Visitor information

Holiday Lets

Weekly holiday lets are from Saturday 3pm to Saturday 10am. (Arrival and departure times must be observed to provide enough time for the changeover).

Short Breaks / Longer Stays

We generally don’t offer short breaks. They may be available on request, (minimum stay 5 nights), depending on availability at certain times. Price on application. Longer stays are available and discounts will be given for multiple weeks booked, (maximum stay 31 days).

Availability

To check availability please click on Availability & Tariffs in the upper menu and use the availability checker.

To make a booking or for any other query, please contact Ben Galloway by email at: ben@foxcottage-helmsley.com or by using the form on the Contact page of this website.

Deposit

A non-refundable deposit of £100 per week is required to secure your booking. We require your deposit and confirmation of your booking in writing by e-mail (or by letter if preferred), within 7 days of making the booking. Please note that your booking is not considered ‘firm’ until the deposit payment has been received.

Cancellation

In the event of cancellation more than four weeks before the start of your stay, your deposit will not be refunded unless the accommodation is re-let for the same period. Should cancellation take place less than four weeks before the start of the holiday the rental is payable in full. It is recommended that you consider taking out suitable holiday insurance. Should, for reasons beyond our control, the property be rendered unsuitable for letting on the dates booked, all money paid will be returned in full without further claim.

Important Information

1. AVAILABILITY

• To check availability or to make a booking please check the Availability page of this website or contact Ben Galloway on 07787 500228 or by email at ben@foxcottagehelmsley.com

2. SUITABILITY

• Unfortunately the cottage is not suitable for children under the age of seven on safety grounds. This is because there is no door at the top of the second flight of stairs to the second-floor bedroom.
• The cottage is also not suitable for the infirm.
• Please be aware that in the paved garden there is a small drop between the upper and lower levels which is traversed by stone steps.

3. NOTICE TO ALL (but especially the tall)

• Like all old cottages, Fox Cottage has one or two low beams. They are clearly marked but we urge you to be really careful so you don’t bump your head!

4. DEPOSIT

• A non-refundable deposit of £100 per week is required to secure your booking.
• Your deposit and confirmation of your booking in writing by e-mail (or by letter if preferred), is required within 7 days of making the booking.
• Please note that your booking is not considered ‘firm’ until the deposit payment has been received.
  

5. PAYMENT METHODS

• Ideally, payments should be made by Internet Bill Payment or BACS. An on-line card facility is not currently available.
• We still accept cheques. They should be made payable to “Ben Galloway”
• They should be sent to:
• The Smithy, Main Street, Sutton-on-the-Forest, York YO61 1DW.
• If paying by any method other than by cheque, please request our bank details when making the booking.

6. BALANCE PAYMENT

• We ask that the balance due is paid no less than one month before the start of your holiday.
• On receipt of your payment, the code for the key safe at the property, will be sent to you some ten days before the start of your holiday.

7. ADDRESS & LOCATION

• The full address of the cottage is: Fox Cottage, High Street, Helmsley, York YO62 5AG
  
• Postcode for the Sat-Nav is: YO62 5AG
  
• Fox Cottage is located on the north side of the High Street. Visitors should look for a green door facing down the High Street in the direction of the church.
• The front door has a brass door knocker in the form of a fox mask.
• The key safe is to the left of the front door.

8. ARRIVAL TIME

• Arrival time is from 3pm on the Saturday of arrival or as otherwise agreed. We ask guests to respect our arrival and departure times to give us enough time to complete the changeover.

9. ACCESSING THE COTTAGE

• We will have provided you with the code for the key safe one month before your arrival if you have booked directly with us or 48 hours before if you have booked via Airbnb.
• Please punch in the 4-digit code which is located on the wall, on the left hand side of the front door. Please do not share this code with anyone outside your party.

10. PARKING

• There is free roadside parking on both sides of the road outside the cottage.
• There is small cobbled area of off-road parking about twenty yards up from the cottage.
• Parking outside the cottage or close by is generally not a problem, but Fridays are busy as it is market day.
• There are no ‘Residents Parking’ restrictions in Helmsley.

 11. WELCOME PACK

• We don’t provide a welcome pack at Fox Cottage or a supply of basics like milk, bread etc. The shops are just a minute’s walk away but do consider bringing items that you might need, especially if you are arriving late.

12. HOUSEKEEPER & CARETAKER

• Your housekeepers are Tom and Agnieszka. They can be called upon in the event of a problem or emergency. Tom’s mobile number is in the information provided at the cottage.

13. IN THE EVENT OF A SERIOUS PROBLEM OR EMERGENCY

• Please text or call Ben on 07787 500228

14. DOGS

• The cottage is dog-friendly and well-behaved dogs are most welcome.
•  The small back garden is enclosed and safe for dogs.
• It is an absolute condition of bringing dogs that you pick up after them in the garden, in the town and beyond.
• It is also a condition that they are not allowed upstairs or on any unprotected furniture. The owners reserve the right to charge for any damage to the furniture, bedding or cushions caused by dogs.
• If your dog is prone to excessive barking (or continual yapping), please consider if this is the right cottage for you, given the proximity of the cottage to other properties on the High Street. We must consider our neighbours and wish to avoid complaints of any kind.

15. MOBILE PHONES

• Signals from most providers can usually be received inside and outside the property. The signal quality in the cottage is generally mediocre. We cannot guarantee good coverage for all and urge you to use ‘WiFi calling’ inside the property if you struggle with normal reception. If you don’t have this set up on your mobile phone, you may wish to do so before arrival and your mobile operator can provide setup instructions.

16. BROADBAND

• Free broadband & WiFi is provided at the property. The WiFi access code will be clearly displayed in the visitor information available on arrival.
  

 17. TVs

• There is a connected TV so you can access the internet, online content and Catch-up TV.
• There is also a DVD player and a selection of DVDs

18. ELECTRIC VEHICLES / CHARGING

• EV charging is not currently permitted at Fox Cottage. We don’t currently have a dedicated EV charging point and the domestic mains supply cannot be used safely for charging. This is something we are looking into as we are finding that increasingly, it is something that visitors would like to see. There isn’t an outside socket either.
• A list of charging stations in the area can be found by visiting this site: https://www.zap-map.com and searching on the map using ‘Helmsley’ as your search term. There are many to choose from, roughly 3-5 miles away.

19. RUBBISH COLLECTION

• Collections are on rotation – (one week is refuse collection, the next is collection for recyclable materials). A card explaining which collection is happening during your stay and which bins / bags / boxes to use will have been left on the kitchen table for you before your arrival.
• Collections are early on Thursday morning and the bins / bags / boxes need to go out on Wednesday evening to be certain of collection.
• Bins / bags / boxes should be put on the pavement outside the front door but not so close the road that they block the pavement for pedestrians.
• We appreciate that this means asking you to take bins from the garden, through the kitchen and out onto the road and we are grateful for your cooperation. We know this is far from ideal but sadly there isn’t an alternative. Without your help, the refuse & recycling wouldn’t get collected which is a problem for the next people coming in.
• Please ensure that all you waste in properly bagged before putting it in the bin, (especially food waste and dog waste).
• Further information about rubbish collection and recycling and a full list of what goes into each bin can be found on the North Yorkshire website by visiting: North Yorkshire Council – bins
• Please don’t leave your rubbish in the bins for the next guests

 20. BEDS

• Please fully strip all beds that have been slept in and leave the bedding on the floor to assist us with the changeover.

21. HEATING + HOT WATER

• The radiators in each room are set to Automatic. ‘A’ is displayed on each screen.
• If you are too hot or too cold, press the bottom button to change the ‘A’ to ‘M ‘for Manual. Then use the Left and Right arrow buttons to raise or lower the temperature.
• Please turn back to Automatic before you leave.

22. MAINS WATER

• The stopcock is located under the kitchen sink.
• In the event of a blockage or flood, please notify Ben immediately.

23. ELECTRICITY / FUSE BOARDS

• The fuse boards/trip switches are located in the hall above the door to the sitting room.
• If you experience any electrical issues or tripping out of the circuits, please notify Ben. In the event of power cut, torches for your use are provided in the kitchen and bedrooms.

24. OVENS

• Electric ovens & microwave are cleaned and inspected regularly.
• Please ensure that ovens are left clean and the grill pans are lined with aluminium foil. The owners reserve the right to charge for excessively dirty ovens, should professional cleaning be required.

25. GARDEN

• In the summer months, if the weather is hot and the garden and pots look like they need watering, we are always very grateful if you are prepared to do this. There is a water tap, hose and watering can outside the kitchen window.

26. INSTRUCTION MANUALS FOR APPLIANCES

• Where available, these are located in a bottom drawer of the kitchen unit to the right of the oven.

27. FIRE BLANKET & FIRE EXTINGUISHER

• These are on the kitchen wall and are regularly checked for compliance.
• Batteries in the smoke detectors are checked regularly but if the batteries need changing during your stay, please notify Ben.

 28. TABLE MATS & COASTERS

• May we respectfully ask that you do not put down wet glasses or mugs on the polished furniture.
• Please use the table mats and coasters provided and respect the surface of the coffee table and all other items of furniture. Please protect them from stains and ring marks. The condition of the furniture is checked at every changeover. The owners reserve the right to charge for any damage to the furniture.

29. BREAKAGES / DAMAGE

• Breakages are unavoidable, accidents happen. If you damage something, (chip a plate, break a glass or crack a mug for example), please leave a note for Tom so he is aware of it and can replace it.
• If you wanted to leave some money to cover the replacement (on the dining table), that would also be most appreciated.
• Fox Cottage is thoroughly inspected at each changeover. The owners reserve the right to notify visitors of any damage to the property, its furniture, equipment and contents and will endeavour to do so promptly with photographic evidence. The owners reserve the right to charge the full cost of any and all resulting repairs or like-for-like replacements that result from accidental damage. We urge all visitors to take out appropriate insurance to cover themselves for any loss resulting from claims of this kind.

30. CLEANLINESS

• Fox Cottage is thoroughly cleaned between each let and is regularly inspected. We endeavour to present the house in immaculate condition and maintain the highest possible standards of cleanliness and hygiene. There is only limited time available for the changeover so we ask you to leave the property and its contents clean and tidy. Please ensure that the oven and grill are left clean and the oven trays foil-lined.

31. NOISE

• We would be most grateful if visitors would keep noise to a minimum so as not to disturb neighbours.

32. NO SMOKING

• There is strictly ‘no smoking’ in the house and this is a condition of your booking. If you smoke outside the house, please ensure you dispose of your cigarette butts safely in the green bin.

33. VISITOR COMMENTS / SUGGESTIONS / COMPLAINTS

• We are always interested to read your comments in the Visitor’s Book which can be found on the table in the sitting room and to hear about your holiday experiences. We are always looking to improve Fox Cottage for our visitors in the future. Your suggestions and recommendations are very helpful in our effort to do this and are much appreciated.
• We would ask that suggestions and/or complaints are logged in the ‘Suggestions Book’ provided rather than the Visitor Book. If you have any complaints whatsoever, we would be grateful if you addressed them to Ben directly rather than committing them to a negative online review. It’s not always possible to please everyone all the time, but we assure you that we are trying our best to do just that and ensure you have a comfortable and enjoyable stay.. Ben can be contacted by email at: ben@peartreehouse-holidaycottage.co.uk

 34. DEPARTURE

• Departure is by 10am on the Saturday of departure. We ask guests to respect our arrival and departure times to give us enough time to complete the changeover. This is especially important during the COVID pandemic to ensure that correct social distancing is maintained at all times.
• Please fully strip all beds that have been slept in and leave the bedding on the floor to assist us with the changeover.
• Before departing, please ensure that lights, lamps and all electrical appliances, (apart from the fridge and ovens) are turned off and doors and windows are locked.
• When you leave, please put the key back inside the key safe and scramble the numbers to lock the box. If you’ve forgotten the combination, you can always post the key back through the front door.

35. LIABILITY

• We do not accept liability for damage, loss or injury unless caused by proven negligence or omission by ourselves, our employees or contractors, or agents of the same, whilst acting in the course of their employment. This includes loss or damage to vehicles and their contents, and to the personal possessions you bring with you. We recommend that guests consider taking out their own holiday insurance.

36. MANAGER

• Ben Galloway – Email: ben@foxcottage-helmsley.com Tel: 07787 500228

37. OWNER

• Mrs Philippa Galloway