Lower Yurt Handbook
We hope you enjoy your stay with us here at Botelet. Please read through, save the link for your stay, and do let us know if you have any questions.
Checking In
The yurt will be ready for you from 4pm on your date of arrival. You are most welcome to self check-in and make yourselves at home.
The yurt is situated in the meadow on your left as you come in the driveway at Botelet. The yurt doesn’t have a lock so simply head to the yurt and make yourselves at home when you arrive. Please park in the widened area just before the red telephone box, either on the left or right hand side to ensure that there is still access for vehicles to drive right up to the houses, or you are welcome to park up in the yard leaving space for other vehicles to pass, thank you.
The shower and loo are located a short walk from the yurt: from the yurt, walk past the telephone box along the lane between the houses. After the first entrance to the farmhouse (on your left) you will see a grey door on your left, located on the outside wall of the farmhouse - you will find the loo here, just beyond the orange gas cylinders. Opposite the loo, the first grey door on the right is the shower room.
You will find a fridge located in the lean-to in the yard: walk up into the yard from the widened parking area near the telephone box. As you walk into the yard turn back on yourself and you will see the open-fronted lean-to. The fridge is located at the near side of the lean-to (note that rubbish and recycling are located at the far end of the lean-to).
Directions
If you are travelling by car, postcode for Satnavs - PL14 4RD
• Travelling from Plymouth on the A38 towards Liskeard - continue past Liskeard staying on A38 bypass.
• After two miles and at next roundabout signed Twelvewoods, take second left, A390 signposted St Austell.
• At end of next village, East Taphouse, turn left onto B3359 - signposted Looe.
• After approx 2 miles, turn right at our signpost, Botelet.
• Follow small white signs until you reach Botelet (approx 3/4 mile)
You are welcome to pull up your car at the gate nearest to the yurt in order to unload (please don’t drive through the gate right into the yurt meadow) then park in the widened area near the telephone box, or up in the yard.
Please see travel to us page of our website for assistance with international travel.
Facilities & Supplies
Inside the yurt you will find:
Duvet, pillows, bed linen and towels, please bring beach towels if required.
Basic kitchen equipment includes electric hob, pots and pans, kettle, stovetop espresso, cutlery, crockery and glasses.
The yurt has electricity including a charging point, lighting, radio, torch and heated blanket on the bed.
Wood for the farm, newspaper, firelighters and matches.
BBQ supplied, please bring charcoal (can be purchased locally).
Chairs and table inside and outside the yurt.
Oil, salt & pepper are supplied, please bring all other food and drink required.
The loo, shower and fridge are located a short walk from the yurt, see Checking in section above.
Key Contacts
Botelet: 01503 220 225 and stay@botelet.com
Julie’s mobile: 07900 133 135
Tia’s mobile: 07968 501 384
We live in the farmhouse on the left as you come in the drive at Botelet; Richard and Tia along with our children Cyra, Otto and Nell live in one side of the farmhouse accessed through the first door on the left, Julie and Barbara live in the other half, accessed via the second door on your left. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any questions during your stay.
Emergency numbers:
General emergency: 999 - for an emergency requiring ambulance, police, fire brigade or coastguard.
Quote Grid Reference: 0S201 18.4 60.3 or postcode PL14 4RD
Rosedean Doctors Surgery, Liskeard: 8 Dean Street, Liskeard, PL14 4AQ. 01579 343915
Liskeard Minor Injuries Unit: Clemo Rd, Liskeard PL14 3XD (casualty open 8am - 10pm daily). 01579 335 600
A&E at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth: Derriford Road, Crownhill, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 8DH. 01752 202082
NHS Direct: Telephone 111. Health advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Dentist - Emergency dental treatment for unregistered patients is available at:
Smile Centre, 39 Church Street, Liskeard, PL14 3AQ (Private clinic). 01579 342 348 www.the-smile-centre.com
Windsor Place Dental Surgery, 8 Windsor Place, Liskeard, PL14 4BH (NHS clinic but also do private one-off emergency consultations). 01579 343 361.
Community Dental Services – central number for emergency NHS dentist in Cornwall hospitals 01872 354 375.
Dental Access Centre, 1a Baring Street, Plymouth, PL4 8NF. 0845 155 8070
Fire Safety
In case of fire in the yurt, there is a fire blanket and a fire extinguisher. Please familiarise yourself with how to use these.
There is a smoke and a carbon monoxide detector inside the yurt. If these go off, and in case of fire, exit the yurt immediately without stopping to collect any belongings. Meet near the red telephone box in the widened parking area. Please alert us as soon as possible if there is a fire - in the farmhouse or:
Richard – 07979 570 508, Julie – 07900 133 135, Tia – 07968 501 384
In an emergency call 999 and ask for the fire brigade. Quote postcode PL14 4RD or grid reference: 0S201 18.4 60.3
If the smoke or carbon monoxide alarms go off without there being an emergency, please do not remove the battery. Instead, please let us know if there is a problem with one of the alarms, thank you.
To reduce the risk of fire, we kindly ask that you:
Do not leave anything flammable close to the woodburner when it is alight.
Ensure woodburner is appropriately ‘closed down’ before leaving unattended (see instructions for operating woodburner below)
Please do not smoke or use candles in the yurt, thank you.
Operating the Woodburning Stove
Lighting the fire
Make sure the chimney baffle (bottom of chimney) is open (anti-clockwise). If it is turned the wrong way smoke will pour out of the doors as you light the fire.
Crumple up plenty of single newspaper sheets. Place small, dry lighting wood on the paper and build with increasing wood size as the fire catches, or use fire lighters.
Open wheel vent on front of woodburner. Light fire and close door. After fire has caught close wheel vent gradually.
For most efficient heat and to keep the fire going for long periods ie overnight and when away from the yurt (after a good fire is established), load full with larger logs, close door then close top baffle (clockwise) and adjust wheel vent to closed or nearly closed.
For safety and fire precaution - never leave the fire unattended while the woodburner doors or chimney baffle are open.
Be aware that all parts of the stove become very hot - wear gloves and keep children away. Do not dry tea towels or anything else on or near the woodburner.
After lighting and once the fire has caught always keep the doors closed - making sure the chimney baffle is closed. Do not leave wheel vent fully open.
Kindling can be picked up from the fields and hedgerows and dried out in the yurt. Please let us know if you run out of newspaper, matches, firelighters or need help lighting the woodburner.
Drinking Water
The water on the farm comes from our own borehole. All of the taps on the farm draw water from the borehole therefore are safe to use as drinking water. With outside taps, it’s a good idea to let the water run for a few seconds before using it.
The nearest tap to the Lower Yurt is on the lamp post nearest the yurt – walk out of the yurt towards the farmhouse, turn right to go through the first gate and the lamppost is on your left. There is an urn inside the yurt which is useful for carrying water.
Cooking
An electric induction hob is provided for cooking. Instructions for use can be found at the bottom of this handbook. Please note that the saucepans and kettles are specific to the induction hob and must be touching the hob for it to work.
You are welcome to also use the top of the woodburner for heating the kettle or metal pans.
You will find a barbeque available for your use outside the yurt. Charcoal can be purchased from the Spar shop at Pelynt four miles away, or at local supermarkets (see list of shops towards in the food & drinks recommendation page). Please use only charcoal and not logs on the barbeque, thank you.
Washing Up & Cleaning
Water for washing up can be accessed from the tap on the lamppost nearest to the yurt then heated using the kettle on the electric cooker or top of the woodburning stove. A washing basin, washing-up liquid, cloth and tea towels are provided in the yurt.
Please keep the yurt clean during your stay and give a clean through before you leave, making sure all used crockery, cutlery and kitchen items have been washed with hot soapy water.
We have provided cleaning supplies that are effective against covid but also safe and as ‘green’ as possible, along with some disposable gloves and disinfectant wipes should you wish to use these at any time during your stay. We really appreciate the help with keeping the yurt clean in order to assist with our changeovers between guests, thank you.
Shower
You will find the shower a short walk from the yurt: walk past the telephone box along the lane between the houses and look for the grey door on your right, beyond the post box.
The simplest way to operate the shower is to use the on/off lever valves - top for overhead shower & bottom for the flexible shower head. This will retain the temperature settings last used.
To set a temperature for the initial shower - make sure the hot and cold taps are fully closed (clockwise), open both taps by one full turn, open the selected lever valve, then gradually close the cold tap until warm enough. Thereafter the adjustment required is very slight.
Simply turn off (and on again) using the lever valves.
Water for the shower is provided by 100% renewable sources from the farm (wind sun and logs) and is pumped from our heat store in the morning and evening. Hot water might take a little longer to come through for showers taken in the afternoon or night - simply run the hot tap for about one minute before mixing with cold.
There may be slight fluctuations in temperature during your shower according to demand. This will correct itself after a few seconds.
Enjoy!
Rubbish, Recycling & Compost
A plastic bag is provided in the yurt for your rubbish. When your bin bag is full, please dispose of it in the outside dustbins. We have provided disposable gloves that you may wish to use for the rubbish and recycling area, and we recommend washing or sanitising your hands afterwards.
To find the rubbish and recycling area – walk towards the farmhouse from the Lower Yurt. Turn right to go up into the yard. Cross the yard on the lower side and just beyond where cars park in the lean-to on your left is the rubbish and recycling area.
You will also find space to recycle glass bottles, plastic bottles, tin cans, cardboard and paper. Please:
Rinse plastic bottles and tops before recycling and squash plastic bottles before placing in recycling
Rinse and remove tops from glass bottles
Rinse tin cans
Separate your recycling as appropriate
For fruit and vegetable waste that has not been cooked, we would be grateful if you could compost it. The compost is located in the vegetable garden – to find this, go to the front of the farmhouse (facing the fields) and walk down the steps, under the archway. Continue until you see the vegetable beds in front of you, the compost is to your right. Please check the signs to see which compartment to put your vegetable waste into.
Any cooked food waste please place in the bins.
Any uncooked food that’s leftover at the end of your stay and you don’t want to take home, please leave in the fridge / place together in the yurt, and we will pass on to the chickens.
Thank you for helping us to minimise food waste!
Mobile Phone Coverage & Internet
The yurt does not have wifi - we hope you are able to enjoy a digital detox during your stay! However there should be coverage for mobile phones (depending upon your provider) and you should be able to access internet at the yurt using 3G.
Breakages & Damages
Please let us know about any breakages or damages that occur during your stay. We ask that breakages and damages outside of normal wear and tear are paid for, thank you.
Wellbeing
We offer therapeutic massage in our treatment room here at Botelet, for more information see www.tiatamblyn.com We also run a range of wellbeing workshops through the year. For more information on what’s on offer or to book a private workshop, see Wellbeing at Botelet. Advance booking for massage and courses is highly recommended.
Departing from Botelet
When departing from Botelet we ask that you kindly:
Remove all food you have brought - from inside the yurt along with the fridge.
Ensure that all kitchen items you have used have been washed (all crockery, cutlery, glasses, pots, pans etc) using hot, soapy water.
Please empty remove any rubbish and recycling before departing, you may wish to use the disposable gloves provided.
Please check yurt thoroughly before departing.
Please depart promptly by 11am. Our cleaners need the full changeover time to be able to prepare the property for the next guests.
Thank you for leaving the yurt clean and tidy.
Local Recommendations
Please click here to see our list of local recommendations, from shopping to eating out, walks, beaches, historic houses and gardens, local towns and outdoor activities.
Botelet History
The Tamblyns have lived at Botelet Farm for around 150 years. Barbara’s late husband David’s grandfather Thomas and his wife Elizabeth were the first Tamblyns to farm at Botelet, living in the manor house as tenants of Squire Trelawny. In 1884, by the request of the current generation's great grand parents, Squire Trelawny came to inspect the condition of Botelet Manor House. When he nearly fell through the rotten floor he asked for the quickest way out, then ordered his men to build the current farmhouse just across the cobbled courtyard. David’s father Cyrus was born in the farmhouse in the year it was built; he lived at Botelet to the tender age of 103! David was also born in the farmhouse in 1924, and Barbara moved to Botelet in 1956 after their marriage.
People have stayed at Botelet since the original bed and breakfast in the 1930s when Ella Tamblyn, David’s mother, opened the house up for B&B. In the 1950s Barbara renovated an old railway banana van to use as accommodation then put a sign out on the road with ‘chalet to let’ – the chalet is still in position in the orchard behind Manor Cottage.
The family focused on farming beef cattle along with sheep up until the 1980s with David specialising in breeding Charolais bulls; he was the first person in Cornwall to do so. The majority of the cattle and sheep were sold in the late 1980s with a shifting focus on more diverse farming activities including restoring buildings and historical features, improving the hedgerows and fences, and farming in a very gentle way as part of the Environmental Stewardship Scheme.
Very many thanks for staying with us here at Botelet, we hope to see you again soon
The Tamblyns
