Booking during the COVID-19 epidemic

[Last updated 9th October 2022]

WE REMAIN PRUDENT, BUT THE GOVERNMENT HAS LIFTED ALL DOMESTIC RESTRICTIONS

On 21st February 2022 the Government published its Plan for Living with Covid and on 24th February it removed the legal requirement to self-isolate following contact with someone who has Covid or when testing positive. It has also announced the end of the Test and Trace support payment scheme.

People up and down the country are therefore returning to "normal" with Covid being treated more like the Flu and with many cases now going unreported. The only reliable statistic is now hospital admissions..

Hospital admissions involving COVID-19

The figures from the ONS show hospital admissions starting to rise again in September and with winter approaching and with less awareness about the need for continuing vaccination we remain cautious. The embedded graph above shows the current position at the time of reading.

The Government reminds us that Coronavirus can make anyone seriously ill but that for some people the risk is considerably higher. We therefore remain prudent about the potential dangers and to do all that we can to keep both staff and guests of The Hyning Estate safe and well.

For 2022 at least, we continue to keep at least one day empty between bookings for your safety. This 30-hour minimum gap between bookings has enabled us to safely reintroduce soft furnishings like cushions and throws but we haven't relaxed our enhanced cleaning regimes and we currently don't provide any fresh food items as part of our Welcome. We also ask guests to continue to bag up their laundry when they leave for the safety of our staff.

Single household vs. larger groups

We offer holiday cottages to rent for a period and not a package holiday for named guests so if one or more of your group are ill, or unable to come for any reason, then you must insure for that eventuality.

Those booking for more than a single household plus bubble do so at their own risk and must be prepared to reduce the numbers staying to this level should the rules tighten again before your stay. We can only offer to refund a booking where a UK National or Local COVID Lockdown prevents your single household (plus optional government-defined support bubble) from staying at The Hyning Estate due to a restriction at The Hyning Estate in South Lakeland or at the verified UK address of your household (as provided by you on the booking). Full details can be found in our Terms and Conditions. This is now typical in the industry although others may not be as up-front in pointing this out.

Should single-household restrictions be reimposed in the future then we can help unlinking our "Linked Properties" (Hyning House = Hall Beck Cottage + The Old Farmhouse and Beckside Barns = The Old Forge + The Granary) to enable the two family groups to stay as discrete (nuclear) households and meet up outside if permitted (but the agreement regarding refunds remains unchanged).

Cancellation due to COVID travel restrictions

A full refund will be given if a UK National or Local COVID Lockdown prevents your single household (plus your optional government-defined support bubble) from staying at The Hyning Estate due to a restriction at The Hyning Estate in South Lakeland or at the verified UK address of your household as provided by you on the booking. Full details can be found in our Terms and Conditions.

Our commitment to your safety during the COVID crisis

Our focus is on the safety of staff & guests and our key safety principles are as follows:

Throughout 2022 we are maintaining a minimum of 30 hour breaks between bookings, a safe period for fabrics combined with our 4 stage cleaning and sanitisation processes for other surfaces. Some hard to clean items will still be swapped and stored for 72+ hours between bookings.
In support of changing guidance on "Social Distancing" we would ask that before booking a "linked property" you should consider how your group could potentially be redistributed to become discrete (nuclear) households (staying alongside relatives or friends) in the constituent properties.
We have a robust approach to cleaning, personal hygiene and social distancing with revised procedures for arrivals & departures. You can read more about this below.

We're "Good to Go"

We have followed (and exceed) government and industry COVID-19 guidelines that ensure processes are in place to maintain cleanliness and aid social/physical distancing.

Keeping you Safe

Nothing can ever be guaranteed and the best way of keeping each other safe is to assume that the virus is all around (and to act accordingly) although we haven’t knowingly come in contact with it yet.

Guests will have very real concerns and questions when booking or just ahead of arrival and we would like to reassure you that we are doing everything that we can:

What we’ve always done:

All bathroom surfaces are spotlessly clean (using anti-bacterial cleaning products).
Ditto Kitchens and dining tables (but with food-safe anti-bacterial cleaning products).
We wipe down surfaces using disposable paper towels when cleaning rather than cloths.
All hard floors are steam cleaned. The steam cleaning pads are always changed between properties and between bathrooms and kitchens within the same property.
If the previous guests have hand-washed plates or utensils then we re-wash them in a dishwasher.

Extra precautions during the COVID-19 outbreak (further details to be published on this page when it is updated in the next few days):

All properties are cleaned and sanitised to the Covid-19 Ready Guidelines endorsed by PASC UK, the AA and Visit England. We have produced a Risk Assessment that covers all aspects of our business and this is supported by a raft of supporting changes including new processes and staff training.
Minute attention to detail in respect of personal hygiene (significantly reducing the chances of cross-contamination).
Empty-days are being kept clear between new bookings in each property for the added protection of staff & guests.
All other hard surfaces (including toilets, showers, basins, tiled floors, bedside drawers, banisters, door handles, keys, leather sofas etc.) are also cleaned with anti-virucidal products.
All plates and cutlery are now being rewashed in a dishwasher come what may.
As a temporary measure we will not provide any "Welcome" food or drink items or put anything in the fridge (so no milk, bread, cheese etc.) to reduce the chances of contamination.
For multi-week stays we will provide fresh towels and bed linen at the end of each completed week but we will not come into the properties to make beds during your stay - please place used linen in the laundry sacks provided.
We are managing our availability in order to ensure that we have the time required to fully implement our additional procedures. [To help us implement our intensive cleaning regime and "social distancing" we ask that you strictly observe the published "arrival after" and "departure before" times and ensure that any grocery deliveries are booked at least one hour after the published arrival time (or that you choose "click & collect")].

Notes for keeping yourself & others safe:

Choose to limit travel to your own car and avoid public transport (which will also facilitate a “safe” and swift return home should one of your party develop symptoms whilst away). Wear face masks when in public.
All the supermarkets in Kendal offer “Pay at Pump” (but ensure that you use gloves).
There is no need to go to the Supermarket – Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's will all deliver to The Hyning Estate. You may prefer to "Click & Collect" if you can't obtain a suitable delivery slot. Note that unlike the nationals, Booths operate a very friendly next day "Click & Collect" service for essential items (Milnthorpe is a good out of town option).
Each property is self-contained.
Each property has its own MVHR system (Mechanical Ventilation & Heat Recovery) which means that the air in the property is being continually replaced with fresh air. Air is never recirculated and the input and output filters are independent so there can be no cross-contamination.
With two large National Parks, Hadrian’s Wall and the Arnside and Silverdale ANOB to explore, you should be able to keep a safe distance from other people whilst enjoying the Natural Beauty of the countryside but please enforce the 2 metre rule whilst also trying to avoid busy areas and check for local restrictions and procedures in place for cafes, pubs, restaurants, gyms and other attractions.
You must act responsibly to minimise passing on the virus to others, particularly if you have been in contact with someone who has since diagnosed with the virus or if you’ve travelled back from an area of high infection in which case the Government is telling you to stay at home. Please see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance
Should you be concerned that you have been exposed to someone with the virus or worried that you may have developed symptoms then please let us know before leaving home and if you develop symptoms whilst you are here then tell us as soon as possible. The NHS has designed this poster to help you.
We continue to observe “social distancing” to stay safe and keep others safe. We look forward to welcoming everyone personally again at some point in the future but in the short term The Estate Office will be closed (so no Printer, DVDs, Books, Maps etc) and we will leave your keys in the property. "The Good Housekeeping Bond" is now performed online rather than face to face.

We hope all of our actions will help to reassure you that we are doing everything we can to keep us all safe but please do let us know if you have any particular concerns.