrants, blackcurrants are offered to guests as part of breakfast when in season and are used for making preserves which are offered year-round. The guesthouse is surrounded by open farmland and a leafy lane which leads to a small river, which is the haunt of kingfishers and herons, and then onto a disused railway line along which you can walk for miles. Although we do not allow pets to stay in the guesthouse we can offer the parking space nearest the groundfloor bedroom. Your pet will be literally feet away from an open window. There is a smoker's bench adjacent to the centre front door - please use the ashtray provided.

Additional Information We will happily store any medication/drinks in our refrigerator or supply a cool box with ice blocks Bicycles can be securely housed overnight in our garage.

Contact Information Address: Alum Waters Guesthouse, Unthank Farmhouse, Alum Waters, New Brancepeth, Durham City, DH7 7JJ. Telephone: 0191 3730628. Hours of operation: Flexible all year - we take holidays during quiet periods which could be at any time of the year. The Guesthouse is our family home so it is occupied at all times. Mainline telephone is answered between 7:00am and 10:30pm. Local out of hours doctor 0191 2151333. Local taxi service 0800 0075836 (Ken's Kars). Local bus company 0870 6082608 (Arriva). Train services 0345 484950. Tourist Information Centre 0191 3843720.