Response to Feedback - Ilbeare - Davies - July 2018

Thank you for the feedback and we are glad that the six fans we provided were appreciated. We did investigate the issue of our neighbour’s dogs barking when it was raised. The dogs are kept indoors overnight, although one was 'in season'  - something which only happens once or twice a year - which made them more noisy than usual for a period of 2-3 days. Unfortunately this happened to coincide with the very warm weather, when your windows were understandably open overnight. Our neighbour strongly disputes that the dogs were awake at 4am however, or that the noise was in any way continuous. Nevertheless we are sorry you were disturbed - this is very unusual.

We do ask our guests to be aware of disturbance to neighbouring properties and we ask that there is no noise outside after 11pm. This is clearly set out in the terms and conditions for all Sleeps 12 properties, not just at Ilbeare.

Ilbeare is a rural property - this means that in hot summers like 2018, flies can be a nuisance. We could easily have provided you with flypaper or taken other measures if we had been made aware of the problem at the time. Similarly, our 16th Century lathe and plaster walls will sometimes need to "breathe" in summer months when the house has been closed up for a few days day, particularly after summer downpours like we have had recently. So it can feel a bit musty on first entering (really just in one downstairs room, in the oldest part of the house), but will soon spring back in to life when doors and windows are opened.

We provide 6 saucepans (of different sizes), 2 oven proof "crock pots", 2 frying pans, a wok and roasting dishes. Instructions for all the appliances are in the kitchen table drawer and this is detailed in the house manual (sorry you missed this). The washing machine and tumble dryer are freely accessible (with washing tablets) for guests to use to freshen up towels, etc during their stay, if required. The fridge is a large “American style” model and no guest has mentioned that it is inadequate before, but we will definitely keep an eye on this.

With regards to the location of Ilbeare and activities within walking distance, the property is in a hamlet in the open countryside. There are a multitude of lovely walks on the public footpaths or gentle cycle routes through the lanes from the front door. Several recommended walking routes are marked on the laminated route maps, which we provide with the house manual. Wildlife in the locality includes otters, deer, hares, herons and the occasional kingfisher. The Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty can be reached in c. 30 minutes on foot, and the neighbouring villages of Kingston St Mary and Bishops Lydeard, both with village pubs, in slightly more. The West Somerset Railway starts at Bishops Lydeard only 3 miles away, and the facilities of Taunton, the county town, are only a similar distance. In fact most guests remark on how well located the property is.