Terms and Conditions

These terms are intended to help make that possible. They set out what you can expect from us, and what we ask of you in return, so that everyone can enjoy the house, the garden and its surroundings.

We hope that you will treat The Coach House as a special place and, during your stay, help us to preserve the sense of peace, warmth and welcome that we want everyone who comes here to experience.

1. Your booking

The person making the booking will be the Lead Booker and will be our main point of contact for the group.
When making an application to stay, please give us:

• the name and contact details of the Lead Booker;
• the purpose of your stay and the nature of your group;
• how the purpose of your stay aligns with the purpose, intent and spirit of The Coach House (see more in section 2);
• the number of people who will be staying overnight;
• the number of bedrooms you expect to use; and
• any other information you think may be helpful for us to know.

The number of bedrooms you require can be provisional when you make your booking. We ask you to confirm this no later than one week before your arrival, so that we can let our cleaners know which rooms need to be prepared and make sure that the right bedding and towels are ready for you.

The booking is for the group and purpose described in your application. Please let us know if this changes before your stay.

2. The purpose and spirit of The Coach House

The Coach House is a charity and as such, the Trustees have an obligation to ensure that any activities that take place within The Coach House are aligned with our charitable purpose, do not bring reputational risk to the charity and accord with the vision for this place. When anyone applies to use The Coach House, the Trustees will carefully consider whether the purpose and character of your stay are in keeping with the purpose, intent and spirit of The Coach House. It is a place of retreat, silence and peace, and we want that quality to be nourished and upheld by everyone who comes here.

We therefore ask that groups consider carefully, when planning their stay, how their activities and the way they use the house will contribute to and respect this atmosphere.

The Coach House is open to people of all faiths and traditions, and to people of none. We do, however, need to consider whether the activities proposed by each group are compatible with the charitable purpose, vision and spirit of The Coach House, including the Ignatian principles on which the project was originally imagined. The Coach House is intended to provide a peaceful and welcoming setting for retreats, gatherings and group activities that are compatible with this spirit. It is not intended to provide a base for holiday tours of the area and is not available for parties, hen or stag weekends, or similar celebrations.

Where you intend to provide services such as  spiritual accompaniment, counselling, therapy or similar, we may also seek assurance as regards their qualifications to provide such services, their supervision / accountability process, and / or confirmation of their membership of an appropriate professional body.

If you are unsure whether your proposed use of the house is appropriate, please talk to us. If you would like to understand more about the purpose, intent and spirit of The Coach House before booking, you can find out more on our website or speak to our coordinator, Nancy, who will be very happy to talk it through with you. We are very happy to have a conversation before you book.

3. Payment

A 25% deposit is payable within two weeks of making your booking. We will hold the dates for you during this period, but the booking will only be confirmed once the deposit has been received, unless we have agreed something different with you.

The remaining 75% balance is payable four weeks before the first day of your stay.

A £250 breakages deposit is also payable before your stay. This is separate from the accommodation payment and will normally be returned within one week of your departure, subject to the provisions in Section 17.

If the balance has not been paid four weeks before your stay, we will contact you. If payment remains outstanding, we reserve the right to treat the booking as cancelled and to make the dates available for another group.

4. Cancellation

We understand that circumstances can change and that sometimes a group may need to cancel. We have therefore tried to make our cancellation arrangements as straightforward and fair as possible.

More than 8 weeks before arrival

If you cancel more than 8 weeks before your arrival, we will normally:

• refund your 25% deposit, less a small administration charge; or
• where possible, transfer your booking and deposit to another mutually agreed date.
Between 4 and 8 weeks before arrival

If you cancel between 4 and 8 weeks before your arrival, your 25% deposit will normally be retained. The remaining balance will not yet be due.

Where there are clear and compelling circumstances, please do talk to us. We will always consider requests for an alternative arrangement sympathetically.

Within 4 weeks of arrival

If you cancel within 4 weeks of your arrival, the full balance will have become due.

We cannot guarantee a refund, but we will always consider your circumstances carefully and sympathetically.

If we are able to rebook The Coach House for all or part of the dates you have cancelled, we will refund the amount we receive from the new booking, less any reasonable costs or loss we have incurred.

If you have a clear and compelling reason for cancelling, please tell us as soon as possible. We will consider a request for a full or partial refund carefully, taking into account your circumstances, how much notice we have received and whether we are able to re-let the property.

We cannot guarantee that a refund will be available, as we may already have incurred costs or turned away other bookings in order to hold the dates for you.

If you need to cancel, please contact us as soon as you know. The earlier we hear from you, the more likely it is that we may be able to find a way forward.

Changing your dates

If your circumstances change and you would prefer to move your booking rather than cancel it, please talk to us. Where availability allows, we will always try to find an alternative date that works for you.

5. The number of guests

The Coach House is being offered for group retreats and gatherings, but it is important that the agreed numbers are respected.

• no more than 10 people will stay overnight at the property;
• no more than 18 people will use the property during the day.

These numbers must not be exceeded without our prior agreement.

The Lead Booker is responsible for ensuring that everyone in the group understands and follows these terms.

6. Exclusive use of The Coach House

Your booking gives your group full and exclusive use of the main house for the period of your stay.

This includes:

• the Kitchen;
• all Bedrooms which have been agreed and prepared for your group;
• the Sanctuary;
• the Living Room;
• the Art Room.

You will also have exclusive use of:

• the two outdoor rooms in the garden; and
• the garden.

The self-catering pod is not included in a standard booking of The Coach House. It may only be used if it has been specifically and separately booked and agreed with us.

7. Accessibility

We want as many people as possible to be able to enjoy The Coach House and we are very happy to discuss accessibility requirements with you before your stay.

Please be aware, however, that the house is an old property and its different rooms have varying levels of accessibility.

• One bedroom is fully designed for disabled access.
• All other bedrooms are reached by one flight of stairs.
• The Art Room is reached by two flights of stairs.
• The two outdoor rooms in the garden have two-step access.

If anyone in your group has particular mobility, accessibility or other needs, please talk to us when making your booking. We will always do our best to help you understand the accommodation and make your stay as comfortable and accessible as we reasonably can.

8. The garden and occasional maintenance

We will normally leave you to enjoy the garden privately during your stay.

However, there may occasionally be a need for someone to enter the garden for essential or routine maintenance. We will give you as much notice as reasonably possible.

If your retreat requires complete privacy, or if garden access would cause a particular difficulty for your group, please tell us when booking or as soon as you become aware of the issue. We will do our best to accommodate you.

9. The Art Room

The Art Room and its materials are available for you to enjoy.

Please use the materials reasonably and considerately. Ordinary use of the materials provided is included in your stay.

If you anticipate heavy, extensive or unusual use of art materials, please let us know in advance. We can then discuss what you need and whether any additional arrangements or charges are appropriate.

Please leave the Art Room and its equipment clean and tidy after use.

10. Consideration for our neighbours

The Coach House is in a residential and rural setting and we ask you to be considerate of those living nearby.

In particular:

• please do not play loud music or make excessive noise which could disturb neighbours;
• outdoor activities should be kept at a reasonable level, particularly in the evening;
• please do not hold parties or events which have not been agreed with us; and
• please ensure that everyone in your group understands that this is a place for peaceful group use rather than a party venue.

11. Alcohol and the character of the house

Alcohol is not prohibited at The Coach House.

However, The Coach House is intended to be a place of retreat, peace and calm, and we ask guests to bear this in mind when deciding whether and how much alcohol to consume.

We ask that alcohol is consumed responsibly and considerately, and that it does not lead to behaviour, noise or activity which is inconsistent with the peaceful character of the house or causes disturbance to others.

12. Illegal substances

The use, possession or supply of illegal drugs or other illegal substances is not permitted anywhere on the property, including the house, garden and outdoor rooms.

13. Candles, fires and safety

For fire-safety reasons, candles must not be used in bedrooms.

If candles are used elsewhere in the property, they must be used safely and responsibly and must never be left unattended.

Please follow any safety instructions provided at the property and let us know promptly if you notice anything which could present a safety risk.

14. Hot tubs and other equipment

Hot tubs may not be brought onto or used at the property.

No other substantial temporary structures, equipment or installations should be brought onto the property without our prior agreement.

15. Looking after the house

We hope you will treat The Coach House as you would your own home.

During your stay, please:

• take reasonable care of the house, its contents, furnishings and grounds;
• use furniture, appliances and equipment only for their intended purpose;
• keep doors and windows appropriately secured when necessary;
• tell us as soon as possible if anything is damaged, broken or stops working;
• avoid moving substantial furniture or other items without asking us first; and
• ensure that children and vulnerable members of the group are appropriately supervised.

Accidents happen, and we would much rather you tell us about a breakage or problem than worry about it. We will always deal with such matters reasonably.

16. Cleaning and leaving the property

The Coach House will be clean and ready for you when you arrive.

At the end of your stay, we ask that you leave it in a clean and tidy condition, ready for our cleaners to prepare it for the next guests.

In particular, please:

• wash and put away dishes and kitchen equipment;
• remove food and personal belongings;
• put rubbish in the appropriate places;
• leave furniture and equipment where you found it;
• clean up any significant spills or mess; and
• leave the kitchen and other rooms reasonably tidy.

If you have time, we would also appreciate you stripping the beds.

You are not expected to carry out a professional clean. Our cleaners will do the normal changeover cleaning. We simply ask that you leave the house respectfully and reasonably tidy.

If the property is left in an exceptionally dirty or untidy condition, or requires cleaning substantially beyond the normal changeover, we reserve the right to make a reasonable charge for the additional cleaning.

17. Breakages deposit

A £250 breakages deposit is payable before your stay.

This is intended to cover accidental damage, breakages, missing items or exceptional additional cleaning where these are attributable to your group.

We will always discuss any proposed deduction with the Lead Booker and will only make a reasonable deduction where there is a genuine cost or loss to us.

Provided there are no outstanding issues, the breakages deposit will be returned within one week of your departure.

18. Arrival and departure

Unless we have agreed otherwise with you in advance:

• access to The Coach House will be available from 10.00 am on the first day of your booking;
• you should leave the property by 5.00 pm on the final day of your booking.

Please do not arrive substantially earlier or leave substantially later without checking with us first, as we need time to prepare the property for you and for subsequent guests.

19. Pets and assistance dogs

We are very fond of animals and understand that pets are an important part of many people’s lives. Regrettably, however, pets are not permitted at The Coach House as we need to keep the house suitable for all our guests and to protect the furnishings and environment.

Assistance dogs are, of course, welcome. If an assistance dog will be accompanying someone in your group, please let us know before you arrive so that we can make any appropriate arrangements to welcome you.

20. Smoking and vaping

Smoking and vaping are permitted outside the house and outdoor rooms, but neither is permitted inside any building.

For the purposes of these terms, vaping is treated in the same way as smoking.

Please dispose of cigarette ends safely and responsibly and never leave them in the garden or other outdoor areas.

We ask that smokers and those who vape remain considerate of other members of the group and of our neighbours.

21. Personal belongings

Please take care of your own belongings during your stay. We cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to personal possessions brought onto the property.

If you leave something behind, please let us know and we will do our best to return it to you. Any postage or delivery costs will normally be payable by you.

22. Insurance

We recommend that groups arranging a stay at The Coach House have appropriate insurance in place for their activities and for the people attending, including public liability insurance where appropriate.

Where a group brings in an outside provider, such as a facilitator, therapist, instructor, activity provider or caterer, the Lead Booker is responsible for ensuring that the provider has appropriate insurance for the services they are providing, including public liability insurance where appropriate.

While The Coach House maintains its own public liability insurance, it does not provide specific insurance for guests, their personal belongings or activities organised by the group. Guests remain responsible for their own actions and for the activities they arrange.

If you are unsure whether insurance is needed for anything you are planning, please talk to us when making your booking. We are very happy to discuss it with you in advance.

23. Responsibility for the group

The Lead Booker is responsible for ensuring that all members of the group are aware of these terms and behave appropriately.

If a member of the group causes damage, unreasonable disturbance or serious nuisance, we will normally deal with the Lead Booker in the first instance.

We reserve the right to end a stay early if there is serious or persistent behaviour which puts people at risk, causes significant damage, creates serious nuisance to neighbours, or involves a substantial breach of these terms. In such circumstances, we would not normally be able to offer a refund for the unused part of the booking.

23. Our commitment to you

We want The Coach House to be a place where people can retreat, rest, reflect and renew, spend time together and enjoy the house, garden and surroundings.

We will do our best to make your stay comfortable and welcoming, and to deal fairly and reasonably with any problems which arise.

In return, we ask that you treat the house, garden, our neighbours and the people who look after The Coach House with the same care and consideration that you would hope to receive yourself.

24. Agreement to these terms

By confirming a booking, the Lead Booker confirms that they have read and accepted these Terms and Conditions and agrees to ensure that everyone in their group observes them.

If you are unsure about anything in these terms, or if your planned use of the property does not quite fit within them, please ask us. We would much rather have a conversation beforehand and find a way of making things work than have an issue during your stay.