Isle of Wight, Shanklin. Holiday Villa to sleep 14 adults plus 4 children.  Five-star Gold tourist rating, mobility rating 1 & 2 Isle of Wight, Shanklin. Holiday Villa sleeps 18
Visit Britain - 5 Star Gold Award
Mobility Levels 1 & 2.  Disabled Access

Offering spectacular sea views over Sandown Bay towards Culver Cliff, this magnificent villa was built in 1929, as a gentleman’s residence. Noted local architect, Ernest Smith, was commissioned to take full advantage of the cliff-top location and exceptionally sunny climate to produce one of the Isle of Wight’s premium properties. He designed a grand detached house with decadently proportioned rooms; all main living and bedrooms have large windows topped by stained glass detail, framing the vistas. Art Deco influences include an upstairs sun room with huge sliding picture windows to enjoy the breathtaking sunrises and scenery by day and bay illuminations by night. Huge stained glass windows bring out the oak-panelled hallway, magnificent staircase and galleried landing. The house has an impressive triple aspect drawing room and large oak-panelled dining-room with doors into the sun room and garden for al-fresco dining. The architecture, proportions and landscaped gardens with palms over the sea are reminiscent of an elegant Mediterranean villa.

Cliff-top walks begin from the garden gate; the tarmac cliff path enables people of all ages and abilities to take a stroll, five minutes to the sandy beaches. The cliff forms a backdrop to a long sandy Blue Flag award-winning beach that extends from Sandown to Shanklin. Swimming and watersports are supported by lifeguards in summer. For those who can tear themselves away from the beach, the area around Sandown Bay is renowned for its fossils, and ¼ mile away from the house lays Shanklin with its charming, historic village, thatched cottages, tea rooms, small shops, seafront train service and lift to the cliff path. For the more energetic, there are longer walks from home, through chimes and parkland landslips, to Ventnor, for a well-deserved hearty meal at a renowned inn. There are over 500 miles of footpaths and cycle tracks on the island, half of which is designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The island offers opportunities to explore geological sites, such as the Needles a short drive away, or Smuggler’s Cove closer to home. Shanklin Chine and Ventnor Botanical Gardens are within easy reach and provide a good chance of spotting the endangered red squirrel and Glanville Fritillary butterfly, unique to the island. Osborne House and Carisbrooke Castle (English Heritage), Mottistone House (National Trust), Brading Roman Villa, Dinosaur Isle and the Steam Railway are but a few of the island’s attractions for all ages. Shops ¼ mile, pubs ½ mile.

Stained glass entrance porch. Large oak-panelled hallway leading to huge drawing room with gas ‘wood burner’. Banquet dining room. Well-equipped kitchen with breakfast area and French doors to decking and gardens. Laundry/drying room. Two twin bedrooms, one with wheelchair access to outside and en-suite wet room with toilet (Mobility Levels 1 and 2). Two separate toilets. First floor: Galleried landing leading to five double bedrooms, each with 5ft bed; one with additional bunk bed (for +2) and day bed (for +1), one with day bed (for +1), one with additional single bed (for +1) and pull-out single bed (for +1); one with en-suite shower room with toilet. Each bedroom with TV, four with sea views, three with access to sun room with sliding picture windows, and one of the doubles with en-suite shower room and toilet. Three additional bathrooms, each with over-bath shower and toilet.

Gas ‘wood burner’ inc
Elec, full gas CH, bed linen and towels inc
Cot
Two t/cots
Four h/chairs
Eight Freeview LCD TVs
Six DVDs
Stereo/CD/iPod dock
Three elec ovens
m/wave
Two w/machines
T/dryer
Two d/washers
Freezer
Broadband - Wi fi
½-acre landscaped gardens with furniture and sun loungers
BBQ
Ample parking for 5+ cars
No smoking
Easy walking access
Friday to Friday

NB: Ponds in garden