The Coach House

We have just enjoyed our first time at the Isle of Wight and staying at the Coach House made our visit extra special.

The appartment was clean, tidy and had everything needed to make our holiday a relaxing and exceedingly enjoyable experience. The owners are extremely friendly and helpful ( not that we had any problems ). The grounds are interesting and great for walking the dogs (the Red Squirrels were a definite bonus

We have been visiting Appuldurcombe for many years and love it.

It is such a beautiful location. We stayed in the Coach House on this visit which is a spacious property. The welcome pack is a lovely touch. We love the fact the cottages are set in the grounds of Appuldurcombe House, and you are free to explore the house ruins and grounds. The family who own the house are always very friendly and helpful. James is always on hand should any problems arise. We are looking forward to going back next year!

Lovely stay.

This is our 4th vacation here and next year is already booked. Perhaps consider replacing the dishwasher racking as it is starting to degrade. It was nice to get the welcome pack and not even the rain can detract from this place.

Our (7+dog) four-night stay over Christmas was enjoyed by all.

Somehow Santa knew the children were here and not at home and managed to find which bedrooms they were in. As our ferry crossing meant that we arrived on the island quite early, James (the owner) very kindly let us check-in sooner than scheduled. The five of us that arrived on day1 unloaded the Christmas food into the kitchen which is down a few steps from the dining area. Whilst the kitchen isn't huge, it is large enough that we often had four doing cooking, washing up etc at the same time without treading on each other's toes. The dining area did look to be on the small side but accommodated 7+1 visitor for Christmas lunch and a dog cage. The lounge was comfortable enough that it was well used by all of us at the same time. All of the bedrooms are of a good size for the number using them (1 or 2). The property is set in a very quiet location with splendid views across to Wroxall (a 10 minute walk away) and the hills beyond. It should be remembered that The Coach House is an older property so won't have all of the 'comforts of home', but it does offer an excellent location for a secluded holiday yet not too far from the coastal towns of Ventnor and Shanklin. I should add that we were very comfortable at the Coach House at a time when the weather was very cold.

The location was lovely, it was quiet and very scenic.

The property was beautiful, it was a lovely touch to have a welcome pack including a bottle of Prosecco, there was only a couple of issues. The 1st one is the check in and out times we were unable to check in until 5pm and had to check out by 9am, if the late check in is down to cleaning I was surprised to find numerous dead spiders in cob webs, also the lights above the dining table were dusty, the WiFi only worked in the lounge which in this day and age is a problem when people want to go online. But overall we had a fantastic stay many thanks

This is our third visit to The Coach House and we are never disappointed.

It is extremely homely and clean. The owner, James, is very friendly and approachable. We had an emergency with one of our group on the last day and an ambulance had to be called. James reassured us that he had spoken to the Housekeeping Team and they were aware of our situation so gave us more time to clear the property. Highly recommended.

Lovely sizable property which is well represented by the photos on the website.

Kitchen well supplied; loved all the mugs. Parking easy and convenient. For a dog-friendly property was disappointed that there wasn't a dog drinks bowl in the place. Carpets quite stained throughout. Toilet paper in the bathrooms would have been preferable to a free bottle of fizzy wine. Grounds excellent and property well located for plenty of walks and also near to buses when you've had enough walking.

We have just enjoyed a lovely week long stay in The Coach House.

The accommodation is spacious and with 6 people and 2 bathrooms, never felt cramped. It has everything you need for a comfortable stay. The Coach House is set within beautiful surroundings, with lovely walks on hand and the stunning Appuldurcombe House on your doorstep, which is fascinating to explore. The owners of the property are lovely, friendly and helpful and gave us advice about what to do and see. We would happily return. Thank you very much.

We had a wonderful stay at this beautiful property.

Clean, comfortable, well equipped kitchen. Beautiful tranquil surroundings.

We had a lovely stay once again as have stayed here a few times.

Beautiful surroundings & our Dog Angel enjoyed the walks on the property. Thankyou for making us feel so welcome. Julie, Phil & Curtis

Needs a thorough clean.

Upstairs cleaner than the lounge. The kitchen table was disgusting and the cutlery needed a good wash before it was usable. The smell of dog was also very evident everywhere. Thats not an issue as long as there is a deep clean. On the positive side its a lovely setting and quiet when we were there. The owners are very helpful and lovely folks to chat with. The information pack needs updating re the passwords for WiFi.

Absolutely loved the house.

Feedback:- 1/ The property needs to be refreshed internally with a re-decoration.

The walls are marked and look grubby. 2/ A deep clean should be undertaken. 3/ The cutlery, plates, place mats, etc need to be replaced with new sets to accommodate 7 people as they are all worn and dirty. (ie There were only 4 breakfast food bowls). 4/ The 3 piece sofa needs to be replaced as it is peeling and very badly worn. 5/ The sink plug in the upstairs bathroom was broken. 6/ The clock in the kitchen was not working and was not working when we last visited in 2022. It is still showing 2.25. 7/ All the windows need cleaning both inside and out of the property as they are very dirty. Overall, the property is in a lovely location and setting. I have visited with my family for a great number of years and unfortunately the property has been in slow decline due to a lack of maintenance and cleaning over the years. This needs to be rectified as a matter of urgency.

The property was amazing and the grounds and views were awesome.

If you are exploring the island this is an exceptional base to return too. In the morning you can enjoy a brew outside, watching the rabbits after a busy day out on this stunning island, you can put your feet up with a chilled glass of wine. James the owner , was friendly and very approachable, willing to spend time chatting and sharing his knowledge of the island. The welcome pack was a very nice touch and my husband enjoyed tucking into the coconut biscuits. We would definitely recommend this property. Janet and Paul

We booked the Coach house as a group of 7 who were attending the wedding of a friend on the estate.

The setting is absolutely amazing- right next to Appuldurcombe House, it is so picturesque and beautiful. The Coach House was adequate for the stay but it is quite dated and really needs a really good clean. I had an issue with some un-clean bedding and as the little handbook in the house says to, I called the cleaning company direct to request additional bedding (as there is zero left at the house- something I find a bit strange in case of circumstances like this). They are on the other side of the island I believe, but the lady I spoke to was nice enough and arranged for clean bedding to be delivered and left for us. In general the bedding is not that clean- it is old, bobbly and just tired. The pillows are also not in good condition, really thin & cheap and had no protectors on so were yellowing. My understanding is that all this is provided by a 3rd party (cleaning company) so I think the owner needs to have a look in to what is being provided as I don’t think it reflects the price being paid. Again, overall the house was suitable for our needs of a wedding weekend stay but it was not in a clean condition and is tired and dated in some areas- from sticky kitchen tables & floors, stained carpets, ripped leather on sofas to cobwebs & thick dust, it needs a really deep clean. We had friends staying in other cottages on the estate and these are more modernised and clean, so maybe this is due a makeover soon… On a side note, there is no downstairs toilet. One main bathroom/toilet which is upstairs on the far side and one en-suite. For 7 adults this was just about doable. For over £1100 for a 3 night stay I wouldn’t say it was good value unfortunately. It was a good base for us and the surroundings are lovely but I probably wouldn’t stay in this cottage/coach house again.

It should be made clear that there is a long flight of stairs quite steep and then steps down to bathroom Only toilets upstairs ( although owner says they have plans to put in a downstairs toilet ) Being disabled this was a problem Other than that the cottage was lovely very spacious and a beautiful location

Well equipped kitchen, however in previous Sykes Cottages we have stayed at, there has been much more of a welcome pack ie Milk, bread.

Never been told to take own bed sheets off before.Is that a new thing?? Dining area fine. Lounge disappointing. Settee plastic material peeling off. Lots of cobwebs in corners all over property. Cleanliness not brilliant. Main bathroom sink was very slow to empty. ?? Blockage. No rail at the highest point of the stairs. Very difficult for young and older people to climb. Most importantly when upstairs, how would you get out of the property if there was a fire? No fire escape etc!! Have stayed previously in lots of Sykes properties and this was the most disappointing. No wonder there is no visitors book to sign.

An excellent stay at a unique property.

Our family loved the Coach House and with Appeldurcombe House nearby to visit it made for a special holiday with our children and grandchildren. There are many lovely things to do on the IOW such as Osborne, Carisbrooke Castle and The Steam Railway. Would we stay at the Coach House again? Most definitely YES!

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Coach House.

The accommodation is excellent, with a well equiped kitchen, comfortable beds and a very comfortable living room and dining area. What makes this property stand out is being able to walk out of your front door into the amazing grounds of Appuldurcombe House. Our dog loved it and we all enjoyed our daily walks around the grounds and through the "atmospheric ruins" of what was once the most impressive house in the I.O.W.

Lovely location and grounds.

Well renovated ,interesting building.

The holiday property, facilities and area are all outstanding.

This is the second time we've stayed at The Coach House and hopefully it won't be the last. Highly recommended

Excellent stay - peace and quiet, the location was perfect central for many areas.

This was an excellent choice and loads of room for the seven of us that stayed. It was a typical converted barn with lots of character, with lots of amenities x I was that impressed I’ve booked it again - Thanks for s perfect getaway x

What a beautiful place to stay, my grandson aged 3, loved the open space outside and the house to explore.

Negatives only, up date of mattresses ( very soft) glass table not suitable for small children and a good clean throughout (under sofas etc) but we had a lovely time, very central location.

Lovely setting with loads of space.

Everything in good working order. Main outside bin needs to be bigger, nearly full from previous occupants so difficult to dispose of rubbish. Also the carpet in the lounge was fairly dirty, lots of dog hair and smelt quite strongly of dog. I ran the hover round and got a full bag ! The views from the property are lovely it's just a shame the windows weren't clean enough for us to fully enjoy them. Still had a fantastic time and will be returning next year. Hopefully to clean windows and better vacuuming!

We had an absolutely amazing time at the Coach House.

So quiet and peaceful! Lucky to have a Manor House in the grounds to walk around which the dog loved! Beautiful views and grounds and I personally could of quite happily live there, felt like the lady of the manor! Only down side was the WiFi was a bit hit and miss but this couldn’t be helped and not much of an issue and only having a WC upstairs which my mum who’s 78 struggled, but managed ok. The owner James was very welcoming and nothing was too much trouble. We have wonderful memories and we will definitely be back again! Thank you James and Sykes cottages ! X

A lovely, clean, comfortable property, but a lot of stairs which my elderly parents struggled a little with.

Fairly remote location with no shop or pub within walking distance, but it is only a short drive to these, as well as the beach. Only other small issue was the tumble dryer function on the washing machine didn’t work and only a small airer was provided which made drying washing a little tricky. Overall we had a nice stay and would recommend it.

Our first holiday with the dog and he loved it!

A great open/secure space for him to run around and bark at anything & everything. Cottage was clean, spacious, well appointed and easily accessible. A couple of issues:- 1.The drying options on the washer/dryer didn't work? 2. The wifi didn't reach into the twin room - old fashioned thick walls to much for the modern tech. Would definitely recommend a stay!

This was a lovely holiday home to spend time in surrounded by lovely grounds.

The property and surrounding grounds were perfect for a relaxing break, and the kitchen was well-equipped.

It was, however, particularly hot during our stay, and difficult to cool down the bedroom without a fan, meaning we didn't sleep very well. My husband also found the top stairs difficult to manage safely as there is no handrail to hold on to at that level.

I recently got married at Appuldurcombe House, and we booked The Coach House for myself and my bridesmaids to stay in and get ready in on the morning of the wedding, and it was spot-on for what we needed.

The only very slight drawback is that one of the bathrooms is en-suite, meaning the other main bathroom was shared between the remaining 5 people. We made this work however, so this was not a huge problem, just something to consider for others staying here. Otherwise very clean and comfortable, and we couldn't get closer to the wedding venue which was extremely handy!

The cottage was in a spectacular location and was very clean and comfortable.

Directions for access were very clear.

We really enjoyed the stay, comfortable house, gorgeous grounds.

Friendly unintrusive owner. House is very close to Ventnor and has lots of local walks / bike rides and a helpful storage room for bikes. The only suggestion for improvement would be to provide some washing up liquid and surface / antibacterial spray for keeping the kitchen clean whilst staying there.

We only had a long weekend stay at the Coach house but it was fantastic.

We took our two dogs with us and the outside space was brill for walking round the grounds with them. The Coach house worked for us has a family of two staying over the weekend plenty of space for us all. A really nice place to stay. I would definitely recommend it to friends an family.

A great place to stay, we have booked up 12 months in advance again.

Nice welcome gift. Perhaps to be constructive, the property needs better insulation around the two rear doors as such a great deal of heat is lost and given the current cost, it would be a cheap, easy fix. For better internet access, you should install a mesh as this would negate the thick walls and be beneficial in todays techno age. Overall, fantastic place to stay, the grounds are brilliant and we love it!

I have stayed at the Coach House on at least 3 previous occasions over the years.

On this occasion the only real issue, again, was the cleanliness of the property. It appears that the property has not had a deep clean in a long time as there were cobwebs and dust either behind the beds or in the corner of the rooms. There was also rubbish under the sofa. This issue seems to be a reoccurring theme through other comments for this property. Other then that, the stay at the property was very relaxing as usual and it is such a lovely place to stay, being in the countryside. The property was well equipped, apart from having no scissors in the kitchen drawer. Such a shame one issue has spoilt this review.............

Really lovely holiday cottage,very cosy and comfortable very spacious very well equipped with everything that you need,bed's were extremely comfortable,maybe could do with a little more attention to detail with the cleaning as there were a few cobwebs around and a lot of dust when we pulled the beds out and behind the Chest of drawers ,also when we ran a cloth over the kitchen table it was brown so just a few bits that need more attention when cleaning,also wifi was a bit of a problem throughout the house as only really worked in the lounge so a bit of moaning from the young adults who wanted internet upstairs at night but other than that we throughly enjoyed our time there and will definitely be returning again as was such a lovely relaxing break and the surroundings were beautiful and peaceful

Very enjoyable, relaxing stay in lovely location.

Property warm, well furnished with excellent facilities. Loved exploring the grounds and the beautiful if creepy Manor House. Had issue with WiFi not working, had to guess the code as not provided it seems. Otherwise excellent.

Wow!

!!! What a beautiful place to have a holiday. There were so many little touches to make our stay even better and the welcome pack went above and beyond. The beds were very comfy and the views from every window were great. The cottage was clean, comfortable and extremely homely. I would not hesitate to recommend this cottage and I hope to stay again. Thank you for a wonderful and relaxing time.

Used for my daughters wedding.

Lovely warm spacious cottage. Heating system very good with all electric radiators. Wonderful surroundings .

This is the 2nd time in under a year we as a family group have stayed at The Coach House.

There have been some improvements to the property, namely a new Cooker has been installed which is much better then the old one. A lot of pots and pans have also been replaced. The kitchen is well equipped and the property is generally clean, although on cleaning up on leaving, a load of old toys and dirt were found under the sofa. A piece of the back door from the kitchen is looking a bit rotten and could do with repairing. Overall, the house is perfect for a large family or group. Very quiet location and close to all the Island has to offer. Plenty of on-site parking. James, the on-site Custodian of Appuldurcombe House, is always around to offer any assistance if needed. We will visit again as it is perfect for our needs.

Third time of staying on the estate.

Accommodation clean comfortable and as advertised. Very happy.

The property was charming, the grounds were amazing!

It may have been useful to have some information on local sites, local walks, restaurants etc in the property. From 8 years to 68 years, we all loved it. Will definitely book through Sykes cottages again,

We had an amazing holiday and the accommodation was excellent in a beautiful setting.

Our two very young grandchildren really enjoyed exploring the largely ruined estate house and the wooded surroundings that were just a minutes walk away from the Coach House we were staying in. Very quiet and peaceful setting. The only two minor things we needed and didn’t have was a washing up bowl in the kitchen sink and a pair of kitchen scissors, (although we did find an old washing up bowl in the outhouse which we used). The owner/manager was also very friendly and accommodating. Many Thanks!

My husband and I had booked this property for a family holiday.

We are both in our late 70’s so it would have been useful to have a downstairs toilet. Personally I would have preferred a larger bed and a harder mattress. The cleanliness was good apart from the odd cobwebs in the stairway.

Great stay in the nicely renovated property.

Owner was very welcoming and helpful for general queries about the local area and advise for our stay. Beds were very comfy, and more than adequate linen was provided for us and our party of 6. Property is well fitted out, and kitchen/bathroom facilities are modern. Overall, a wonderful stay in great grounds adjacent to the Manor House.

It is a lovely property and it was wonderful to have so much lovely grounds around us.

That said, it's a working area and there was noisy activity quite late into some evenings, like after 10pm, which was not great. My biggest gripe was that the cleaning wasn't up to standard: lots of obvious cobwebs and it was grim between the couch cushions. Internet is important to us and while it worked brilliantly fast in they lounge - the most important room - it was unusable everywhere else, presumably due to the thickness of the walls. Mattresses are getting old and there is a bit of roll together, but that just seems to always be a thing for holiday cottages.

Second stay, lovely place & the grounds are superb.

James was friendly & helpful.

Peaceful cottage for family stay Coach house is a fine space for all the family to stay.

Plenty of space for everyone, particularly like the kitchen area for cooking and dining. Just be aware the WiFi does not extend very far, which can cause frustration for teenagers members of the party.

What a place!

We were two adults and three very excited kids who visit Appuldurcombe all the time and daydream about one day owning the whole estate! We pretended to the kids we had no where on the island to stay and then let ourselves into the coach house and yelled at them from the window “think we’ve found somewhere”! We’ve spent hours exploring, playing hide and seek, star gazing and planning our take over! Facilities are great for simple family meals, very much enjoyed the prosecco on our last night! Property is spacious, cosy and modern without affecting its grade II charm. Already looking at dates we can return!

Our second time staying at Apuldurcombe and every bit as good as last year.

The Coach House was probably a bit big just for the two of us, but it was comfortable and well equipped. Stunning array of wildlife quite literally on the doorstep from the sparrowhawk who greeted our arrival, the badger trying to raid the food waste bin to the red squirrels bustling around. Glorious peace and quiet.

My daughter got married at Appuldurcombe House and we stayed in the Coach House for the night before and the night of the wedding.

What an amazing house with plenty of space for my daughter and the bridesmaids to get ready in and have their pre-wedding photos. Everything was perfect and we couldn’t have asked for more - thank you

This was an excellent place to stay, so relaxing and quiet, the place is very clean and everything taht was needed to make our stay more comfortable was there.

The house was very comfortable and spacious for the 6 of us and was well equipped.

The location was superb being in the grounds of Appuldurcombe House. As the main house was closed to the public during our stay, we had the place to ourselves. The kids loved playing outside. There are lots of lovely walks and cycle rides possible from the house. All in all, a perfect place for our holiday and I'm sure we'll return.

In a wonderful setting, lovely wild flowers and wildlife Conveniently located for visiting attractions

Lovely warm welcome even though it was dark.

Always nice and warm and plenty of hot water. All mod cons including dishwasher and washing machine which was very useful. Extremely comfortable beds. The only comment I would make is that the sharper knives in the drawer need replacing as they are quite blunt and the paint is wearing off, there is a roasting tray that is very worn and also needs to be replaced. The potato peeler needs replacing, otherwise there were a good selection of saucepans and serving dishes. The cutlery and crockery were in excellent condition. All in all - a lovely long weekend break and I would certainly come again.

The location was spectacular.

I didn't realise that the property was so close to the ruins of Appuldurcombe House. The walks around the farmland are challenging up the hills but really worth it when you get to the top. To look at the sea from the summit of the hill gave you a real sense of wonder.

The Coach House is spacious and well equipped as well as being full of character.

The staircase is lovely, a full 18 steps to reach upstairs due to the high ceilings, and wide! Cleanliness has been mentioned in previous reviews - it was mostly very clean in most of the right places. In our case the kitchen sink was a bit iffy and there were many cobwebs especially in window spaces and ceilings and a similar gripe was heard from a neighbour. But the house had been fogged with anti-viral mist so efforts had certainly been made to ensure we stayed well. The kitchen is well equipped with an undercounter fridge and a similar size freezer, dishwasher and washer/dryer and enough mugs, crockery, cutlery etc to cope with maximum occupancy. The beds were supremely comfortable, plenty of clean towels available and thoughtful touches like a shaver socket in each bathroom. The welcome was very warm and accommodating too - Izzy is a delight

It was just as the pictures show had a lovely time even though the ferry and weather tired to put us of lol there was nothing that i could complain about the cottage was warm and welcoming

The house was fine in general, but there were many spiders in the property and a lot of cobwebs both around the ceilings and around the windows.

The windows were not clean. The kitchen was well equipped and it was nice to have plenty of cups and glasses so the dishwasher could be filled to capacity before being set off. The master bed was very soft, which made it rather uncomfortable for us. The fact that the ensuite has a glass door was not very good because when used in the night the light lit up the bedroom. The left hand side of the second double bed was not comfortable, with springs felt in the shoulder region. There was a shower hose to attach to the bathroom tap, but this was not really successful. The stairs were very long, which was not made clear in the listing and so the fact that there was not a downstairs loo was a bit of a nuisance for our elderly relative. There was a great storeroom, which we used for the bike. It would have been good to have some info on the House and grounds showing where we could go with maybe some local maps of the estate. We found many nice pubs to eat at but we have always found previous visitor recommendations in a visitor book useful.

The house itself was fairly basic but wow, the setting was truly amazing.

The ruinous stately home next door was only open to the public between 9 and 4pm, and so we had full exclusive access all other times.

Great holiday and booking.

Third visit at this location over the years. Bit disappointed that the Falconry Centre has gone but still very happy with the accommodation, location and booking in general.

A great place to stay on the Isle of Wight, the beds were comfortable and the kitchen well equipped.

It was well decorated, spacious and in a good, fairly central location. A fantastic place to stay with either a large family or a group of people.

We stayed in the Coach House on Appuldurcombe Estate for a few days for new year with 7 of us with ages ranging from 6 years to 70 years and our dogs and what an absolute treat!

The cottage is huge, the owner was most welcoming on our arrival and there was a bottle of prosecco to greet us. Cottage is very well equipped. Would have loved for some information on the history to be available in the cottage but soon found it online. The character of original features in the cottage are a delight to see. The dogs and children LOVED roaming the estate and were fascinated by the Appuldurcombe house and it’s ghostly tales. Only point I will make is that there are a lot of stairs in the property so not really suitable for really little tots or elderly, and also the toilets are all upstairs too which is fine for able bodied but it is a large property for those otherwise! Really enjoyable break spending precious time with my family, making memories on our favourite little island thank you

The coach house is a very spacious house in a beautiful and quiet location.

The owner was very helpful and responded immediately when we needed anything. The grounds were wonderful and we enjoyed taking the dog and kids on walks around the estate. And although the coach house is in a peaceful quiet location, you are not far away from shops and other amenities. Thank you very much for a truly wonderful holiday.

The cottage is spacious and well equipped, with everything you could need in the kitchen.

It is a very comfortable lounge, with smart TV. The Coach House is very tastefully decorated throughout, with lovely bedding and huge soft towels. You can control each radiator so adjust it to suit. The grounds are stunning and our dog had a wonderful time! The location was excellent for exploring the island. The owner James ensures guests are well looked after.

The property itself was spacious and situated in lovely grounds however.

.. We couldn’t get in as the key code supplied was incorrect. It was dirty when we arrived. Some of the carpets had been hoovered but none of the hard floors had been swept or mopped. One toilet hadn’t even been flushed, dirty towels had been left and we were short of a bale of towels. The crockery was dirty and I had to wash the dishwasher and clean it of food. The kitchen wasn’t well appointed, with too many cups and lots of plates but not a single set of large dinner plates to feed 7 people. Place settings didnt cater for 7 people either. A bedside table knob had fallen off. It was sold as introductory, therefore new to the market. I believe it might have been new to you but wasn’t as fresh as expected. It was a disappointment and spoilt the start of our holiday, therefore I wouldn’t recommend this place unfortunately.

Lovely location and fabulous with a dog.

Great cottage. Cleaners need the more thorough but owner to deal with that. My son said the owner was really kind and friendly. We enjoyed chatting and the dogs loved playing together

Was lovely.

Needs some outside furniture and some basic things like oven gloves set of knifes for cooking including bread knife as we bought bread to cut but couldn’t cut it we did get a bread knife when asked overall fabulous property x bed so comfortable x and lounge furniture was too nice to have a large tv x great grounds x great place

Gorgeous surroundings, very quiet - dog friendly lots of wildlife.

We were given the run of the park (except on Saturdays if there is a wedding which was no hardship). Good local pub altogether very enjoyable - owner very friendly and helpful.

The photos of this property do not do it justice.

.. it is beautiful and the grounds are amazing - our dog had the time of her life. The owners had left a bottle of prosecco as a welcome gift - which was a wonderful and thoughtful touch. Will definitely stay again.