Blackthorn is a new wing added in 2001 to our original home - an older single-storey timber agricultural building set around a courtyard - with the indoor pool on the opposite wing. The hot tub is situated just outside Blackthorn - available to guests as the same hours as the indoor pool (8.00am to 8.00pm), with the door to the pool room immediately opposite. Karen and I have chosen quality furnishings throughout to offer the highest standard we could, with the additions of free wifi and a smart TV with Netflix etc. Guests are welcome to enjoy the various outside spaces we have created as well as the exclusive facilities of the pool and tub. The property is located in beautiful AONB Sussex countryside and on the edge of Icklesham village with uninterrupted views over the Pannel Valley, and the sea beyond.

We're a family that moved from London 20 + years ago to embrace life in the countryside and be close to the sea. As well as our 2 x rental properties here at home we also have a village house rental on the island of Corfu. My name is Peter and I enjoy creating collages and making music. I also run the rentals here, play keyboards in a local band, and have a small greeting card publishing business offering my own quirky designs. Karen oversees the laundry of the holiday-lets but is really a full-time graphic designer specialising in book design. Our son Ollie is also into music but his greatest passion is football, and he now works as a football journalist. We hope that our enthusiasm for this special part of England will help you to discover some of the gems hidden in this area of East Sussex, and it'll become special for you too!

The location of Blackthorn is conveniently situated midway between Hastings and Rye in East Sussex. Both towns are unique in their own way and steeped in history and tradition, but still offering all the amenities that holidaymakers would want in the 21st C. The village of Icklesham is fortunate to have two award-winning pubs that both do home-cooked food and are renowned for their range of stocked ales etc. The nearest shop is in the beautiful and nearby small town of Winchelsea - just 4 miles away. The nearest supermarkets are Aldi on the outskirts of Hastings, The Co-op in Winchelsea Beach, and Jempsons in Rye. The surrounding area is 1066 Country, filled with impressive country house and gardens like Bateman's, Great Dixter and Sissinghurst; ancient castles at Bodiam and Pevensey, steam train experiences at The Kent & East Sussex Railway, and the delightful Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. The coastline is close by too and is surprisingly varied with sand dunes at Camber to the east, dramatic stretches of shingle at Winchelsea Beach and Pett Level (closest to Blackthorn), and finally to the west the stunning cliffs of The Hastings Country Park that run all the way to Hastings old town and its distinctive black net huts. Both Hastings old own and Rye have a wide range of quality restaurants, cafes and pubs. The area is popular with both walkers and bird watchers with many good walks in the immediate vicinity, and bird reserves at both Rye Harbour and Dungeness. Many leaflets, guide books and maps are in the property for guests' use.