Mead Cottage is idyllically situated on a 12 acre farm, on the edge of the small rural hamlet of Alverstone in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This is a wonderful position for outdoor pursuits, walking, cycling, fishing and golf. In the village there are water meadows and fishing ponds, with hides for bird and red squirrel watching. There are a plethora of footpaths leading up on to the downs and towards the coast. Sandown is less than three miles away with sandy beaches and lively entertainment, plus Sandown Golf Course is within easy reach. The long stretch of sand at Yaverland beach is also only a ten-minute drive away. The village of Newchurch is within a 25-minute walk along footpaths and here, there is a great public house for meals. One of the well known Island cycle routes also runs through Alverstone, so there is easy access to a cycling network which interlinks various parts of the Island.
The cottage is one of a pair of cottages which have recently been converted from a barn. The farm is home to horses and a number of free range chickens. It has a large pond that attracts ducks, moorhens and the occasional heron. The cottage has been renovated to the highest standards, furnished and equipped with great care to provide comfortable accommodation for four people in two bedrooms. The cottage has under floor heating beneath an attractive tiled floor with panel heaters upstairs, and the hot water is solar heated. There is a well-equipped fitted kitchen with an electric oven and hob, microwave, dishwasher and refrigerator with freezer section. A washing machine and tumble dryer are also provided in the cottage and there is access to a freezer in an outbuilding beside the cottages. There is a spacious, open-plan sitting room which extends across the width of the cottage and is a bright room with patio doors opening into a pretty courtyard garden. There is a pleasant dining area beside the window, and a wood burning stove provides a central focus for the room in colder weather. It is furnished with a sumptuous three seater sofa and arm chair, plus a Smart TV. A wet room is also on the ground floor with a shower, basin and WC.
Upstairs there are two attractive bedrooms; one spacious double room with views across fields, and a compact twin bedroom. There is a bathroom with a bath, basin and WC. A travel cot and high chair is available. Heating and domestic electricity are included without extra charge. Free WiFi broadband Internet is available.
The cottage has a private courtyard-style garden which is fenced and gated, from which there is a stunning view over paddocks to the pretty pond. Garden furniture and a barbecue are provided so that meals can be enjoyed outside. Parking is at the rear of the cottage and there is space to store bicycles. The Alverstone Marshes (Triple SSI - Site of Scientific Interest) with abundant wildlife adjoins the farm and it is possible to see a rich variety of wildlife. Nearby places to visit include Sandown Zoo, The Donkey Sanctuary, Carisbrooke Castle and Havenstreet Steam Railway.