The Haven Ugborough
Warning: The Haven is set over three floors so there are a lot of stairs. This is not an ideal holiday let for anyone with mobility issues.
On the Ground Floor, you enter via a small entrance lobby, with original floor tiles, then walk in to the Sitting Room.
The Sitting Room is furnished with comfortable sofas and armchairs, electric stove, and smart TV. The large footstool hides a selection of board and card games and you will also find a basket with several Ordnance Survey maps plus some books with local walks.
Through a door into the open plan Dining Room/Kitchen.
The Dining area has table & chairs for 6, original Victorian recessed shelves and cupboard, plus extensive additional cupboards housing all the crockery plus First Aid Kit, Sewing Kit, beach blankets etc.
The Kitchen area has a large glass roof which brings all the light in to this part of the house. There is a small recessed utility area (with a washing machine), a fully fitted kitchen including a gas hob and an electric oven, plus a microwave, integrated fridge, freezer and dishwasher, toaster, kettle and a Krups Nespresso coffee machine.
The downstairs loo is just off the kitchen, near the back door.
The back door from the Kitchen leads to a lovely enclosed garden, with lawn and flower beds, stone terrac, kettle BBQ, seating, garden bench and retractable washing line (pegs provided). Also stone outbuildings for bins and storage.
Bedroom 1 (Main Bedroom) is on the First Floor. It has a King Size bed, built-in wardrobe and drawers, writing desk and chair overlooking the back garden, en-suite shower room (with underfloor heating).
Bedroom 2, also on the First Floor, has a King Size bed which can be separated and unzipped to make two twin beds. There is an original recessed cupboard plus a large desk and chair, with desk lamp and power socket. A bucket chair near the window allows you to watch the goings-on in the square or simply admire the view down the valley towards the coast.
Bedroom 3, on the Top Floor, also has a King Size bed which can be separated and unzipped to make two twin beds. There is a small original recessed cupboard plus built-in drawers beneath the sloping ceilings. The workspace comprises a compact desk and stool, with desk lamp and power socket.
On the Top Floor, there is a large family bathroom with bath and separate shower cubicle (normal shower and rainfall shower) and underfloor heating. The skylight brings in plenty of light to this top floor. Underfloor heating and a heated towel rail.
The Main Bedroom on the First Floor has an en-suite shower room which also has underfloor heating and a heated towel rail.
The Downstairs Loo is (a little weirdly - we didn't design it!) off the kitchen but just by the back door.
Whilst The Haven is a holiday let, we also know (from our own experience) that often you need somewhere to work for a few hours when on holiday. To that end, we have ensured that each bedroom has a workspace.
The desk in the Main Bedroom is small but extendable and looks out over the back gardens, the desk in the Bedroom 2 is large (plenty of room for maps and more) and is well-lit from the SW-facing window, and the desk in Bedroom 3 is compact but functional with a stool which tucks underneath.
There is good strong wifi throughout the house, even on the top floor. NB. The wifi is better than the mobile phone signal from some suppliers.
The Haven is blessed with a sunny but fully-enclosed back garden. You walk out the kitchen door and follow the path between the walls - turn right, then left and out in to the garden. When you sit in the garden, you will realise that you are sitting behind next door, and that next door's garden is behind the house next to them. To get to the Square from our back garden, you go through a (locked) gate across next door's garden. Apparently, this very bizarre arrangement dates from a card game, or perhaps a series of card games, many many years ago when clearly back gardens were put up as wagers!
Despite this, the garden is a tranquil little spot, the only noise being the doves from a nearby dovecot and the church bells on Thursday night (bell ringing practice) and Sunday morning.
We also have two stone outbuildings (attached to next door but belonging to us!?): one houses all the bins and recycling, the other has the BBQ and some beach equipment (feel free to make use of anything you find in there).
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