Property description
Reception Hall | Study/Dining Room | Drawing Room | Morning Room | Billiard/Games Room | Kitchen/Breakfast Room with Snug | Laundry Room | Butler's Pantry | Cloakroom | Cellar
Master Bedroom with Shower/Bathroom | 3 further Bedroom Suites | Family Bathroom
2nd Floor with 2 Bedrooms and Offices/Playroom/Bedroom 7
Beautiful gardens, swimming pool, farmyard with beautiful stone barns (with consent for 4 holiday units), stabling, storage barn, paddocks, 'glamping' site and garaging
In all about 7.02 hectares (17.36 acres)
THE ISLE OF WIGHT Situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) amidst some of the most stunning countryside on the Isle of Wight, this fine Georgian farmhouse is surrounded by open farmland and with wonderful and far-reaching countryside views. Positioned in the south of the Island, midway between Ventnor and Newport, which between them have extensive recreational and shopping facilities, the property is also in easy-reach of the popular centres of Ryde, Bembridge, Yarmouth and Cowes, giving fast and frequent communications to Southampton and from Fishbourne and Ryde to Portsmouth.
The Island is famous for its yachting and sailing in the renowned waters of the Solent. In addition, there is golf at Freshwater, Sandown, Ryde and Osborne House, and an extensive network of footpaths and bridleways for walking and riding.
FAIRFIELDS This is only the 3rd time that Fairfields has been available for sale since 1939. The house dates mostly from the 18th century and had the fine Georgian Façade added 1812. It is constructed of local stone under a slate roof with the Georgian Front having fine sash windows with dormer windows above in the roof slope. A sweeping gravel drive leads to a parking area to the north west of the house, and separately to the stable and farm yards
SUMMARY AND ACCOMMODATION Steps leading up to main door.
GROUND FLOOR
Reception Hall - with stone floor, staircase rising to first floor, upstairs cupboard. Doors to Drawing Room and Study/Dining Room.
Drawing Room - with two open fireplaces with stone surrounds, Glazed door to porch
Dining Room - with open fireplace.
Inner Hall - with stone flag flooring, wood panelling and door to Cellar.
Cloakroom - with high level WC, hand basin and stone floor.
Butler's Pantry - with Victorian dresser with cupboards and glass fronted cabinet above sliding doors.
Morning Room - with French doors to rear terrace
Games/Billiard Room with fireplace with stone surround and gas-fired wood burning stove (currently disconnected). Book shelving, floor to ceiling sash windows and deep, curved, bay window with views to paddocks and beyond.
Double doors to rear terrace (planning consent has been obtained for a conservatory off the Billiard Room).
Kitchen/Breakfast Room - a magnificent room with extensive range of fully-fitted units and cupboards by 'Neptune' with slate work surfaces incorporating double sink with 'Quooker' boiling water tap, 4 ring electric hob, double AGA, corner larder, and 'half-hack' stable door entrance to porch.
Utility/Laundry Room - with cupboard, Belfast sink and covered access to rear terrace.
FIRST FLOOR
Landing with stairs to Second Floor
Master Bedroom - with countryside views. Wardrobe cupboards, original Victorian grate, Bathroom 'en-suite' with large walk in shower unit, high level WC, wash hand basin, large bath.
Bedroom 2 - has far reaching views, original Victorian grate with wardrobe cupboards either side. Steps down to Bathroom 'en-suite' with stripped wood flooring, cast iron bath, low level WC, beamed ceiling.
Landing - A magnificent landing with staircase with unusual curved oak balustrade around staircase descending to the Kitchen/Breakfast Room.
Bedroom 3 - with Shower Room 'en-suite', high level WC, wash hand basin, cupboard and stairs to second floor.
Family Bathroom - French 'Slipper' cast iron roll top bath, low level WC, wash hand basin.
The Prayer Room - Walk-in airing cupboard. Second airing cupboard, both with hot tanks.
Bedroom 4 - a very large room with dormer windows with far-reaching westerly views. Range of cupboards and Bathroom 'en-suite', a magnificent roll top cast iron bath with shower and curtain rail and high level WC.
SECOND FLOOR
Approached by three staircases: two from the main landing and one from Bedroom 3.
Bedroom 5 - double bedroom with dormer window with far-reaching views.
Bedroom 6 which has stairs down to bedroom 3
Playroom/Office/Bedroom 7 stripped wood flooring and exposed beams.
There is under floor heating in the ground floor, landing areas and Bedroom 4. The remaining areas have radiators.
GARDENS & GROUNDS The gardens and grounds are beautifully laid out and were planned with great thought. The drive and lawns are defined by steel edging. To the front of the house the gardens gently slope away with wonderful variety of well-stocked shrub, herbaceous and flowering borders. There is a swimming pool (10.87m x 3.78m) heated by an air-source heat pump and a period style summerhouse with ornate leaded roof. The kitchen gardens comprise a raised vegetable bed, an area of top fruit (Raspberries & Gooseberries) and an orchard including Damson Pear, Quince and Bramley Apple trees. Beyond the drive are a number of stock proof paddocks fenced traditionally with post and rail with water laid on, and to the east of the house is the former farmyard which has its own entrance off the main drive.
HISTORICAL NOTE Originally the Manor of Blackdown, the property is mentioned first in 1280 when granted by Lady Isabella de Fortibus to Christchurch Priory. In 1810 it was bought by Michael Hoy, a successful London merchant who traded luxury goods and jewellery, with Russia. He added the impressive east front elevation in 1812. In 1819 he took The Hermitage on Chale Down above as his main residence having already had the Alexandrian Pillar (The Hoy Monument) erected at the summit to commemorate the visit to Britain, in 1814, of 'His Imperial Majesty Alexander the 1st, Emperor of all the Russias'. Ironically a later owner of the Hermitage, after the Crimean War, this time against Russia added a plaque 'in Honour of those brave men of the Allied Armies who fell on the Alma at Inkermann and at the siege of Sevastopol AD1857'. In the 1840s the property was let to the Toomer Family; a daughter Harriet married William Dawes of nearby Wydcombe Manor, a nephew of the infamous French courtesan Sophie Dawes (c. 1795 1840), Baroness de Feuchères. This English "adventuress" was born at St Helens on the Island and was best known as a mistress (and possible murderer) of Louis Henry II, Prince of Condé.
GLAMPING There is a 'glamping site' in a small paddock where the current owners have had paying holiday guests stay in purpose-made 'canvas cottage' marquees. There is planning for 3 such units but only 2 have been established. Guests are provided with water and w.c. facilities (to a separate septic tank). The consent is for use from April to October and high season weekly rents of £575 per cottage have been realised. The website is: www.buttercuphideaway.co.uk. This has been a useful income earning hobby and a purchaser would not need to continue this enterprise beyond 2014 season unless they so wish. There is ample room to land a helicopter.
EQUESTRIAN Provided with stabling and paddocks, the property has great equestrian potential. The Island is renowned for its excellent and spectacular riding country particularly on the Downs. A gentle hack from the property through coutry lanes up to donwnland bridlepaths around the Hoy Monument and nearby 'Pepper Pot' Oratory affords far-reaching countryside views though the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
THE FARM BUILDINGS A concrete yard enclosed by an 18th Century barn (the Main Barn) which is divided into two, with a stable wing to one end with three loose boxes and a tack room. The open-fronted garage is accessed via this yard.
The south east façade of the house sits under a tile roof with two original porches opening onto a gravel path and lawned terrace. This is bordered by flowerbeds and stone pillars with railings overlooking the parterre garden which has a number of beautifully laid out and stocked herbaceous and flowering beds and a water garden to one side. To the west is a second 18th Century barn (The Western Barn) with beautifully-arched doors, a number of store rooms and the original livestock stalls. Beyond this a further six bay hay barn is approached off another branch from the main drive. Adjacent to the kitchen entrance to the house is a large garage constructed of timber and stone.
PLANNING Planning permission/Listed Building Consent Ref: P/01693/12 LBC/23819/N was granted 25/02/13 for converting the Western Barn into 2 units of holiday accommodation and of the Main Barn into 2 units of accommodation.
An earlier consent (which included the building of the Billiard/Games Room area) also included the building of a conservatory for which only the foundations were completed. As the majority of the consented works are completed the conservatory consent should remain 'live'. Prospective purchasers should seek clarification on this point via their advisers.
SERVICES & HEATING The property is connected to metered mains water, electricity, and has a private drainage system. (A second system serves the 'Glamping Site'). An oil-fired boiler provides heating via radiators and under-floor heating. Bottled gas could serve the stove in the Games/Billiard Room (currently disconnected).
TENURE & POSSESSION, FIXTURES & FITTINGS The property is offered Freehold, with vacant possession on the whole upon Completion. Only those items mentioned in the sales particulars, together with fitted carpets and light fittings are included in the sale.
COUNCIL TAX Band H. Amount Payable 2014/15 £2994.56 p.a.
VIEWING ARRANGEMENTS Viewing is strictly by prior appointment with the Sole Agents Biles & Co. To view this property please contact our Isle of Wight office on 01983 872335.
DIRECTIONS From Fishbourne turn right towards Wootton (A3054). Turn left at the traffic lights and left again at the next mini roundabout towards Arreton. Take the A3056 right turn towards Newport and after three miles turn left onto the A3020 to Rookley. Branch right at Rookley, go past the Chequers Inn on the left, straight on at the crossroads at the bottom of the long hill and the entrance to Fairfields is found on the right just before the right urn marked Shinybricks Lane.
From Yarmouth via the Military Road (A3055) to Chale, turn left at the Church (B3399), bear right at Chale Green towards Beacon Alley. At the crossroads turn right and the Fairfields entrance is the next on the right.