Irex

Irex feels exceptionally cosy, especially when a storm is brewing on the horizon and the fire crackles inside. It’s one in a row of former coastguard cottages high on the cliffs above Alum Bay surrounded only by sea views, sheer chalk cliffs and open downland.

You’ll be living on the edge as a shared grassed area is the only thing between the three-bedroom cottage and the cliff-edge, and keenly aware of the weather, the season and the island setting. You’ll be able to enjoy lunch with uninterrupted views or dinner against a cracking sunset. Spot migrating birds by day and meteor showers by night. 

From here you can walk along the headland for a glimpse of the Needles, the strange chalk stacks that rise from the sea, looking out for rabbits and wildflowers that grace the grassland. You're at the end of the Tennyson Down trail, a figure-of-eight walk with splendid views. Or you could cruise along the coastal road for one of the island’s best surfing beaches and fossil haven, Compton Bay. Colwell Bay has a sandy beach and fresh seafood, Freshwater is just a short drive away and you can reach Yarmouth in ten minutes.

Larger groups can book Irex along with neighbouring cottages Varvassi, sleeping 5 guests, and Pomone, sleeping 4 guests. 

Heating: Night storage heating included.

Parking: There is a parking area adjacent to the row of cottages.

Garden: There is a shared grassed area to the front of the cottages. Children should be supervised as the garden is not enclosed and the cottages are within 5 minutes walk from the cliffs edge.

Utilities: Water is regularly pumped uphill to a holding tank at these cottages. There are also individual tanks above each cottage. If there is very high usage all at once this can drain the tanks and you will need to wait for them to refill before water is again available. It is therefore best to spread baths out over the day.

Washing machine and tumble dryer is provided in a a shared utility area. 

Logs/charcoal: Additional logs can be purchased in advance through the contact centre. Logs are £8.00 per bag or £30 for unlimited access to the log store.

Ferries: We recommend that if you are travelling to the Isle of Wight, you should book the ferries early due to the high demand for popular crossing times at busy times of the year including holiday periods. There are currently three options available depending on your preferred route:

1) Wightlink Ferries - www.wightlink.co.uk - National Trust Holidays guests receive a 25% discount with Wightlink ferries between Lymington and Yarmouth, Portsmouth and Fishbourne and the catamaran between Portsmouth and Ryde (foot passenger service only). The discount is applied once you have selected the crossing times in Wightlink's booking system.

2) Red Funnel Ferries - www.redfunnel.co.uk - National Trust Holidays guests receive a 25% discount between Southampton and East Cowes in Red Funnel's booking system. The terms and conditions applicable to bookings made through this special arrangement via National Trust (Isle of Wight) are those relating to “Saver Fares”. By booking with Red Funnel, you are agreeing to be bound by their terms and conditions, as available on the Red Funnel website.

3) Hovertravel - www.hovertravel.co.uk – foot passenger hovercraft service only from Portsmouth to Ryde.

Bike sheds: There are two bike sheds that are shared with Pomone and Varvassi. The smaller shed holds two bikes and the larger shed holds four.

Please note: These cottages are in a very exposed position. In periods of high winds car doors may slam and debris may be blown around, for this reason the picnic benches have had to be removed.