Access Statement for Creeting House
Summary
Introduction
Creeting House has been refurbished during 2009 to provide guest accommodation and hospitality use. We are not an hotel; reservations and bookings must be made in advance and no callers are accepted at the house.
We aim to cater for the needs of all who visit Creeting House, however we are limited on the accommodation we are able to offer to guests because of the nature of this beautiful listed building. We have 6 guest bedrooms, 4 of which are on the first floor and 2 of which are on the second floor and which are part of the suite.
In assessing the possible use of the House for both hospitality and Guest Accommodation use we have had to consider what physical changes are feasible given that the House is Grade 2 Listed and the historical integrity of the building has to be maintained. We are not allowed to make alterations which are considered to be detrimental to the building.
In converting the building to use for guest accommodation, we have had to make compromises because of the nature of the building. The requirement to retain the integrity of the size and of layout of the rooms, has limited the installation of en-suite rooms, and we are not able to provide ground floor accommodation. It cannot install a lift or stair lift. As a result of these two factors, we are not able to offer overnight accommodation to physically disabled/wheelchair reliant visitors at the present time.
With regard to general hospitality use of the ground floor, wheelchair access via a ramp through the front porch is available to the ground floor receptions, hall, WC and a proposed new disabled toilet, with sufficiently wide doorways and level floor throughout. In future, there will be a new hard surface pathway installed from the parking area to the front entrance, to enable easier access for wheelchair and pushchair users.
The use of the second floor bedrooms (no lift and steep stairs), are offered for what they are ie unsuitable for the elderly and disabled, but great for fit sharers, families etc!
All guest rooms are of adequate size to allow easy access and mobility around the room and furniture to enable use by anyone using a walking stick, with the exception of the small second floor single bedroom.
Pre-Arrival
The site of Creeting House adjoins All Saints Road, Creeting St Mary, and is opposite the Church. There is no footpath on the property’s side of the road and very few pavements through the village of Creeting St Mary. There is basically no public transport into the village. There is no street lighting in the village. There are no shops or other facilities here.
We are 1&1/2 miles away from the town of Needham Market – a walk of approximately 30 minutes – where there are bus stops and a station with infrequent stops. In nearby Stowmarket – approximately 10 minutes by car – there is a mainline station with trains stopping on the way to London (1hour 15minutes approx.) or north to Norwich.
There are a number of local taxi services that have accessible taxis if required, contact numbers are set out below.
Brochures and menus can be provided in large print if necessary, so please let us know if these are required in advance of your arrival.
WiFi is available throughout the property.
Our website – www.creetinghouse.com – provides pictures of our guest rooms and further information about the services we provide.
You can contact us by telephone, email, fax or old fashioned post! Please see the contact information section of this document for full details.
Arrival & Car Parking Facilities
Please advise us of your anticipated arrival time so that we can be sure we are here to welcome you.
Entrance to the property is through the gravel drive by a black barn adjacent to the road.
There are no marked parking bays but there is ample room for all cars.
We suggest disabled car users and families with pushchairs park on the tarmac area at the bottom of the path leading to the front porch. Further disabled parking spaces can be made available on request on the tarmac area.
The tarmac parking area at the side of the House of (30 x 15 metres) is sufficient for 20+ cars and further extensive parking available on the flat gravel area at the front of the house. The tarmac area is level and flat but there is a slight incline to walk up to the entrance porch, (this is where the new hard surface path has been installed). Additional parking for large hospitality events can be arranged in the fields behind Creeting House. In the event of wet weather, matting can be laid to allow access by foot.
The car park and front and back of house are illuminated by sensor lighting.
We are able to assist guests with luggage if this is required.
Public Areas – General (Internal)
We do not play background music in any area of the house.
The breakfast room is on the ground floor overlooking the gardens and accessed from the entrance hall. A child’s high chair is available if required. Menus can be provided in large print by prior arrangement. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten fee and all other diets can be catered for, please let us know your requirements when booking.
Dinners and packed lunches are available by prior arrangement.
A private dining/meeting room seating up to 12 guests around one table, is situated off the main hall.
Public Areas – WC
There is a ground floor public WC available accessed via the entrance hall with a vinyl floor covering and for hearing impaired visitors, it is fitted with a flashing light in the event that the fire alarm goes off. There is a first floor public WC, off the main landing.
Laundry Services
Laundry facilities are not available on the premises. Irons, ironing boards and trouser presses are available on request.
Shop
The nearest shops, bank and post office are in Needham Market.
Leisure Facilities
The Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre in Stowmarket, offers a swimming pool, numerous activities, Playworld & Summer Playworld. It is a 15 minute drive away and located in Gainsborough Road, Stowmarket IP14 ILH. Tel: 01449 674 980. There are some brochures available in the entrance hall.
Outdoor Facilities
On Blacksmith Field, behind the Village Hall, a five minute walk away, there is children’s play equipment. There is more extensive children’s play equipment in two areas by Needham Lake Wildlife Sanctuary – a 5 minute drive.
Conference & Meeting Rooms, Hospitality
Creeting House is available to hire for hospitality functions such as meetings, wedding receptions, funeral gatherings etc. Please ask for details. There is a premises license allowing alcohol to be served and entertainment offered.
Bedrooms: General
All guest bedrooms are fitted with short-pile fitted carpets and all en-suite facilities and the private bathroom to the Suite have vinyl floor covering. There is central heating throughout the house. The beds are made with up with duvets but blankets are available if required. Each bedroom has a “hospitality tray” with tea, coffee, hot chocolate etc, a jug of water and thermos of fresh milk. In each room there is a hair dryer, fan and a TV with DVD and Freeview, with a remote control.. Alarm clocks or early morning alarm calls are available on request.
A small library of books and games are available for guest use, located on the ground floor. Each room has storage and hanging space.
Each of the en-suite showers has glass sliding entrance doors. A non-slip mat is available in each of the bathroom and shower rooms.
Grounds and Gardens
Creeting House is set in approx. 9 acres. It is home to numerous rabbits and moles who cause holes in the ground so care should be taking when walking in the gardens and fields. Visitors are welcome to explore the gardens and fields beyond the pond, however, please walk around the fields rather than crossing them as the grass is grown for cattle feed. There is a pond behind the trees in the back garden which is often quite deep, and there are bee hives between the two fields so, for safety sake, children must not be allowed access to the gardens without supervision.
There is a tree preservation order in place at Creeting House; if you would like details of the old specimen trees, please ask. Climbing the trees is expressly forbidden as they are mostly old and potentially dangerous. Seating is available on the decking area in the front garden and on the terrace in the back garden, outside the Arch Room. The terrace is also a designated smoking area.
Pets are not allowed in the house or on the grounds except on a lead.
Additional Information
Mobile phone reception is generally good.
Good children are welcomed at Creeting House. Pets are not accommodated other than assistance dogs, as we have roaming free range chickens.
There is a no-smoking policy in the house but guests may use the designated smoking area in the garden.
There are fire extinguishers throughout the house including the entrance hall and on all landings.
We are able to use both the main front door and back door should evacuation be necessary. The fire alarm rings continuously if evacuation is needed. If you need assistance in this kind of emergency (eg hearing impairment) please let us know on arrival and we will ensure that you are evacuated safely.
A small fridge can be made available for medication etc. We can put larger items in our main fridge on request (not available 24hours).
A selection of local tourist information is available in our display baskets in the entrance hall.
Essential guest information is displayed in each bedroom and also further information about routines and emergencies.
Contact Information
Address: Creeting House, All Saints Road, Creeting St Mary, Ipswich, Suffolk IP6 8PR
Telephone: 01449 720 988
Fax: 01449 726 067
Email: diana@creetinghouse.com
Website: www.creetinghouse.com
Rating: 4* by Quality in Tourism/Visit Britain
Hours of operation: Hours are flexible to business requirements, the house is our home so occupied 24 hours. Mainline telephone is answered 8am-11pm.
Public transport travel information: Traveline telephone 0871 200 22 33
Local taxi numbers: Needham Taxis: 01449 722408, A2B: 01449 797979,
Stowmarket Taxis: 01449 677717
Healthcare:
The local GP surgery at the Needham Market Country Practice (& chemist), is in Barking Road in Needham Market. It is open daily during the week from 8.30am and on Saturday mornings by appointment. Call 01449 720 666. If you need an ambulance or to contact the police for an urgent matter, please dial the UK emergency number, 999. The nearest hospital A & E department is at Ipswich Hospital, Heath Road, Ipswich, tel: 10473 712233. For NHS Direct advice, telephone 0845 46 47.
Future Plans
At present, we do not have the facilities to offer overnight accommodation to physically disabled/wheelchair users. Having considered the possibility, we have decided to defer the decision to further convert other outbuildings with wheelchair access, until 2011.
A new disabled toilet with appropriate fittings, is planned to be installed on the ground floor.
The main staircase carpet is worn but safely fitted and will be replaced by a new carpet.
We welcome your feedback to help us to continuously improve our facilities at Creeting House. If you have any comments, please phone 01449 720 988 or email diana@creetinghouse.com.
Created on 22/7/2010