Accessibility statement

At Combermere Abbey, we are committed to ensuring that all our guests have a welcoming and comfortable experience. We understand the importance of accessibility and strive to make our historic estate as inclusive as possible. Our dedicated team is here to assist with any specific needs or requirements, ensuring that every visitor can fully enjoy the beauty and charm of Combermere Abbey. Whether you are attending an event, exploring the grounds, or staying overnight, we are here to help make your visit seamless and enjoyable. Please find the accessibility details of each building below.

 

Pre-arrival:

The Holiday Cottages on the estate are listed buildings and have statutory obligations and limitations in terms of design and conversion details, which can restrict guests with severe access issues.

The North Wing Bed and Breakfast is in a grade 1 building on two floors and presents challenges for guests with severe mobility issues. It is advised to discuss your requirements prior to booking.

Enquiries and bookings can be made directly online, by email or phone. The nearest regional train station is Whitchurch – 4 miles away, and the nearest mainline train station is Crewe, on the West Coast Line, 11 miles away. There are accessible taxis at the station.

Holiday Cottages: A pre-arrival welcome pack is sent to each guest informing them of the directions to the estate, use Google Maps or What3words (sat-nav is unreliable), arrival and access procedures and codes for the Courtyard Cottages The separate pack for Stone Lodge, our stand-alone cottage outlines the different access and entry information.

North Wing Bed and Breakfast: a pre-arrival welcome pack is sent informing them of the directions and a call from the House Manager ascertains dietary preferences and time of arrival.

 

Arrival:

Combermere Abbey Cottages are located in a rural location, and electronic gates are in operation and remain closed during the day and locked at night. Guests are given the instructions in the welcome pack as well as a map of the cottages identifying the entry point to their cottage. A Fob is attached to the key of the cottage for easy access during their stay. The drive to the complex of cottages is one mile long on a tarmac drive. The entrance to the Stone Lodge cottage is outside the entrance to the main estate and clearly marked. The drive to the North Wing is signposted and has a private carpark and electric charging point.

Stone Lodge: This is found outside the main gates with a signed short 15 yd drive off the main road into a private parking area. The path is down a gentle slope to the terrace leading to the back door.

The Courtyard Cottages: All the cottages, with exception of Wellington, have two entry doors, from the external car parks and the interior courtyard. The car parks for the respective cottages are clearly identified, and there are designated spaces for disabled visitors. Cars are only permitted in the central courtyard which is cobbled to unload for all cottages except Wellington Cottage. They must park in the designated car parks once unloaded. The maximum distance between the car parking and any cottage entrance is 30 yards. Alternative access to the courtyard cottage doors is across a cobblestone courtyard. This is on one level and is somewhat uneven in places – due to its listed status, it cannot be replaced.

Access from the main parking area for Crossley is directly off the car park; Cotton and Wellington cottages are via their private gardens and along lit pathways to the front entrance. Access to Beckett, Stapleton, Callander and Malbanc are via a lit pathway down a gentle slope to their back doors. These are gravel paths and not reliably accessible for wheelchairs. Stapleton can be accessed for wheelchairs from the main cobblestone courtyard. Poole and Empress cottages entrances are on a flat surface from their private parking area. Several of our cottages have ground floor bedrooms and bathrooms and are used regularly by guests with less severe disability issues. All the doors are wider than average, being the original stable doors. There are 1” threshes into the cottages from both entrances.

All cottages are equipped with detailed information books, giving mobile phone numbers for the Housekeeper, Estate Owner and Estate Manager. Important information is also available outside the main administration office, which is open at clearly identified times.

 

The Grounds

Access to the Pleasure Garden is across mown grass paths and into the woodland where the designated pathways are on a slope to the lakeside and not recommended for wheelchair-bound guests.

 

Cotton Cottage

One of the two original cottages in the Stables, this cottage can be accessed from a private garden and also the central courtyard. Both the entrances are up two steps. This cottage is not suitable for wheelchair-bound guests.

The two bedrooms are on the first floor, accessed by a staircase from the front hall. Neither the master bedroom shower or twin bedroom bathroom are suitable for wheelchair guests. However, it accommodates guests with less stringent mobility or hearing issues.

 

Wellington Cottage

The other original cottage is accessed only from its private car park area via a pathway through a private garden. This cottage only has one entrance, accessed up two steps. This cottage cannot accommodate wheelchair or sight-impaired guests.

There is a change of level between the living room and kitchen down two steps and a staircase up to the bedrooms, bathroom and shower room on the first floor. This listed cottage with its two double bedrooms and single room is not recommended for guests with mobility issues.

 

Poole Cottage

This cottage, created from the original stable stalls, can be approached from two entrances, the cobbled courtyard and the tarmac car parking area. The front door is 15yds from the car, along a short gravel pathway.

On two floors, this cottage has a spacious carpeted dining room hallway with table and chairs leading through a wide open arch to the sitting room with a coal look gas fireplace on the ground floor. On the same level is the kitchen, cleverly designed to fit into a long thin galley space, but with limited turning space.

A carpeted stairway leads to the first floor and the twin bedroom with its private bathroom across the landing and a double bedroom with en-suite shower room. Neither rooms have threshes, however, while comfortably and elegantly decorated, they are not particularly spacious. Both the twin bedroom and its private bathroom and the double room with en-suite shower are well appointed and carpeted.

 

Empress Cottage

Parking for this cottage is about 15 yards from the tarmac parking space with access to the front door via a gravel pathway and entered via the original sandstone flag into a small hallway. Immediately opposite is the one bathroom with its power shower, servicing both bedrooms. Guests can also access this cottage from the cobbled courtyard directly into the sitting/dining room.

There is a 4” step into the spacious, light and airy sitting room, which leads into the kitchen with its elegant wood paneling. Features from the original stables have been incorporated into the design and there is wide floor space. The carpeted floor leads upstairs to the twin bedroom on the first floor. The original beams and glass fronted feature help to create a very elegant, private bedroom area with dressing table and chaise lounge.

 

Stapleton Cottage

This cottage was created from the original tack room and features decorative elements of the original space. The main access for wheelchair users is from the cobbled courtyard. The approach from the car park is down a gentle but gravelled, well lit pathway not designed to accommodate wheelchair access, but acceptable for guests with slight mobility issues. This cottage was originally designed for assisted disabled and has wide entrance doors.

From the courtyard, there is a flagged hallway leading to a downstairs twin bedroom and ensuite disabled shower room. Electric points and furniture are placed to enable wheelchair access and functionality. The sitting room is spacious and divided from the kitchen leading to the kitchen area. The carpeted double bedroom is reached upstairs from the sitting room and has an en-suite bathroom with non-slip flooring.

 

Beckett Cottage

The most spacious of the holiday cottages, accessed from the car park is down a well-lit path, across a private stone terrace and through double doors into a spacious carpeted living room. Up a 4” step, the living room leads to a self-contained twin bedroom suite, with tiled hallway, carpeted bedroom and ensuite shower room. Across the room is a door leading to a hallway to the huge double height dining room with fireplace and oak floors.

Off the hallway is the kitchen, with its original tiled floor and also the master double bedroom with ensuite shower room. These rooms are spacious and comfortable. The door from the main dining room leads onto the cobbled courtyard. The third bedroom is located up a staircase within the dining room, and this twin bedroom, with ensuite bathroom can also be made up as a double bed.

 

Crossley Cottage

This extensive holiday cottage, created from combining two smaller cottages in a complete wing of the Stable building, has two entrances – one directly off the car park into the large spacious sitting room down a low step, and the second from the central courtyard directly into a hallway. From the carpeted sitting room, a 4” step leads into the kitchen/dining room with bespoke dining table accommodating up to 10 guests. From the sitting room, a wide door leads into the carpeted library/TV room and through another wide door down a 2” step into a passage. Off the passage is a double bedroom with en-suite bathroom with overhead shower.

The door at the end of the passage leads to the hallway with the courtyard entrance door and carpeted staircase to two first floor bedrooms. The first bedroom on the right, has a king-size bed and en-suite shower room, and the bedroom directly ahead has a twin bedroom and en-suite bathroom with overhead shower. From the sitting room, the staircase leads to the first floor and two further bedrooms.

On the left at the top of the stairs is a twin room with en-suite shower room. Along the passage is a very spacious king-size double bedroom with en-suite roll top bath and antique basin. The first floor on both sides is fully carpeted and bathrooms have appropriate wood style flooring. While not suitable for wheelchair guests, the downstairs bedroom and bathroom can accommodate those with slight mobility issues.

 

Malbanc Cottage

Malbanc cottage has two entrances, from the rear of the building from the car park and down a well-lit pathway to a wide door directly into the dining room up a low 2” step. The other entrance is directly off the central courtyard into a flagstone hall/cloakroom.

A wide doorway into the large spacious sitting room has a 4” step at the far side through double gothic doors into the large high ceiling dining room. An open arch opposite the double doors leads into a compact hallway and to the right into the very well-appointed kitchen and on the left into the dressing room of the downstairs king-size bedroom with en-suite shower.

A staircase from the hallway leads to a twin bedroom with en-suite shower room. The small landing at the top of the stairs leads directly into the fully carpeted bedroom, which has a curtain closure. The ground floor rooms are fully carpeted, the kitchen has appropriate slip proof floorcovering, as do all the bathrooms. From the sitting room, a second staircase leads up to two bedrooms with a shared bathroom. The first bedroom is a twin room, and the second a large double bedroom. The bathroom has a bath and separate shower. While not suitable for wheelchair guests, the downstairs bedroom and bathroom can easily accommodate those with slight mobility issues.

 

Callander Cottage

This cottage has two entrances – the first down a well-lit pathway from the parking area to a small garden area leading to a wide doorway into the small, compact kitchen. The other is directly off the central courtyard leading into the spacious sitting room with dining area. A connecting door opens from the kitchen into the sitting room.

From the sitting room, a staircase leads up to two bedrooms and a spacious shared bathroom with bath and separate shower. The first bedroom has a king-size bed, and the second has two twin beds. The cottage is carpeted throughout, with appropriate non-slip flooring in the kitchen and bathroom. This cottage is not suitable for wheelchair guests.

 

Stone Lodge

This cottage is the only stand alone property and situated at the entrance of the estate. It has its own driveway and car park area, and access down a concrete path onto a well lit flag stone terrace. Entrance into the cottage is up a gentle ramp into the beautifully equipped kitchen. Due to the narrow doorways, this cottage is not suitable for wheelchair users.

This cottage is listed and has been sympathetically adapted. From the kitchen a short passageway leads to the gothic carpeted sitting room with wood burning stove and a door leading to a steep original staircase to the second floor and its self-contained twin bedroom and bathroom. The original Stone Lodge hall/dining room off the sitting room is fully carpeted and leads to a downstairs master bedroom with adjoining wet room shower. There is an area for the washer dryer contained in the bathroom.

 

Additional Information

• All courtyard cottages have Wifi, broadband access and DDI phones with dedicated phone numbers in case of emergency. Numbers are sent in the welcome pack.
• Shared laundry facilities are housed in a special room in the cobbled courtyard and easily accessed from all cottages.
• Crossley and Malbanc have laundry facilities in their cottages. Stone Lodge has full facilities.
• The Sales office is open each weekday and reachable by phone 01948 871662 Ext 1.
• The Housekeeper is on site each day and has a designated office just off the main cottage carpark.
• Each cottage has detailed information books, on all aspects of cottage set-up and equipment, as well as important local tourist and recreational information.
• An Information Centre is located off the central cobbled courtyard, and are open 24/7 with local information leaflets and entertainment library for the use of all guests.
• Mobile phones do not have very consistent reception, with the exception of Stone Lodge. Guests are recommended to use WhatsApp.