Written by Carrie-Ann Lightley, April 12, 2022 updated May 4, 2022
Looking for a wheelchair accessible holiday cottage with COVID safety measures in place? In today’s #SafeAccessibleTravel interview I chat with Steve from Croft Bungalow, an accessible self-catering holiday cottage in Derbyshire.
AD – this post contains sponsored link to The Mobility Furniture Company.
Can you tell us a little bit about Croft Bungalow?
Croft Bungalow is a self-catering 2 bedroomed cottage in the Peak District. It was specifically adapted in 2016 to provide holiday accommodation for parties travelling with guests who have extra access requirements.
It has contrasting door frames to assist guests with visual impairment and a bed adapted for people with mobility issues – similar to this electric rotating bed – mobile hoist and wheeled shower chair commode that guests are free to borrow. There is a roll in wet room.
It has a ramp to access the garden – which has been landscaped with wheelchairs and scooters in mind. There is a level 1.3metre wide flagstone path winding its way through a sensory garden. The sensory garden has tactile statues, a fabulous water feature – set at about a metre high so it’s the right height for wheelchair users to put their fingers under the running water, and areas of colour and scent. The garden is south facing and a fabulous private suntrap. There is private off-road parking with plenty of surrounding space right outside the property.
Accessibility is not a marketing twist or an add on for us. We cater specifically to parties/families with accessibility requirements. Our guests are typically; couples – where one has accessibility needs, families with a child or parent with a disability, parties from care homes consisting of service users and carers, and on occasion we have helped soldiers returning from overseas with life-changing injuries – on their journey back to the world, adjusting to their new way of life.
Read More: My accessibility review of Croft Bungalow
How has COVID-19 affected your business?
We had to close down along with every other accommodation provider. We did receive some help with a grant from the government but we had to cancel or reschedule all our bookings between March and June so it will take us until the end of 2021 to fully recover financially. We have revisited all our turnround and cleaning procedures post-COVID to adapt to the new world.
