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Right in the heart of the Isle of Wight, hemmed in by it's high Downs & half hidden by woods lies the picturesque village of Gatcombe. The road into Gatcombe on route to Freewaters, seems almost like a private drive, on your left at the top of a rise is an ancient church. It is a mellow & quaint building set among tall trees. It is a real village church, founded in the 13th century & both the interior & the exterior exude an air of tranquility.
Once
past the church you proceed into the village, past stone cottages &
quite a fair amount of thatch on a lane, which leads to one of the most
secluded & unspoilt parts of the island. The name of the village
itself maybe derived from 'Gate' & 'Combe', meaning "The gateway
into the valley". Nestled near to the end of the lane 'a dead
end', well for motorists anyway lies Freewaters a recently renovated dairy
farm.
Built
entirely of natural stone under a slate roof, this extremely picturesque
property has been built around three sides of a large gravelled courtyard
surrounded by seven & a half acres of private land including landscaped
gardens, & an orchard & paddock, where horses can be found contentedly
grazing. It is truly hard to believe that this haven is only 3 miles
from Newport, the main shopping centre of the island & civilisation!
Freewaters is ideally situated for walkers, bikers & cyclists with numerous footpaths & bridleways radiating from the village; to Carisbrooke Castle in one direction, Bowcombe & Brighstone Forest in another and finally up onto Newbarn Down, ' a climb of almost 600ft ', but well worth the effort on account of the spectacular views which are hard to better. It's central location makes Freewaters the ideal stepping stone for exploring the wealth of attractions to be found on this idyllic island. A map of the I.O.W is provided on the site to make finding Freewaters easier, click on this link to view it.
