Coast & country adventures await at Two Sides

Rustic, quirky, countryside... This house is well set up for two families or those who want to give older and younger generations some space apart at bed time. Two Sides Cottage is 200 years old and feels like it’s been in a time warp. The ‘other worldly’ feeling is rustic, shabby in places, colourful and eccentric. There is still a WWII Nissan hut and a ramshackle wooden stable in the garden. The space Best of all… you can walk to a wild and quiet beach, through the fields – and be there in 25 minutes (or drive and get nearby in 1 min). Take a picnic and go all day. Track the ponies that live there, forage for samphire, dogs can roam. It’s totally glorious. Children will love it here. The gardens are flat (ish) and both are well enclosed. You have to walk from one to the other, around on the lane. The walk to the beach is great fun, and the beach itself is particularly wild and great for adventurous kids. Take a picnic and go all day… Biking from here is great. Don’t miss the Lymington Lido and 200m floating assault course, or wild swimming beaches at Milford on Sea. Keyhaven has great paddle boarding, there are several options for horse riding locally too. ** This property is available for rent with New Forest Escapes, who are a small local holiday cottage agency. Do contact us directly for best rates and availability a year in advance ** Inside: The house with it's two front doors, is Grade II listed because there are some beautiful old windows, ancient floors, and plenty of architectural features throughout the house. Like many of the cottages of this era, not many walls are straight, and you need to stay here with a tolerant heart for the wonky and strange. Your hosts have given the house a new lease of life. They've used and recycled pre-loved furniture and kept some of the old pieces, including an enamel bath which is marked. It's contentious to some, but it is clean - we give it a proper scrub each time! The furniture is simple, practical, with strong use of colour and pattern, thrown together in an easy-going manner. Kids will love the chest of fancy dress in the sitting room. The house has two distinct halves, with the kitchen running the full width of the two cottages downstairs. The bedrooms are spit evenly with 4 sleeping on one side, and 4 on the other. There are 2 staircases leading to the bedrooms, dividing the upstairs space in half. It's perfect for two families, or those who want to give grandparents a quieter and more private area. The kitchen is a really good space. The kitchen seats 8 around the main kitchen table is another table in the hall, so 12 can fit in one sitting. Little ones are well catered for with kit here: high chairs, cots, masses of toys and books, ride on car, flat lawns to play on, apple trees at the end of the garden to picnic under. The sitting room here is lovely, but small. Nothing matches but it seats 6 comfortably, so you can't all get in for a movie without seriously squashing up. But it's perfect for the kids for a post-beach movie. Bedrooms are all a good size and you can fit travel cots in all of them easily. The day bed downstairs is very comfortable and we can make up an extra mattress on the floor for you if you ask. Outside There are two gardens, one back, one front. It's about 1/2 an acre in total. You have to walk around or through the house to get from one side to the other. Both are laid mainly to lawn. The front garden has the terrace and gets the most afternoon sun. The garden is enclosed with hedges and fencing, but Houdini dogs will escape if they really try. There is still a rather shabby, but original WWII Anderson shelter here which will bring back memories for some visitors. It's a reminder of the time-warp this place has been in until very recently. The lane here is very quiet. It's single and a bit extra wide, so slow traffic only. Because of the school, it's in a 20mph limit area with no large traffic, but you can expect the odd tractor, passing. Home Truths Those who want perfectly clean velvet on their chairs will notice some smudges and marks. There are some genuine quirks around the house that haven't been made chi-chi. The stairs haven't been repainted, there are two patches of the ancient floor tiles (listed) are old and battered, but the kitchen, bathrooms, utility room and bedrooms are totally decorated and in good order. The top bunk is high and doesn't have a lot of head height. The house was decorated after a renovation in March 2021. The house is a solid wall construction from the early 1800's. The specialist eco lime wash that is used here on the walls discolours to a pale yellow when it meets with soot or salt. This is starting to happen in a very few places around the house. The bath in the downstairs bathroom is a big old enamel tub. It's marked and well loved and the owners have kept it for environmental reasons. It is clean - we scrub it well - but the marks will be contentious to some. The garden was sewn with new grass in March, at the same time there was a month long dry period. It has mostly grown but is still a little patchy close to the house. The garden isn't immaculate here, and rambles about over old cobbles and concrete paths. Next door to the house is a very small 'nature nursery' for 2-5 year olds, and opposite is a small state primary school. The noise here isn't loud or particularly obvious because the playground is on the far side of the school buildings. The area is generally very peaceful and even at school drop- off there is usually little traffic disruption. Both the school and nursery are closed at weekends. The nursery is open in the school holidays with limited hours. One complimentary basket of logs will be provided for your stay (Nov - March). Feel free to bring your own for any extra. Accessibility The parking is right on the lane outside the house. There is a concrete path to the house and whilst there is a downstairs bedroom (on a very comfy large day bed) there is a downstairs bathroom in the utility room area. This is a a walk across the kitchen to get there. The stairs are steep on both sides, so please be aware of this. The Space Sleeping Bedroom 1 - Upstairs Right: Twin beds with synthetic bedding, views facing overlooking the front garden. Bedroom 2 - Upstairs Right: King Bed with synthetic bedding, views over the smaller garden. Bedroom 4 - Upstairs Front: Bunks and single bed. Views overlooking the front garden. Bedroom 5 - Upstairs Front: King Bed with synthetic bedding. Over looking back garden. Bedroom 5 - Downstairs: Single bed with synthetic bedding. Views facing front garden. Bathrooms Bathroom 1 Downstairs: Bath with shower and WC WC Upstairs Right: Bath with shower and WC Bathroom 2 Upstairs Left: Sink and Loo Garden: There are lawns on both sides of the house (you have to go through the house or on the lane to get from one side to the other). On the other side of the house there is a bigger lawn next to the terrace, and WWII Anderson shelter. The garden is enclosed with a large hedge and gates. Kitchen: Kitchen table seats 6 plus second table set up for 12. Infusion Ranger master 3 oven with 5 induction hob/ Fridge freezer / Microwave / Cafeteria / 2 Slice Toaster / Dishwasher / Washing machine / Tumble dryer / Iron Mod Cons: A Roberts radio / WIFI / TV with Sky / WIFI is ok, mobile signal isn't great, but you can make online calls here. Parking: Three cars can park on the lane outside the house. There is a driveway at the back of the garden for you to pull off the road, this fits 2 cars, one behind another. Kids stuff: One travel cot and one high chair are provided. There is also plastic crockery and cutlery. Travel cot size is 120 x 62 cm Pets: Two dogs are welcome for a small charge. Other things to note: We want our guests to enjoy the use of the property and have a memorable time while staying with us. We have a few house rules to note, as follows; - The property can not be used for parties or private events of any kind. - No groups under the age of 25. - Strictly no stag/hen dos or same-sex groups. - Additional guests, are not permitted without prior approval. - No music after 9pm - We must be notified of any pets at the time of booking. Dogs are subject to a charge per dog, per stay. Guest access All of it. Other things to note Two dogs allowed for a small charge.