Blackthorn

Overview

Blackthorn is a luxurious holiday cottage for two in East Sussex. It is attached to the owner’s home situated on the edge of Icklesham village near the ancient towns of Winchelsea and Rye with a distant view of the sea, and surrounded by beautiful AONB countryside. It has a private, south facing verandah, ideal for soaking up the ambience of this peaceful setting, and guests are welcome to use the family’s heated, indoor swimming pool and outdoor hot tub throughout their stay. Home-grown seasonal vegetables, herbs and free range eggs are offered free of charge when available. However, if self-catering is not your style then there are two award winning pubs in the village, and a variety of restaurants to suit most tastes in the nearby town of Rye.

The cottage has a double bedroom with a zip and link bed, enabling it to be converted into a twin bedded room if required. A stylish en-suite bathroom, and a cosy living room complete with a wood burner for the winter evenings.

Double glazed windows and a door face south allowing the summer sun to stream in. This room looks out onto the private verandah and the uninterrupted rural views that lie beyond. 

To one side of the living room is a compact but well-appointed kitchen with all the usual appliances including a microwave oven and dishwasher. The comfortable living room also has a digital TV with built-in DVD, and a CD/MP3 player and DAB radio unit.  A travel cot and high chair can be provided, but please request this at the time of booking, or soon afterwards.

Both the swimming pool and the hot tub are available to guests between the hours of 8am - 8pm throughout the year, and at the discretion of the owners.
To compliment the indoor swimming pool and outdoor hot tub, guests can make use of the family’s well-appointed changing room, complete with a walk-in shower, which forms part of the pool complex. 

Beyond the changing room is the family’s laundry and drying room. This facility can be made available to guests for a small charge, and by prior arrangement. 

Guests are also welcome to explore the garden with its distant view of the sea, and relax in the grounds beyond Blackthorn where there are various areas of garden furniture, or alternatively enjoy playing a variety of the outdoor games such as boules, badminton and putting - all at their disposal.

What you can see from the Windows: From the living room that faces south, and beyond the private verandah, is a view of uninterrupted AONB countryside. From the kitchen window (facing west) can be seen the outdoor hot tub and indoor swimming pool beyond.

Tourist Attractions: The region has many places of interest to visit and areas to explore, with various National Trust and English Heritage properties close by: Battle Abbey and the 1066 Battlefields (EH), Rudyard Kipling’s Batemans (NT), Ellen Terry’s Smallhythe Place (NT), while further afield is Sissinghurst Castle and Gardens (NT),and Pevensey Castle (EH). Much closer to home in Rye is Lamb House (NT) which has been home to both Henry James and E. F. Benson, among others. Just on the door step is Camber Castle (EH), and if castles are your thing then the icing on the battlements has to be the National Trust’s stunning Bodiam Castle. A memorable trip to visit the castle could be to take a boat to Bodiam along the Rother in high season, or catch one of the restored Kent and East Sussex steam trains that run from Tenterden to Bodiam daily. If you have a taste for more steam then the delighful Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway is a must, with its marvellous miniature steam engines that run along the Kent coast between Dungeness and Hythe. For garden lovers this part of Sussex has much to offer such as the magnificent gardens at Great Dixter, the colourful borders and engaging sculptures at Pashley Manor Gardens, the seaside garden of the late Derek Jarman made out of the shingle at Dungeness, or the delighful show gardens at Merriments Garden Centre and Tearoom. This area is also known for it’s award-winning vinyards and cider orchards, so why not look into a visit to either Carr Taylor or Chapel Down vineyards, or alternatively to Biddenden and sample their refreshing cider, take a tour or taste the wines before buying a bottle or two to bring home as a special souvenir.

Eating and Drinking: The village of Icklesham has two award winning pubs. The Robin Hood with it’s own restaurant and is 10 minutes walk along the lane, while at the other end of the village is the Queen’s Head which also serves home -cooked food and is a 20 minute walk away. In Rye you can experience The Fish Cafe, vibrant lively café atmosphere with open plan kitchen area where you can view your meal in its creation, for serious diners and families alike. With further seating upstairs in our quieter more intimate restaurant (open when business demands). Other establishments we recommend include the grill room at The George Hotel, Simply Italian, and The Lemon Grass, to name but a few. A comprehensive range of eateries can be found listed in the cottage, and we’re always on-hand to offer any advice if necessary.

Foodstore: There is a well-stocked local village shop (operating to the side of a private house) that is situated opposite the village playing fields, and is ideal for basic groceries, toiletries, and a daily newspaper. 3 miles away in the historic town of Winchelsea is a small post office, quality corner shop,  and a high quality butchers and deli. The nearest supermarket to Blackthorn is a small but well-stocked Co-op located at Winchelsea Beach, also incorporating a post office. Pre-ordered groceries can be delivered to the cottage by Tesco and Sainsbury’s who both have large supermarkets in Hastings (5 miles away), or with Acado. You are welcome to pre order your groceries for delivery to the cottage, but please let us know of your intentions in advance as we are not always in.

Sporting Activities: Sedlescombe Golf Club offers excellent golf. The parkland golf course measures 6269 yards and with a variety of obstacles including ponds and deep fairway bunkers, provides an enjoyable challenge to golfers of all abilties. Sedlescombe also features a par 3 course, which far from being a simple pitch and putt, maintains the difficulty of the main course with holes measuring up to 176 yards from tee to green.

Camber is now renowned for Kitesurfers and keen surfers will be delighted of what on offer. Kitesurfing lessons & beginners courses on Camber Sands beach. Only 1 hour from London on the Sussex kent border. We also offer kite buggy & power kite lessons for all ages

Powerboat Trips & rib charters from Rye harbour.  Drive a speed boat up the coast or book a RIB trip to Fairlight cliffs, Hastings or even to Eastbourne Marina. All Boat trips are suitable for children

Bike hire is available in the nearby town of Rye. Hire a bicycle from Rye Hire and explore the beautiful surrounding coast and countryside at a leisurely pace.

Facilities

Equipment

• Oven/Hob
• Clothes Dryer
• Washing Machine
• Fridge/Freezer
• Microwave
• Iron/Ironing Board
• Vacuum Cleaner
• Kettle
• Toaster
• Dishwasher
• TV
• DVD
• Sky/Sat/Free View
• Music System/CD/Radio
• I-Pod Dock
• Log/Multi Fuel Burner
• Electric Heating
• Wi-Fi/Broadband
• Hair Dryer
• Dab Radio
• Selection of DVD's
• Selection of Books and Games

Outdoor Features

• Open Garden
• Balcony
• Garden Furniture
• BBQ
• Off Road Parking

Special Features

• Hot Tub
• Indoor Swimming Pool

Included In The Price

• Bed Linen
• Towels
• Heat/Light
• Logs/Coal

Prices

Location

Property Address

Blackthorn
Beech House
Watermill Lane
Nr Winchelsea
East Sussex
TN36 4AP

Owners Contact Details

Peter Spencer

Tel:01424 813974 or 07767 896807

Owners Website

Online enquiry