Our Accessible Holiday Cottages
From the outset it was our intention that the cottages would be designed as accessible holiday cottages with mobility, hearing and vision impaired guests in mind, not just as an after thought
Katherine and Andrew Graham, owners of Wallops Wood
We were very proud that Visit England rated Wallops Wood Cottages as M3A under the Visit England NAS scheme. Our accessible holiday cottages can accommodate accessible guests, their family and carers in the same cottage, with everyone enjoying privacy and comfort. Consequently, Wallops Wood is the perfect self-catering getaway for families, carers and friends alike.
Accessible Equipment
We offer a large range of accessibility aids to borrow during your stay at our accessible holiday cottages. This equipment is available on a first-come, first-served basis and we recommend that you request items as soon as possible to avoid disappointment by emailing or calling us. You can always contact us directly at Wallops Wood Cottages for any information you may need, or to order some of our own equipment.
Specialist equipment such as profiling beds, ceiling or mobile hoists and changing tables are excluded from the items we can offer. We suggest hiring these more specialist pieces of accessible equipment from Solent Mobility who are very reliable and will install items ready for your arrival. Please be sure to book your equipment ahead of your visit by calling them directly on 023 9200 9999. In peak periods, both our equipment and the more specialist accessible equipment from Solent Mobility gets booked up very quickly, so we advise booking it as soon you can.
Please be aware that we are unable to accept clinical waste at our accessible holiday cottages.
Accessible Attractions and Days Out
Explore Winchester’s pedestrianised streets and extensive dropped kerbs which make it especially wheelchair-friendly. Take the Accessible Trail in Winchester and discover the beautiful city. For things to see and do near Wallops Wood, you can download our list of accessible attractions. There's so much to see and do nearby!
Supermarket Deliveries
All major supermarkets deliver to our cottages. Use the postcode SO32 3QX and name your holiday cottage in the notes area when ordering. We’ve created a Google Map indicating the shops and supermarkets closest to our accessible holiday cottages.
Independent expert, Emma Bowler, reviewer for ’Rough Guide To Accessible Britain, Family Days Out’ said:
"When you have a disability, checking out access before you go on holiday is essential - good access makes a holiday enjoyable and hassle free, which is what holidays are all about. When you’re looking to book somewhere ask to see their accessibility guide, it should give you a clear indication of what to expect - including what specialist adaptations have been made to a property and what equipment is available. I was very impressed with Wallops Wood Cottages’ accessibility guide which can be downloaded and printed from the website."
Features of our Accessible Holiday Cottages
Early Mist, Glenside and Sundew (M1, H1, V1)
These cottages have a carver-style dining chair in the dining area. The bedrooms have touch-activated bedside lamps, and the main lights have switches both by the door and beside each bed. There is a swing-top bin in one bathroom and non-slip bath mats in all the bath/shower rooms.
Hedgehunter (M2, H1, V1)
In addition to the facilities available in the M1 cottages, this 4-bedroomed cottage has an accessible bedroom with en-suite wet room/ bathroom including non-slip flooring, alarm pull cord, and height adjustable basin.
Teal (M3, H1, V1)
Teal is a 3 bedroomed cottage with all the facilities of the M1 and M2 cottages.
In the kitchen, the sink is set into the work surface and the under-sink cabinets can be removed to enable wheelchair access. What's more, a convection oven, microwave and 2 ring electric hob can be placed on the lowered section of the worktop, upon request. Relax in the electric reclining chair in the sitting area.
The spacious accessible bedroom has a large en-suite accessible wetroom with height-adjustable basin. In addition, there is a lower rail in the wardrobe, with a wheel-under dressing table.
Silver Birch (M3, H1, V1)
This 4 bedroomed cottage has all the facilities of the M1 and M2 cottages, but it has an extremely large kitchen/dining/seating area. There are two ovens with a microwave / conventional oven at a lower level and upon request, a 2 ring electric hob can be placed on the lowered section of the worktop where a single sink with a mixer tap is situated. Two of the bedrooms have accessible and en-suite wet room / shower rooms.
Woodbrook (M3, H1, V1)
Woodbrook is a 2 bedroomed cottage with the same facilities as the M1 and M2 cottages.
The door of the oven is side opening and there's a lower work top in the kitchen where a hob and 2 ring electric hob can be placed upon request. The under-sink cabinets can be removed to enable wheelchair access, also upon request. One of the bedrooms has an en-suite and accessible wet room shower room, and there are French doors to the patio.
About our accessibility standards
Each of our accessible holiday cottages is individually rated under the National Accessible Scheme.
And we were awarded Gold for the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award 2020. At the Beautiful South Awards, the judges noted:
Each customer is considered on an individual basis and a bespoke booking made based on the needs of the group. The range of equipment available is impressive as well as aiding guests to book specialise equipment locally.
In our Accessibility Guide we include floor plans for Woodbrook, Teal, Hedgehunter as well as Silver Birch. We encourage people to visit our premises before they book so that we can take you on a tour of the cottages, show your the facilities, and discuss any particular requirements. Whatever your request, large or small, please do ask and we will endeavour to help.
Our accessible holiday cottages include:
- Oak floors, non-slip surfaces in the kitchens and bathrooms, and paved patio in the garden make it easy to move around.
- All bedrooms have zip and link beds that can be made up either as twin or superking size double beds, TVs and en-suite shower/bath rooms. As a result, the cottages are ideal for accommodating guests travelling with a carer.
- Furniture which can be moved to suit your requirements.
- Dymo embossed labels on the taps, the print in our information brochure in the cottages is a 14 font, and the smoke alarms flash to alert guests with impaired hearing.
Outside the cottages are:
- Two designated block-paved disabled parking spaces are adjacent to Teal and a level block-paved path leads to all cottages.
- An EV charger with two charging points.
- Our indoor swimming pool is heated to between 30-31°, which our accessible guests find very comfortable. Additionally, we installed a poolside hoist with choice of moulded or sling seat to enable access to the pool and the jacuzzi with ease and comfort. Our beautifully designed changing rooms are fully accessible with an accessible wetroom.
Other important information:
- Guests retrieve their keys from a key safe by the door on arrival and we pop in to answer any questions about the facilities once they have had a chance to settle in. However, we are happy to help guests with their luggage on arrival and departure, and to take delivery of groceries, by prior arrangement.
- Emergency appointments can be booked at the GP surgery from non-residents. What's more, our proximity to Southampton, Portsmouth and Winchester enables easy access to the excellent hospitals.
- We also have space adjacent to the cottages for an air ambulance to land if necessary, and our emergency action sheet includes longitude & latitude, and What3Words locations for this purpose.
Complimentary Accessible Equipment
Take a look through our accessibility equipment list for items to borrow during your stay at our accessible holiday cottages. And email us to reserve your items. The accessible equipment we offer is available on a first-come, first-served basis and must be reserved in advance.
Please see the text at the head of this page regarding hoists, profiling beds, and similar specialist accessible equipment.
Don't take our word for it!
Able Magazine sent one of their journalists to stay in one of our accessible holiday cottages and she said:
It’s really only if you’re in the know and looking for specific adaptations that you’d notice things like waist height power sockets or that some of the kitchen work surfaces are roll under.
Read the full article here.
And Chris Cusack of Accomable stayed in Teal and shared his experienced insights in a blog and said:
... the facilities and layout of Wallops Wood were to such a high standard that it allowed me to concentrate on enjoying the holiday rather than stressing about my care and needs, and we're already planning our next trip!
As well as lots of TripAdvisor reviews praising the adapted facilities, we're also listed and reviewed on Euan's Guide which features disabled access reviews from disabled people and their friends and families.
Telephone No.+441489878888