Local Area
Hazeltree Cottage is centrally located to explore West Wight, whether your interests are swimming, sunbathing on
the beaches, walking, riding, cycling, sailing, birdwatching or playing golf, they are all on your doorstep or a few minutes
drive away. A lot of the surrounding area is classified as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), most of which
is owned by the National Trust. Click on the small images on the right of the page to see a larger version.
The old village of Freshwater was clustered around All Saints' Church, there is evidence of a church of Saxon origins
on the site so there has been a settlement there for some time. The village was the hub of the area with shops, a
public house, most probably a brewery and the river crossing down the hill from the church. The Western River Yar,
which flows from Freshwater Bay to Yarmouth, cut off Freshwater from the rest of the Island, the area to the west of
the River was known as Freshwater Isle. Prior to a bridge being built at Yarmouth, and improvements made at Freshwater
Bay, this was exactly what it was, except for the crossing close to the old village. Now the village is residential
except for the Red Lion public house and the church.
The River Yar and Freshwater Marshes are designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Natural England have
also designated Afton Marsh as a Local Nature Reserve (LNR). This part of Freshwater is very popular with birdwatchers
and others wishing to study natural history. For the more energetic there are hundreds of miles of footpaths on the
Isle of Wight, many of the most scenic routes are in West Wight. Tennyson Down, with its memorial to Alfred, Lord
Tennyson, is a short distance away. The famous Needles, the Needles Old Battery and Alum Bay, with its coloured sands
and ski-lift to the beach are also within moderate walking distance.
Freshwater village has public houses, a sports centre, with a 25mtr pool, four banks, a main Post Office, a medical
practice, two chemists, two small supermarkets and enough other shops to fulfill holiday needs.
The climate is mild, frosts rarely last beyond a few hours of daylight and snowfall seldomly occur. An indication of
the temperate weather is daffodils can ususally be found in flower in the first week of January. This makes the area an
all year round holiday destination.