Seakale Cottage, Rye Harbour

FOR STAYS OF MORE THAN 4 NIGHTS, PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR A QUOTE. This former fisherman's cottage is located in the heart of Rye Harbour village (2 miles from Rye) and is tucked away at the end of an unmade road. The cottage is arranged over three floors, comfortably accommodating up to 6 guests (plus 2 travel cots) and is as suited to a relaxing break for family or friends as it is for a romantic getaway for two. Please note that the property may not be suitable for elderly or infirm guests, due to the wooden staircases, a small step from the reception area into the kitchen and access to the shower, which is over a large, deep bath. Seakale is dog-friendly and up to two dogs are very welcome to stay for an additional feel of £20. The cottage has been decorated in keeping with its coastal setting, together with quirky vintage finds. On cooler nights, simply throw a few logs in the wood burner for that cosy cottage feel.  White-washed floors and plantation shutters add to the 'beach house' feel, together with far-reaching views of the nature reserve, river and sea. On the ground floor is a cosy living area with a wood-burning stove and Smart TV. Adjoining this is a spacious dining area comfortably seating up to 6 adults, with french doors that lead out to the garden. Open to the dining area is a well-equipped kitchen. The kitchen is a very efficient space with all the appliances you would expect, including a good-sized fridge/freezer, electric oven, gas hob, full-size dishwasher, microwave, toaster, kettle and a Nespresso machine. On the first floor are the master bedroom with a king-sized bed, double wardrobe and a chest of drawers. There is a family-sized bathroom with marble-topped twin sinks, a spacious bath with an overhead shower, perfect for blasting off sand after a long day on the beach. There is also a laundry cupboard housing a washing machine and clothes airer. An ironing board and iron are also available. On the top floor are two twin bedrooms, with two single beds in each room, one with a blackout blind, making it ideal for young children. Both bedrooms have a chest of drawers and hanging pegs/space. The staircase is fitted with a retractable stairgate at the top of the stairs. To the rear of the cottage is a long private garden that is child/dog-friendly, with an outside tap and hosepipe, handy for washing off sandy feet/paws and a washing line for the drying of clothes/beach towels. There is outdoor furniture seating up to 6 adults and a Weber charcoal BBQ. Attached to Seakale is a lockable barn providing plenty of storage for bikes or sporting equipment, such as a windsurfer. FOR THE 'LITTLE PEOPLE' We have tried to think of everything to make a stay with little ones as easy and child-friendly as possible. You will find 2 travel cots, 2 stairgates (one fixed at top of 2nd staircase), bed rail, highchair, booster seat, plastic cups, plates & cutlery, fireguard, toddler step, toilet training seat, potty, and anti-slip bath mats, perfect for weekend visits when you want to travel light. PLEASE NOTE: The staircases at Seakale are wooden and we are unable to fit a stair gate at the top of the first staircase due to the design of the staircase. There is a fixed stairgate at the top of the 2nd staircase and a pressure-fitting gate that can be fixed at ground floor level. PARKING: There is space for parking on the shingle area in front of the attached barn. There is also plenty of free parking on the nearby village street. PLEASE NOTE: Tram Road starts off as a tarmac road and leads into a section of unmade shingle before reaching Seakale. This might not be suitable for very low vehicles. The cottage is nestled at the far end of a quiet road and has an attached cottage on one side and its own storage barn on the other. The road consists of a section of unmade shingle track with a hotchpotch of new and ramshackle properties, giving a distinctly bohemian feel to the area. It's incredibly peaceful and quite often the only sound you will hear is the cry of the gulls. Just a stone's throw from the property is the 800 acre Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, with paths endlessly crisscrossing in the directions of Rye, Winchelsea, Camber Castle and the beach. It provides an idyllic escape from the crowds at Camber Sands during the summer months. Here you will find outstandingly beautiful landscapes, whatever the season, with pools and lagoons and wide-open skies, perfect for birdwatchers, artists, dog walker, ramblers and cyclists alike. It's the ideal place to relax and unwind from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and the nature reserve offers a varied programme of activities throughout the year, many of which are ideal and interesting for children. Rye Harbour is a working harbour with an active fishing fleet. It's not a picture-postcard village designed for tourists, but a friendly community of fisherman, artisans and labourers, in which many generations have lived all their lives. The village consists of a mixture of weather-boarded properties, period cottages and tumbledown seaside dwellings. There is a well-stocked village store, 2 cafes (one of which is an art gallery), 2 pubs (one waterfront), a boat club and a lifeboat station. These coastal flatlands make a particularly ideal base for a relaxing holiday with dogs. There are literally miles of flat, dog-friendly footpaths, where dogs can roam off-lead for hours. The Romney Marshes provide an endless variety of walks as well as a choice of uncrowded beaches, where they will enjoy racing across the vast expanses of shingle and sand at low tide.