Self-catering review: Willow Barn, Isle of Wight

Ideal for families with a great location that puts you within easy reach of the island's attractions

Wootton Bridge is the sort of village you pass through with barely a glance – as a visitor at least – en route from the ferry to somewhere else. It doesn’t have the vintage charm of Ventnor, the yachty bustle of Cowes, the shops and cafes of Ryde or Newport, the historic landmarks of Yarmouth, or indeed, the billowing, bucolic beauty of the Isle of Wight’s interior.

Approaching the demurely pretty Wootton Creek, you pass takeaway outlets and a pub advertising bargain breakfasts and roasts.

But as you cross the bridge over the creek itself, boats bobbing on one side and ducks paddling on the other, you might be tempted to investigate further.

Next to a nondescript lakeside spa hotel, a single-track road channels you abruptly from town to country, terminating at Fernhill Farm, a tranquil courtyard of barn conversions that feels like a portal to the Isle of Wight of green pastures and nostalgic summer holidays.

The leafy approach to Fernhill Farm

The rooms

Part of the appeal of Fernhill Farm is its location – around five minutes’ drive from the ferry at Fishbourne, 10 from Ryde or 15 from Cowes. And in spite of its convenience, near shops and transport, it feels connected to the countryside.

The owners, Karen and Karl Brown, have spent years restoring a collection of four barns set around a gravel courtyard. Outwardly, the barns look like new-builds, such was the fastidiousness of the renovations. However, once inside, period features – arched windows, brick buttresses, wooden beams, salvaged timber doors with cast iron latches – reveal the barns’ 19th-century origins.

Each has been named after an on-site tree: Oak, Ash, Lacewood (London Plane) and Willow. They sleep between four and eight guests but can also be taken in pairs or as a whole entity. We were in the most recently completed, Willow, which overlooks the Brown’s house and titular willow tree.

Sleeping up to eight in three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom (two downstairs one upstairs, with beds that can be made up as singles or doubles and a sofa bed on the landing), its living quarters are bright and open-plan, with sliding doors onto a private, lawned garden and steps up to a shared garden – ideal for families who want to let little ones run off steam in a safe environment.

Willow Barn's open-plan kitchen and living area

While the interior design tends towards the school of Ikea (white walls, dark leather furniture that could do with being a little comfier and linen that could be a little more luxurious), everything has been well thought out. The kitchen has nearly every conceivable utensil and decent appliances, there’s a barbecue in the garden, a log-burning stove in the living room and wi-fi throughout, as well as TVs and DVD players in all the bedrooms and a small selection of children’s books. While there isn’t much in the way of ornamentation, the calm, clean aesthetic means that the barn will look sparklingly new for years to come.

Out and about

The beauty of the Isle of Wight is that you can see most of it over the course of a weekend (a car is useful though the buses are also reliable and good value, with a 48-hour unlimited Rover ticket costing £15: islandbuses.info). There are attractions to satisfy most curiosities, from a steam railway to a donkey sanctuary via amusement parks and farm shops. Head south from Wootton Bridge to visit the Garlic Farm (01983 865378; thegarlicfarm.co.uk), with its shop, restaurant, cookery and craft classes, field walks and popular summer festival (20-21 August).

Head south and indulge in cookery and crafts at the Garlic Farm

On Willow Barn’s doorstep, go walking in Firestone Copse (woodlandtrust.org.uk), look out for flashes of red (squirrels) in the trees, ride the steam railway from Havenstreet (iwsteamrailway.co.uk) or go walking from Fishbourne to Binstead or Ryde, passing the majestic, working Benedictine Quarr Abbey with its farm animals, walled garden and café (quarrabbey.org) and ruined medieval monastery next door as you weave through woods and pastures to the beach.

There are also plenty of safe and scenic bicycle routes to explore, including the 62-mile Round the Island route or the 23-mile Red Squirrel Trail, as well as family-friendly day rides and self-guided gourmet tours (visitisleofwight.co.uk/inspiration/bicycleisland).

The food and drink

Karen bakes a cake for each party, which is ready to tuck into with a cup of tea or coffee (there’s milk in the fridge) on arrival, using eggs from her resident clutch of hens. She also provides a basket of freshly-laid eggs, along with a bottle of wine and store cupboard essentials.

Wootton Bridge’s local fish and chip shop, Terry’s, is recommended if you don’t fancy cooking, but if you do, there’s a Waitrose just beyond the ferry terminal in East Cowes and a Tesco Express in Wootton Bridge.

Around a 20-minute drive away near Ventnor, Steephill Cove is a lovely place for lunch on a sunny day. Park at the Ventnor Botanical Gardens then walk down the steep steps or zig-zag slope (access is almost impossible for anyone with limited mobility) to the pretty fishing cove beneath the cliffs. The Crab Shed (01983 855 819; steephillcove-isleofwight.co.uk; no bookings, lunchtimes only) serves crab and fish landed that morning in sandwiches, salads, pasties or tacos. Pick up a Minghella ice cream at the Cove Coffee Shop, or a bag of sweets at Hope's Happy Hut – “run by children for children” – at weekends and during school holidays.


 Steephill Cove: the perfect place for lunch on a sunny day

In nearby Ventnor, the Spyglass Inn (01983 855338; thespyglass.com) is a popular spot for a pint of local Yates' or Goddards ale. The New Inn in Shalfleet (01983 531314; thenew-inn.co.uk) has been named Isle of Wight Dining Pub of the Year 2016 by The Good Pub Guide. It majors in fresh seafood, local produce (beef, crab, lobster, cheese, fruit and veg) and pub classics. The seafood royale platter costs £70 for two.

The essentials

Willow Barn, Fernhill Farm, Wootton Bridge, Ryde, Isle of Wight. Blue Chip Holidays (0333 3317 995; bluechipholidays.co.uk) offers three nights’ rental from £374 for up to six adults and two children, self-catering. Dogs are accepted.

The writer travelled with Red Funnel ferries (02380 019192; redfunnel.co.uk) which offers day return foot passenger crossings from Southampton to West Cowes from £9.60 and short break return vehicle crossings between Southampton and East Cowes from £53.50.