Calling all romantics, walkers, wanderers and design lovers

Calling all romantics, walkers, wanderers and design lovers. Come hither. This place is for you – The Boat Shed Lymington.

Chic and cool, The Boat Shed is a mini ‘Grand Designs' of a home. It packs a hefty architectural punch with its shingle cladding, log burner, multi-tasking living space, sleep space under the eaves and sunny, sheltered veranda. Unsurprisingly, The Boat Shed's owners, Alice and Henning Stummel, have appeared on Channel 4's Grand Designs with their London home, The Tin House, which was also shortlisted for RIBA House of the Year.

Whilst the area bustles with the seaside life of nautical living and small-town vibrancy this location is an oasis of calm tucked in amongst the trees. Hidden from the neighbours, this quiet and peaceful hideaway is perfect for feeling secluded whilst only being a gate away from the joys of seaside life; sea birds, tinkling boat masts and the fresh sea air.

Walk ‘not-quite-next-door' to great food and the town, walk west to the coastal path, big skies and wild beaches.

** This property is available for rent with New Forest Escapes, who are a small local holiday cottage agency. Do contact us directly for best rates and availability a year in advance **

Inside
Alice and Henning have rescued and repurposed The Boat Shed in a similar playful and minimalist style to their award winning property The Tin House. Alice says, “We live in a utilitarian style, pared-down, simple and functional. We only have what we need and find that the decluttering allows for more freedom in such a small space.”

Accordingly, space in The Boat Shed is used to a premium. A shipshape mini-kitchen is set into a wall of pale wood floor to ceiling cupboards, the table seats four, a comfy cabin-style sofa doubles as a generous queen-sized bed while the mezzanine space under the eaves very comfortably sleeps one and is snuggly for two (you could always ‘top and tail').

Walk out the garden gates straight into the Royal Lymington Yacht Club dinghy yard and you'll find yourself on the coastal path. Head east past The Mayflower pub which is excellent for food, meander through the bigger boat marinas and you'll get to the cobbled town quay with cafes and more pubs, including our personal favourite cafe, Greedo. If you head West instead, you will pass The Haven Bar and Restaurant which serves fabulous food and instagram worthy cocktails. Following this path along you'll head out of town for bigger skies, wilder walks, long beaches and the occasional cafe.

Top inland destinations are easily accessible by train or car with The New Forest only a short distance away. Consider planning an adventure on the way home to maximise your time in this glorious location. Heading into the forest by train is a great day trip when you've exhausted the coastal options or fancy a change in scenery. We suggest walking to the train station at Lymington town, taking the 9 minute train across the National Park wilds to Brockenhurst and walking to The Pig Hotel for a fancy lunch and day out walking in the forest. The Pig is well known and celebrated for its local menu, working walled gardens and country-house style.

Practicalities here: The sofa bed will not be made on arrival. We leave all the items you'll need in the cupboards and you'll have to make the bed yourselves.

Outside
While The Boat Shed is close to the bustle of the lively and picturesque market town of Lymington, it is tucked away in a secret, secluded spot – at the end of Royal Lymington Yacht Club's dinghy yard. It is reached through double gates and surrounded by a private garden with mature leafy trees hiding it from view. There's a table for two on the cabin's veranda while another table in the garden can seat up to eight if you have visitors – perfect for picnics, drinks and nibbles on summer days and warm evenings. The air is filled with the calls of seabirds and the view is full of boat masts – with the Lymington to Yarmouth ferry bumbling past in the distance.

Hometruths
The third bed is high, 4ft wide bed and above the bathroom in the eaves. There is a floor to ceiling slatted barrier on the long side. The ladder is vertical to get to it on the short side. For two adults it would very snuggly! But teens and children may be very happy here. Just please be aware that there is no barrier to stop them falling out on the short side.

The kitchen table seats 4. Should you have guests visiting, there is another table for eight outside.

Sadly there is no Wifi or TV

There is an extra charge for logs and kindling to burn on the fire (October- March) but feel free to BYO!

Accessibility

The Boatshed is perched on 1.5m high stilts. There are steps with a good handrail to get onto the front balcony and and there are no steps once inside. The door is wide enough for wheelchairs but the bathroom is very small, narrow and has no specific grab rails etc for those with challenged mobility.

You can park the car within 30 metres. The track is mainly flat, but cobbled and uneven.

Sleeping...
Bed 1 : Queen size sofa bed.
Bed 2 : A large single (4ft) above the bathroom, divided from the main room by simple wooden slatting.

Bathrooms...
Shower room : Toilet, small shower.

All the rest...
Garden : There is a small garden around the property which has mature trees and is shady. A double gate opens directly into the dinghy boat yard storage area and the coastal path walking route is just across it.
Kitchen : Tiny kitchen with sink, small convection oven, hob, toaster, kettle, fridge with small freezer compartment.
Mod Cons : A Roberts radio.
Connectivity : There is good 4G locally.
Phone service is reasonable for most suppliers.
Parking : There is off road parking for 2 medium sized cars.
Kids' Stuff : There are no cots or highchairs here but there is space to have them in the main room. Please do bring them with you.
Pets : Well behaved dogs are welcome for a small charge per dog, per stay. There is excellent dog walking on the coastal paths from here.


Other things to note:

We want our guests to enjoy the use of the property and have a memorable time while staying with us. We have a few house rules to note, as follows;

- The property can not be used for parties or private events of any kind.
- No groups under the age of 25.
- Strictly no stag/hen dos or same-sex groups.
- Additional guests, are not permitted without prior approval.
- No music after 9pm
- We must be notified of any pets at the time of booking. Dogs are subject to a charge per dog, per stay.