ABOUT POPLARS FARMHOUSE
Poplars Farmhouse is a 17c building based on older foundations and was probably two cottages originally. The Dairy Cottage and Annexe is a converted dairy. The barn is early 19c. The present owners, Tim and Carole Kinross, bought it in May 2003 from the actress Alexandra Bastedo and her theatre director husband Patrick Garland. They lived here for 22 years and Alexandra ran an animal sanctuary but moved to a smaller house with more land for the animals.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Starter amounts of washing up liquid, dishwasher tabs, loo paper etc.
LINEN Bed linen, fresh for each let and changed weekly for long lets
Plenty of tea towels. Bath towels (NOT beach towels).
Hand towels, one of each per person .
TAXIS LOCAL 01243
Medmerry Cars 605551
Ariel Cars Bracklesham 671166 Bracklesham Taxis 670463
Earnley Taxis 670582 Stans Cars 672610
Starline (Chichester) 531666 Chichester Cab Co. 785765
Cab rank at Chichester Station, Station Cars 08000 363036
Buses
Westrings Coaches Ltd. 3 Church Road, East Wittering, West Sussex, PO20 8PS
Tel: 01243 672411 Fax: 01243 671366
TELEPHONE: No line at the house, best to bring a mobile.
LOCAL FACILITIES
DOCTOR: Dr. Nicholls and Partners, Witterings Health Centre, Cakeham Rd.( Main shopping street) East Wittering. 01243 673434. Access from car park rear of Tesco
NHS Direct 0845 4647
ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY HOSPITAL. St RICHARD'S
Easy to find; Spitalfields, North East Chichester 01243 788122
DENTIST: Dr J Harris and Associates, Ingol Cottage, Cakeham Rd. East Wittering.
01243 672362
VET. Alphapet. Northleigh Farm Main Rd. Birdham 01243 513514
GARAGE. GMH Autos Northleigh Farm Main Rd. Birdham 01243 511131
Sidlesham Garage Lockgate Road Sidlesham Common 01243 641391
A1 Autocare mobile maintenance Dan Aylen 07776003037
AGA.
The ovens ventilate up the chimney so no smells emerge to warn you that your croissant is charring to a crisp!
Top left plate is boiling hot
Top right plate is for simmering
Top oven is hot for roasting
Bottom oven is for simmering
There is a thermostat but the reaction time is very slow. Leaving the top plates open reduces the oven temperature. Keep the lids and oven doors shut when not in use to keep the temperature up.
HEATING. Individual radiator thermostats control the rooms but there is an overriding thermostat just inside the hallway. Best setting is 20 by day and 15 by night. Similarly in the Dairy Cottage there is a thermostat in the sitting room best setting is 20 by day and 15 by night.
OPEN FIRE in the Farmhouse sitting room. Its use is permitted with wood only not coal. Plenty of logs in the lobby with more outside by the drive. Please position the fireguard when you go out or retire for the night. The fire basket needs to be at the very back of the hearth. The stove in the Farmhouse dining room must not be lit, as the chimney requires to be rebuilt.
BINS and bags are provided in the bathrooms. Definitely no pads down the loo.
The paddocks for the sheep and for the ducks, chickens and geese are
strictly out of bounds but the owners will offer children a supervised egg collection or wool experience when suitable.
RECYCLING.
Only Plastic bottles, paper/cardboard and tins, go into the burgundy bins.
Glass bottles go into a green open box or to a bottle bank.
All other waste including all plastic, eg marge tubs bags and wrappings, go into the large black bin. Edible kitchen waste may be fed to the chickens.
The large black general waste bin is collected every second Monday
The burgundy recycling bins are collected every other second Monday
A calendar of collection dates is in each kitchen.
Bins will only be collected if rolled to the gate by the road, collection any time from 7.30 am so best put out the night before. Sunday night.
LOOS. Tenants are advised not to put pads, towels etc down the loo but bag and bin instead.
DOORS. If outside doors are left open please secure with latches as provided. The barn doors must be secured when open or closed to prevent wind damage.
PUBS offering meals and RESTAURANTS. Numbers on location map.
1 The Bell Inn Bell Lane Birdham 01243 514338 Moderate prices pleasant dining area decent pub grub.
2 The Anchor Inn, Selsey Rd. Sidlesham 01243 641373. Untried as yet but has good pub grub type menu and moderate prices
3 The Oaks Restaurant. CLOSED
4 The Walnut Tree, Runcton, on the lower road to Bognor. Large Pub restaurant with garden and ample parking. Able to take a large party and seat them together. 01243 785881
5 The Lamb. Chichester Rd. West Wittering 01243 511105 Seriously good food and wine list but top price for a pub. Dining area close to bar so fairly noisy..
6 The Lamb (at Pagham). Bognor Rd. 01243 262168. Very nice restaurant with excellent ambience well worth driving eight miles. First class cooking and a good wine list. Dining area away from bar so not noisy.
7 The Blacksmiths Arms, Selsey Rd. Donnington 01243 783999. Good, reasonably priced proper restaurant with cheerful pub bar. Now under new management and even better than before. Strongly recommended. And not far away.
8 The Black Horse Birdham Rd., main A286, Appledram. 01243 784068 Pub/ Pizza Restaurant large portions, small tables. Good garden with play area. Moderate prices.
9 Crouchers Hotel and Restaurant. Birdham Rd, main A286 just North of the Marina.. A very pleasant up-market restaurant with good staff and well presented delicious food. There is a £21.95 set 3 course Menu .(not Saturday evenings) which comes to about £35 per person with a bottle of house wine and tip; or a la Carte. Contact Gavin on 01243 784995 or to review their function facilities for up to 110 people look at www.croucherscountryhotel.com
10 The Crown and Anchor Dell Quay 01243 781 712 Good views, nice food, moderate prices. Tables outside with extensive views of the harbour. Best at high tide. Too far to walk but leave the car at the Marina and take the coastal path then only 40 minutes walk.
11 The Cider House restaurant and bar Birdham Rd just north of the Marina. New 2007. Good menu, nice atmosphere reasonable prices. Breakfasts and food all day A large party can be accepted, booking essential. Tel. 01243 779345
12 Madhu-ban Tandoori and Take Away
5 New Parade East Wittering 01243 673635 Very obliging.
13 Shakib Indian Takeaway (Nearest Take away to Poplars)
1 The Parade, Bracklesham Lane, Bracklesham Bay 01243 671212 / 673189 FREE DELIVERY, or 10% discount on orders over £10 if you collect. A Shakib Special Mixed Balti curry with Nan bread £7.95 hits the spot !
14 Thai Orchid restaurant and takeaway. Oakfield Rd (opposite Stearns ironmongers) East Wittering 01243 671337. Lady Thai chef called "Angel" prepares delicious Thai food in a pleasant atmosphere.
15 The Lifeboat Inn 26, Albion Rd. Selsey 01243603501 Basic food, moderate prices. Good atmosphere. Tables outside are popular.
16 The Crab and Lobster Mill Lane Sidlesham Tel: 01243 641233 Gastro pub. Rooms also available with breakfast. Upmarket, delicious, small portions Booking well in advance essential. www.crab-lobster.co.uk
17 The Ship Inn, The Street, Itchenor 01243 512 284 Good food, fish menu excellent, . Cheerful sailing atmosphere. Tables outside with a distant view of the harbour.
18 The Spotted Cow, Hunston. Bar and Restaurant. Family oriented, gardens. 01243 786718
19 The Beach House. Simple menu but nice ambience.
Excellent breakfasts. West Wittering 01243 514800
If you go out to eat you may need a baby sitter.
Local recommended agency
“Little Steps” Janina Francis 07834 717553 or 01243 812207
SHOPPING. SUPERMARKETS
SHOPS The nearest supermarket (mini really) is the Spar at Birdham a mile and a half from the house. Out of the gate turn right, left onto the A286 towards the Witterings and its just before the roundabout and petrol station on the right.
TESCO and SAINSBURYS at either end of the A27 Chichester bypass Tesco at the Western end of the Chichester bypass (Fishbourne0 0845 677 9149) and Sainsbury at the Eastern end (01243 775 721). Waitrose in central Chichester by railway station. Tesco, Ocado (Waitrose) and Sainsbury’s will deliver a ‘phoned or online order to the house.
There is a full range of shops and banks in East Wittering. Turn left out of the gate then once in Bracklesham turn right. COOP, Tesco Xpress
Plus a good fishmonger, wonderful greengrocer's and two fish and chip shops. For fresh fish try also the fish hut at the end of Shore road.
CATERERS You are welcome to bring in outside caterers for a buffet or dinner party. Suggested caterers who we recommend include:
1 Linda’s Pantry 01243 671200. Large firm, wide range of options.
2 Proudfood Lorraine Proud and Christine Whitmore
Buffets and dinner parties. Know the house well.
01798 861349 07801 437275 www.proudfood.com
3 Sharon Jeffries , West Wittering trading as SJI Food and Service. Contact fabfoodbev@hotmail.com 07784 775532 dinner parties. Has catered previously at Poplars.
4 Joyce Walker 01243 603388 Buffets with tents and chairs.
Can also provide a butler and a waitress.Has catered previously for Poplar’s owners
5 Daly Events. Debbie Daly m. 0779 96446 42 tel. 01243 530372 debsgreen33@hotmail.com Has catered previously at Poplars.
COOK (shops). Fantastic upmarket high quality frozen food for every kind of party and buffet. Menu at www.cookfood.net Chichester shop
COOK 29 Sadlers Walk 01243 790737 Orders over £50 delivered.
CAUTION. Be careful not to let the caterer’s staff to take away our crocks and cutlery!
OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST
20 ROMAN PALACE, Salthill rd. Fishbourne 01243 785589
Don’t miss the boy on a dolphin mosaic, the little museum or the instructive 20-minute video.
Tip: See the video before walking round the ruin. Ask at the counter if video not scheduled
21 CHICHESTER MARINA AND BIRDHAM POOL. Pleasant walking by the canal and working locks. Spinnaker restaurant offers pleasant outside tables for light lunches but overpriced in the evening.
22 CHICHESTER CATHEDRAL. Well laid out legible guide notices make a visit unforgettable. Discover the miracle of St. Richard.
23 CHICHESTER FESTIVALTHEATRE and MINERVA THEATRE
01243 781 312 Varied programme all year round
24 EARNLEY BUTTERFLIES and GARDENS 01243 512637.
Turn left out of the gate and its only ½ mile towards Earnley on the right. Walkable. Amusing and kids love it. Small wreck museum.
25 AMBERLEY INDUSTRIAL WORKING MUSEUM
Laid out like a theme park with attractive picnic area and restaurant terrace. Amberley Working Museum, turn off the A29 North of the A27, is a 36 acre open-air museum dedicated to the industrial heritage of the south-east.
Staffed largely by volunteers, the museum contains a wide range of exhibits, ranging from transport-based collections, such as the Southdown bus collection & the village garage, to industry-based collections, such as the Print Workshop & Wheelwrights. The museum is also home to a number of resident craftspeople, who work to traditional methods. steam powered narrow gauge locomotives.
01798 831370
26 SUSSEX FALCONRY CENTRE Locksacre Farm, Wophams Lane Birdham. Turn off the A286 by the Marina entrance.
Falcons, Hawks, Eagles, Owls, Vultures and Caracara,.
Opposite the entrance to Chichester Marina on the A286 Chichester to Witterings Road.
Open from 10am. Flying Displays at 11.30 1.30 3.30
Adults £5 Children £4.
Day Courses also, available Oct 1st to April 1st.
27 FISHING Day Trips.
Selsey Sea Charters Grant MacLoughlin 07795631553 Good reports
Also Colin 07779654022 recommended to us but untried so far
28 PORTSMOUTH. The Royal Dockyard, The Victory and the Mary Rose, 35 minutes drive. Cross the harbour by local ferry to Gosport or break a trip round the harbour to visit the Submarine museum. Also the, new and free, Royal Armouries Artillery Museum on Portsdown hill in Fort Nelson. A 25 pounder fired at 3 pm!
29 Clay Pigeon shooting:
www.cowdray.co.uk/claypigeonshootingwestsussex.htm
Butlins Bognor is a brilliant day out for children. An enormous tented arena houses roundabouts, climbing adventures, ‘Bob the Builder’ shows, puppet theatre and stage shows with audience involvement.
There is a truly wonderful watersplash pool with every imaginable sort of slide and flume, 30p needed for a locker. For larger children and outdoors there are carousels, bumper cars, more climbing adventures, and lots of instruction in archery, cricket and football etc.
At extra cost there is a tenpin bowling alley, assisted bungee jumping, trampolines, go-kart race track and side shows Cost, £7.50 all day for children and OAPs, a bit more for adults.
Food options are numerous with plenty of outdoor tables
Take the A259 towards Bognor and follow the brown signs for
Butlins Day Visitor NOT Butlins Main Gate.
Parking is Pay and Display by the sea, £6 all day
A VISITORS BOOK is on the table in the conservatory; please use it, wittily or critically.
Feedback, good or bad, on local facilities always welcome,
Make sketches or write poems; anything goes!
To the Earnley Butterfly Gardens ½ hour. Turn left out of gate towards Earnley. Nice leg stretch, unusual experience to have huge butterflies rest on you, good playground, mercifully small wreck museum, push chair friendly, excellent tea and a tempting range of cakes!
Walks by the sea or harbour in an area of outstanding natural beauty.
Drive first to West Wittering, about 4 miles. Out of gate turn right then left at Birdham Rd. Then right at roundabout and right again in West Wittering following the brown signs. Its £2 or more for the car park but the scenery is magnificent with views across the harbour to the Downs and across the Solent to the Isle of Wight. You can walk right round East Head enjoying the harbour activities. You may see seals and porpoises. Best at low tide with vast expanses of sand, enough to tire the lustiest dog.
Alternatively park at the junction of Rookwood Farm lane as you enter West Wittering and walk, keep left at first, to the end to pick up the harbourside path, best at high tide. Turn left to bring you back to West Wittering by way of Roman Landing. Because you have now done most of a circle you are quite near your car. Pub, as above, The Old House at Home.
Turn right to bring you round to Itchenor. Pub, the Ship Inn as above, but you are far from your car. Both of these walks take about 1-¼ hours and have rightly been praised as the most beautiful in England. Last time I saw an egret and an oystercatcher. Several walks from Itchenor along the harbourside path.
You can walk from Itchenor to Birdham Pool and Chichester Marina going a little more inland and from there cross the lock gates and walk to Dell Quay, Pub the Crown and Anchor (see notes above) The walk from the Marina to Dell Quay is about 40 minutes, easy going, best before sunset.
From the Crown and Anchor at Dell Quay northwards alongside the harbour it’s a very pretty 45 minute walk to the Bulls Head at Fishbourne.
Alternatively from the Marina follow the canal to Donnington. This section of the towpath offers wonderful views across the fields to Chichester cathedral, exactly as painted by Turner. Turn right at the Selsey Rd. road-bridge for the Blacksmiths Arms or walk on another 20 minutes to Hunston, turn right for The Spotted Cow. (Famous for roast Sunday lunch).
If you see a blue flash, that was a kingfisher.
There is a car park conveniently close to the canal as you drive out of Hunston towards Chichester and from Hunston it is a pleasant flat 20 minute walk alongside the canal into the centre of Chichester. Bus 51 every 15 minutes brings you back.
For a longer walk try the Crab and Lobster gastro pub in Sidlesham next to Pagham harbour about I ½ hours. Left out of the gate then left again up the side of the farm and along the edge of the fields following the footpath signs past a white house to Easton Lane. You may see a herd of wild deer. Turn left toward Sidlesham and at the first junction turn right past the school. At the junction with the main Selsey Road turn right and soon turn left down Mill Lane (note the attractively converted Wesleyan church) to Pagham harbour. The harbour is a bird reserve and you can walk nearly all round it, take binoculars and a bird book.
WALKS ALONG THE SOUTH DOWNS WAY are always rewarding with mysterious Neolithic tombs and magnificent views of the Channel and the Solent. Park at the top of Cocking hill on the A286 Midhurst Rd. Walk west and come down to Elstead about 2 ½ hours.
Bow Hill near West Stoke is particularly well worth the climb. The poet and painter William Blake wrote "And did those feet in ancient time, walk upon England's mountains green," about The Trundle at Goodwood.
A WALK AROUND THE INLET AND BOSHAM. Be careful not to park below the high tide line. Very pretty walking, ancient pier head warehouse and a charming church with interesting gravestones, nice pub too. (Anchor Bleu) Possibility of crossing by ferry to Itchenor.
GOLF Chichester Golf Club, Hoe Farm, Hunston. On the B2145 Chi-Selsey Rd. 10 minutes drive. 18 holes. Driving range and a nine hole Par 3 Pitch and Putt. Visitors welcome. 01243 533833.
Selsey Golf Club Golf Links Lane. 15 Minutes drive or walk mostly by footpath 65 minutes. Study the OS map in the farmhouse kitchen! 01243 602203
CYCLING. The area has some attractive cycle ways particularly near the harbour from Chichester to West Wittering also some byways for walkers and cyclists on the higher and more remote parts of the South Downs such as Monarchs Way or the South Downs Way. These are rewarding for their views of the Channel and the Isle of Wight and for their historical significance. Tumuli of 3500 BC and Second world memorials to crashed British and German pilots can be found.
CYCLE HIRE from Bike-master Unit 13 Polthooks Industrial Estate, Clay lane Fishbourne Chichester PO18 8AH Tel. 07944 302974 www.bike-master.co.uk
BOATING. Chichester Harbour offers varied sailing in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Chichester Marina 01243 512731 is nearby with a launching ramp and pontoon mooring facilities.
West Itchenor has a public hard for launching and a jetty which is the departure point for various water tours also the ferry see below.
Small boats may be launched at Bracklesham directly into the sea, (Council tractor on hand to assist).
Water Tours
The water tours are run by Chichester Harbour Water Tours. A 1½ hour trip departing from Itchenor allows you to visit the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty from the water. Ring the 24 hour talking timetable on 01243 670504 for further information.
Ferry - Itchenor
A ferry runs from Itchenor jetty to Smugglers Lane, Bosham linking the footpaths. Trips can also be made to and from moorings from Deep End to Birdham. Call 'Ferry' on Channel 8 or telephone 07970 378350.
Running times: 0900-1800. Daily mid May to the end of September.
Weekends and bank holidays only April to mid May and October.
www.itchenorferry.co.uk
See the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty from the solar-powered
Solar Heritage. 50 seater passenger boat with departures from Itchenor and Emsworth. Also available for private hire
RAIN.
There are a number of DVDs and board games in the lobby. Books too!
Cinemas. Multiplex in Chichester. Cineworld Chichester Gate 01243 816800. Also Bowling. Bowl Xtra (or Butlins Bognor ,see above).
Chichester Gate Leisure Park Stockbridge Rd, 01243 776633
A UCI multiplex cinema in Port Solent 0870 0102030 about 25 minutes drive with a good range of cheap and cheerful restaurants next to an attractive marina, busy at the weekends.
The barn has two senior and one junior table tennis tables.
Also snooker and darts but not for unsupervised children.
Indoor pool the OASIS at West Sands caravan park Selsey also at Westgate Leisure Centre in Chichester now with “Waterzorbing”
DIRECTIONS FOR POPLARS FARMHOUSE
From Gatwick it's simplest to drive south nearly to Brighton on the M23 and turn (left turn!) west towards Portsmouth on the A27.
Approaching from the Portsmouth direction along the A27 go straight on at the first Chichester roundabout but at the second roundabout (From Brighton it’s the fourth roundabout) take the A286 south from Chichester towards The Witterings for 3.5 Miles……………………………
If you are coming down the A3 from the London direction (Heathrow Airport) you can go right down and join the A27 near Portsmouth but it means going through Hindhead and usually queuing for the lights there. Better, and twelve miles shorter, to turn off the A3 about 5 miles after Guildford onto the A286 and go through Haslemere. From Midhurst follow the A286 signs for the Witterings around Chichester to the roundabout on the by-pass and then a further 3.5 Miles down the A286…………..
………………..After 40 speed limit and BIRDHAM village sign turn left off A286 at sign to Almodington also marked for Butterfly Gardens with brown sign.
You now have exactly 1.5 Miles to go.
Pass the village sign for Almodington and continue past the SECOND AVENUE sign on right. Just after the wildfowl warning notice slow right down and immediately after a long wall and hedge with black and white road posts, look for a recessed driveway into Poplars Farmhouse on the left. 1.5 miles from the A286.
If you reach Third Avenue on your right or the left turn into Easton Lane you have passed it!