Shingle House

A-Z INFORMATION FOR DURING YOUR STAY  

ACCIDENTS

If you incur any injuries while on holiday, please let us know.  Please see below for Emergencies, and look under Hospitals
for details of your nearest Accident and Emergency Unit.

ACCOMMODATION

As is stated in our contract with you, we cannot accept more than 8 people and one infant (under 2) in the house.

Please note that due to the size and layout of the rooms, you can only put a cot bed in the bedroom upstairs (we suggest it might be convenient to put it in the adjacent bathroom).

BREAKAGES

If you happen to break anything, please leave us a note as it assists our Housekeepers to replace items effectively during the limited change-over period.

CLEANING

Our Housekeeping team will come in after your departure to make the house ready for the next guests (see Departure below) and although we don’t expect, nor want, you to clean, it would be hugely appreciated if you could leave the house in a good condition.

If you do need to clean the house during your stay, please only use the products that we have left, as some of the materials used in Shingle House need special treatment.

In particular:

There is a dust pan and brush in the kitchen, and a hoover in the cupboard between the kitchen and shower house.

The wooden floors are sealed but should  anything be spilt on the floors, we would appreciate it if you would mop it up immediately.

COMPOST

We encourage all our guests to compost all suitable material. The composting caddy can be found in the cupboard below the sink.

CONTACTS

Contact number: 07734 323464 

(Mon–Fri, plus emergencies).

Our usual hours of operation are within office hours, Monday to Friday.

If you require a prompt response please telephone this number. Please do not email, text or tweet as these means of communication are not monitored as frequently out of hours.

DEPARTURE

You probably don’t want to think about the end of your holiday just yet, but on the day of your departure please do make sure that you leave the house by 10am. We need time for the housekeeping team to get the house ready for the incoming guests.

On leaving, lock the front door and place the master key in the key safe where you found it on arrival. The spare front door key should be left on the kitchen island where you found it.

DOCTOR

The nearest doctor’s surgery is: Oak Hall Surgery, 41-43 High Street, New Romney, Kent TN28 8BW. Tel. 01797 362106

DOORS

Dungeness can be windy, so please take great care when opening the doors and windows at such times.

When you leave Shingle House, please ensure that the doors are locked, keys returned to the hooks in the laundry cupboard and the wind breaks at the rear of the patio area are locked in the shut position.

DRONES

Please do not fly drones in the area as they disturb local livestock and upset the neighbours.

DRYING CLOTHES

To dry any wet outdoor clothes, there is a condenser dryer in the laundry cupboard , and a drying rack which can be used.

ELECTRICITY/ FUSE BOX

Should a fuse blow at any time during you stay, the consumer board can be found in the kitchen cupboard next to the dining room seating.

In the case of power supply disruption to the area, this can be checked with UK Power Networks. Text POWER TN29 9NE to 80876 for updates.

You will find a wind-up torch in the kitchen cupboards.

EMERGENCIES

If you need to call the emergency services, they will require the full postal address:

Shingle House, Dungeness Road, Dungeness, Kent, TN29 9NE

Fire

There is a fire extinguisher facing you as you enter, under the hooks in the hall, and a fire blanket in the cupboard above the hob in the kitchen.

However, for anything serious, we would rather you close all the doors (provided it is safe to do so), evacuate the building and contact the fire service.

Electricity

If a fuse blows, please see above regarding the location of the consumer board.

Water

Should a leak develop, the master stop tap is located in the services cupboard in the dining room adjacent to the fixed seating.

See Hospitals section for medical emergencies.

See Contacts for other emergencies.

(FIRE) WOODBURNER

The fire in the sitting room burns only the self-burning logs provided or seasoned logs. Both should be burnt on a bedding of ash. Please do not use timber found on the beach.

The fire is opened by pulling the handle found in the gap at the bottom right-hand side of the front of the fire.

On occasion in cold weather in Dungeness, the flu needs a little help to get the fire going – start with a small fire and allow it to warm the flue, adding more fuel gradually.

Please note that the fire only operates with the door closed.

Matches can be found in the kitchen cupboards.

FIREWORKS AND LANTERNS

Shingle House sits in a rural/beach location and as a result fireworks are not permitted. In addition, Chinese lanterns are not allowed as the wires and bamboo supports can be eaten by wildlife and dogs, causing injury.

FIRST AID

A simple first aid kit is located in the cupboard above the hob. Please leave it out if you had occasion to use it.

GARDEN

We aim to provide gardens at our houses that reflect the local area. At Shingle House the grounds have been left as they were, shingle with minimal planting.

Please ensure that the panels to the sheltered area are secured and left closed when you are away from the house.

HEATING

Shingle House is heated through an underfloor system, with each room having an individual thermostat.

The thermostats display the temperature reading for their immediate proximity, and are controlled remotely.

The fire provides additional heat in the sitting room – see Fire above

HOSPITAL

The nearest accident and emergency hospital is:  The William Harvey Hospital, Kennington Road, Willesborough, Ashford TN24 0LZ. Tel. 01233 633331

HOT WATER

Hot water will be available at all times, with an additional boost in the morning and evening.

INSTRUCTION MANUALS

Included here are details of how to use the simple functions of the electrical appliances. Should you need detailed manuals, they can be found in the unit under the television in the sitting room.

KEYS

When you enter the house, you should find a spare front door key on top of the island in the kitchen.  On final departure, lock the front door and place the master key in the key safe where you found it on arrival. The spare front door key should be left on the kitchen island where you found it.

The keys to all of the patio doors can be found in the utility cupboard, located in the walkway from the entrance hall to the kitchen.

LOST PROPERTY

Please try not to leave anything behind when you leave the house. If you do, unfortunately Living Architecture cannot accept liability for loss of property. Lost property will normally be disposed of if it is not collected within 6 months. Living Architecture may charge a reasonable fee to cover the costs of storage, handling and postage for lost property.

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Shingle House is situated within Dungeness National Nature Reserve; this area is also designated as a Special Area for Conservation and a Special Protection Area and is home to many rare and endangered insects, plants and wildlife.

Further, the Dungeness RSPB Reserve manages large areas of gravel pits, reed beds and shingle habitats with colonies of seabirds, breeding ducks and wintering wildfowl.

At certain times of the year the house can be subject to the sort of conditions that come with its location. This might include insects and flies.

Please respect the environment, especially when visiting with a dog.

PARKING

A parking area for Shingle House has been created in front of the house and caters for four cars.

Please note that it is not advisable to park on the shingle in Dungeness, as vehicles have a tendency to sink in and require towing out.

PETS

One well behaved dog is allowed at Shingle House. Please do not allow your dog on the furniture or the beds.

As the house is located within the Dungeness Nature Reserve, please ensure that your dog is under control and does not trouble the wildlife.

POWER STATION

Both Powerstations are now in their commissioning phase and are no longer providing electricity to the grid 

RUBBISH AND RECYCLING

In order to meet the requirements of the local authority, please sort rubbish using the bins in the kitchen according to:

General waste (incl. glass) – black bin in the kitchen. Please only use the grey bin bags provided. They can be found under the sink.

Dry recyclable waste (card, paper, tin and plastic bottles) – bins in the freezer cupboard.

Compost – bin found under the sink.

When the bins in the kitchen are full, please transfer to the labelled wheelie bins found in the bin store at the rear of the house in the metal sheds. The compost bin is situated by the bin store.

SHOWER MATS

Non-slip shower mats can be found in the cupboards in the bath house and ground floor and first floor bathrooms.

TELEPHONE

Most mobile providers operate in this area; however, service can be limited in the house itself.

TERMS & CONDITIONS OF BOOKING

Your contract with us is bound by the terms and conditions to which you have agreed. These can be found at www.living-architecture.co.uk/terms-conditions.asp

To help preserve the high standard of our houses and for insurance purposes, we want to remind you not to allow anyone into the house except for those guests who are actually sleeping in it – so please do not allow extra visitors (unless you have made a prior arrangement with Living Architecture).

TOWELS

You will find a set of towels for each person that the house accommodates in each bedroom (please do not use these outside or as beach towels).

(UNEXPECTED) VISITORS

As there is strong interest in Shingle House, we have noticed that a number of people have been turning up asking to look round the house.

In the interests of your own privacy and security, we urge you not to do this.

WATER

The water supplied to Shingle House is mains water so is fine for drinking and cooking.

WI FI

The house is connected to the internet via an aerial system – at times and particularly in bad weather the signal can be intermittent   

WINDOWS

Our policy is to clean the windows periodically, but due to the elements, it is not always possible to keep them completely clean between these times.

ELECTRICAL

OVEN

Miele H5681

The oven has a wide range of automatic programmes – select the programme for your food and follow the instructions on display.

Switch the oven on using the sensor on the control panel – a vertical line inside a circle.

Select Automatic and scroll through the list of items that you want to cook; each has a sub-menu prompting for further information.

To use the Manual function, select that option having first placed the food in the oven. The display will show the recommended temperature which will light up; change the temperature if you require.

The cooking progress can be seen – once the oven has reached temperature a signal sounds (if switched on); if you wish to make any changes during cooking, press Change.

Details of how to use the timer, the Moisture Plus function and other functions see the manual.

To use the grill, select Grill on the first menu option. The door has to be closed for the grill to operate.

Quick trouble shooting:

If the display is dark, see if the power has tripped, you will need to re-set the language used and the clock – follow the instructions on the welcome screen when the power is turned on.

MICROWAVE OVEN

Miele M6260 TC

To use as a microwave:

There is a choice of 7 power levels from 80 – 900 watts selected from the knob at the top; the lower knob is used to select the required duration.

There is a non-stick microwave dish (unsuitable for use in the main oven) and stacking unit in the corner cupboard.

You can interrupt a programme by either pressing the Stop/C button or opening the door. Cooking duration can be increased by pressing the Start button which increases the duration by a further minute each time.

An automatic keep warm function switches on automatically 2 minutes after cooking at 450watts or higher has ended, provided the door has not been opened. This will switch on at 80 watts for a maximum of 15 minutes.

A quick start function is available; by pressing the Start button once, it will operate for 30 seconds, twice for 1 minute and pressing the button 3 times will operate the microwave for 2 minutes.

HOB

Miele KM6352

The hob has sensitive electronic sensors that react to finger contact.

The hob must be switched on using the sensor at the front of the control panel – a vertical line inside a circle. The sensors will all light up. If no function is selected, the hob will switch off automatically to save power.

Touch the cooking zone you wish to use and the power level you require.

Please note that induction hobs only operate when in contact with a suitable (induction) pan.

Please do not press the sensors indiscriminately as the hob will not operate.

Please do not clean the hob with washing up liquid, only a suitable ceramic liquid can be used. You will find some with the cleaning products (wiping with plain water also works very well).

COOKER HOOD

Miele DA186

To switch the fan on, simply open the vapour canopy, the fan will come on at power level 2. The power level can be changed by using the appropriate buttons on the right-hand side. The hob lighting can be switched on independently of the fan.

DISHWASHER

Miele G6660SCVI

A few dishwasher tablets have been left for your use under the kitchen sink.

Once the machine is loaded, ensure that the spray arms are not obstructed. Please note that there is no cutlery basket, instead there is a cutlery drawer at the top of the machine.

Switch the machine on. Select the required programme using the Programme selector button.

Quick troubleshooting: if the machine will not start, check the door is fully closed. If still not operating, check that the power supply has not tripped.

Please do not put wooden items such as chopping boards into the dishwasher.

FRIDGE AND FREEZER

Fridge – Miele K 121Ui

There are two under-counter fridges in the kitchen. Both are simple to operate. The temperature setting can be found on the right-hand side inside the appliance.

Freezer – Miele F123Ui

The freezer can be found in the cupboard in the dining room. It is simple to operate with the controls located at the top of the appliance once the door is opened.

TUMBLE DRYER

Miele T89226WP

Looking at the display panel, use the up and down arrow buttons to select the programme that you require, press OK to select.

After a programme has started, the unit will estimate the time it will take to dry the load.
The Perfect Dry indicator will flash while the calculation is taking place. An estimated time remaining will also be shown on the control panel.

Quick trouble shooting: if not set up correctly, the machine may not work – turn off the unit and when the welcome screen appears, select the language and time of day.

If the water collection drawer is full, the dryer will not work and will make a beeping sound, if this happens, pull out the drawer and empty the collector.

WASHING MACHINE

Miele W5922

Looking at the display panel, use the up and down arrow buttons to select the programme that you require, press OK to select.

Switch on the washing machine – the interior drum light will come on.

Select a programme using the programme selector dial.

If you select the Further programmes/ Settings option, the options will show up in the display panel and the required option can be chosen using the up and down arrows.

If you require, you can select a temperature and spin speed.

When the drum is loaded, the display shows the amount in the drum and calculates the amount of detergent required – this percentage relates to the amount of detergent recommended by the manufacturer, i.e. 100% means use all that the detergent manufacturer recommends.

Press start.

Quick trouble shooting: if the display is dark, the display has switched off to save energy, press any switch.

If the power to the machine has been turned off it may need to be set up again. Select the Cottons option and run an empty load. When that has finished, it is necessary to calibrate the load sensor. To do this select the Cottons option then press and hold the load/detergent button until the display says zero setting OK.

Information correct as of May 2023