It is so great to be up and running again! 

Karen did say that as soon as we were given a green light to re-open they would be down to Devon and Sandays before we could say clotted cream tea! And indeed they were, our first post-lockdown guests and lovely to see them again. Thank you guys!

Karen, Richard & William

We thought it might be useful to let you know how we are handling bookings in this “new normal” scenario.

Due to the havoc wreaked by Covid-19 with our bookings diary and the on-going general uncertainty, we are currently not taking deposits on bookings for the remainder of 2020. We simply ask that if you make a booking with us then you do so in good faith, and remember to tell us if your plans have to change!

We encourage direct bank payments where possible, but cash (correct money please) or cheques are also accepted.

We would also like to stress that if you cancel a booking for any Covid -19 related reason at any point before or during your stay (2020 or 2021) then any outstanding monies would be returned to you.  So if you are feeling unwell or have been in contact with someone who is, or find that you are needed at home to help someone else, then of course we would expect you to cancel. We don’t want to take any risks with your health or ours, and we understand just how volatile the situation is. 

You will also find that we ask for all your details in advance, rather than covering most of it at check-in. 

We also ask you to plan to bring luggage that you can handle yourselves if possible, so minimising any contact we have with your personal items. 

We are very pleased to hear that we will be allowed to re-open on 4th July. We are so looking forward to being able to welcome guests here again. We will be ready with a few new guidelines to keep us all safe so that you can relax and enjoy your break by the sea. On a warm sunny day like today there really is nothing better!

Hope to hear from you soon.

We remain hopeful that B&Bs will be allowed to open again on 4th July and are following all the latest guidance and advice as it becomes available.

If you have stayed with us before you will remember that we have a spacious layout and a small number of guests, and that there are no staff involved. We have also always had a policy of allowing gaps between room bookings whenever possible.                        So with some supplies of hand sanitiser, extra cleaning and mindful guests we are sure that we can re-open safely.

In Dawlish Warren the takeaways, car parks and toilets have been open for weeks now and welcomed hundreds of visitors. The recent warm spell of weather made the beach a very popular place to be for anyone close enough to come for the day, and we look forward very much to seeing the area buzzing with longer term visitors once more.

Having listened to the PM’s briefing on Sunday 10th May it is clear that the hospitality industry will not be able to start before 1st July at the earliest.

As a B&B we are part of that industry and therefore we have no personal choice in this matter. Consequently, Sandays will remain closed until at least the end of June 2020. 

It is very beautiful here at the moment and we do wish that we could share it with you. Spring flowers are everywhere in the hedgerows and growing out of every nook and cranny of walls. Our garden is also full of colour and the Echium towers are attracting dozens of bees.

The beaches and the walk to Dawlish has been very quiet since the start of lockdown, but from this Wednesday that will probably change a lot as people have more freedom to be outdoors and to drive to places they would like to be. We look forward to welcoming you to Sandays in the future.

Due to the latest raft of government restrictions we have decided it is impossible for Sandays to stay open as a B&B. We are expecting to remain closed until at least the end of May. However, we would be delighted as always to receive future bookings, and enquiries can be made in the usual ways.

As in all parts of the country, Devon is reeling from the impact the coronavirus is having on business, events and our day to day lives. We are sad that we are unable to host visitors at the moment and hope you will come back in the future.

Please look after yourselves.

Times are difficult and we all need some good news. 

So you might be relieved to know that the beach is open as usual and “social distancing” is rather easy! These pics were from Tuesday morning. 

Visited the National Trust property Knightshayes again yesterday, and particularly enjoyed the wonderful walled garden. Most of the plants are small at this time of year, but seeing the fresh new green against the turned soil, and the wonderful structure and layout of the area was stunning. 

There is lots going on there during March and over the Easter holidays.

Knightshayes is in the Tiverton area, so when visiting from Sandays we always take the opportunity to visit Tiverton as well, and take the “tourist route” back to Exeter to allow for a stop at Bickleigh Mill.

Without wishing to get involved in the general media hysteria over Coronovirus, we are taking extra precautions here at Sandays. Keeping everyone healthy and able to enjoy their holidays is paramount and with that aim there is extra cleaning of general surfaces and common areas, and provision of wipes. There are no known cases locally at the moment and all the usual tourist venues and local activities are operating normally.

The grounds and gardens of A La Ronde (National Trust property, Exmouth) were looking beautiful today. The Kokedama balls hanging from the trees in the orchard are full of spring flowers and create a lovely effect. Kokedama is a Japanese inspired planting technique and obviously one that can survive the strong winds and downpours we had last weekend! A walk around the edge of the grounds is equally beautiful with camelias, daffodils, primulas, and snowdrops in large numbers, alongside wild flowers and signs everywhere that Spring is almost here.

Nearly all environmental research these days depends upon at least an element of “Citizen Science”, for everything from bird & plant spotting to the landscape itself.

We now have a photo point on the wall near the Lifeguard Hut at Dawlish Warren where you can insert your mobile and take a pic, with details as to where you can then send it to. I expect there have been a few of these installed so will now be on the look out for more!

Dawlish Warren