Beautiful medieval 8-bedroom house near the sea

SPACES AVAILABLE FOR SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER THIS YEAR Set in its own land in the middle of an AONB, a great place to escape to and/or celebrate in, whether 16 people or 6 Spacious house, sprawling gardens, fabulous views, hot tub Modern comforts mixed in with historical features, filled with sunlight, cool in summer, warm in winter, roaring fires Secluded, private, yet within reach of everywhere Good WiFi, 4G, workspaces, Sky TV Generously equipped throughout & amazingly comfortable beds This beautiful medieval manor (our family house, which we love) manages to be incredibly homely while being impressively spacious, and feels private and secluded while also being in easy reach of everywhere -- including the south coast, which is minutes away. The historical features add layers of atmosphere alongside all the modern comforts. For a medieval house, it's incredibly light and bright, and entirely unspooky -- it embraces all who enter. It will be lovely to arrive at -- cleared and cleaned especially for your stay. INSIDE The house can absorb a crowd of 16 with ease. (Plus infants in travel cots.) If you're looking for a place to get friends and family together, whether for a holiday or for a celebration, there's masses of entertaining space -- the Great Hall sits there begging to show off its colours for celebratory dining, and the Drawing Room, Library, Garden Room, "Little" Dining Room, Den and Kitchen offer what seems like endless space to accommodate and entertain all ages. If you're fewer in number, you won't feel like you're rattling around as the house is somehow configured in such a way as to feel just as lovely if there are only four of you. Each of the 8 bedrooms has its own particular charms, and there are 7 well-equipped bathrooms with a mixture of baths and showers, some of which are en-suite. The beds are amazingly comfortable and often remarked upon. Everywhere it's as generously equipped as you'd wish a large family house to be, with every cooking gadget you can think of and rows of cookery books, dozens of jigsaws and games and DVDs, hairdryers in every room, rugs, hats and umbrellas to borrow. Yet it doesn't feel cluttered. OUTSIDE The sprawling gardens include an enormous south-facing walled courtyard laid to grass and safely enclosed for young children and dogs, a choice of three terraces, more than enough seating for 16 if you want to eat outside, and a large gas-fired BBQ. Beyond, there's a more formal garden with arbour, a medieval carp pond and terrace, a lawn gigantic enough for rounders, croquet, badminton, football, French cricket -- and some of these all at once! -- a lake, and some ancient trees that are particularly good for climbing. Wherever you are, the views are magical, and that includes the view from the 7-seater hot tub. The lawns are huge enough for children to run off a lot of steam, and in the Games Barn across the courtyard there’s table football, a full-size snooker table and a huge indoor area to play in, be it with scooters, skittles, balls and bats or just running around. A bit of a life-saver if it's raining. It’s in a “Dark Skies” zone, so if you look up at night, perhaps from the hot tub!, you will be astonished by the thousands and thousands of bright twinkling stars you never knew were there. If you want a bit of peace on a summer’s day, sit by the medieval carp pond and contemplate life, wander to the end of the formal garden and read a book in the arbour, or hide by the lake and watch what its wildlife gets up to. LOCATION AND THINGS TO DO You’ll find you’re in the perfect position to explore the rest of the island – most of its towns, beaches and attractions are less than half an hour away. For golfers there’s a choice of 8 visitor-friendly greens, and for walkers a huge network of footpaths through rolling countryside right on your doorstep. The Isle of Wight also offers riding, shooting, water sports, fishing, go-karting and archery as well as its other renowned historical sites and adventures. As the crow flies, you’re minutes from the south (“Jurassic”) coast and its varied beaches, and because so many of the island’s pretty villages and towns are within reach, the options for eating out are many and varied. Or hire a chef to cook for you “at home” – just ask for our list of recommendations. Whether it’s days out or at home, rain or shine, staying in or eating out, whether you want to have a celebration or be completely relaxed with family or friends, there will be something to please everyone. The whole house and its surrounding gardens are yours for your stay You’ll be greeted and shown round on arrival (in a Covid-safe way) by our property managers. We keep closely in touch with them from wherever we are, so if there are any hiccups or you have any queries, they will be sorted out quickly and efficiently. We don’t think you can beat “South Wight”. Wherever you go you’re never far from the sea. The villages around us in this area are particularly pretty (and sell fresh home-grown eggs!), and just driving along the coast with the sea a-sparkle and the white cliffs rising majestically in the distance is an experience in itself. The island generally has a wonderfully benign and friendly vibe. It has also become incredibly foodie – you might have heard of The Garlic Farm, Isle of Wight Tomatoes, Gallybagger cheese and Mermaid Gin -- they’re just the tip of the iceberg. There's a lot to discover, and you (we) never seem to run out of places to chance upon. You'll find a variety of suggestions and recommendations in our household folder, and will no doubt make your own discoveries too. You'll probably all be in cars, but there is a very intricate network of buses all over the island, fanning out from Newport in the centre and reaching every last village and also all edges of the island. There's a bus stop 5 minutes' walk up the lane. (See below for what products/food we provide to start you off) All bedlinen and towels are provided BUT You will need to bring your own towels for beach/hot tub, please -2 dogs allowed; extra dogs please request approval -Dog charge: 3 to 4 nights is £30 per dog; 5-7 nights is £50 per dog. We supply enough for a day or two of the following items to get you going: ---loo roll in every bathroom ---handwash at every basin and sink ---dishwasher tablets, fairy liquid, kitchen surface cleaner, cloths ---doggie bags, nappy sacks, a box of tissues in all bedrooms ---clothes-washing capsules and conditioner for the washing machine & tumble dryer ---teabags, instant coffee, sugar... ... and a basket of Isle of Wight surprises to whet your appetite, including Isle of Wight milk, butter, bread and fresh local eggs. We can also recommend some chefs if you'd like to have someone come to the house and cook for you all, perhaps for a feast or celebration, or just for a treat.