Godremamog Water Mill
Self catering South West Wales

Two of the apartments (the Flannel Factory and Carders Corner) can be accessed from the driveway level without climbing stairs.  They are accessible to wheelchair users but washing facilities are limited because the shower is above the bath.  The fire escapes also require guests to be able to negotiate at least one step.  The other two (Bobbin Box and Weavers Workshop) involve ascending or descending one flight of stairs.  Bobbin Box one can also be accessed through double doors from the garden.

The mill nestles in a steep sided, wooded valley with no other houses in sight. It is surrounded by beautiful lawned gardens, which can be accessed without tackling steps, through which a lively mountain stream rushes.  Bird song fills the valley and guests can enjoy a truly peaceful experience. 

Pets are not accepted but guide dogs are welcomed.

Pre-arrival

Information

The owners, Chris & Trevor Hogarth, can be contacted by:

There is no mobile signal available at the mill. 

Web site - The web site has been designed to be clear and simple to use.  The reader can adjust the size of text using their own computer facilities.  The owners will produce large sized print text documents if needed - please call or e-mail.  Brail versions are not available.

Local towns

·         The nearest town, Newcastle Emlyn, is 4 miles away.

·         The local village, Capel Iwan, is 1 mile away.  This can be reached by climbing a steep road or by walking the footpath along the Mamog gorge.  It has no shops other than a post office, which only offers post office services.

·         The mill is mid way between Carmarthen and Cardigan, about ½ hour drive in either direction.  They both offer a wide range of shops.

Public Transport

The mill is very remote and guests need to have their own transport to make the most of a holiday experience here. 

·         Buses run from Newcastle Emlyn to Carmarthen, where the nearest railway station is situated and National Express coaches run from the bus station. 

·         The local taxi service is Home James (01239 711 201). 

·         There is a bus service from Capel Iwan twice a week. 

Shopmobility

·         Cardigan has a shopmobility scheme.  Call 07815 151341.

·         Carmarthen is trialling a shopmobility scheme but no formal arrangements are currently in place (July 2007).

Provisons

·         The nearest supermarket is CKs at Newcastle Emlyn.

·         Spar and Somerfield also have small stores in Newcastle Emlyn.

·         Tescos have stores at Cardingan and Carmarthen, about 1/2 hour away in each direction.

Tesco on-line will deliver to the mill but no other delivery facilities are available.  Computer facilities are not available at the mill. 

Arrival & Car Parking

·         The mill has its own large car park at the top of the drive, with plenty of spaces for all guests.  There is also a smaller car park, next to the mill, which is used for unloading and turning.   Both of these car parks are gravelled.   No charges are made for parking.

·         The drive is approximately 100 meters long.  It is also gravelled, but to a lesser extent, providing a hard surface which is easy to walk along.      Please note that, although the outside of the mill is lit at night, the drive is not well lit and a torch would be useful.

·         Guests can drive right up to the bridge at the entrance of the mill. Passengers can disembark there and luggage can be dropped off.  Guests are requested to park in the car park at the top of the drive unless there are no other guests in residence.

·         The bridge is concrete, with a small ramp down to the driveway. It is 4 meters from the drive to the entrance. It is 191 cm wide.  Railings run along both sides of the bridge at waist height. 

Main Entrance & Communal Areas

Layout

The layout of the mill is very simple – a central concrete stairway with small landings (236 cm x 124 cm) on each floor, each giving access to two apartments.  The entrance is at 1^st floor level because the mill is on a sideways slope.  The Flannel Factory and Carders Corner are at the entrance level.  Guests go up one floor to reach Weavers Workshop, the Owners’ apartment and the payphone (see below).  Guests go down one floor to reach the Bobbin Box.  The other apartment on this ground floor is used by the owners for laundry and storage.

·         Floor plans can be found on www.watermillretreat.co.uk/lookinside.

·         There are no lifts or automatic doors.

·         The owners show the guests around their apartments on arrival.

·         The owners live on-site and make themselves available to answer any questions. 

Please note:  While Flannel Factory and Carders Corner can both be accessed by wheelchair users from the main entrance, if the fire escape is needed, Flannel Factory requires the guest to negotiate a step down onto an open ironwork platform which must be crossed to reach the driveway.  Carders Corner requires the guest to step down onto a flight of 5 iron steps, across a small wooden bridge and up a gravelled garden path, including 2 shallow slate steps, to the driveway.

Entrance

·         There are double wooden glazed doors at the entrance with a wooden threshold, 7 cm high and 15 cm across.   This leads into the small hallway giving access to the two apartments on this floor (the Flannel Factory and Carders Corner) and two flights of stairs, one going up to the Weavers Workshop and one going down to the Bobbin Box. 

·         There are no further thresholds to negotiate.

·         The entrance hall is carpeted with low lying green corded carpeting covered with a rubberised green doormat 150 cm x 90 cm. 

·         Each apartment also has a small green doormat, which can be removed on request. 

·         The walls of the hallway and stairs are painted white.

·         There is no reception area.

·         There is a doorbell on the outside of the mill to summon the owners. 

·         The entrance doors are never locked and guests can wait in the hallway.

·         There is no music played in communal areas and no tannoy announcements.

 ·         Guests staying in the Bobbin Box on the lower floor can also access their apartment from the garden.  There are double wooden doors which lead into the double bedroom.  This can be reached from the top of the drive across approximately 100 meters of lawn which is uneven in places.  There is a wooden threshold 7 cm high and 15 cm across.

Signs

·         Each apartment is clearly labeled with a decorative plaque 12cm x 18cm, approximately 160 cm from the floor.  Each has a biscuit coloured background, the name of the apartment in dark brown raised lettering 2 cm high and a very fetching sheep. 

Stairways

·         The stairways are concrete with mushroom coloured floor paint.  

·         The stairs are even, except for the very top stair of the upper flight, which is slightly higher than the others. 

·         The stairway is 75cm wide between the hand rails on either side, which are made of squared-off varnished wood.

·         At the top and bottom there are small landings.  The top one is carpeted in the low lying green corded carpet.     The bottom one is painted in red floor paint and has a smaller rubberised green door mat.

Lighting

·         The communal stairways and entrance are lit by economy bulbs in the stairway, assisted by a lamp on the lower level at night. 

·         There is also natural lighting from the windows/glazed doors at each level.

·         The outside of the mill is lit by economy bulbs at night.  The driveway and top car park are not lit.

Lighting within the apartments is described below.

Phone

·         There is no mobile phone reception at the mill. 

·         A pay phone is provided on the floor above the entrance.   Guests using the phone can sit on the low window-sill, which is at window seat height – a cushion is provided for comfort.  If guests have difficulties reaching this phone, phone facilities can be made available as needed by arrangement with the owners.

Keys

·         Guests are provided with a key to their apartment on arrival. 

·         Additional keys are not normally provided, but the main door to the apartment has a Yale lock which can be left on the latch if guests are in the garden.

Laundry

·         A washing machine and tumble dryer are available in a stone outbuilding, across the driveway from the main entrance.

·         The door to this outbuilding is wooden and fairly easy to open. 

·         The floor is level, painted concrete with a small channel (around 2 cm deep) which allows a small spring to escape in winter, so care must be taken as the floor may be wet.  

·         There is a step at the far end of the building but this is past the laundry facilities and does not hinder access to the machines.

·         The building has a window, giving good natural light, and a light bulb is also installed.

·         Washing powder and conditioner are provided.  They are usually kept on a tall shelf.  Guests having problems reaching them should advise the owners, who will make sure that they are more easily reached.

Apartments

·         Floor plans can be found on www.watermillretreat.co.uk/look inside.

·         Each apartment has a lounge, kitchen, bathroom, double bedroom and twin/single bedroom.

·         The mill is all-electric, apart from the central heating, which is oil fired.  Each apartment has a log-effect fire, a dimplex heater and an electric emersion heater for hot water.

·         Walls are either white or cream with white woodwork.

Floor covering

·         The lounges and bedrooms are all carpeted with low lying carpet.  The bathrooms and most kitchens have vinyl floor covering (see table below for details).

·         The lounge seating area has a large rug (around 150 cm x 200 cm) which is quite thick.  

·         There are smaller rugs in the bedrooms.

·         The owners are happy to remove rugs if they cause problems.

Doors

·         The main doors to the apartments are fire doors.  They open and close very easily.  They are fitted with Yale locks, approximately 125 cm from the floor.

·         Other doors in the apartment are normal internal doors with simple level handles.

·         Doorways are normally 75 cm wide, but the door leading to the lobby with access to the airing cupboard and bathroom is smaller – around 67 cm.

·         There is also a fire escape door in Weavers Workshop, Flannel Factory and Carders Corner – these are wooden doors. The latch is fairly stiff but the doors push open easily once the latch is drawn. 

Lighting

All apartments except the Bobbin Box have the same lighting arrangements.  Where Bobbin Box differs, it is shown in italics in the table below.

All rooms also have at least one window except in the bathrooms – only Carders Corner has a bathroom with natural light.

Seating

Each lounge has a seating area with sofa and arm chairs or a large sofa, and a dining table with four wooden dining chairs with cushion pads.

Additional cushions can be provided on request to raise the height of the sofa/armchair seats.

Television/radio

·         Each apartment is provided with a TV, freeview sky box, and video & DVD player.  Radio reception is limited and TV has to come through satellite, so this is how all radio and TV programs are received.

·         There is no induction loop.

Bedrooms

·         All mattresses are relatively firm and have mattress protectors fitted.

·         Each single/double bed is made up with a fitted sheet, a single/double duvet in a duvet cover and 2 / 4 pillows in pillow slips.

·         Blankets are available in the airing cupboard.

Bathroom

Each bathroom is tiled in white and has a white suite, consisting of:

·         a bath with shower above.  The bath is 54 cm high.  A white grab rail is fixed to the wall.

·         a basin, standing approximately 80 cm high.

·         a toilet, approximately 44 cm from seat to floor.

·         Free floor space – there is 120 cm from the bath to the opposite wall, 110 cm from the basin to the wall and 70 cm from the toilet to the door.

·         Taps are clearly marked hot or cold.  They are single taps, not mixer taps, and turn using standard tops.  There are no lever taps.

·         A non-slip bath mat is provided.

Kitchen

Each kitchen has:

·         An electric hob, an electric oven and a fridge with small freezer compartment.

·         A microwave, kettle and toaster.

·         A plinth level fan heater.

·         An extractor cooker hood.

·         Crockery (8 place settlings: plate, side plate, bowl), cutlery, glasses (4 each: wine glasses, pils glasses, highball glasses, fruit juice glasses, 1/2 litre tumblers), pots and pans, knives, utensils and cleaning materials are provided.

·         Most cupboards are at floor level but the crockery and glassware is kept in wall cupboards above the sink.  Arrangements can be made for the contents to be moved to a lower level if necessary, though this will restrict the available cupboard space.

 ·         Taps are clearly marked hot or cold.  They are single taps, not mixer taps, and turn using standard tops.  There are no lever taps.

 Fire Escapes & Alarms

·         Flannel Factory requires the guest to negotiate a step down onto an open ironwork platform which must be crossed to reach the driveway.

·         Carders Corner requires the guest to step down onto a flight of 5 iron steps, across a small wooden bridge and up a gravelled garden path, including 2 shallow slate steps, to the driveway.

·         Weavers Workshop requires the guest to step down onto a longer flight of iron steps and then across the open ironwork platform also used by the Flannel Factory.

·         Bobbin Box can be exited simply from the double doors in the double bedroom.  Guests in the single bedroom may have to exit from their window, which would require climbing up to the window sill (about waist height, reached from the bed/bedroom chair) through the window and down the other side.

·         Each apartment is fitted with interlinked smoke alarms, which emit a piercing sound.

·         In the event of a fire, guests are requested to congregate in the small car park next to the mill.

Gardens

·         The main part of the garden, in Carmarthenshire, can be reached down a fairly steep slope from the car park next to the mill or along a lawn which is uneven at times from the main car park. 

 ·         The Pembrokeshire part of the garden is reached across a level concrete walking bridge with iron railing on either side.  Good views of the river Cych are available from this bridge and trout can often be observed swimming in the river below the bridge.  Again, the garden is lawned, uneven in parts and care must be taken close to the river.

·         The garden extends up the hillside.  This part of the garden can be reached up steep, rough steps formed of wood with soil and bark-chipping filling.  Extreme care must be taken when using these steps.  This part of the garden can also be viewed from the driveway and from inside the mill.

·         A footpath leads away from the main garden.  This is level until the end, about 1/4 mile away, when it rises up a steep slope to the road.   It is a rough path at the edge of woodland and is covered in leaf mould.

·         Another footpath leads away from the main car park.  It is accessed via a walking bridge made of a single railway sleeper with sturdy wooden railings on either side.  This bridge provides good views of the Mamog river.  The path then rises steeply up a rocky gorge to a wider but uneven footpath following the river Mamog to the road.

·         The river makes a wonderful sound as it rushes through the garden, complemented by the bird song.  The owners encourage birds into the garden by feeding them – the feeders are opposite the kitchens and some bedroom windows. 

·         The road is extremely quiet, being a single track road serving only a few houses along it and the tiny hamlet of Cwmorgan.

·         A butterfly garden has been planted close to the main car park.

Trevor & Chris Hogarth

Tel : 01239 698390

Email:  watermillretreat@aol.com