Susan Payne Property

Welcome to Lower Watchingwell

Lower Watchingwell is an extraordinary Grade II Listed Isle of Wight stone property, believed to date from 1607, with later Victorian and 20th-century additions creating a substantial and wonderfully versatile country home. Rarely does a property combine this depth of history with such an exceptional standard of presentation, and the current owners, who have been custodians for nearly 20 years, have completely restored, upgraded and beautifully maintained both the house and its grounds. The result is an enchanting, secluded home with the atmosphere of a five-star country house hotel, where ancient stone, exposed Tudor brickwork, salvaged 17th-century shipwreck beams and an impressive inglenook fireplace sit effortlessly alongside refined interiors, elegant bathrooms, a superb kitchen/breakfast room and an abundance of modern comforts.

The accommodation is currently arranged with seven bedrooms across three floors, offering tremendous flexibility for family life, guests, home working or multi-generational living. The main house provides over 3000 sqft of internal accommodation, with further useful space within the summerhouse and garage/workshop. Outside, the property sits centrally within its plot, with around half the grounds to the front and half to the rear, including landscaped gardens, lawns, mature trees, patios, a kitchen garden, substantial greenhouse, summerhouse with sundeck, a stone folly and a charming stream at the lower boundary. A ramshackle stone barn, understood not to be listed, offers enormous potential for a future project, subject to any necessary consents.

Watchingwell is an ancient hamlet recorded in the Domesday Book, positioned between Newport and Yarmouth and surrounded by spectacular countryside. The property enjoys a rare sense of seclusion while remaining very convenient for the amenities of Newport, with Yarmouth also within easy reach, offering boutique shopping, a marina and ferry service to the mainland. This is a location that perfectly captures the appeal of country living on the Island, with direct access to a fabulous array of footpaths and bridleways connecting into the wider countryside and onwards across the whole Island. The northern boundary fronts the Yarmouth Road, set behind a stone wall and electric gates. To the south, a footpath leads just inside the boundary and provides direct access to stunning West Wight walks, featuring fantastic scenery and passing a particularly magical local feature - the hidden old private railway station, Watchingwell Halt, tucked away in the countryside to the south of the property near Calbourne.