BOOKING TERMS & CONDITIONS (APRIL 2026)
PLEASE READ OUR BOOKING TERMS & CONDITIONS CAREFULLY
“Mornacott” and “Mornacott Cottages” are trading names of Mornacott Conservation Ltd (us, our or we). We are registered in England and Wales under company number 14788378 and have our registered office at Oxygen House, Grenadier Road, Exeter, Devon EX1 3LH. Our main trading address is at Mornacott Estate, Bishops Nympton, South Molton, Devon EX36 3QS.
The Contract
This is a contract for a short-term holiday accommodation between us and the person making the booking and all members of the holiday party (referred to as you, your, guests) under the booking conditions set out herein (the Contract).
English Law will govern the Contract.
The Contract will be subject to the booking conditions set out herein, and must be complied with. The person whose name is on the booking form (the Responsible Person) agrees to take full responsibility for ensuring that the Contract is adhered to by all members of the party. The Responsible Person must personally stay at the accommodation throughout the holiday and be at least 18 years of age at the time of booking. The names, addresses and ages of all members of the party must be shared with us on request.
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 you and us. A contract shall only arise when your booking is subsequently confirmed by email or post.
This Contract is made on the basis that the property is to be occupied by you for a holiday as mentioned in the Housing Act 1988 Schedule 1 paragraph 9. You acknowledge that no tenancy is granted by the Contract.
You undertake to use the property solely for its purpose as self-catering holiday accommodation and to accept our right to refuse access to the accommodation to any person, whether the Responsible Person or guest of the Responsible Person, deemed unsuitable. Causing a nuisance or disturbance to neighbours or any unreasonable behaviour may result in us requiring the Responsible Person or their guests to leave Mornacott.
Where your booking is made through a third-party platform (such as Airbnb), the platform’s own terms and conditions will also apply to your booking. In the event of any conflict between those platform terms and these terms, these terms shall govern your stay at the property to the fullest extent permitted by the platform’s terms.
Payment
Bookings are confirmed on receipt of both the booking form and a deposit of 35% of the lodging cost (being the nightly accommodation charge for your booking set out in your booking confirmation, excluding any separately booked activities or experiences, which are governed by separate terms). The balance of the lodging cost is due for payment 60 days before the arrival date. You will be sent an email notification when the balance is due. If payment of the balance has not been received 60 days before the arrival date, we will assume that you wish to cancel and will treat the booking as cancelled by you. Where a booking is made within 60 days of the arrival date, full payment is due at the time of booking.
Entry to the property will not be permitted until payment in full has been received and cleared.
All prices quoted are inclusive of VAT at the applicable rate. We reserve the right to correct pricing errors; where a material error is identified before confirmation, we will notify you and give you the option to proceed at the correct price or cancel for a full refund.
Cancellation
Cancellations must be immediately notified to us by email following any occurrence giving rise to the need to cancel (delay in advising us of the need to cancel may result in us being unable to re-let the property and prejudice any refund that we may be able to make to you).
We offer flexible cancellation which reduces the stress and worry from booking your holiday. You can cancel your booking and obtain a refund of the lodging costs on the following basis:-
- Up to 60 days prior to arrival: a full refund of lodging costs;
- From 59 to 30 days prior to arrival a 50% refund of lodging costs;
- From 29 to 15 days prior to arrival: a 25% refund of lodging costs; and
- Fewer than 15 days prior to arrival: no refund available.
Partial refunds: where we are able to re-let all or part of the period in which you were to stay, we will arrange for you to be refunded the amount received by us up to the extent of your loss (this may be a reduced sum given the last minute nature of any re-letting) less any associated costs incurred.
We strongly recommend that you take out travel insurance to cover your cancellation and other risks. This will give you the peace of mind that you will get your money back if you need to cancel your holiday. If you choose not to, then you accept responsibility for any loss that you may incur due to your cancellation.
Circumstances beyond our Control (Force Majeure)
If for any reason we have to cancel your booking in advance due to circumstances beyond our control (for example, fire, flood, destruction/damage to the property (force majeure)), you will be refunded the full amount of the booking. If we have to terminate your holiday early due to a force majeure event, you will be refunded part of the lodging costs based on the time remaining of the booking. This will be the full extent of our liability. No additional compensation, expenses, consequential losses or costs will be payable.
Liability
Nothing in this Contract limits or excludes our liability for: (a) death or personal injury caused by our negligence or the negligence of our employees or agents; (b) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or (c) any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law, including under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
Our total liability to you under or in connection with this Contract (other than for the matters listed in the previous paragraph above) shall not exceed the total lodging costs paid by you for the relevant booking. Neither we nor our employees, agents or representatives shall be liable to you for loss, damage or injury to you or any of your party or your/their property or vehicles as a consequence of this Contract or the occupancy following therefrom or any indirect or consequential loss, loss of enjoyment, loss of profit, or loss of anticipated savings arising from your stay or from any breach of this Contract.
You indemnify us against loss, damage or injury sustained to the property or any persons as a result of any breach of these conditions or arising from the fault of you or any member of your party.
Right of Entry
We and our representatives shall be allowed reasonable right of entry and access to the property at all reasonable times for purposes of inspection or to carry out any necessary repairs or maintenance. We will give you reasonable notice wherever practicable, except in an emergency.
Accuracy of Details
Our website is as accurate as possible but cannot be warranted, nor do the descriptions of the cottages form part of this Contract. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy of property descriptions and images, the facilities and services may alter. We reserve the right to alter or improve any of the subjects without notice.
Terms of Use
You may access the property from 16.00 on the day of arrival (earlier arrivals are strictly by arrangement only). Please note that departure is by 10.00 on your final day (again, later departures are strictly by arrangement only). We need this time to ensure that the cottage is ready for your arrival after the previous guests.
On departure, you are requested to leave the accommodation in a clean and tidy condition. This includes washing-up, dishwasher emptied, placing rubbish in bin liners and putting in outside bins, ensuring ovens and barbecue are clean and free from grease. We reserve the right to make a charge of £100 for extra cleaning if the accommodation is not left in a satisfactory condition.
Personal photography and filming for private use is welcome at Mornacott Estate. Commercial photography, filming, or content creation (including for social media accounts operated on a commercial basis) requires our prior written consent.
Number of Persons using the Property
Under no circumstances may more than the maximum number of persons stated on our website occupy the property. We reserve the right to refuse entry or require departure if this condition is not observed.
Guests must use the beds provided and camp beds and inflatable mattresses are not allowed.
Any persons other than members of your party included in the original booking must not use the facilities at Mornacott and are not permitted to stay overnight at the property.
Stag and Hen Parties
Regrettably stag, hen or large single sex parties are not accepted.
Care of the Property
You are responsible for the property and are expected to take all reasonable care of its furniture, pictures, fittings and effects, in or on the property. You must leave them in the same state of repair and in the same clean and tidy condition at the end of the rental period as at the beginning.
You undertake to leave the property secure if left unoccupied during the period of let.
You must not use the properties for any dangerous, offensive, noxious, noisy, immoral activities or carry on any act that may be a nuisance or annoyance to the owner or other neighbouring properties.
Smoking and vaping are not permitted at any property.
Pets are not permitted except as follows:
- Two dogs are permitted at the Orchard;
- Three dogs are permitted at the Farmhouse;
- Two dogs are permitted at the Old Stables.
Damages and Breakages
You must reimburse us on demand for the reasonable cost of any damage, breakage, or additional cleaning required as a result of your stay, fair wear and tear excepted. We will not charge for minor breakages (such as individual items of crockery or glassware) unless part of a pattern of damage.
If you lose a key we will replace it upon you paying for the cutting of a new one.
Forfeiture of Right to Occupy
We may terminate your right to occupy the property, with immediate effect and without refund, where you or any member of your party commits a material or repeated breach of this Contract, including but not limited to:
- More people than declared on the original booking attempt to take up occupation at the start of the holiday or occupy during any part of the holiday.
- Overnight visitors are present without our express permission.
- Any illegal activity takes place or one which may cause unreasonable damage, noise or disturbance.
- Guests smoke or vape in the property.
- Guests bring pets to the property, except as follows:
- Two dogs are permitted at the Orchard;
- Three dogs are permitted at the Farmhouse;
- Two dogs are permitted at the Old Stables.
- Causing or risking harm to protected species, habitats, or the conservation integrity of the estate.
Estate Conduct and Environmental Obligations
Guests must conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the estate’s conservation purpose and must comply with any reasonable instructions given by estate staff.
You must not disturb, damage, or remove any wildlife, flora, or fauna on the estate. Deliberate disturbance of protected species is a criminal offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017. You must report any accidental disturbance or injury to protected species to estate staff immediately.
Open fires outside designated fire pits or barbecue areas are strictly prohibited.
Data Protection
Mornacott Conservation Ltd is the data controller in respect of personal data collected in connection with your booking. We process your personal data to administer your booking, manage your stay, and comply with our legal obligations. Our lawful bases for processing are performance of a contract and, where applicable, compliance with a legal obligation.
We will not share your personal data with third parties except where necessary to perform the contract (for example, with payment processors or estate management staff) or where required by law.
Our full Privacy Policy, which sets out how we collect, use, and retain your personal data and your rights under UK data protection law, is published at https://oxygenescapes.co.uk/privacy-policy/. By making a booking, you confirm that you have read and understood our Privacy Policy.
Complaints
Every effort is made to ensure that you have an enjoyable stay. However, if you have any problem or cause for complaint, it is essential that you contact us immediately to give us the chance to resolve it. We value your custom and want you to return and will do our best to resolve any problem. We cannot accept liability for complaints raised after departure that were not reported during the stay and where we were not given the opportunity to remedy the issue.
General
In the event that any individual term or clause stated in the Contract is not permissible by law, the remainder of the agreement shall remain valid.
We reserve the right to amend these terms from time to time. The version in force at the time of your booking confirmation shall apply to your stay.