Orchid House

Orchid House is one of two properties that were built as a redevelopment of a large plot of land at the end of Tom’s Field Road, in Langton Matravers in 2008. The walls are faced with locally quarried Purbeck stone and the roof is constructed with red clay tiles. The cottage is built in a ‘chalet bungalow’ style, with first floor bedrooms fitted into the roof space, with dormer windows. There is gas fired central heating in all rooms powered by a boiler contained behind sliding doors at the rear of the garage. The timer for the system is also in this cupboard, which may be used to control the heating and hot water, but the boiler controls should be left unaltered. The thermostat for the heating system is in the hallway. Tom’s Field Road leads to the family-friendly Tom’s Field camp site and surrounding farmland which borders the Jurassic Coast. Public footpaths are readily accessible from the cottage, leading to Priest’s Way and the South West Coast Path and Dancing Ledge is approximately 1½ kilometres away, on foot. There is a post office / grocery store on the High Street and, during the holiday season, there is a small shop on the camp site, where essentials can be purchased. The King’s Arms on the high street and the Scott Arms in nearby Kingston serve good food, whilst the renowned Square and Compass in Worth Matravers serves traditional beer, cider pasties and pies and features live music at various times of the year. The cottage is strictly no smoking, but the owner welcomes well-behaved dogs, although they should not be allowed into the bedrooms and should be supervised by their owner when in the garden.

Pre Arrival:

Bookings are made through Dorset Cottage Holidays.

The hourly ‘Purbeck Breezer’ bus service, from Poole to Swanage (and return), via Wareham, also serves Langton Matravers and there are bus stops opposite Capston Field, approximately 300m walk from the cottage.

There is a good rail service to Wareham, with trains to and from London, Reading, Southampton, Bournemouth and Weymouth.

Arrival & Parking:

Tom’s Field Road is at the western end of the village of Langton Matravers and is accessed by turning south off the B3069 High Street. The cottage is the last property on the western (right hand) side of the road. There is sufficient parking space for three cars in front of the cottage, but care should be taken to avoid obstruction to the shared driveway and cars should not be parked in the turning space at the end of Tom’s Field Road.

Property Threshold:

The driveway is surfaced in loose limestone with a small paved area at the front of the cottage leading to the front door. There is a wall mounted key safe to the left of the front door where a front door key is kept and the key code will be provided prior to arrival. There is a clear opening width of 88cm through the front door with level access, except for a small threshold strip.

Ground Floor:

All ground floor rooms are accessed through standard width internal doorways, each with a clear width of approximately 82cm. The entire ground floor, with the exception of the doorway between the kitchen and the garage, is step-free.

Hallway 3.5m x 2.5m

There is a vinyl tiled hallway with doors leading to downstairs toilet, sitting room, dining area, kitchen, under-stairs cupboard and a cloakroom cupboard, which can be used to hang outdoor clothing and store boots and shoes. There is a burglar alarm control panel on the wall but the system has been decommissioned and is not available for use. A smoke alarm, linked to the others in the cottage, is fitted to the ceiling.

Downstairs Toilet 1.65m x 1.35m

The downstairs toilet has a tiled floor, with a w.c. and a wash hand basin. The basin is fitted with a mixer tap and the handle should be lifted to start and increase flow, rotated clockwise to increase water temperature and rotated anticlockwise to decrease water temperature. The basin plug is operated by a lever on the back of the tap. There is a radiator and towel rail, and an extractor fan, which operates automatically with the light switch.

Understairs Cupboard

The small understairs cupboard has a carpeted floor and is used for storage of an ironing board, iron, vacuum cleaner, stairgate, children’s equipment and consumables. Keys for the external back and side doors, gas meter cupboard and for the internal garage door are kept here on a key rack mounted on the left hand wall.

Living Room 7.2m x 5.5m

There is a large dual aspect, carpeted living room with access through a wide opening to the dining room. A pair of patio doors with a step-over threshold, provide access to a paved area and the garden. The room contains two three-seater settees and two armchairs, a 55-inch smart TV, a coffee table and three small tables. There is a wood burning stove set in a Purbeck marble fireplace and a fireguard is provided to prevent children and pets coming into contact with the hot metal. Instructions for the TV and wood burner are provided in the information folder and a small supply of firewood is kept in a basket near the fire and also in the garage. A carbon monoxide alarm is fitted to the wall to the right of the fireplace. The wireless router on the lower shelf of the TV stand provides a good wi-fi signal throughout the cottage and the wi-fi password is printed on a removable plastic tab on the back of the router and can also be found in the information folder. There are central heating radiators at each end of this room. Photographic prints, mainly of local landscapes and taken by the owner, are on the walls.

Dining Room 4.9m x 3.1m

A large dining table and chairs are provided, to seat 8 people. A sideboard at the end of the room contains table mats and coasters. A pair of patio doors with a step-over threshold and three stone-built steps leads provides access to a rear pathway. Caution: these steps can be slippery when wet. There is a single central heating radiator on the end wall. Photographic prints of mainly local landscapes are on the walls.

Ground Floor Bedroom 4.25m x 2.3m

This carpeted bedroom has two single beds, each with a bedside table. There is also a large chest of drawers and a full-length mirror. A single central heating radiator is situated under the window.

Kitchen

The kitchen floor is surface with Purbeck limestone. There is an external door with a uPVC frame and sill, and four stone-built steps providing access to the rear pathway. Caution: the stone steps can be slippery when wet.

The fitted kitchen units include a dishwasher and a 90cm range cooker with five gas rings, an electrical fan-assisted oven and a second electric oven. Each oven is fitted with an internal grill and an extractor fan with built-in light is fitted over the cooker. There is a free-standing fridge freezer and a microwave oven. An isolator switch for the cooker is fitted to the wall above and to the left of the hob. A small table, seating up to four people is provided. A smoke alarm, linked to the others in the cottage, is fixed to the kitchen ceiling and a carbon monoxide alarm is fitted above and to the right of the exit door. The kitchen tap has separate controls, with hot water on the left and cold water on the right. The water supply stopcock is in the boiler cupboard at the back of the garage, at a low level to the left of the hot water cylinder. The isolator for the gas supply is in the meter cupboard which is accessed from the external wall of the garage.

Garage / Utility Room

A door in the kitchen can be used to enter the garage, which is also used as a utility room. The door is spring loaded and there are two steps down from the kitchen floor to the garage floor. There is a sink on the rear wall of the garage. A washing machine and a tumble dryer are also installed. The electrical consumer unit is located above the tumble dryer The garage is also used for storage of garden furniture and a small charcoal barbecue and by the owners for storage of consumables. A carbon monoxide alarm is fitted at a high level, next to the boiler cupboard.

Staircase

The staircase to the first floor is accessed from the hallway and has two steps initially up to a half landing, where there is a right angle turn to the left (going up) and then a straight section up to the first floor landing. A stairgate is available to prevent access by children and / or dogs. There is a single handrail on the left (going up). Three-way switches are situated at the bottom and top of the stairway and on the landing to operate the hall / staircase and landing / staircase lighting. A smoke alarm, linked to the others in the cottage, is located on the ceiling near the top of the staircase. A radiator and power points are fitted on the landing.

First Floor:

All of the first floor rooms are built into the roof space. Though there is ample full height circulation space, all have sloping ceilings and care should be exercised to avoid bumping heads, particularly when moving in and out of the dormer window spaces. The rooms are carpeted throughout.

Main Landing 5.0m x 2.3m

There is a large circulating space at the top of the staircase, where an armchair is provided to provide an additional quiet location. A 1.05m wide, 3.85m long passage provides access to bedrooms 3 and 4 and has access to an airing cupboard (fitted with a central heating radiator) and a locked cupboard for the owners’ private possessions. The eaves cupboard is screwed shut and contains only the TV aerial and booster.

Master Bedroom 4.4 x 5.0m

The master bedroom is accessed at the rear of the balustrade to the left of the landing. The room is dual aspect, with dormer windows on each side, and central heating radiators beneath the casement windows. A king size (152cm wide) bed is positioned centrally, with built in drawers and a bedside light on each side. Fitted wardrobes are also provided on each side of the bedroom.

En-Suite Shower Room

An en-suite shower room is accessed from the master bedroom. The shower is fed with mains pressure from the hot water tank and the water temperature can be reduced by turning the (four spoke) control valve clockwise. There is also a toilet, with dual flush, and a wash hand basin. The basin is fitted with a mixer tap and the handle should be lifted to start and increase flow, rotated clockwise to increase water temperature and rotated anticlockwise to decrease water temperature. The basin plug is operated by a lever on the back of the tap. There is a centrally heated towel rail and an extractor fan, which operates automatically with the light switch.

Family Bathroom

The main bathroom is to the right of the landing at the top of the staircase. There is a full-size bath, complete with a shower unit and shower curtain. There is also a toilet and wash hand basin, which are fitted into a vanity unit. The bath mixer tap has separate controls, with hot water on the left and cold water on the right. To divert water flow to the shower head, the central knob should be pulled up. The basin is fitted with a mixer tap and the handle should be lifted to start and increase flow, rotated clockwise to increase water temperature and rotated anticlockwise to decrease water temperature. The basin plug is operated by a lever on the back of the tap. There is a centrally heated towel rail and an extractor fan, which operates automatically with the light switch.

Bedroom 3 (over garage) 3.8m x 3.9m

This carpeted bedroom has a king sized (152cm) bed positioned centrally, with a bedside cabinet and bedside lamp on each side. There is a set of 3 fitted wardrobes, with ample shelving as well as hanging space for clothing.

Bedroom 4 3.25m x 4.7m

This carpeted bedroom, with dual aspect and a sea view, has a king sized (152cm) bed positioned centrally, with a bedside cabinet and bedside lamp on each side. There is a set of 4 fitted wardrobes in the room and a small chest of drawers. A 137cm sofa bed is also in one corner of this room and a full-length mirror is hung from the wall at one side of the chest of drawers. Games and toys are kept in one of the wardrobe cupboards.

Garden:

There is a paved area to the rear of the living room, with patio furniture available for up to 8 guests (please note that this furniture will be stored in the garage between the months of October and March). The remainder of the garden is mainly lawn and the area provides an excellent play area. For the safety and convenience of other guests, dog owners are asked to ensure that the lawns are kept free from fouling and that their dogs are not left unattended.

Equipment

Small children’s equipment comprises a travel cot, high chair, splashmat, 2 booster seats, stairgate, changing mat, trainer toilet seat, children’s cutlery and dishes, beach toys and a kids’ patio set with table, parasol and 2 folding chairs.

2 dog bowls, stairgate and poo bags for lawn clearance are provided for our canine guests.