This charming Grade-II Listed semi-detached cottage enjoys a secluded and sunny setting off Middle Common Road beside Upper Pennington Common
(Map). It is ideally located within the New Forest National Park and close to the attractive Georgian town of Lymington and beach at Milford-on-Sea.
This is one of a group of six "Arts & Crafts" cottages known as "King's Huts". They were built in 1908 for Mrs Powell King of Wainsford. The cottages are reputed to have been designed for Mrs Powell King by her friend, Sir Edwin Lutyens, and the cottages and their gardens are in many ways typical of the longstanding partnership between Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll (for whom he designed her own "Hut" in Surrey). They are arranged in three semi-detached pairs around their lovely yew-hedged gardens, with brick paths and an oak entrance arch. The cottages are included in the County Council list of "
Hampshire Treasures".
This cottage, which accommodates 4 people, retains most of its original features, including the impressive oak front door, beamed ceilings in the lounge and dining room and timber wainscoting in the dining room and bedrooms. The cottage was carefully restored in 2008 using traditional materials wherever possible, finished with limewashed ceilings and distempered walls, antique rugs, and William Morris curtains.
Modern creature comforts are provided throughout, however, with central heating (in addition to the coal fires in the reception rooms), a Fired Earth Shaker-style kitchen and a recently renovated bathroom (in the former coal store!). The clay tile floors of the bathroom and kitchen are now equipped with underfloor heating.
The bedrooms are accessed by a timber-enclosed, steep staircase, with one double and one twin room. Both have dormer windows with lovely views over the surrounding countryside.
The cottage has a lovely garden of approximately 3500sq.ft (325sq.m) facing South-West, with a range of mature shrubs, and lawn, enclosed by hedges and gates. There is also an enclosed parking area for two saloon cars or one estate car/MPV, and fully-enclosed courtyard and kitchen garden outside the back door.
The location just outside Lymington, provides a very convenient base for exploring the local coast as well as the open countryside of the New Forest. Being on a quiet, single-track lane it offers a rare blend of rural tranquility and quick access to the major attractions of the area. Lymington and the beach at
Hurst Castle are just a few minutes away. Upper Pennington Common, which is on the doorstep, provides a lovely place for a quiet walk.
