Welcome to Birch Cottage
Welcome and thank you for choosing to stay at Birch Cottage. We’re a family business, we live here on site, and we want you to have a comfortable relaxing stay. We’ve had to make a few changes here because of the ongoing Covid situation, so please have a quick read through the details here. They are designed to help you make the most of your stay at Birch Cottage and help things run smoothly.
We are a family business – (Steve and Claire Golemboski-Byrne, our daughter Lyra and dog Clem Fandango). Please let us know if there are ways in which you think we can improve the facilities or if you have encountered any problems.
If you need help or have questions, as ask that at the moment, you don’t come to the house preferable email us at any time – stevepbyrne@gmail.com or call us on 02840650273 9am – 5pm.
On Arrival
Please park off the lane, there is a property further up the lane who need acess at all times. The keys will be in the keysafe and a 4 digit access code will have been emailed to you before your arrival. There is hand sanitiser outside the cottage door.
Around the farm
We have created a new firepit area, just indide the new woodland directly opposite the cottage. Go down the steps and its to the left in front of you. The switch for the lights is on the box at the back of the clearing – please turn them off when you go in at night.
You are free to explore anywhere on the far side of the lane in the woods. The paths are cleared and signposted, and it is about half a mile walk around. There’s a clearing in the centre of the woods where you can sit too.
Current circumstances mean that we have to ask that you don’t venture into the gardens in front of our cottage where the polytunnels are; you’re welcome to talk to the horses if they are out in the fields, but the stables are currently off limits.
Local walks
We’ve provided maps of two good local walks around Annahunshigo lake, and the Green Road through Lackan Bog. Please don’t explore further up our lane, its the neighbours private property and there’s no through access.
WIFI
The wifi network is called TPLINK and the access code is 55443784
Our rural broadband isn’t fantastic but is usually fast enough to stream at lower qualities.
Care of the cottage
We have decorated and equipped the cottage to a high specification, many items are unique and hard to replace. We do understand that occasionally accidents happen; please report breakages as soon as possible to give us time to replace them before the next guests arrive. Please also refer to our terms and conditions. We don’t have many guidelines but here they are –
- No shoes beyond the kitchen please. The floors have been newly oiled so might be a little slippy, please be careful.
- The doorway into the bedroom is small (its from the 1840’s) so please mind your head coming in and out.
- Please don’t move furniture, especially the sofa and trunk about as it will mark the floor.
- Don’t let the cats in, even if they ask nicely.
- No smoking or vaping inside the cottage or on the property, thank you.
- No additional visitors at this time thank you.
- You’re very welcome to explore anywhere around the woods, but please don’t venture into our own garden or veg gardens
Kitchen
Oven and hob
The oven and hob are gas. There is a switch on the wall above the cooker that turns the power supply for the ignition on – the switch should be on and lit. Push and hold the knobs to ignite. The oven knob needs to be held in for quite a long time – 30 seconds before it will light. If you are using the grill, then the oven door must remain open a bit – there is a metal piece that fits in the top to keep it open.
Worktop
Please do not cut on the worktop – there are a range of chopping boards to cut on and damage to the worktop will be charged for.
Waste and recycling
Please separate your waste as well as possible. Broadly there is a bin for food waste, one for anything recyclable (paper, card, glass) and one for plastics. If your bins fill up and you need them emptied, just let us know
If you have any unused food at the end of your trip, just leave it out rather than bin it.
Extractor fan
There is an extraction fan in the cooker hood. Please use the extractor fan when cooking to prevent condensation and cooking odours around the living area.
Electricity
Birch cottage is off-grid. This means we have no connection to the main elecricity grid, we generate and store all our own power using solar pv panels and the wind turbine. You can use regular appliances in the cottage, but we ask you to be aware of your usage, (espcially between October and April) and which devices use lots of power.
For instance –
Lights or laptop– low usage, please turn off when not in use.
Toaster, Hairdryer – High usage
We ask that you don’t use more than 2 high usage items simultaneously if possible.
Heating and hot water
Both the underfloor heating and the hot water from the taps are heated mainly by solar power, so in sunny weather you should have plenty of hot water all the time. We now also have a wood pellet boiler that comes on morning and evening if the weather isn’t sunny. The hot water from the taps can be very hot. The woodburning stove also heats the water and will top it up if you have it lit.
We provide one basket of logs and kindling which you are welcome to use in the woodburning stove or outside on the firepit area. Additional logs are available for £5 per net, or you are welcome to bring your own.
To check the temperature of the hot water, then you can check on the display in the pantry. Press the right arrow key twice or until you see ‘S3’ on the screen, and a temperature. That is the hot water. 55 degrees plus is sufficient.
Lighting the woodburner
If the sun isn’t shining then you might like to light the fire. You’ll find matches, newspaper, firelighters, kindling and firewood in the metal bucket beside the log basket in the living room.
1 – Paper – Place 5 or 6 screwed up sheets of newspaper in the bottom of the fire.
2 – Firelighters Add 1 or 2 firelighters
3 – Kindling Place 10 or so pieces of kindling on top of the paper
4 – Air Ensure that the spin valve on the front of the woodburner is turned fully open (ie. Anticlockwise)
5 – Light the fire. For the first minute leave the door very slightly open until the fire has taken and then close the door securely making sure to lift the handle. Wait until the fire is burning well and add a couple of pieces of firewood at a time.
Do not overfill the fire too soon. Once it is going well then you can load it up.
Don’t worry if the heating makes an occasinal clonking noise, it’s perfectly ok.
Please do not attempt to burn anything other than wood on the stove, paper causes excess ash to form and can make the stove dusty and smoky. It shouldn’t be necessary to clean out the fire but if you do, make sure the ash is cold and the fire is out.
Burning the fire nice and hot for several hours each day will guarantee hot water and a cosy cottage. You will find a copy of the excellent ‘Wood Fire Handbook’ on the shelf.
Environmental information
Here at Lackan Cottage Farm we are working hard to reduce our impact on the environment through a variety of measures. Birch Cottage itself is finished using local, natural materials that have not been chemically treated, and is designed to provide a bright, comfortable and healthy environment for residents.
The cottage itself is powered entirely by solar and wind power generated on site – there is no grid connection; heating and hot water are provided by solar thermal panels and a small woodburner. We manage our woodland carefully for fuel, and aim to provide all our on site wood fuel by 2022. Currently the figure is approximately 50%, the rest coming from wind blown trees in the area each winter.
Each year we estimate the carbon footprint generated by visitors to the farm and plant sufficient trees to offset that.
We also grow a significant portion of our own food, and when possible, make this available to guests so that they have access to organically grown, fresh produce that has zero food miles.
We separate all waste, and compost everything that we can here on site, which then goes back into the land to grow food. We minimise packaging purchases, use refillable containers where possible, and re-use many glass bottles and jars rather than send them to recycling.
We aim to reduce water usage wherever possible, and so have a low flush toilet, with compost toilets available outside. Our taps are also flow restricted, and we have a rainwater harvesting system that provides irrigation water for our polytunnels and animals.
Tours are offered of the land and gardens to introduce visitors to the initiatives we have here, and to increase awareness of the environmental issues that we all face as a society today.
How you can help:
- Be conscious that all your electricity is coming from solar and wind and is stored in (large) batteries. Turn off lights when not in use, and although there are no high consumption items on site, be conscious that items such as a hairdryer do use large amounts of power.
- Make use of the shower where possible as it uses less water than the bath. Turn off taps when not in use and use the washing up bowl in the sink.
- Use the provided soap and detergent as it is environmentally friendly.
- Buy products with minimal packaging, and separate your waste in the bins provided. Any food that is uncooked or unused, please let us know rather than throw it away as it may be keep.
- Enjoy local walks! We are surrounded by beautiful countryside, and you are welcome to enjoy our woodlands, and the many lovely walks that surround us.
Information from cottage handbook:
recycling and waste disposal
We recycle as much waste as possible, and you’ll find a council guide to which materials can be recycled in the top of the bin drawer. You will find the waste bins in the large bottom drawer in the kitchen. These are :
Compostable – any food waste, paper towels, tissues.
Card – any cardboard
Other recyclables – glass, some plastics. See the information card in the drawer.
General waste – Anything that doesn’t fit into the above categories.
Please do not throw uncooked food away intact – ie, fresh fruit and veg, packaged food or meals.
Cooked food should be removed from packaging before adding the food to the composting bin.
If your kitchen bins are full, they can be emptied into the large outside bins that you will find behind the cottage. Recyclable waste can be emptied into the Green bin. Please place glass in the separate section at the top of the bin. General waste goes into the Black bin, and compostable materials go into the compost heap which is situated at the entrance to the vegetable gardens. If you’re not sure, ask and we can take care of it for you.
You will also find general and sanitary waste bins in the bottom drawer in the bathroom.
Transport and travel
Rural transport networks are not great in rural Northern Ireland – the nearest bus service is the Number 31 Service from Ballyroney Post Office (2 miles), which runs into Rathfriland 5 times a day on weekdays only.
Buses run regularly to Castlewellan, Newcastle, Banbridge, Downpatrick and Belfast from Rathfriland.
Our nearest train station is Newry, which is a 20 minute drive or 1 hour bus trip away.
We are situated 5 miles from Castlewellan or Rathfriland, both of which have shops and onward public travel links. The road to Rathfriland is more rural and suited to bicycles.
Mountain bike hire is available from the Life Centre in Castlewellan, who can deliver for a fee. Road bike hire is available from Belfast.
Bedding and towels
Bedding and towels are provided, and for visits of 7 days or longer we will provide a change of both unless otherwise requested.
Our aim is to have as small an impact on the environment as we can, and hopefully show that a house with no oil or gas heating can be a reality here in Northern Ireland. We also want to showcase the amazing materials available – all the timber in this cottage is local. We are part of the Green Tourism scheme and are one of few Gold rated properties. We’re also the first businesses to be accredited under the Green Key scheme.
You can read more about our environmental policies here – https://lackancottage.co.uk/environmental-policy/
Before you leave
We’d love it if you could leave a comment in the guest book, and complete the guest form as we have to keep records for Tourism Northern Ireland. We also offer a discount to returning guests and we will need your email address and consent to communicate with you about that.
We would be grateful if you could open the windows to ventilate the house (not too wide or the cats might get in), and leave your towels in the laundy bag(s) provided. Leave the key back in the key safe.
Check out is by 11am latest please – we have a very thorough cleaning regime to get through before the next guests arrive.
Have a safe journey home, we hope you enoyed your stay and hopefully we’ll see you again.
All the best
Claire and Steve