4-star holiday cottage near Malvern, Worcestershire

repairs

  • Fence repair

    The wooden fence along the Rhydd Barn entrance drive has been reinforced with the use of ‘grandfather’ concrete spurs. The grandfathers are short concrete posts fixed into the ground to which the wooden posts of the fence are attached. See our photographs below.

    ‘Grandfather’ concrete spurs added
    Showing ‘grandfather’ concrete spurs

    UPDATE: If you look very carefully you might spot the lead caps fitted to the top of each post to protect the open grain of the fence post tops from moisture ingress. We hope that our fence will now last for many years!

  • Recent improvements at Rhydd Barn

    patio flower pots
    Flower pots on the patio

    We have been busy maintaining the barn over last few months. Here are some of the things we have done:

    • A new Accessibility Guide has been produced with photographs and measurements added to help visitors’ understanding of accommodation at Rhydd Barn.
    • The white paint of the exterior walls has been touched up where necessary and also the paintwork inside the barn.
    • The flower pots, baskets, and small garden at the entrance to Rhydd Barn have been refreshed with new plants. Also, new gravel added between the plants in the entrance garden.
    • There are new attractive trays in the kitchen and on the shelf in the bathroom. Also a new pan holder in the kitchen.
    • There is a new mattress and new duvet cover on the bed.
    • We have purchased a new ‘smart’ television (see separate post for more details).
    • Three new plug-in night lights have been provided.
    • The exterior lighting had been adjusted so it stays on for a longer period when going outside the barn at night.
    • Antibacterial hand-wash is now supplied as standard. This may prove to be necessary in the future when are able to welcome guests to Rhydd Barn once again.
    entrance garden
    Entrance garden

  • Ironwork painted

    The ironwork around Rhydd Barn has all been re-painted. This includes the gutters and downpipes of the barn and converted pigsty and the metal handrail on the outside steps of the barn. Our decorator took the photographs below of the completed work.

    painted ironwork 01
    Rhydd Barn—newly painted iron gutters and downpipes
    painted ironwork 02
    Rhydd Barn—newly painted handrail of outside steps
    painted ironwork 03
    Rhydd Barn—newly painted iron gutter and downpipe of the pigsty

  • Spring 2017 at Rhydd Barn

    [soliloquy id=”829″]

    Our plant pots on the patio have been refreshed and spring flowers – primroses – are appearing in the little wild flower meadow despite the cold weather. The new gates installed last year have been varnished to protect them.

  • Rhydd Barn maintenance

    We have been busy over the winter period with various maintenance works at Rhydd Barn. The converted stable to the north of the barn has been cleared out and decorated and our short-term plan is for guests to use it for secure storage (eg. for bicycles). Another water butt has been installed to help reduce mains water usage in the garden and on our patio plant containers. At the rear of the barn concrete has been added to fill in some small gaps and smoothen out the base of the stone wall. And, finally, the sewage treatment plant has been upgraded.

    [soliloquy id=”824″]

  • New entrance gate

    [soliloquy id=”692″]

    The single wooden entrance gate to the barn was becoming difficult to open and close. We have now replaced it with two half gates, pictured above, which meet in the middle. These new gates should be much easier to use and will hopefully last longer.

  • Christmas 2015

    xmas2015

    The conifer tree at the entrance to Rhydd Barn has had its top removed and side branches pruned. Sheep have been grazing the meadow for a few weeks but have now departed. The Barn looked very attractive at Christmas with its decorated tree, side lights and banisters.

  • A few small repairs

    Bathroom - towel railbathroom - mirror shelf

    The photographs show that the towel rail in the bathroom, which had become unsafe, has now been replaced.

    At the same time a new glass shelf was fitted under the mirror above the washbasin which is more securely attached to the wall.