Malthouse Cottage - Welcome Pack We hope you enjoy your visit to our cottage and welcome any feedback, or any ideas you have about what we should include in this pack:

Property address 6 Bishopston Road, Bishopston, , SA3 3EH.

Emergency contact details Below are some useful contact addresses and numbers should you need them during your stay. Our details are at the top and we will endeavour to help you as soon as possible:

Owners: Nigel Gerke & Teresa Walters, Hendre Einon, Llanybydder, Carmarthenshire SA40 9QZ. Mobile: 07766 115304 / 07956 391590. Emergency services (ambulance, police, fire): 999 Nearest hospital: Minor Injury Unit, Singleton Hospital, Sketty Lane, Swansea SA2 8QA (8am-8pm). 24 hour A&E: Morriston Hospital, Heol Maes Eglwys, Morriston Swansea SA6 6NL If you are feeling unwell, but the problem is not a medical emergency, call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47. Nearest pharmacy: Well, Manselfield Road, Murton, Swansea SA3 3AR. 01792 232978 Nearest GP surgery: Murton Clinic Manselfield Road, Murton, Swansea SA3 3AR. 01792 232229 Nearest bank: All the main banks are in Vet: Whitegates Surgery, 105 Mayals Road, SA3 5DH. Tel: 01792 403600 Dentists: Chapel Street Dental Practic, 15 Chapel St, Mumbles. 01792 368388 Mumbles Road Dental Practice, 360 Mumbles Rd. 01792 404773

Getting here It’s easy to get here by public transport, via Swansea and the local bus. Contact Traveline Cymru for details: 0870 608 2 608 www.traveline-cymru.org.uk. The 14, 14A and 114 buses stop at the junction outside and there are full details of buses around at http://www.explore- gower.co.uk/images/downloads/GOWER_MUMBLES_05_2012.pdf (worth printing before you leave home). If you are cycling, or would like to bring your bikes, do let us know and we can arrange for you to lock them in our secure shed.

If you are driving, leave the M4 at J47 and drive South through Swansea, passing Singleton Hospital, to the sea front, and then turning right up Mayals Road to Gower. SA3 3EH, if you are using Sat Nav, will get you to the junction of Bishopston Road and Church Lane. Please park on the corner here, tucked in away from any passing traffic, or just outside the double gate. Enter the house from the front – please be careful on the steps and the cobbles, which can be slippery.

About the house The cottage was formerly a malt house, together with number 2 and 4. It has been carefully restored to retain its original simplicity, using traditional lime mortars and plasters. Lime plaster helps a house breathe and keeps it dry and warm – although it can be a bit fragile. The house is insulated with sheep’s wool in the loft and all the materials have been sourced as locally as possible - or recycled. Nigel is a builder and carpenter with a passion for traditional techniques, and we have done all the work here ourselves. Guide to Malthouse Cottage We hope the details below will help you get the most out of your stay in the cottage, but if you have any questions, please do feel free to get in touch. Checking in and keys Check in is usually at 3pm, but we can be flexible – so do please ask. We are always happy to meet you if you would like to be shown around, or to leave the key in the key safe by the front door – we will ask you which would suit you best – and we will send you the latest key safe code by email about a week before you arrive. Departure time is 10am, unless arranged otherwise – thank you. Please lock the back door, leaving the key in/by the door, then leave by the front door either returning the key to the key safe using the access code OR drop the key through the post box next door at number 4. (Please remember to lock the doors and close windows whenever you leave the cottage). Groceries We leave a small welcome hamper of teas, milk, bread, butter and Welsh cakes – but do let us know if you prefer vegan options when booking. The Co-op shop, 500 yards south along Bishopston Road, is open 7am-10pm and has an excellent range of food and you can have food delivered here from Sainsburys http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries or Tescos http://www.tesco.com/groceries/. Most of the local pubs do meals. Heating In winter, we will put the underfloor heating on in the kitchen and bathroom and provide enough logs (plus paper, kindling and lighter) for your stay. The log burner is sufficient to heat the whole house all year round. In the summer, we will still leave logs in case the weather gets damp or chilly. There is an electric heater under the stairs.

If you do not know how to light a fire, we can arrange to show you. But if you do know how to light a fire, this is what is best for our wood burner:  Keep the bed of wood ash (please do not empty the ash pan – we will do this when it is full)  Lightly crumple dry paper  Cover with a layer of tighter paper/card  Cover with a layer of kindling and a couple of larger pieces of wood  Open the front vents on top of the doors, sliding levers outward and, if needed, open the back vent.  Open the bottom door  Light the fire and close the top door  When the fire is established, add more wood, close both doors and the vents can be closed down to control the fire, as needed.

Please keep the doors shut and don’t leave anything hanging over or near the wood burner, or heater, or candles and don’t leave the fire unattended without shutting all doors and vents. Best not to fill the fire late at night as the house gets too hot in the night. Fire safety See fire safety notice. There smoke detectors on each staircase and in the kitchen. We check and/or replace the batteries before each party arrives, but please replace with spare batteries (kitchen drawer) if needed during your stay (and let us know date you replaced them). In case of a small kitchen fire, use the fire blanket in the kitchen or, for small fires elsewhere, use the fire extinguisher as instructed. If there is any risk to you from fire, please exit by the front or back door or if the fire is on the stairs, and you are upstairs, out of a bedroom window, and call 999. First aid kit In the bathroom Electrical consumer unit / stop tap Consumer unit is in the coat storage area under the stairs. Stop tap is in the low cupboard by front door. Gas cooker & gas safety There is a carbon monoxide detector on the stairs. We check and/replace the batteries before each party arrives, but please replace with spare batteries (kitchen drawer) if needed during your stay (and let us know date you replaced them). It’s important that you don’t leave the cooker on unattended – and even more important, don’t leave the gas on without lighting. See the “Gas Safety” notice for further info. Shower/hot water Water in the kitchen and bathroom sinks is heated by an electric under sink unit. The shower needs switching on at the switch just to the right of the bathroom door before you go in, and then at the button on the shower. Beware, all water can be very hot – test first! Towels and sheets If towels are included in your let, there will be a set of 3-4 each on the shelves in the bathroom. If you don’t use a towel, please leave it folded on the shelf, so we know it’s still clean. If sheets are included in your let and you need a clean sheet, there are spares in the chest at the end of the bed. Washing machine Under the glass covered area outside. Water and power is generally left on.

Other Gadgets There is WIFI access in the house (wireless key is 9B78E9573) and reasonable mobile signal upstairs. We have a TV with DVD player, a digital radio, CD player with docking, as well as some DVDs and CDs. We have a dishwasher, a washing machine and a microwave (and of course a cooker, kettle and toaster). There is an iron and ironing board under the stairs. We leave a hair drier and alarm clock in the bedroom. Outdoors We have a contained garden area at the back of the cottage especially for our visitors and secure, with a raised herb and flower garden which attracts insects and birds. This is accessed from our south facing timber-framed sun porch. It’s great for keeping kids and dogs safe and secure – but not suitable for dog exercise/toileting. There is a gate at the front too, keeping pets/children safe from the road. You’re welcome to wander in the vegetable garden – but please keep your child or pet supervised in case of tools. Pets One well-trained small-medium dog is very welcome – and we are happy to consider a second by arrangement. Pets do usually mean more cleaning time however, so we do need to know and we do ask that you bring your own dog bed, keep him off the furniture and clean up as much as possible behind him. Also please do ensure flea treatments are up to date – you can imagine why! There are dog walks nearby on Barlands Common. Rubbish and Recycling: Household waste: please put any full black bags from the kitchen bin into the dustbin (out the back). Spares are under sink. Any overspill can be double bagged and left next to the dustbin. Recycling: please separate your waste as follows and keep in the dustbin out the back too. Plastics are collected in pink bags (spares under sink). Metals/glass and paper/card are separated and collected in green bags (under sink). When you leave Cleaning is included in booking cost, but otherwise please leave the cottage how you’d like to find it!  Switch off the lights  Lock all doors and shut windows  Take out rubbish  Check you have all your luggage  And don’t forget to sign the guestbook!

We hope you have a relaxing stay and enjoy Malthouse Cottage as much as we do.

Things to do! There is a drawer full of up to date leaflets for cycling, walking, sites of historical and cultural interest, arts and crafts etc, in the cottage. There is good general purpose information about the Gower at http://www.visitswanseabay.com/destinations/gower-peninsula/ and history/guided walks etc at http://www.thegowersociety.org.uk/ There is a new app “This is Gower” downloadable from itunes or for android devices (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.audiotrails.gower&hl=en_GB). Walks There are wonderful beach, hill, woodland and valley walks all around the Gower. Best to visit http://www.visitswanseabay.com/ before you come to download some walk leaflets and buy a local OS map. We provide maps and walking guides in the cottage. Most local shops and cafes have walking leaflets. Cycling Swansea, the coast and the valleys have a very large number of traffic free cycling routes http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/route/swansea-bike-path and road cycling around Gower is very popular. If you’re into mountain biking, then try the Afan Forest single track routes – see http://mbwales.com/en/content/cms/Centres/Afan_Forest_Park/Afan_Forest_Park.aspx Best Beaches Caswell, Brandy Cove and Three Cliffs are all a beautiful walk away (about 1.5-4 miles). Our favourite walk from the house is down the wonderful National Trust managed Bishopston Valley to Pwll Du from the Joiners or from Kittle. Other beaches can be easily reached by the Sunday Gower Explorer (e.g. Oxwich, Rhosilli, ) or, of course by car. If you’re not a walker, Oxwich, Port Eynon and Caswell are very close to car parks. Dog-friendly beaches info (changes depending upon season) is at http://www.visitswanseabay.com/listings/dog-friendly/ Pubs etc Good beer/good food or dog-friendly, all a short walk away:  The Joiners Arms (Bishopston, dogs welcome in the bar, serve meals)  Valley Hotel (Bishopston, dogs welcome in the bar, serve meals)  Gower Hotel (Bishopston, dogs welcome in the conservatory, food recommended)  Plough & Harrow (Murton – you can cut across providence lane, food recommended)  Beaufort Arms (Kittle, dogs welcome, serve meals) More dog friendly pub info at http://www.visitwales.com/holidays-breaks/dog-friendly-holidays/dog-friendly- pubs Wildlife You can see a diverse range of species and habitats close by, from choughs on steep limestone cliffs to wild ponies on commons, wild flowers on dunes and ransoms (wild garlic) in broadleaf woodlands, from seals on the rocky coastline to waders in estuaries. Nearby cultural/sports facilities There is everything you could want in Swansea – theatres, cinemas, restaurants, galleries, supermarkets etc – and some good shops and restaurants in Mumbles. The LC2 is a massive leisure centre in Swansea and the National Pool is on the way there. There is a gym in Bishopston. Bikes can be hired in Swansea. Surfing is popular and boards can be hired from surf shops in Bishopston and many other villages.