Covid-19 Info

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Covid-19 Guest Info

In order to comply with Government Issued Covid-19 Safe Guidelines, we have had to make some temporary changes to our operational procedures and guest services and so, for safety reasons, we will be operating under the following procedures. As Government guidelines change and adapt, we will revise this document as needed. These documents supersede any other information given on this website.

We are aware this is a very long, very particular document, but we ask you to please take the time to read it in full. We have been working hard to meet the new legalities and have conducted an in-depth risk assessment to prepare the site for your arrival and safe stay. As we are an outdoors site we are confident that we can operate in one of the safest manners possible for accommodation providers; all buildings are well ventilated and spaced out in order to comply easily with social distancing. We do however rely heavily on guests to abide by our guidelines and be considerate for the health and wellbeing of all.

If all campers can please work together with consideration; then all guests will be able to enjoy their stay, relax and have fun.

***************************** UPDATE 17/09/2020 *******************************************

We are only able to accept guests from 1 household per Yurt or Hut.
We are unable to accept bookings from people that know each other, to stay in numerous Yurts or Hut on site.

***************************** UPDATE 09/09/2020 *******************************************

Following the latest Corona Virus update this afternoon from Boris, businesses are no longer able to accept bookings for parties larger than 6.

Whilst our biggest Yurt only holds a maximum of 6 guests, our previous policy has allowed for group bookings as long as they do not enter each others accommodation, as we have been able to socialise outdoors.

Unfortunately it is now illegal for groups of more than 6 to socialise, either indoors or out. This means that if your party has more than 1 Yurt or Hut booked, we are no longer able to host your stay.

Please contact us if you have more than 1 unit booked for your party, this means either in the same name or under different names and we will cancel your booking and issue immediate refunds.

Yurts | Guest Procedures Shepherd’s Hut | Guest Procedures

Yurts

Check in

We will be operating a “self-check in” system. This means that you will receive all information via email and text before your arrival; please note that although this means there will be no one to greet you on arrival, it is deemed necessary to ensure both guests and staff are protected by reducing face to face contact.
Yurts are numbered 1 to 6, with number 6 being the 1^st Yurt you come to when entering the Yurt Village & Yurt 1 being at the bottom of the hill nearest the wood. Each Yurt has an individual door entry code rather than a key – the code for your Yurt will be sent via text prior to your arrival.
In order to allow for intensive cleaning our check in time is now 4 p.m. at the earliest. Whilst we have always operated on a strict cleanliness policy, due to Covid-19, we are now also undertaking a deep clean prior to guests arrival as well as focussing on high contact areas, such as door locks, fire doors, bins, cool boxes etc. etc. As this extra cleaning takes a while longer, please do not arrive to site prior to 4pm as you will not be able to access your accommodation or to park your car on site prior to this time.
Our latest check in is, as always 9pm; this is to protect the quiet evening for other guests relaxing at their Yurts.
On arrival you are able to drive your car into the Yurt Village in order to unload your bags. Following this, for the safety of all our guests, all vehicles must use the car park provided, which is situated back up the lane outside the gate, for the duration of the stay. The maximum time for vehicles unloading on site is 1 hour. Please be aware that there may be children playing.
We are operating a staggered check in, this means that we now accept guests every day of the week, which will cut down on the numbers of people arriving to the Village at the same time each evening, ensuring space for social distancing and less guests trying to access site at the same time.
In order to accommodate the staggered check in, and improve social distancing, we reserve the right to change your pre chosen Yurt into another unit if needed. We will inform you of this ASAP.

Staff Contact

Should a member of the Yurts team be on site at any time, we respectfully ask that you do not approach them. If you have any queries please contact Donna via text or call 07454734369

Orders

If you require extra log packs, beef or egg orders etc., please message to 07454734369 to order. You will be informed of the next delivery time slot and request that payment be sent prior to delivery via bacs transfer. Deliveries are only made during 11am to 3pm.
It is highly recommended that you pre-order your log packs before your arrival as we cannot guarantee supplies currently. A fire pack is £7, this can be added to your booking and be inside your Yurt for your arrival. Packs usually last 1 night on regular consumption and can be burnt on a cold night inside the indoor log burner to keep the Yurt warm; or are also lovely on a summer evening in the outdoor fire pit to keep flies at bay – or toast marshmallows! We are sorry but we are unable to refund any unused items.
Please note our farm grown beef will be delivered frozen to your decking area so orders the day prior are recommended in order that you have time to defrost.
Ice will still be delivered daily at 11am and left on your deck. Please leave any spent ice packs in your cooler box. We will remove them after you have checked out.

Check Out

As always, please ensure that you have vacated your Yurt by 10am at the latest. This is to ensure our Housekeeper has enough time to thoroughly disinfect prior to our next arrivals.
You are able to drive your car into the Yurt Village to load your bags, please ensure vehicles have left site by 10am in order that the cleaning vehicle can enter the Village.
Before you leave, please return your futons to the seated position, put all rubbish in the outdoor bins & clean all surfaces with the cleaning kits provided.

Change to services

Gibside – you will still be able to access the National Trust estate as normal, without having to prebook or pay extra. The estate is currently open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. but Yurt guests are able to access at any time. Please note that they may be operating on reduced services themselves, you can find out more by visiting their website at https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/gibside

+ The café is currently open for take away only

+ The toilets are now open

+ Strawberry Castle & Gibside Pub are currently closed

Guests are respectfully reminded that, as we are a working farm, they are not able to walk around the farm steading or any of its buildings – this is for the health and safety of both guests and farm staff and is a major part of our Risk Assessment. There is only 1 walking route into the National Trust estate, which is through the woods at the bottom of the Village, past Yurt 1.

What you need to bring with you

There will be several items removed from the Yurts in order to avoid Covid transmission and to allow our Housekeeper to have enough time to deep clean.
As always you will need to bring your own bedding, either a sleeping bag or duvet, along with pillows. Soft furnishings must be removed so you may wish to bring extra throws to lie on or use outside on a chilly evening.
Tea towels and oven gloves can not be provided at this time.
All plates, cups, glasses, knifes & forks etc. need to be removed and guests will need to bring their own.
This is the same for all pots, pans and food preparation equipment. Don’t forget your frying pan for bacon breakfasts! Guests may find it beneficial to bring pre-prepared meals or ingredients with them.
The kettle will remain to use on the gas stove but tea pots and cafeterias will not be included.
Safety equipment such as smoke/CO2 alarms remain, along with the fire extinguisher and fire companion tools.
Water carriers and cool boxes will remain.
As always, remember to bring matches or a lighter, a torch and we also recommend PPE as you see fit.

Toilets & Showers

The whole of the central building is very well ventilated and should provide you with reassurance. Our washroom areas are communal facilities; we have 2 showers and 2 toilets.
We will be cleaning these areas twice a day, both morning and evening, every day. Please make room for our housekeeper when you see her at that area and delay your use until she has finished.
Please do not leave any personal items in these areas as they will be disposed of.
Cleaning items will be available for you to use in each loo/shower.
There will be hand wash at each sink and an antibacterial gel station located on the outside of the communal building. Please use this every time you enter & leave the building.

Communal pot wash room

Please observe the wall posters showing social distancing guides.
No more than 1 member from each Yurt in the building at any time and only 2 people allowed inside together.

Guest numbers

Current government guidelines allow for outdoor group gatherings of 30 people maximum at any one time. We can accommodate 30 guests exactly. Therefore we ask that day visitors are not invited to the Village at this time and only people that are booked to stay should be onsite.
Gatherings are limited to 6 members of a household (or support bubble).
We respectfully remind you that our car park is limited, maximum cars are 2 per large Yurt or 1 per small Yurt.

Covid-19 symptoms

By attending our site, you confirm that your entire party are well and are not displaying any symptoms of Covid-19. If you are unsure then you should not travel to or visit our site.
Whilst at West Wood Yurts, if you become unwell or suspect that you may have Covid-19 symptoms, current government guidance is that you should inform us on 07454734369, immediately return home to self-isolate.
Once home you should request a test. If a guest cannot reasonably return home (for example because they are not well enough to travel or do not have the means to arrange transport), your circumstances should be discussed with an appropriate health care professional and, if necessary, the local authority.
Anyone that is unable to travel or has been requested by the Local Authority to self-isolate here on site, will be fully liable for any site costs incurred, including, but not limited to pitch fees, extra cleaning etc.

Refund policy

By booking to stay with us, you agree to all of the above safety methods.
If at any time we are forced to close West Wood Yurts and are unable to offer your stay, we will refund in full any monies paid.
If you need to cancel your stay with us for any reason:

+ The deposit is always non-refundable

+ If you cancel more than 21 days before your arrival, your final balance is returned or not due

+ Less than 21 days before arrival, all payments are due.

We want to assure you that your safety & enjoyment is very important to us here at West Wood Yurts and we are sure that you will enjoy your time with us, despite the new Covid-19 measures that are currently in place.

Shepherd’s Hut