8 bedroom detached house for sale

Accommodation Summary

Reception hall
Drawing room
Dining room
Sitting room
Study
Kitchen
Breakfast room
Utility room
Butlers pantry
Cellar
Master bedroom suite
2 guest bedroom suites
5 further bedrooms
2 bathrooms
Second floor kitchenette
Playroom
Sitting room
Immaculate gardens of approx 1 acre with uninterrupted sea views
Double garage & garden store
Penthouse annexe potential

Directions

From Junction 30 at Exeter proceed along the A376 towards Exmouth. At the Village of Clyst St George, take the B3179 and follow signs to East Budleigh. From East Budleigh continue along the B3178 into Budleigh Salterton. Turn left onto Upper Stoneborough Lane and then take the second left onto Cricket Field Lane. Watch Hill will be found on the left hand side.

Situation

Budleigh Salterton is a particularly sought after location on the World Heritage East Devon Coastline. The Town has an active fishing community regularly selling their catch on the sea front. There is a good selection of shops in the Town which cater for every day needs, including a butcher, fishmonger, chemist, bakeries, banks, a Post Office and excellent pubs and restaurants. In addition, the Town has a doctor's surgery, nhs hospital, dentists, firms of Accountants and Solicitors and several designer shops to be found along the High Street.

Recreational facilities include the East Devon Golf Club in Budleigh Salterton together with Woodbury Park and Sidmouth Golf Clubs nearby. There are opportunities for sailing, windsurfing, water skiing, fishing and kite boarding along the coast and in the Exe Estuary, Budleigh Salterton also has a tennis club, croquet and bowls club and 2 art galleries.

There are many excellent private and state schools in the area at Exeter, Tiverton, Taunton and Colyton. The nearby City of Exeter, famous for its Cathedral, University, theatres and relaxed style, provides all major stores and a host of boutiques, restaurants and places of unique interest and culture. Communications are excellent, with high speed trains to London taking just over two hours, and Exeter International Airport approximately 14 miles to the north. The M5 motorway is only 11 miles away, providing fast access to Bristol, Birmingham and the M4 to Newbury, Swindon, Reading and London.

Description

Watch Hill is the work of the architect William Hatchard-Smith, who designed no fewer than fifty private residences in Budleigh Salterton between the two World Wars and Watch Hill is generally thought to be his finest house. It was commissioned in 1929 by Blake Thompson, an American millionaire, and was later to become the home of William Hatchard-Smith and his wife Margaret. Between the years of 1939 and the late 1970's, some 1500 overseas servicemen from Australia, Canada, South Africa and the usa, who had nowhere to go when on leave, were invited to stay at Watch Hill. After the war, the hospitality continued and was extended, in particular, to Rhode's scholars at British Universities.

The house is beautifully situated in a south facing location with extensive views over the east Devon coastline towards Berry Head. Watch Hill, constructed of hand made brick elevations under a slate tiled roof was designed along classical lines with great attention to the architectural details and interior fittings. Situated in a central plot, the property offers privacy and seclusion. Over recent years, the house and gardens have benefitted from extensive renovation by the present owners and now provides comfortable accommodation over three floors. The property retains a wealth of original features such as marble fireplaces and parquet flooring on the ground floor, whilst incorporating state of the art kitchen and bathroom facilities throughout.

The arrangement and measurements of the accommodation as it has been used recently can be seen on the floor plans contained within the brochure, however the accommodation can be briefly described as follows.

Ground floor From a gravelled parking and turning area to the rear of the property, a pillared entrance porch with mahogany door and fanlight over opens to the reception hall. As in many of the principal reception rooms on the ground floor, there is a parquet floor and marble fireplace; a magnificent staircase rises and turns to a first floor galleried landing. Further doors open to the drawing room and dining room, each of which are of good proportion and provide wonderful space for entertaining whilst enjoying the spectacular views over the gardens and out to sea. There is a sitting room which has French doors opening onto the garden. The study has a pair of French doors which open onto a westerly path and further to the gardens. There is a butlers pantry, which has a range of "Poggenphol" units with "Corian" work surfaces, cellar and a cloakroom which all provide ample storage space.

The kitchen has been fitted with state of the art "Poggenphol" units with a "Corian" work surface. The integral oven, microwave, television and dishwasher are all conveniently situated within the room and there is a five ring "Gaggenau" gas and separate ceramic hob with integral extractor fans fitted into a central island unit. From the kitchen there is a breakfast room and a utility room which has a range of "Poggenphol" units under "Corian" work surfaces with space for washing machine and tumble dryer. A staircase provides secondary access to the first and second floors.

First floor The master bedroom and guest bedroom suites are well proportioned and have magnificent views over the gardens and out to sea towards Berry Head. Each has been fitted with a range of custom built wardrobes with hanging space and shelving and has an en-suite bathroom. Bedroom 3 has access to a roof terrace which enjoys views over the gardens and out to sea and has an en-suite shower room. There are three further double bedrooms on this floor which share a family bathroom.

Second floor The second floor is accessed via a separate staircase from the ground floor and would lend itself to use as a self contained staff or guest apartment or, indeed, could provide a fabulous holiday apartment with potential for totally independent access. It currently comprises a kitchen, two bedrooms and a shower room, with a play room and sitting room, each of which could be used as further bedrooms.

Gardens and Grounds The property is approached via a gravelled drive lined with English Oaks leading to a parking and turning area to the rear of the property and then terminates at a brick paved courtyard with a double garage and workshop. In front of the house is a south facing, herringbone brick paved terrace which runs the length of the building. From here, steps flanked by borders on either side lead down to lawns which form the remainder of the garden and are interspersed with a range of borders filled with many interesting plants and shrubs which thrive in the area's particularly benign climate. To the west side of the property, there is a large gardener's shed and lawns extending to a beautiful area with many substantial trees - one of which holds a lovely tree house - and children's outdoor entertainment area.

Services: Mains water, electricity and drainage as well as gas fired central heating are connected to the property.

Council tax band H