Entrance hall, sitting room, drawing room, kitchen/dining room, 5 bedrooms, 6 bath/shower rooms. Boathouse, garaging, extensive terrace, hillside garden and a beach to high water mark.

Set within it a south facing bay the property is believed to have originally been built as a customs house in around 1828 to combat smuggling in the area. By 1840 the property was believed to have been back in the hands of the smugglers. In around 1948 extensive modifications were carried out together with further modernisation in the 1990’s resulting in the current form, where the accommodation is arranged on two storeys with all the principal rooms having southerly views over the bay. The property is featured in a Turner painting and also in the Alfred Noyes book, Orchard Bay. In addition to the flexible accommodation of the house, there is a stunning terrace to the front of the house overlooking the bay, a garage/workshop and a boathouse with a slipway onto the beach. The ownership of the property extends to the mean high water mark, thereby including Orchard Bay itself.

Within recent years, double glazing has been fitted to the property, also a good security alarm system and within the last two years a newly fitted kitchen with Corian worksurfaces has been installed. Steps from the property lead down onto the beach, making it a very rare find indeed. Situated on the unpolluted south coast of the Island in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the south facing windows, the proximity of the vast sea and the quietness of the location give the property a feel of living on an ocean liner.

The surrounding southern coastline of the Island provides some stunning scenery with the coastal path accessible from the property providing access to wonderful coastal and country walks. The adjacent town of Ventnor provides further facilities including a range of restaurants, a harbour and fish market. There is also The Botanical Gardens a short walk from the house, which benefitting from the good microclimate boasts an impressive array of plants. On the north coast of the Island there are a range of frequent car and passenger ferry services to the mainland including the Fishbourne to Portsmouth car ferry, which takes approximately 45 minutes and high speed ferry services from Ryde to Portsmouth and Cowes to Southampton taking between 12 and 25 minutes.

Accommodation:

Ground Floor

Part glazed door opening to:

Hallway with staircase off and opening to:

Sitting room with exposed stonework to the walls, open fireplace and stone hearth. Book shelving and built in cupboards. Wide opening to the sunroom through which there are sea views and access to the terrace. Light wood floor.

Sun room A triple aspect room providing a stunning vantage point for looking out to sea with French doors opening to the terrace. Built in cupboards with shelving and drawers. Light wood floor.

Kitchen/Dining room Comprising:

Dining area Exposed stone work to walls, French doors open to the terrace also providing sea views. Wooden flooring. Wide opening to:

Kitchen Recently fitted Elizabeth Ann kitchen incorporating a range of base and wall units with integral Neff fridge, freezer, dishwasher, oven and halogen hob set in blue Corian worksurfaces. Inset 1 Â 1/2 bowl sink with mixer tap adjacent to bay window providing stunning views. Oil fired two oven Aga. French doors to covered terrace.

Rear lobby Stable door to outside. Built in cupboards, shelving and fridge/freezer.

Utility room Washing machine, dryer and wash hand basin.

Lobby with cupboard with built in shelving. A further electrical cupboard.

Shower room Wash hand basin set in vanity unit, WC and tiled shower cubicle.

Bedroom 1 Built in cupboard with hanging rail, shelving and drawers. French doors to terrace, providing views over the bay.

Bathroom en suite Bath with water jets, wash hand basin set in vanity unit with WC.

Bedroom 2 Glazed door to front terrace and views over the bay. Accessed either via bedroom 1 or independently from both the front and rear elevations. Adjacent to the rear elevation is a lobby including an old fireplace with cast iron surround with a large built in cupboard.

Bathroom en suite Bath with mixer tap and shower attachment, WC, wash hand basin set in vanity unit. Skylight.

First Floor

Accessible by either the staircase from the ground floor or from two separate timber walkways from the garden provide a good degree of flexibility.

Drawing room A particularly light room with deep windows across much of the southern elevation providing stunning views over the bay and out to sea. A pair of French doors open to what was historically a balcony (the railings have now been removed). Partially sloping ceiling, wooden flooring and access to the roof space.

Adjacent lobby with two built in cupboards including a large airing cupboard with a Santon unvented hot water cylinder, slatted wooden shelving.

Bedroom 3 A good sized double bedroom with stunning views.

Bathroom en suite Panelled bath, WC and wash hand basin set in tiled surround with cupboards beneath. Heated towel rail.

Bedroom 4 French doors provides stunning views and access a former balcony (railings now removed).

Bathroom en suite Panelled bath, pedestal wash hand basin and WC.

There is a narrow interconnecting landing with bedroom 5 with built in shelving and drawers. Bedroom 5 can also be accessed from the garden via a wooden walkway.

Bedroom 5 Sea views, walk in cupboard with built in shelving, drawers and hanging rail.

Bathroom en suite Bath, pedestal wash hand basin and WC.

Boiler room A basic lean-to to between the rear elevation and retaining stone wall is a log store and boiler room housing an oil fired Trianco boiler.

Outside
From the entrance gates paths including a recently built timber walk-way lead down the lushly vegetated slope to the house. Adjacent to the entrance is the Garage/Workshop 9.57m x 3.2m with butler sink and built in cupboards to one end. Power and lighting, constructed of block work elevations under a concrete tiled roof with three windows overlooking the bay once used as an artists studio.

To the west of the house is a covered, open sided terrace accessible from the kitchen with a built in barbeque adjacent. This leads out to the extensive paved terrace to the front of the house, some 110 feet in width and enclosed by a sturdy sea wall, providing an extensive area for seating, dining and entertaining with views over the bay.

A short distance to the west of the house is a boat house of blockwork elevations under a concrete tiled roof, power, lighting, concrete floor and winch. (see floor plan). A narrow concrete slipway with adjacent steps leads down to the beach from the boathouse, whilst a further path leads to a gate on the western boundary.

The ownership extends down to the mean high water mark. Whilst there is public access onto the beach, there are restrictions on the public use preventing them from lighting bonfires or barbeques, exercising dogs, camping, fishing, landing boats or nudity.

Directions From Ventnor Botanic Gardens proceed East towards St Lawrence for about ¼ mile, where the turning left to Orchard Bay House will be found (also signed for Old Bank End Farm). Follow the track bearing left just after the house and on through past 2 gates, again bearing right at the end of the track towards the parking area adjacent to the entrance of Orchard Bay House.

Approaching the property from St Lawrence, pass the Parish Church of St Lawrence and just after the turning into Inglewood Park on the left, the turning to Orchard Bay House will be found on the right hand side (also signed for Old Bank End Farm). Follow the track bearing left just after the house and on through past 2 gates, again bearing right at the end of the track towards the parking area adjacent to the entrance of Orchard Bay House.

Postcode PO38 1UN

Viewings
Viewings will be strictly by prior arrangement with the joint sole agents:

Christopher Scott Tel: 01983 242121

Knight Frank Te: 01962 850333

MISDESCRIPTIONS ACT 1991

Christopher Scott and Knight Frank for themselves and the vendors of this property whose agents they are give notice that:

i The particulars are set out as a general outline only for the guidance of intending purchasers and do not constitute, nor constitute part of, an offer or contract.
ii All descriptions, references to condition, necessary permissions for use and occupation and other details are given in good faith and are believed to be correct, but any intending purchaser should not rely on them as statements or representations of fact and must satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise as to the correctness and accuracy of each of them.
iii No person in the employment of Christopher Scott or Knight Frank has any authority to make or give any representation or warranty whatever in relation to this property.