Historic home in Tiptoe

Welcome to Tiptoe Lodge, our spacious home in the beautiful New Forest National Park where wild ponies roam free. We are just five miles from the sea, so make sure you pack your cozzies and bucket-and-spade as well as your wellies for walking on the Forest. My family have lived here for nearly a hundred years and the house is large, you'll have the whole of the back of the house to yourselves. Please enquire about Covid guidelines as we can make the house exclusively available to guests. My grandparents moved here in the 1930s after returning from India and I now live here part time with my own family. The house has a homely, historical, and rural feel - if you are looking for minimalist luxury, that's not our style. It is decorated with imagination and flair, full of family memorabilia, history and charm. Please note that due to the on-going pandemic we are in residence much more than usual which may not suit all guests at this time - please send us a message regarding the dates you are interested in, which we can either approve or decline rather than a request to book. You'll have exclusive access to both bedrooms, the back (white) bathroom, and your own private stairs and sitting room. My family lives in the front part of the house, which has it's own bathroom, staircase and drawing room. There is a large family kitchen where you can prepare food and there is a dining table in your reception room for private meals or you can eat in the kitchen. Usually we share the kitchen but please enquire about current Covid rules as we can organise exclusive access. We all share the large gardens, with the loggia and various outdoor seating areas. We're always on hand to offer advice and we enjoy getting to know our guests. We used to run a residential house in a boarding school for seventy teenagers so we're used to having lots of people around. Located in the tranquil village of Tiptoe, in the heart of the New Forest National Park, all you'll have to do is to pull on your wellies and walk through the village to the open forest itself where wild ponies roam free and gorse and heather grow between the various forest inclosures. Our closest is Setthorns Inclosure, on the other side of which you can find the breathtaking open heathland of Longslade and Horseshoe Bottoms. If you prefer the seaside, then jump in the car for the five mile ride down to Keyhaven, where you can watch the boats coming and going while the children go crabbing, or if it is beach weather head for Hordle Cliff (also five miles) where there is a lovely clean beach with safe water for bathing. Our nearest shops are in New Milton, three miles away, or else in the pretty Georgian Town of Lymington, which is a seven mile drive and from where you can catch a ferry to Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight. Tiptoe village itself is a very quiet place where at night you can only hear the occasional toot of an owl while you gaze up at the stars (we have no street lighting here!) There are a few shops and pubs in the larger neighbouring villages but here in Tiptoe it is really just a few houses and that's all and you're more likely to see people moving around on horseback than you are driving in cars, although I should say that cycling is also booming in this part of the Forest these days. Our nearest station is Sway and it is a pleasant half hour walk from there. Alternatively alight at either New Milton or Brokenhurst and take a taxi. Our property is situated on an acre of land and we have ample parking space for guests. Annexed to the property is Tiptoe Lodge Cottage which houses a tenant who also shares the garden.