Scallop Shell Cottage

A stay at Scallop Shell Cottage is akin to living a in Cath Kidston-esque country idyll. From its pretty shutter windows and 18th century stone exterior, to an interior blending vintage-style fabrics and colour palettes with contemporary comfort and luxury touches, along with its peaceful village setting, its a great old fashioned escape from the daily grind but with a good dose of contemporary indulgence thrown in.

Little ones will head straight for the toy boxes or trampoline, whilst adults will admire the interiors, cosy wood-burner- perfect for crisp winter days or late night relaxation - Ipod dock (don't forget your player!), flat screen TV and Rayburn cooker.   Outside, the secluded front and rear gardens both have sunny patio areas, plus there's garden furniture and BBQ making them ideal for relaxing over morning coffee , daytime picnics or evening drinks. A fenced-off pond in the front garden is a haven for wildlife.

Upstairs, the master bedroom is bright and airy with a king-sized bed and 180 degree views over the surrounding countryside. The second double also has lovely rural views along with an original cast-iron fireplace, whilst the twin overlooks the gardens and fields beyond. The family bathroom has both a bath and a separate shower, as well as a non-slip floor making it ideal for little ones.

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Situated in the village of Niton, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty the cottage has a tranquil and relaxing location, with the front and back gardens commanding panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.  It is set on a quiet lane about 20minutes walk from the coast and closer still to Niton's excellent selection of shops including a local convenience store and off licence, newsagent, post office, butcher, chemist and bookshop, as well as two traditional pubs - the White Lion and the Buddle Inn. The former is closer at around four minutes walk, serves decent pub grub and has toddler-friendly play area; whilst the latter  is about 15minutes by foot, serves excellent food and has a lovely grassy area with sea views. Both have kids menus. The small village fishing cove is within a 20 minutes walk and several good beaches are within 15-20 minutes drive, in particular Steephill Cove is ideal for families thanks to its lovely sandy bay,  fresh crab shop and cafe, which Conde Nast Traveller magazine called 'superlative' in 2006.

Literally a few steps up the lane from the cottage is Niton Maze which is a brilliant maze made from a cornfield with a fun dinosaur theme and regular day and evening family fun events. It also has a hay bale maze just for toddlers open all summer from Mid July. Other family-friendly attractions include: Black Gang Chine theme park and Amazon World, both ideal for rainy days with lots of indoor activities.

For a night out worth arranging babysitting for, The George in Yarmouth comes highly recommended for high standards of food and service but booking a few weeks in advance is suggested.

Also, just 10minutes walk from the cottage on Hillside Farm is the Beauty Necessities Retreat offering a ful range of hair, beauty and holistic therapies.

testimonial scores:5:5:5:0

Wonderful cottage, beautifully decorated and equipped with everything you could ...

Wonderful cottage, beautifully decorated and equipped with everything you could possibly need (and much more!) for a break with a tot. We had a wonderful holiday and will definitely be back!
Overall Experience Rating: 100%

Lovely cottage in a superb location with every want and need taken care of....

Lovely cottage in a superb location with every want and need taken care of.
Overall Experience Rating: 100%

This is the nicest property we've stayed in. It's perfectly equipped for a holid...

This is the nicest property we've stayed in. It's perfectly equipped for a holiday with or without children. A 5 star recommedation from us.
Overall Experience Rating: 100%

We have stayed in many holiday homes and I must say yours has definitely felt th...

We have stayed in many holiday homes and I must say yours has definitely felt the most homeliest. You have thought of everything. The children enjoyed every minute and found all the games and activities exciting.

We had a fantastic time at beautiful Scallop Shell Cottage. A great location, wo...

We had a fantastic time at beautiful Scallop Shell Cottage. A great location, wonderful atmosphere and lovely scenery. We’ve stayed in many cottages in a number of countries and Scallop Shell was easily the best equipped as well as being utterly charming!

Have had a wonderful stay, it is hard to wrench ourselves away! Every last detai...

Have had a wonderful stay, it is hard to wrench ourselves away! Every last detail has been thought of and provided for and the cottage is in a wonderful location. Already planning a return visit asap!

Beautiful well equipped cottage with everything being thought of to make our sta...

Beautiful well equipped cottage with everything being thought of to make our stay so comfortable. Would certainly like to return at a future date.

A lovely cottage, beautiful inside and out. Well equipped for our 2 year old who...

A lovely cottage, beautiful inside and out. Well equipped for our 2 year old who had great fun with the toys inside and trampoline in the garden. Would definitely return

What a fab cottage, really relaxing and homely especially if the weather is bad....

What a fab cottage, really relaxing and homely especially if the weather is bad. Best holiday place we’ve ever rented. The whole cottage is beautifully and stylishly decorated – lovely white sheets and towels too.

We had such a fantastic week staying in Scallop shell cottage - it was such a lo...

We had such a fantastic week staying in Scallop shell cottage - it was such a lovely location, right next to a farm and with fabulous countryside views, but also a short walk to the village shops so not too remote. The cottage itself was gorgeous and very well equipped. We definitley want to return one day!

A beautifully presented and very well equipped cottage, in an area full of thing...

A beautifully presented and very well equipped cottage, in an area full of things to do for children of all ages.

Very very well equipt, lovely surrounds, clean and tidy... will return as soon a...

Very very well equipt, lovely surrounds, clean and tidy... will return as soon as possible.

Every detail has been thought of. We were sad to come home!"...

Every detail has been thought of. We were sad to come home!"

The cottage was absolutely stunning and had everything we needed for a stay with...

The cottage was absolutely stunning and had everything we needed for a stay with our 20 month old. He loved the trampoline, swing and slide and the tractor at the farm next door!"

Owner Profile

Lorna and Oliver Wright plus Alice and James Wright.

Away from it all, a little slice of heaven after London.

Scallop Shell Cottage is the perfect place for kids : the location, garden and surrounding countryside are ideal for families. The cottage is situated at the end of a quiet country lane and down a farm track so there is no passing traffic apart from the next door farm tractors which little boys and girls love to watch go by. The garden both front and back are large and perfect for running about. The front garden has a swing, slide and 8ft trampoline as well as Little Tikes rocking horse not to mention the outdoor garden set for kids. Just right for afternoon tea on the lawn! The back garden has a small ruined pig house where hide and seek comes into its own or make believe houses come alive. The cottage looks out onto farm lands and often in the field at the end of the back garden there is a horse or sheep. Our children spend hours watching and talking to the farm animals. Washing up can be a chore but here at Scallop Shell Cottage it is a joy as you look out over the fields and watch the farmer herding sheep or cows. The back garden is a haven for birds with a nut feeder and nuts to fill up with. The children will love wathching or counting the number of hungry birds swooping down for a nibble. There are toys galore at the cottage as we use the cottage every 6 to 8 week ourselves. Our children always bring a new toy down or Granny sends one! There is more than enough to keep little ones entertained on a wet day. Tidying up is a chore though especially when there is lego everywhere. The beaches of Ventnor and Steephill cove are a short drive away and there are ample buckets and spades for children in the garage. All in all our kids love it and the freedom the cottage allows them after being couped up in London, so we hope yours will aswell.