The Cow Yard Lane property is nothing short of amazing. Our group of seven (immediate family) thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to make staying there an annual event. Lesley provided all the information we needed to plan our visit and made our stay a pleasure.
The property is located at the end of a short public lane that leads to the beach. The location is easy to access, but off the beaten path. It is located beachfront, but also very close to an intersection that allows direct access to downtown Chatham, access to the Chatham Lighthouse/Morris Island, and the road north to Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Provincetown, etc. This is a significant convenience.
One aspect of the property I don't think I can possibly overstate is the incredible landscaping. If you are a gardener, get ready for a treat! You have to see it to believe it. We spent hours wandering and studying, downloaded an app that allowed us to point the camera at a plant, identify it, admire it and think about how we could use it at home. The landscaping is so attractive I think it would be an excellent place to take wedding or similar family/group photos.
The house itself is quintessential Cape Cod. There is an open floor plan living space with a large well equipped kitchen, large dining room table (with extra leaves) and then comfy chairs/couches in a sitting area for at least ten people. There was a large TV above the fireplace but we never turned it on because why would you look at a TV when you had the beach, harbor, landscaping, pool, etc. We primarily used the three bedrooms and bathrooms on the first floor, and then one bed & bathroom on the second floor. All rooms were up to date, in working condition and clean. We left eight single beds primarily unused but they looked comfy. The views from all rooms were spectacular, especially the master bedroom which was pretty much all windows overlooking the large deck and beach/harbor on two full walls. The living space and master bedroom open to a large deck that overlooks the beach and provides beautiful views. The deck can easily hold a dozen people and was very comfy for our group of seven. We made good use of the gas fire place that is on the deck. The deck also turns out to be a spectacular place to stargaze on a clear night. Light pollution is minimal in this location and we hadn't seen the night sky as clearly in years.
One side of the house overlooks the beach into is a very calm beautiful body of water. We enjoyed watching the tides go in and out, spent time walking up and down the relatively isolated beach looking for treasures, taking in the sound of the waves and breathing the ocean air. Bring binoculars as you'll see seals out the shallows. To access the beach you simply walk across the back yard and go down a well-constructed short set of stone stairs with a handrail and you are there in less than a minute. One day we decided to try our luck at shore fishing using a simple rig with a weight, and a hook with squid purchased just up the road at a local outfitters. We caught eight 24+ inch Stripers in an afternoon which was very exciting. Personally, I wadded out into the water, mostly to get a longer cast while fishing, but several of our group did swim in the water there and it was enjoyable and safe. It doesn't look to get incredibly deep for quite a ways out – but I'm not sure.
The pool is huge, with a wide set of stairs to walk in if you like that, and spots to sit on the side and relax. It is heated and was great because you jumped in and cooled off, but it was warm enough to stay in for hours. There is plenty of comfortable seats and lounge chairs and a nice table for six around the pool, some in the shade, some in the sun. There is a hot tub adjacent to the pool which we enjoyed several times in the evenings. There is also a wood fire pit in the pool area and we picked up a couple packages of wood from the Stop & Shop.