These are the instructions for people who are booked to stay in the Wakelyns Farmhouse
Please also see the general instrutions for staying at Wakelyns, here; and our Tourist Information (with pubs etc) here.
Thank you for coming to stay in the Wakelyns Farmhouse. We hope you have a lovely time.
Please look after the house and its contents, many of which are treasured family books and artefacts. Please let us know promptly about any damage or breakage, or about anything which is not working properly.
If the fire/smoke alarms go off, please leave the house by the nearest exit including using the door opposite the foot of the stairs. In the event of a power cut, the stairs will be lit by emergency lighting.
Please do not smoke in the house.
Our general visitor terms and conditions also apply, as set out here: https://wakelyns.co.uk/tandc/. Please draw that to the attention of all of your party.
Linen and towels
We will provide all bedding and bath towels. If you need more of anything, please ask.
Toilets
Please don’t put anything like sanitary products down the toilet – they block up our waste treatment system. Please use the sanitary bags and bins.
Kitchen
With its central island and bar stools, the kitchen is designed and equipped as a place you can all congregate, relax and cook together.
It has two Neff induction hobs, two Neff ovens, a butler sink, a Neff dishwasher (tablets in the cupboard under the sink), and a Stanley wood fired range we can light in the winter if needed.
In the drawers are a range of pots and pans, cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery. Washing items under the sink.
In the pantry is a microwave, larder fridge, under-counter freezer, and drinks fridge. Also mugs and some glasses, with more glasses in the sideboard in the study.
The wine fridge and wine rack has a selection of wines and other drinks. This is on an ‘honesty bar’ system. Just keep a tally of what you take. You can pay by card on the machine in the Carport, or speak to one of the Wakelyns team to pay by card in the bar area in the barn.
If you take any thing from the house (such as crockery, cutlery or glasses) to use in the summer (outdoor) kitchen, please make sure you return them to the house.
The water is not softened and so is fine for cooking and drinking. Turn the tap to the right for hot water.
Kitchen sink is also turn the knob right for hot water.
We hope that should be all you need to self-cater; or it’s a great place for the Silva Kitchen & Bakery team to prepare meals for you in advance, if you have signed up for that.
We don’t provide tea/coffee/cooking oil/salt/pepper etc… because these things are individual to people’s own tastes, but you may find some left over from previous guests.
Also in the kitchen is a small sound system with an ‘aux lead’. That same system is linked to the system in the lounge: whatever you have playing on the system in the lounge will also come out in the kitchen if the unit in the kitchen is turned on.
There is a first aid kit in the pantry. If you use anything from it, please let us know so that we can replenish it. In the office we have a selection of larger plasters etc if you need them.
Feel free to use the coffee machine. To turn it on press the left hand POWER button – it will take a few seconds to warm up and the lights will all come on. Remove the ‘portafilter’ by turning the black handle to the left, and empty any grounds out in the ‘knock box’ nearby. Ideally, run hot water through the portafilter to warm it up by reinstating it into the machine and pressing the two cup button. Then remove and fill with coffee by pushing it between the plastic jaws; you need it about 75% full. Then press that down using the tamper at the left. Then return to its home and press the two cup button to make a double espresso. To dilute or to make frothy milk, use the knob on the right of the machine, turning it forward or backward respectively. Spare coffee beans in the second drawer down under the coffee machine. Grounds in the food waste bin please.
Please sort rubbish into:
- all food waste (inc raw peelings, tea bags and plate scrapings)(in the grey Suffolk Recycling caddies)
- hard and soft plastic, tin recycling, glass (in the recycling bins in the kitchen, or in the large bins with the blue lid outside)
- paper and cardboard (in the recycling bins in the kitchen, or in the large bins with the green lid outside)
- general rubbish (in the rubbish bin; more black bin liners if you need them (and bags can go in the large bins with the black lid outside).
Hidden in the wildflower area outside the kitchen window (looking towards the turbine) is our waste treatment ‘Klargester’. It has a red light which flashes in the unlikely event of a problem. If you happen to notice the light flashing, please let us know.
Conservatory
Features of interest in the conservatory include the ‘throne’ made for Martin from Wakelyns wood; and the coffee table made for us from a plank of Wakelyns sycamore by Bob Pendered, who also made all the beds and the clothing stands in the bedrooms.
The Wakelyns cat (‘Catkin’) used to live wild and aloof in the yard and fields, but is now much more friendly and you might see her hanging around the house and garden. If you like cats she may even be friendly to you (but beware her very sharp claws)!
Dining Room
There is nothing complicated about the dining room! If you hear a gurgling noise from the wooden unit in the corner, it means the water softener needs refilling. Don’t be alarmed. The brick floor, like the tiled floor in the lounge, is laid straight onto the soil – this house has no damp course and no foundations – it just sits on the soil, but built well enough to last 500 years.
Lobby
The cupboard on the wall holds the core electricity and WiFi equipment for the whole Wakelyns site. Please leave it alone.
Note the brick floor where it goes into the lounge – see how generations of feet have worn the bricks.
Downstairs bathroom
For hot water in the sink, turn the lever to the left.
There should be spare toilet rolls and sanitary items in the cupboard under the sink.
Feel free to use the shampoo etc which we have left – it is friendly for our waste treatment plant.
The shower screen ONLY PUSHES IN towards the bath, and not outwards. It will break if you try to swing it outwards.
Behind the end door is a washing machine and tumble drier. Help yourself. We prefer to use eco washing strips or liquid. We have provided a little if you need it.
Lounge
The doors in the lounge are from the early days of the house and this is the oldest part of the house. Note the oak beams which form the frame of the house. Between them – behind the plaster – is literally hazel sticks and mud. We still have the sections that we took out when we made the new fire escape door at the foot of the stairs.
The sound system in the lounge system has an ‘aux lead’ connection to plug into your phone sound device. Or use the remote to select DAB, Bluetooth, CD, etc. The output also goes to the kitchen so that, when the unit in the kitchen is also turned out, you’ll share your sound output around the place.
In the cupboard by the fireplace is a vacuum cleaner, broom, dustpan and brush, etc. Feel free to clear up any mess you make. There is also a mini ironing board and iron.
There are board games etc within the coffee table – lift the lid. And there is “Pucket” on the sideboard.
The collection of wooden blocks (likely to be on the coffee table) are samples of the various local timbers which Bob used to make the Wakelyns beds. Each bed has some of each wood in it, in different combinations.
If you are staying in the winter, we will talk to you separately about using the fire and where to source extra logs.
Piano Room
The TV gets ordinary terrestrial TV and should work with BBC iPlayer etc.
If you are staying in the winter, we will talk to you separately about using the Swiss style wood burning stove.
Feel free to use the piano. There is some sheet music in the stool, and feel free to bring your own.
The cupboard is full of glasses for all occasions and drinks.
Bedrooms:
Garden Room
The sliding doors do not open.
For hot water in the sink, turn the lever to the left.
The hot water might take a few seconds to reach the shower from the tank. Please be patient.
There should be spare toilet rolls and sanitary items in the basket on the window-sill.
Feel free to use the shampoo etc which we have left – it is friendly for our waste treatment plant. If you can avoid spraying too much water from the shower onto the floor outside the shower tray that would be great.
Please don’t drop the latch on the bedroom door.
East (big!) Bedroom
Please take care with the sloping floors in this room!
For hot water in the sink, turn the lever to the left.
There should be spare toilet rolls in the cupboard under the sink.
Feel free to use the shampoo etc which we have left – it is friendly for our waste treatment plant.
Your bathroom is a long way from the hot water tank. In the morning and evening a timer will turn on a pump which circulates the hot water so that, when you turn on the tap or shower, it runs hot very quickly. But at night and during the day, that pump is off to save energy, so it will take longer for the hot water to come through to the tap or shower.
Middle Bedroom
For hot water in the sink, turn the lever to the left.
Your bathroom is a long way from the hot water tank. In the morning and evening a timer will turn on a pump which circulates the hot water so that, when you turn on the tap or shower, it runs hot very quickly. But at night and during the day, that pump is off to save energy, so it will take longer for the hot water to come through to the tap or bath.
There should be spare toilet rolls in the cupboard under the sink.
Feel free to use the shampoo etc which we have left – it is friendly for our waste treatment plant.
West (little) Bedroom
Please take care with the low ceiling and low door!
Your bathroom is not en-suite but it is right next door:
End Bathroom
The hot water might take a few seconds to reach the shower from the tank. Please be patient.
There should be spare toilet rolls on the shelf behind the loo.
Feel free to use the shampoo etc which we have left – it is friendly for our waste treatment plant.
This bathroom has a shaver point for electric shavers.
Attic bedroom
Please take care with the steep wooden stairs, sloping floors, trip hazards and low doors in this room! Please use the hand rails!
By all means open the skylights but be aware that, if it rains and they are more than slightly open, the rain will come in.
For hot water in the sink, turn the lever away from you.
Your bathroom is a long way from the hot water tank. In the morning and evening a timer will turn on a pump which circulates the hot water so that, when you turn on the tap or shower, it runs hot very quickly. But at night and during the day, that pump is off to save energy, so it will take longer for the hot water to come through to the tap or shower.
There should be spare toilet rolls on the shelves by the toilet.
Feel free to use the shampoo etc which we have left – it is friendly for our waste treatment plant.
As it is an open shower cubicle try not to splash too much as the water seeps through the floor to the bedroom below.
WiFi
There is fairly good mobile phone coverage at Wakelyns, at least for EE and Vodafone, each of which get 4G or 5G in some areas.
There is also a WiFi mesh throughout the Wakelyns house and yard areas: “Wakelyns Guest”. It does not need a password. But we are at the end of a long copper wire from our Broadband Fibre ‘cabinet’, so it is not super-fast, and particularly when lots of people are using it. Sometimes we turn it off for a few hours if it is overloaded.
Dogs
Dogs are welcome at Wakelyns provided they stay on a lead and use pooh bags outside. In the house, please keep your dog downstairs and we would very kindly ask you to keep them off the furniture.
Beware the cat!
Garden
You have sole use of the garden to the South of the house; it’s a secluded area within the tall hedges where you can have complete privacy. There is a picnic bench/table and, on request, other garden furniture.
Sometimes we leave the grass long to let the wildflowers grow.
The rest of Wakelyns
Feel free to wander around the rest of the open areas of Wakelyns.
You are welcome to relax and share in the use of the farmyard seating area and ‘summer kitchen’.
You are also more than welcome to wander around and enjoy the rest of the outdoor space at Wakelyns but please respect other people’s privacy including that of our neighbours.
Food and other activities at Wakelyns
If you would like to book any food from Lindsay and Nicola at Silva Kitchen & Bakery at Wakelyns please email silva@wakelyns.co.uk. Please give them plenty of notice.
If you would like to book any bespoke activities during your stay with any of the other enterprises based at Wakelyns, then please contact us.
And there may well be fruit picking and other things happening around the farm to join in with as suits.
Any questions?
Do please ask.
Also please let us know if anything on these instructions was not clear or we could add more – that way we can improve things for future guests.
We look forward to welcoming you.
The Wakelyns Team
In emergency to call one of the Wakelyns team: 07432 281855 or 07740 948536
