Unique 3/4 bed cottage w. garden, Brighton

A unique opportunity to stay in Stanmer village on the edge of Brighton, in our lovely cottage in the heart of Stanmer Village, with beautiful church, pond, tearooms, walks. Perfect for a family (sleeps 6-8) or small group of friends looking to visit Brighton and the surrounding areas. PLEASE NOTE - this is a family house in a quiet village - NO PARTIES Free parking on the streets outside and excellent transport links into the centre of Brighton and beyond. The space The cottage itself fronts onto a small road which pretty-much constitutes the entirety of Stanmer Village, which is an archetypal olde-worlde English village (Manor House - farm house - church - pond - workers cottages ...). It is semi-detached and is next door to the village tearooms. It is fully double glazed and centrally heated. The house is accessed through a small front garden. The outer door leads into a small porch where boots etc can be left, the inner door enters into the LIVING ROOM via a small area which has a cupboard for coats and a pull-across 'barn door'. The lounge has a couple of sofas, an armchair and a log burner, it leads through to a conservatory. The CONSERVATORY overlooks the landscaped garden. A small sofa and fairy lights make it another cozy area to chill out. It's a great place to watch the sun rise over the trees at the bottom of the garden if you are an early riser (if you are more owl than lark then watching the evening shadows of the giant horse chestnut trees by the horse paddock from the decking is another lovely way to bookend the day) Outside is a patio leading into a large garden which includes a greenhouse and garden studio. The 'pond' area is no more because we had a toddler so we drained it (next project is a fire pit in it's place!) but the bamboo surround and lighting at night makes a lovely backdrop. The KITCHEN is fully equipped and has a table which seats up to 8 people. The main BATHROOM is downstairs - there is a bath with an integrated shower and a sink. The separate TOILET is next door. UPSTAIRS leads to a small landing. On the left are 2 small BEDROOMS: - one contains a double bed - one contains a bunk bed (standard single on the top and small/Victorian Childs bed (suitable for child of up to approx 8 - 10 years old) on the bottom. On the right is the MASTER BEDROOM. This has a king size bed and an EN SUITE which has a toilet, sink and shower. There is another staircase leading to the LOFT ROOM (BEDROOM 4). This is a modern conversion which stretches the width of the house. On one side is an office space with a large desk and on the other is a sofa. It's a perfect place for a bit of calm and relaxation. Although it's not technically a bedroom due to the lack of door (the stairs lead straight up into the middle of the room) we often use it as one - the futon sofa opens out into a double bed from which the stars through the velux can be gazed upon! The surrounding area is lovely - it is a haven for dog walkers and countryside enthusiasts and the street outside the house usually has numerous folk wandering past peering into the cottage gardens. Coming out of the front gate there are, directly opposite, horse chestnut trees and - over the low stone wall - horse paddocks. Turning right out of the front garden gate takes you past the 'workers' cottages (as they were when they were tied to the estate farm) and beyond that into countryside which is reminiscent of parts of northern France (indeed the village was requisitioned by the Canadian army during the 2nd world war because it's similarity to Normandy made it such a perfect drilling ground for the troops ... there is a whole other story about some of the misdemeanours that occurred during this time ...!) Turn left out of the gate and you have the village teashop. This can get busy sometimes during the day - it's open 10 - 4 - but never feels overwhelming (and it's great to be able to have food, cake and coffee - quite literally on tap!). The evenings and night times are incredibly peaceful. The road takes you past stables, the original farmhouse (there is a stunning orchard behind which is accessible, a local Permaculture collective look after it and make & sell juice from opposite the cafe), an original tithe barn which is apparently the oldest of it's type in the country (there is scaffolding around it at the moment ). The church and the donkey wheel (which houses the well that used to provide water for the village - it is often open on the weekends) are further along, then Stanmer House, which has a cafe on the ground floor, the Art and Antique collective - which is a hive of fabulous local artists, and the new and very exciting 'One Garden', which is a re-imagining of the old kitchen gardens of the Manor House. It houses a horticultural college, beautifully designed gardens, a farmshop / crafts shop, a nursery and a restaurant. All this is within a few minutes walk of the cottage. Further afield you can, depending on which way you turn, have a stroll through woodlands and end up on the South Downs (lots of routes for the committed walker!) or else meander up towards the 'earthship' (an intriguing eco-building constructed from industrial waste products) via various local craft and sustainability initiatives - such as organic food growing, sculpture, yurt making, and a meditation garden ... Guest access Guests can access all of the rooms in the house with the exception of the small office downstairs which will be used for storage and locked. We will also lock the garden studio and a few cupboards throughout the house so we can leave the space relatively clutter-free for your stay! Other things to note To be really clear: There is a CAT! He is quite independent but will need feeding and letting in and out (you might have to lock him in the kitchen / conservatory at night otherwise he might decide to love-bomb and purr-you-awake at 3am!). The neighbours are on hand to cover this if you'd rather not have to feed, and he can be left out all day, however he will be sleeping in the conservatory at night. The house has free parking on the street in front of it - we will provide guest passes which will need to be displayed. The centre of Brighton is 20-ish minutes by bus or car. The main campus of the University of Sussex is a 15/20 minute walk through the park and, from here, there is plenty of public transport (buses and a train station) This is a family house not a hotel or a workspace so please bear that in mind before booking. There are some imperfections throughout the house -it is an ongoing work in progress which we put much of our time and love into and it's decorated to reflect our tastes and history rather than a 'boutique' experience! You'll have the whole house to yourself but, should maintenance be required then you might have some visitors - we'll let you know if this is going to happen. Also we have a "handy man" right next door if you have any issues that need quick attention. Like life (especially family life) in general sometimes there are glitches in the matrix. If you experience any then please message or phone us and we will do our human best to resolve it. We will be abroad during your stay but one of our neighbours will be a point of contact. We are assuming that you will treat the house like you would if you were staying with friends; respectful of the fittings and fixtures and the facilities provided. Should breakages occur then please let us know. Similarly with accidents and stains. Airbnb runs on the economy of trust (less cost than a hotel but higher consideration factor).