Gotten Manor Estate - The Old House

A romantic, beautiful hideaway in the remotest part of the Isle of Wight. The Old House forms part of the Gotten Estate, dating back to the early 14th Century. Two large double bedrooms (one with spare single bed) with lime washed walls and wooden floors. Cast iron baths within the rooms create an old-fashioned opulence. Interlinking rooms - so ideal for couples or a family of four (but not toddlers due to steep stairs!) plus living room, dining room and full kitchen. The space The Old House is the annexe to Gotten Manor and forms part of the original footprint of Gotten Manor. It is a converted annexe that contains two bedrooms, a dining area, living room and a kitchen. The Old House is at the centre of the Gotten Estate, which also comprises an unconverted Long Barn, a Cart House (also available as a self catering let), the Milk House (also rented out) and our private house, Gotten Manor itself - the history of which you can read about below. Water is from a natural spring, and local supermarkets deliver on request. You have access to your own private garden area, as well as shared use of the wild flower meadow. PLEASE NOTE BEFORE BOOKING! Access to bedrooms is via very steep wooden steps, and there are some very low beams - so this is not a property suited for toddlers, the elderly or people with access requirements. The single bed is a small day bed, suitable for children, teenagers or small adults only! There is no washing machine or dishwasher. Wifi is limited in the dining room. The Old House is intended as a 'switch off' rural retreat - and is literally in the middle of the wildest part of the Isle of Wight, surrounded by epic views, amazing skies and lots and lots of wildlife. If you want a property with more 'mod cons' please consider booking the Cart House or Milk House - also on the Estate. Guest access Gotten Lane with its high hedgerows leads from Chale Green to Gotten Manor. Totally sheltered from the nearest road and set within its own land, the drive first passes the long barn , with its rusty orange roof, from where you can see the Cart House to your left and the Milk House towards the end of the Long Barn. To the right is Gotten Manor itself, which is arranged around a courtyard and a sunken walled, fruit garden. Gotten Manor Estate has commanding views of the coastline to the south yet is invisible from any road; it is a secluded haven of tranquillity. Other things to note An established smallholding in the Domesday Book of 1086, the Grade II-listed, utterly enchanting Gotten Manor Estate has been an inhabited farm for at least the last thousand years. Set on high ground but sheltered from the elements, some areas of the estate have views off the south coast of the Isle of Wight. It is a protected haven, surrounded by abundant, mature planting and cocooned by the adjacent hilltop. The Isle of Wight received UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status in 2020, ensuring its protection for the future. The south coast of the island is the wildest and most rugged part, with Gotten Manor found at the heart of its AONB. There are unending coastal walks and beaches including the C3 Bridleway, which is on the doorstep, leading on to St Catherine’s Down which has wonderful views along the south coast and most of the island. Several good delicatessens and farm shops are within a 20-minute drive, including Harvey Brown's, with produce from the Isle of Wight Cheese Company, The Island Bakers, and The Tomato Stall. Ventnor is the nearest major town and also has a beautiful beach. It is home to the Smoking Lobster, one of the best restaurants on the island. The Ventnor Fringe takes place annually in July and acts as a warm-up to the Edinburgh Fringe. There are also multiple surf spots along the south coast of the island with the best and most reliable swells to the west, lessons and boards can be rented through the IoWSurf. HISTORY OF THE ESTATE The site was first settled by the Jutes, a Nordic tribe who settled parts of the British Isles following the Roman withdrawal of Britain circa 388 AD. By the time of the Domesday Book, it had come under the ownership of the Bruning Brothers. The Manor was then passed onto ‘William, son of Stur’ during Norman rule and at the time comprised roughly 120 acres. There is little further mention of the Manor until 1305, when it was written about in local records: “the tenement being extended as a Hall, a Grange, an Oxstall, with half an acre of Garden, a Dovecot, 30 acres of Arable, 20 acres of Pasture and one Free Tenant rendering 12 pence per annum”. In 1313 the custodian of Gotten Manor, Walter de Goditon, became embroiled in an infamous shipwreck at Chale; a ship carrying 174 casks of white wine from Aquitaine to England washed against the rocks and the cargo was looted from the beach by locals. A contemporary investigation found the ringleader to be none other than Walter de Goditon. A long trial ensued, culminating in Walter being summoned to Westminster, where he was found guilty. The size of the fine received forced the selling and donation of much of his land, an acre of which was donated to the Church and led to the building of St Catherine’s Oratory lighthouse, a significant landmark on the south coast of the Isle of Wight which protected ships for centuries and remains standing to this day. The farm remained ‘in hand’ until the late 1930s, at which point it was leased and the current plot that makes up Gotten Manor today came into being.