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The essentials
The house sleeps up to four guests in two first-floor bedrooms. The only bathroom is also on the first floor. There is no lift, stairlift, ground-floor bedroom or ground-floor WC.
One entrance step and a raised threshold lead into the house. A flight of 14 carpeted stairs, with handrails on both sides, is required to reach the bedrooms and bathroom.
- Maximum occupancy: four guests
- Two bedrooms, both upstairs
- One bathroom, upstairs
- No step-free sleeping or bathroom facilities
- Traditional, compact room and corridor proportions
Parking and the approach
One guest parking space is provided at the end of the road, approximately 10 metres or 20 paces from the property entrance. The parking surface is gravel, followed by public pavement to the front door.
It is a standard parking space, not a designated disabled bay and not adapted for wheelchair-accessible vehicles. Paula can help with luggage if this is arranged in advance.
If you need a marked Blue Badge bay, the nearest council ones are on Grosvenor Street by the Grosvenor Museum (CH1 2DD), then Commonhall Street (CH1 2BJ). A Blue Badge displayed with a clock also permits up to three hours on single or double yellow lines, but not against kerb blips, the short yellow lines painted at right angles to the kerb, and not where a no-loading sign applies. Chester's inner centre is periodically closed to traffic, which changes what is reachable, so read the council's own guidance for the current position.
- Front entrance step: approximately 25cm
- Front door width: approximately 85cm
- Raised threshold at the entrance
- Keypad entry, so there is no physical key to manage
- No permanent entrance ramp
- Nearest council accessible bays: Grosvenor Street, CH1 2DD
Arriving without a car
Chester railway station is about three-quarters of a mile from the house measured in a straight line, so the walked route is longer than that. Taxis wait outside the station and are the simplest step-free way to reach the door.
The station itself has step-free access to every platform, lifts, accessible toilets, a Changing Places toilet and seven Blue Badge parking spaces, and is staffed from 03:00 to 01:00 daily.
On foot the usual way in runs along City Road, Foregate Street, Eastgate Street and Bridge Street, then down Lower Bridge Street, where Steele Street turns off. Worth knowing before you choose that route: Eastgate Street and part of Bridge Street are pedestrianised and laid with historic sett, a cobbled surface that is uneven under wheels and tiring underfoot. Lower Bridge Street has a pavement on both sides.
The nearest bus stops are on Lower Bridge Street, roughly 100 metres from the door in a straight line, and one of them has a shelter. Routes and timetables change, so check a current journey before you travel rather than relying on this page.
Ground-floor living space
The vestibule opens into one open-plan kitchen, dining and living area. Once inside, this main ground-floor space has no internal steps or thresholds.
Worktops and appliances are at standard domestic height. Furniture can be moved within reason, but there are no lowered work surfaces or adapted kitchen facilities.
- Smooth laminate flooring with a small rug by the sofa
- Moveable dining chairs
- Standard-height kitchen worktops, approximately 90cm
- No bedroom, bathroom or WC on this floor
Stairs, landing and bedrooms
The staircase has 14 steps and handrails on both sides. At the top, there is an additional step of approximately 20cm into the corridor leading to the bedrooms. The corridor is narrow, approximately 70cm wide.
The king bedroom and double bedroom are compact, with standard door widths of approximately 75cm and limited circulation space around the beds.
- Stair width: approximately 85cm between handrails
- Carpeted stairs and landing
- No stairlift
- Step into the bedroom corridor
- Both bedrooms accessed from the narrow first-floor corridor
Bathroom
The bathroom is at the top of the stairs. It has an L-shaped bath with an overhead shower, not a walk-in shower or wet room. Using the shower requires stepping over a bath edge of approximately 50cm.
There are currently no grab rails. The toilet and basin are standard height, and the tiled floor may be slippery when wet. A non-slip bath mat can be provided on request.
- Bathroom door: approximately 75cm wide
- Over-bath shower
- No level-access shower
- No bathroom grab rails
- Standard-height toilet and basin
Garden access
The garden is reached from the kitchen. There is one step down from the house and a second step into the main garden area, each approximately 20cm.
The principal surface is artificial turf, with fixed bench seating and moveable low seating. There is no ramped garden access.
Safety and sensory facilities
The house has hardwired Nest Protect smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms with battery backup and sensor lighting at the top and bottom of the stairs. A fire extinguisher, fire blanket and first-aid kit are provided.
There is no hearing loop, visual or vibrating fire alarm. Anyone who may need help to evacuate should discuss this with Paula before booking and consider whether the first-floor sleeping arrangement is suitable.
- Smoke and carbon-monoxide detection
- Sensor lighting by the stairs
- No hearing loop
- No visual or vibrating fire alarm
- No personal evacuation equipment
Assistance dogs
Trained assistance dogs supporting a disabled guest are welcome. There is no official UK register for assistance dogs, so certification, an identity card or medical documentation is not required.
Please tell Paula before arrival so the house can be prepared. The dog must remain under the handler's control, be house-trained and not pose a direct health or safety risk. The handler remains responsible for supervision, cleaning up and damage beyond fair wear and tear.
Enjoy the Pause does not otherwise accept pets. Guests with a severe animal allergy should contact Paula before booking because a completely allergen-free environment cannot be guaranteed.
Support before arrival
Paula can provide detailed pre-arrival information, a visual tour and answers about the actual layout. Luggage help may be arranged in advance. Early check-in or late check-out can only be offered when current availability permits.
If you bring personal mobility equipment, please discuss its dimensions and the available space first. The house does not provide hoists, lifting equipment, adjustable beds or specialist mobility aids.
Is it right for you?
The house may suit guests who can manage the entrance step, staircase and over-bath shower, including some guests with mild mobility impairments who are comfortable using handrails.
It is unlikely to suit a wheelchair user, anyone unable to use stairs, or a guest who needs step-free sleeping, a ground-floor bathroom, a level-access shower, grab rails, a hearing loop or visual fire alarms.
Needs are personal. Please tell Paula which detail affects your decision so she can answer clearly, without making assumptions about what will or will not work for you.
Website accessibility
The rebuilt website is designed for keyboard navigation, screen readers, resizable text, visible focus and reduced-motion preferences, with WCAG 2.2 AA as its target. We continue to test it and welcome reports of any barrier.
Tell Paula if you need information in another format or hit a problem using the website. This statement was originally prepared by Paula in February 2026 and should be reviewed whenever the property, arrival route or website changes.