The Garden Flat

Welcome to the Garden Flat, a tastefully refurbished studio apartment overlooking a beautiful garden and stream which you are welcome to wander round. Located in the attractive village of Carisbrooke, it’s an ideal location for exploring the Island. It’s five minutes walk from Carisbrooke Castle, and ten minutes walk from the Tennyson Trail, which leads to Tennyson Down, the Needles, and the sea. There is picturesque countryside on the doorstep, an area of outstanding natural beauty. The space The Garden Flat is a self contained apartment on the ground floor of our three storey home. It’s at the back of the house, making it a surprisingly quiet space, given it’s central location on Carisbrooke Road. The back door opens onto a porch, and then into an extensive well maintained 2 acre garden which includes a stream, a watercress bed, an allotment, an acre of woodland, and a pond with a pond house. The garden is regularly open to the public. You are welcome to wander, and there are various spots to pause and enjoy the grounds. Red squirrels, dragonflies, little egrets and kingfishers are regular visitors. The Garden Flat is stylishly furnished, and has recently been refurbished to a high standard. As well as being passionate gardeners, we are art lovers and enjoy showcasing the work of Island artists, ceramicists and craftsmen. We are also avid readers, and the house is well stocked with shelves of books which guests are welcome to borrow. The Garden Flat is also home to an extensive poetry collection. The property was formerly a farmhouse, built in 1739, and was last used as a farm in 1970. As owners, we live in The Dairy next door, a former barn and milking parlour attached to the house. Guest access There is free off road parking in the spacious gravel drive where we live, at the Dairy, next door to the rental property. The house front door opens onto a hallway, stairs and landing, which are shared with other guests who may be occupying the upper two floors. The Garden Flat has its own front door off the entrance hall. It is a self contained open plan apartment with its own back door, and patio doors opening out onto the garden, with a table and chairs where you can sit and relax outside. You are welcome to wander round the extensive garden. Other things to note Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate dogs or other pets. Our apologies to animal lovers! We have a stream running through the garden which attracts a huge diversity of wildlife, and sadly, our experience has been that pets frighten the wildlife. Apologies too that we are unable to accommodate babies and children. There is a lockable porch that can just about squeeze in two precious bikes. Alternatively, bikes can be tucked out of sight in the back garden. We ask that you do not smoke or vape in the house, and don’t light candles or naked flames. Although we have excellent fire safety measures in place, it being a 3 storey house, we want to minimise the risks, for the safety and wellbeing of all our guests. If you’re coming by public transport, there are bus stops almost directly outside the house, in both directions, so it’s a convenient location, wherever you come from. There is a local Co-op convenience store two minutes up the road. There are two pubs and two restaurants nearby. (And a Turkish barber’s which does a very good hot towel shave).