Covid-19 – Our Procedures and Protocols
We follow all government and industry Covid-19 guidelines and we regularly review our procedures to make sure they are still appropriate and in line with the guidance. Enhanced cleaning procedures are carried out each time we turnaround our houses in between sets of guests and these are in line with the cleaning protocols published by PASC UK (The Professional Association of Self-Caterers UK), as recommended by UK Hospitality and the UK government. We are also signed up to the AA Covid-Confident Scheme.
We provide hand sanitiser outside each of our lakeside houses and we ask our guests to sanitise their hands before entry on arrival and after returning to your house after being out for the day.
If you develop Covid-19 symptoms during your stay at Pengelly Retreat we ask you to inform us by phone or email as soon as possible. You are advised to return to your main place of residence if you can safely do so, using your own transport, not public transport. Please note if you need to extend your stay at Pengelly Retreat you will be liable for all costs of the additional nights and the costs of the cancellation of other guests’ holidays.
What are the check-in and check-out times? – Our check in time is any time from 3.30pm onwards on your arrival day. Check out is by 10am latest on your day of departure. We ask guests to do the following on their departure day: check out by 10am, leave all neat and tidy, put all bed linens, towels and cloths into the laundry bag provided, remove all food and drink from the fridge and cupboards and take home with you, dispose of any rubbish in your bin and take your bin bag for disposal in the General Waste bins by the entrance on your way out.
Who is Pengelly Retreat suitable for?
The ethos at Pengelly Retreat near Hayle and St Ives in West Cornwall is about getting back to nature without giving up on your creature comforts. Our lovely lakeside setting tends to suit independent free spirits who like spending time outside and being in a quiet rural setting. All of our self-catering accommodation has ensuite bathrooms with flush WCs, underfloor or central heating and comfortable beds. However, if you prefer being in a traditional hotel with lots of facilities and room service then Pengelly Retreat may not be right for you.
The Boat House architect-designed log cabin and the dog-friendly Sail House luxury yurt are accessed by gravel paths and are situated about 200 metres and 500 metres from the car park respectively. We have a small trolley which you are welcome to borrow to take luggage to your accommodation. The Boat House has steps up to its entrance door and deck. The Sail House can be accessed along a gravel path with a step up onto the decking area. There are stone steps leading up from the Sail House deck to its outside dining and fire pit area. There are wooden steps down from the Sail House to the boardwalk and sun deck.
If you aren’t sure, then feel free to give us a call and ask any questions you may have.
Do you accept dogs?
Yes we are very happy to welcome one well-behaved dog per booking to come and stay with you in the Sail House. Why should they miss out on a lovely holiday! Please note we only take one dog per booking and we do have some simple rules for dog owners listed in our Dog Friendly section on the website. We charge a fee of £15 per dog per stay. We do not take dogs in the Boat House.
Do you accept children?
We are a family ourselves and we live here on site in Pengelly Mill. However because there is a lot of deep water on our land in the lakes, we recognise that the accommodation here is not suited for all, particularly if you are travelling with small children who aren’t aware of the dangers of water.
If you are travelling with children who you are confident understand the dangers of water, then feel free to give us a call to talk about whether a stay here may be suitable for you. The Sail House yurt does have a single futon which can be made up into a single bed on request basis.
If you are travelling with a baby-in-arms then we are very happy to provide you with a travel cot in your accommodation.
Anything special I need to bring?
The land here can get boggy and muddy when it’s been raining and so definitely pack your welly boots! You’ll find these are invaluable anyway for a holiday in Cornwall, whatever time of year you come. Equally bring your flip flops or sandals as these are perfect for pottering round your deck in the warmer weather.
We supply hand-held torches in the Sail House and the Boat House and there is some low-level lighting on paths. However it’s a good idea to bring head torches to carry with you so that you always have light at hand when returning after dark to your accommodation.
We do get insects here, of course, as we are located by lakes and a stream. And the insects are an essential part of the eco-system here providing food for the trout in the lake and the prolific birdlife. For all our guests in the Sail House and Boat House we recommend bringing insect repellent.
We recommend bringing a wetsuit if you are planning to swim in the bracing Cornish sea. Wet suit booties are also useful. Of course the hardier souls among us scoff at wetsuits so this is a matter of choice.
The sun is very strong here and it reflects off the water, so pack your suncream and a good sun hat. You’ll need to drink plenty of water so bring a good re-useable water bottle.
Do you offer short breaks?
Yes we have a minimum stay of 3 nights and flexible arrival dates in the Boat House and the Sail House, great for a long luxury weekend break. Our minimum stay increases to 4 nights in the Boat House and the Sail House in the busier seasons.
Can I stay in winter?
Yes you can stay in the Boat House wood cabin and the Sail House yurt all year round. The Boat House and Sail House have underfloor heating which gives a touch of warmth underfoot and a log burner which keeps them cosy in cooler months. Please note, you will need to use your log burner when the weather is cooler to heat your house and make it warm and cosy. The underfloor heating comes on morning and evening and gives a luxurious touch of warmth to the floor however it won’t heat the whole house, all day long. Both properties have hot water with enough supply for normal use. Pengelly Retreat in its entirety is also available for bookings all year round, on request.
Can I fish in the lake?
Yes you are very welcome to have a go at fishing in the lake, catch and release policy only and using barbless hooks. We don’t supply fishing gear so you’d need to bring your own with you.
Can I swim in the lake?
Yes you can but please be aware that wild swimming is at your own risk. You need to be a confident swimmer as the lake’s banks shelve off steeply. There are reeds in the water so steer clear of these are swim in the areas that are obviously reed-free. We recommend that you bring a lightweight life vest or buoyancy aid to wear while in the water to give you that added level of reassurance. For something gentler, there are areas of the stream which are shallow and perfect to dip your feet in – by the tipi you’ll find steps down into the stream for this :).
How far is it from the car park area to the accommodation?
The Pengelly Retreat car park is at the front of the property just as you come through our entrance gates. The Boat House is about a 200 metre walk along gravel paths by the stream and up a gentle slope. The Sail House is an additional 200 metres or so from there, along the side of the main lake. You are welcome to borrow a small trolley to take luggage to the Boat House or Sail House from the car park area.
Do the Boat House and the Sail House have electricity and hot water?
Yes they do both have electricity and spare plug points. They also have hot water with enough supply for normal use including hot showers.
What heating do the Boat House and the Sail House have?
They both have underfloor heating which in the cooler months comes on morning and evening and works to a thermostat system. Both also have a log-burner which heats up the accommodation nicely and is a lovely cosy, focal point. Please note, while the underfloor heating provides a touch of luxury you will need to use your log burner in the colder months, particularly in the Sail House yurt. We provide your first basket of logs and then you can collect more as you need from our log store with an honesty box payment system. We charge £4 per each additional basket of logs.
What wildlife might I see?
We have seen foxes, badgers, rabbits and deer on our land. We also have prolific birdlife here including visiting wild geese, a grey heron and kingfishers. The lakes are well stocked with wild brown trout. There a wide variety of dragonflies and butterflies here in the warmer months, a lovely sight. Some of our guests have even seen an otter in the lake!
Are there likely to be insects?
Yes there definitely are going to be insects around – with our thriving wildlife and birdlife, the insects are an important part of the eco-system here. On a still evening we sometimes get lake flies, quite a dramatic sight and luckily they don’t bite! We do sometimes get midges here which are a pain but part of life in Cornwall especially in watery or forest areas. Midges tend to appear when there isn’t much wind and particularly around dusk. We recommend using insect repellent if sitting outside and get your firepit going in the evening as they don’t like smoke.
What if I need to cancel my booking?
If you need to cancel your booking or change the dates of your stay, provided you let us know more than 28 days in advance of your arrival date, there is no charge for this. Please let us know as soon as possible. Date changes are subject to availability.
We don’t allow date changes within 28 days of your arrival date.
Cancellations between 27 and 14 days prior to your arrival date are charged at 50% of your accommodation cost. Cancellations between 13 and 0 days prior to your arrival date are charged at 100% of your accommodation cost.
Please be aware that if you have booked any third party services through us we would also pass any cancellation costs on to you (these are only likely to be incurred within the 7-0 days cancellation period).
We strongly advise that you have good travel insurance in place so that you are covered by your policy in the event of cancellation.
Do you have Wi-Fi and will I get mobile phone signal?
Yes we have a Wi-Fi booster which means that there is wifi available across much of the land at Pengelly Retreat including inside the Boat House and Sail House. Please be aware however that there is no mobile phone signal across most of our land although you may pick up patchy reception in places.
Do you have TVs in the lakeside accommodation?
We don’t have TVs in the Sail House or the Boat House as a stay here is about enjoying time in nature and getting away from technology as much as possible. However, if you fancy a cinema night-in, both Sail House and Boat House have a projector which you can plug your laptop into to watch a movie on the roll-down white screen.