Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy and Safety notes
Bookings and Payments
We accept booking from persons over 21 years of age and we reserve the right to refuse a booking without giving a reason, if we feel it would be detrimental to other guests (for example an all adult group booking to stay when the rest of the site is full of couples and families).
If a booking is made eight weeks or more before the holiday is due to start, a deposit of one third of the rent is payable. If a booking is made less than eight weeks before the holiday is due to start, the full rent, plus any additional charges, must be paid at the time of booking. This can be done by electronic transfer or card payment over the phone. We are happy to reserve the holiday for 2 days whilst awaiting a bank transfer but we reserve the right to sell this holiday without further notice after this period.
The balance is payable 8 weeks before your holiday and a reminder will be sent. If we have to send a third reminder we will warn you that we will be cancelling your holiday if we don’t receive payment within 48 hours. If we still get no reply then we will cancel the holiday and no refund will be due.
Contract
When you submit a booking via our online reservation system you will receive an automatically generated booking summary by email to the email address you provide in the booking form. This does not form a contract between us. A contract shall only arise when your booking is subsequently confirmed in writing via a letter of confirmation sent to you by email. Please check the dates and the accommodation that you have booked for any errors.
We request that family only or couples bookings occur in school holidays (including all of July and August) and that if your party includes older teens that you discuss it with the office before booking, as we have a noise policy after 9pm, to allow the younger children to get a great nights sleep. We reserve the right to refuse a booking in these circumstances.
We are predominantly a couples and family site and any Adult only bookings in the tents where it is 4 or more adults with no children will need to agree to our noise policy. We welcome two families booking adjacent tents but we don’t accept more than this, as noise levels can be detrimental to our other guests.
Your booking will specify how many adults and children are booked into the accommodation. Each tent has a maximum of 4 adults and 6 people in total including all children. Up to two dogs are allowed in each tent (with the exception of Dart). The cabin has a 2 adults and 2 children limit plus one dog , the Roundhouse sleeps 2 adults and 2 pre-teen children and no dogs, the Tabernacle is 2 adults only with no infants or dogs. If you arrive with more people than the specified number for the accommodation, we reserve the right to cancel the booking without a refund. You can add people to your booking beforehand, if it doesn’t take you over the maximum for each accommodation and you confirm with the office.
Cancellations and Refunds
We realise that sometimes plans change and if you have to cancel your holiday please let us know as soon as possible and we will try to work with you to find the best solution.
In all cases we will endeavour to re-let your accommodation. If we are successful then we will refund your monies paid to us less an administration fee of £50 to cover re-advertising costs and our time. If the holiday date is less than 4 weeks away, then we may need to lower the price to attract a last minute stay, in which case we will discuss this with you beforehand, as your refund will be less.
If your holiday is more than 8 weeks in the future, then we will also offer you an alternative date even if we are unsuccessful at re-filling your existing date, this may be subject to a difference in price. We will retain the one third deposit paid, if we are unable to re-let the accommodation and we can’t find a suitable alternative date. If the holiday is within 8 weeks and your balance is paid, we will retain the full payment if we are unable to re-let it. We recommend that you have appropriate holiday insurance to cover cancellations.
Pandemic, Force Majeure and Covid 19 – Special Cancellation Terms
If we we are unable to open / forced to close over the dates of your holiday we will contact you as soon as possible to;
- Offer to move your booking to a date that is convenient and will adjust the price if you have moved to a higher or lower tariff or if you extend or reduce your stay
- If there is not a mutually agreeable date available, we will refund your booking less any credit card charges but will not charge a cancellation or Admin fee
- We cannot be held liable for other elements of your travel such as cancelled flights and we strongly recommend that you take out insurance to cover that eventuality
In the event of you needing to cancel your holiday due to having to self isolate or if any of your party have caught Covid, then our existing Cancellations and Refunds policy will be in force. As it is now a known risk, it is insurable and we strongly recommend that our guests have this insurance in place.
Group bookings
We host either whole site bookings or 4 Safari Tent bookings outside of school holidays in the Spring and Autumn. Due to the number of tents booked, we are unable to refill them at short notice, so have the following terms and conditions. The booking is split between a Fixed element for the accommodation and a variable element for the food and activities. A holding deposit of 10% should be paid to reserve the date then the additional Fixed element is payable after one month. This amount is fully refundable less a £50 admin fee up until November 1st on the year prior to the booking. After that date the accommodation cost is not refundable, so we highly recommend that you take out insurance and we advise that you make this clear to all parties attending. The balance for the food and activities is payable 4 weeks beforehand and can be refunded up until 7 days before the event. Before arrival a £150 security deposit needs to be paid. The £150 deposit will be repaid within 24 hours of departure if the Safari Tents, Pizza barn and Lodge are left in a tidy state with all bottles and rubbish taken to the recycling area and the correct inventory is in each Tent with no breakages (other than normal wear and tear) – if you have ordered Food hampers then we will clear all the plates and glasses and set up each evening for you. It is a condition of a group booking with us that all the party adhere to our noise policy and use the sound proof Lodge to party in and are quiet in the Glamping field at night. For safety reasons the hot tubs must not be used after your party have moved to the barn to eat and drink in the evening.
Overseas Bookings
Overseas guests may pay by international electronic transfer. Any charges from payments from overseas will be passed on to the guest.
Noise – being considerate neighbours to each other and to the wild life
We want all our guests to enjoy a peaceful relaxing stay with us. To keep the valley tranquil and so as not to disturb the wildlife or guests, we do not allow any music or radios in the tents or outside the 3 cabins as noise is amplified as it travels up the valley. As there may well be young children sleeping, we also ask you to be conscious of how much noise your party are making around the camp fires at night. Likewise if parents of young children can try to let the adults sleep in in the morning, without unleashing the children to the great outdoors until after 8am it would be appreciated! The Games room is soundproof (when the door is shut) and is a great early morning distraction for very early risers!
After 9pm we ask that noise is kept down and by 10.00pm the only sound that should be generally audible in the field is hooting owls and the snuffling of the badgers and a low murmuring of our guests enjoying some tranquil star gazing. Please do not allow children to run around the glamping field after dark or play on the swings as it is an accident waiting to happen! We request that groups use the Lodge for communal dining, as the walls are extra thick and noise absorbing. If you want karaoke at 1am around the campfire, this is not the site for you!
In exceptional circumstances we reserve the right to ask your party to leave if there is repeated noise after having received two warnings and as you will have breached the terms of your contract with us, no refunds will be forthcoming.
Day Visitors or deliveries to site
We regret that we don’t allow visitors to our site in the evening, as it can be a disruption for our other guests and we have very limited parking available. If you would like guests to visit you during the day, please call the office to discuss it before your stay or talk to Kate about it during your stay. If we don’t recognise a car / people in the car park then we won’t allow them access, for the safety of all of our guests.
If you want a parcel delivered to site please ensure that it is clearly labelled with your accommodation and then the following address Brownscombe Luxury Glamping, Compton Holt, Marldon, Devon TQ3 1TA
Please DO NOT book supermarket deliveries of any kind, there are 3 excellent local farm shops and many supermarkets within a 15 minute drive that offer click and collect. There is very limited turning in the car park and check in is a particularly busy time for us, not enhanced by answering the phone to a lost delivery van while you are still stuck in traffic!
Logs
We provide free split logs and kindling for normal usage of the wood burning stove which has been seasoned for at least a year and kiln dried – so please don’t burn it on the campfire! The hot tubs will have additional wood supplies, sufficient to keep the hot tub toasty.
If you would like to use our seasoned logs for the campfire, then wood is £6 a wheelbarrow load from the log store.
The BBQ works best with charcoal and that can also be purchased from the larder or from nearby garages and supermarkets.
General Safety/ Responsibility for children
Brownscombe is not a manicured campsite with paved paths, it is set in farmland and in places the terrain is uneven and steep, so please make sure that all of your party are aware of this and wear suitable footwear. Wellies or crocs are easiest for children, as they can be kicked off on the deck before entering the tent.
All our accommodation has a smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, fire blanket and a fire extinguisher. There are two exits at the front and back of the tents and one in each of the Cabins. All properties are non smoking and we ask that this includes the decked area around them. The stoves are very safe if used properly and we recommend using the fire guard. Instructions can be found in your App and should be read before use.
There is a hose pipe outside outside each accommodation – please have it ready for action when using the BBQ or camp fire, just in case! No other fires should be lit on the property.
Children have the full run of the glamping paddock in front of their tent, the gated play area and adjoining grass area for ball games and the games room. We don’t recommend that the children are allowed to play alone beyond the playroom gates due to cars (in the car park, orchard or on the front drive) and we shut these gates at night. The following areas are out of bounds or require caution;
1.The far agricultural barns, as they contain corn silos, drying pits and agricultural machinery, which could potentially be dangerous. We have fenced the areas off and have signs to deter entry, however a very determined, unsupervised child may still find a way in. My three sisters and I grew up here unscathed but our Mother used to read us terrifying cautionary tales from the Farmers Weekly to ensure we stayed out of danger!
2. Please do not allow children to play above or under the tents, within the willow enclosure. The willow screen separates them from the drop down the side of the tent, which would give them a nasty shock as well as potentially causing injury.
3. Please do not allow anyone to enter the chicken, duck, pig or sheep fields unless on Farmer’s rounds with Kate or walking calmly to the Roundhouse on the path without being tempted to round up the sheep!
4 Please do not allow children to climb the trees in the kids play area unless you are closely supervising, as a fall from a great height could cause a very serious injury and we cannot be held liable.
5. The bins / glass recycling area behind reception is not a good place to play hide and seek; the reasons are obvious to adults but not so obvious for children!
6. Please ensure all hot tub lids are replaced once you have finished bathing to minimise the risk of children entering the tub unsupervised.
Hot Tubs at Brownscombe
If you have booked a hot tub then you will need to read through all the information on the Brownscombe App regarding their safe operation and will have to adhere to the safety rules that are clearly affixed next to the hot tub. Failure to do so could result in an additional cleaning fee of £30. Most guests use the hot tubs responsibly but in exceptional circumstances we reserve the right to close a hot tub if we believe the guidelines are not being followed or guest behaviour could cause damage to themselves or the hot tub or there is excessive noise at night. We will not refund the hot tub rental price in these circumstances.
Dogs at Brownscombe
We love our labrador Molly and pugs Margot and Milo and are very happy to allow up to 2 dogs (over a year old) to stay in the designated tents and one in the Cabin as long as they stay off the furniture and out of the bedrooms. The decked area in front of your tent has a dog/toddler gate, to keep them enclosed and they should be on a lead when out of the tent. Dog bins are provided at the car park and in the orchard and the hose pipe next to reception is for muddy paws.
We have enclosed the Orchard at the entrance to Brownscombe where you are very welcome to let your dug run off the lead. Please pick up after your dog and be aware that the pigs may be a temptation to chase in the next paddock, but they will chase your dog back!
Please don’t leave the dogs alone in the tents, as it can be very stressful for them and could cause damage which you would be liable for.
Breakages / Damages / Check out
Please leave the accommodation by 9.30am and take all rubbish and recycling to the bin area behind reception. During covid we asked guests to please strip their beds and place the bedding in the laundry bags provided. Although we are no longer requesting it, you would go straight to the top of our favourite guests list if you did! Let us know if anything gets broken, so we can replace it for our next guest. We will only charge for replacement in exceptional circumstances, as we expect a degree of wear and tear. If damage is directly attributable to the guest, then we reserve the right to request payment from the guest.
We take every care to ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable holiday, but cannot be held liable for any accidents or consequential loss or damage to the guest’s possessions on the property or land.
Privacy Policy
At Brownscombe we are committed to safeguarding and preserving the privacy of our guests.
What information do we collect?
Booking information used to process your booking which you provide us by filling in our forms on our website. When you contact us by email to enquire or request information. We also collect statistical data from running and maintaining our website such as visits and page views.
What do we do with your information?
We use the information that you provide us when you book, to provide our services to you. In addition to this we may use your email address to provide information to you that you have requested, relating to our products or services and may at times contact you about additional services that we offer but you will be able to unsubscribe at any time. If you have previously booked a holiday with us we may at times contact you about similar holidays, that you may be interested in.
Storage of Data
We use a cloud based booking system run by a third party and do not hold any hard copies of your data at our premises. The database is password protected and the password is only known by the business owner, Kate Tregoning. We do not hold or store any information regarding your bank accounts or credit cards.
Disclosure of information
We will never pass your information on or disclose it to third parties other than in the event that we sell any or all of our business to the buyer, or where we are legally required by law to disclose your personal information.
Accessing your Information
You have the right to access any information the we hold relating to you (Data Protection Act 1998) and we reserve the right to charge £10 as an administration fee.
Please contact us at info@brownscombe.co.uk for more info
