When it comes to the west country it is the coast that hogs the headlines, with its promise of sailing, swimming, and a beachy lifestyle.
But smart buyers should not overlook the allure of a country house close to the coast, and inland Cornwall and Devon offer some glorious options, whether you want to walk and ride to your heart’s content on Exmoor, or hole up in the heart of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
According to new research by Knight Frank the country house market is starting to warm up as summer approaches. Despite the wet weather conditions the number of offers made on homes priced between £1m and £2m was five per cent higher than the five-year average – and when you consider how many people were relocating at the height of the pandemic that is a significant figure.
Inland locations tend to be lower-profile than their seaside counterparts, and also better value, making them an interesting prospect for house hunters.
These are Black Brick’s picks of the locations you should know:
This lovely village is in prime South Hams territory, and perfectly located for those who want peace and open countryside to enjoy, but also want to be within easy striking distance of the sea. The village is three miles from East Portlemouth Beach and four miles from sailors’ paradise Salcombe.
Set on Southpool Creek, properties range from pretty pastel-painted cottages in the village, and some substantial semi rural houses and barn conversions on the fringes. There is a super village pub, the Millbrook Inn, an ancient church, and a strong sense of community spirit.
A recent poll in the Daily Telegraph newspaper named it as not only one of the UK’s most affluent villages but also one of the best places to live in the country. The average price of a home in the village is around £850,000.
Families love this traditional village for its wonderful adjacent countryside and well thought of primary school, easy access to some of Cornwall’s best beaches, plus proximity to the 370-square mile Cornwall Area of Outstanding National Beauty.
And, because Constantine is close to the westernmost point of the county, it is also less crowded than some of Cornwall’s tourist hotspots.
Community spirit is strong in Constantine: The Tolmen Centre, in a former Methodist church, offers theatre, music, and film screenings, there is a village choir, an annual spring feast, and garden shows, an art festival, and a carnival in the summer. There is a village shop, and Constantine Stores, a family run wine merchant, which also offers a collection of more than 1,000 whiskies, and has an extensive gin and rum menu too.
For social life there is a village pub, The Cornish Arms, as well as The Trengilly Wartha Inn, a pleasant half mile walk from the village with a lovely waterside garden and award winning food. Other local landmarks include Potager Garden, where fruit and vegetables grown on the land are served up at a charming café, and you can stay on for a game of badminton or table tennis or simply a snooze in a hammock slung between trees.
There are some fabulous family sized period houses tucked into the countryside around the village – priced between around £1.8m and £2.2m – or you could opt for a traditional cottage as a bolthole for around £300,000 to 400,000.
Right on the fringes of Dartmoor, this charming market town is a perfect choice for people who don’t want to travel too far for all the basics of life but also love the great outdoors – go for a walk, ride, or cycle on this protected landscape and its likely the only other living creatures you will encounter will be herds of native ponies.
But while Ashburton feels like the middle of nowhere it is actually very accessible to the coast – Torquay is 12 miles away – and also to the rest of the country. Exeter is a half hour, 23 mile drive away, and from there you can be at London Paddington in well under three yours.
The narrow streets of the town itself have a good range of pubs, cafes, and restaurants. There is a arts centre specialising in live music, and a lido (which locals clubbed together to save a few years back), plus schools and a hospital.
For relocators a budget of around £1m to £1.2m will buy a four to six bedroom house set in a couple of acres, or a substantial Georgian townhouse in the heart of town. Or if you are after a bolthole you could buy a pretty terraced cottage for around £400,000.
Beyond Ashburton there are also some spectacular smaller towns set right on Dartmoor. We like Chagford for its thriving village centre with shops, bakeries, pubs and cafes,
And Moretonhampstead, for its proximity to Exeter and the stunning golf course at Bovey Castle.
Half way between the wild beauty of Bodmin Moor and the beautiful former fishing village of Polzeath and arty St Austell, St Kew is perfectly positioned to enjoy the very best that Cornwall has to offer whilst enjoying the peace and privacy of village life.
No lesser an expert than the chef Rick Stein has named the village local, the 15th century St Kew Inn, as one of his favourite spots in the west country, with its pretty beer garden and Michelin-approved menu.
There is also the St Kew Farm shop, if you want to enjoy local produce cooked at home, and to work off your meal the local walking, both coastal and moorland, is superb. The nearest major town is Wadebridge, four miles away, and worth a visit because of its good range of independent shops and cafés. Newquay Airport is some 13 miles from the village, in case you want to make a flying visit.
Property wise you can take your pick of historic farmhouses with land, priced at around £1.5m to £2m, substantial barn conversions at around £1m, and three to four bedroom cottages at around £400,000 to £500,000.
We would be delighted to hear from you to discuss your own property requirements. For a non-obligatory consultation, please contact us.
