14 bed country house for sale

Landkey Road, Barnstaple EX32

For the buyer looking for more than just a large country house, Mount Sandford House offers a rare chance to step into a ready-made Devon lifestyle. A handsome period manor with annexe, grounds, guest space and income potential, it could work beautifully as a private family home, multigenerational escape, boutique holiday business or retreat-style venture — all within easy reach of North Devon’s beaches, countryside, towns and transport links.
A home for gatherings


Mount Sandford House has the quality that only older houses tend to have. Not perfection. Nor minimalism. Not the sharp-edged sterility of something designed by a modern architect.

It has atmosphere.

Flagstone floors. Stripped timber. Open fires. Wood burners. Tall windows. A veranda overlooking the croquet lawn. A balcony overlooking the gardens and lawns. Reception rooms with enough scale for people to spread out, gather, disappear, return, sit quietly, or make a proper evening of it.

At the heart of the house is a dining room large enough to seat 24.That one detail tells you a lot. This is a house designed for birthdays, anniversaries, Christmases, reunions, long lunches, noisy dinners and the kind of weekends people talk about years later.

For a family, it offers rare scale. For a multigenerational household, it offers true privacy and flexibility. People do not come here simply to sleep. They come here to gather.
Period character


The main house dates from the 17th and 18th centuries, with later 19th century additions, and carries the character you would hope for in a Grade II Listed Devon manor.

The entrance hall sets the tone with its timber floor, coved ceiling and polished staircase. The drawing room is full of light and has an open fireplace with marble surround and doors out towards the veranda and gardens. The sitting room offers another generous yet cosy, firelit space, again opening towards the croquet lawn.

The kitchen has a more informal country house feel, with Shaker-style cabinetry, slate work surfaces, an Aga and space to create intricate feasts but also a lazy Sunday brunch.

There is an orangery, too, giving another softer, more relaxed space looking towards the gardens. It is the balance that works so well. Grand enough to impress. Comfortable enough to live in.

Flexibility, privacy & personality

Across the main house, East Wing and Little Sandford annexe, the accommodation gives the property considerable flexibility.

The main house includes a series of bedrooms, many with en-suite facilities, and several with lovely outlooks across the gardens and surrounding countryside. Some rooms have vaulted ceilings, exposed roof trusses, built-in cupboards, balconies or period fireplaces.

The East Wing provides a further three-bedroom apartment currently used in conjunction with the main house, but with obvious appeal for extended family, guest accommodation, staff, older children, visiting relatives, or a more independent letting arrangement, subject of course to any necessary permissions and practical requirements

then there's little sandford...

This adjoining annexe has previously been used as owner’s accommodation and now forms part of the wider guest offering. With its own kitchen, sitting room, bedrooms and private garden area, it gives the property another layer of options.

For a family buyer, this could be where parents, adult children, long-stay guests or live-in support have their own space.

For a lifestyle business buyer, it could be owner accommodation, premium guest space, a retreat leader’s base, or part of a larger curated guest experience.

That is one of the strongest aspects of Mount Sandford House. It does not force one way of living. It gives options.
Gardens galore


The grounds extend to around 1.3 acres and have been arranged to support both private enjoyment and guest use.

There is a walled garden, mature planting, a croquet lawn, terraces, seating areas, a pergola, mature trees and a sense of enclosure that makes the property feel tucked away without feeling isolated.

Morning coffee outside, children playing on the lawn, guests drifting from house to garden and evening drinks on the terrace. The hot tub sits at the top of the garden, with views back over the grounds, while a timber garden hut gives another relaxed, sociable space for guests or family.

There is also potential for further lifestyle use, including a vegetable garden or, subject to the necessary consents, possible glamping or additional accommodation in parts of the grounds.
Add to the experience


Beyond the main accommodation, Mount Sandford House includes several guest-friendly facilities that help it work as more than just a place to stay.

It’s own pub style games room, known as The Frog and Pheasant, includes a pool table, table football, TV, Xbox, bar area and drinks facilities. It is exactly the sort of space that keeps younger guests, teenagers, groups and wet-weather weekends entertained.

The cinema room, added in 2019, gives another useful amenity, with a large screen, surround sound and streaming options.

There is also an adjoining space to the cinema room, currently an office with scope to adapt or connect spaces differently depending on the buyer’s plans.

Outbuildings, parking & future posibilities

Mount Sandford House has a large parking area with space for around 12 to 14 vehicles, as well as further parking to the front. For family use, events, group stays or retreat guests, this is a significant advantage.

There are also garages, stores, garden buildings and outbuildings which support the existing business and offer potential for future adaptation, subject to the necessary consents.

For some buyers, these spaces may simply be useful storage. For others, they may become treatment rooms, studios, workshops, guest accommodation, a retreat space, bike storage, boot rooms, a gym, catering prep areas, or something more creative

the coast, the country and the best of north devon

Mount Sandford House sits in a particularly useful North Devon position: Peaceful and semi-rural, yet within easy reach of Barnstaple, Bideford, the coast, countryside, golf courses, schools, healthcare, shopping and transport links.

That blend is important. This is not a remote house where every pint of milk becomes a mission. Nor is it a town property pretending to be rural. It offers that rare middle ground — Devon countryside around you, but proper facilities close by.

From here, the beaches and coastal villages that define North Devon are all part of the wider day-to-day appeal. Saunton Sands, Croyde, Woolacombe and Westward Ho! Are within easy reach, offering surfing, walking, more golf, beach days, dog walks, sunset trips and the sort of coastal lifestyle that draws people to this part of the world in the first place.

Exmoor, the Tarka Trail, village pubs, market towns, independent cafés, coastal paths, your choice of golf courses and countryside lanes are all part of the picture. This is the North Devon promise in its most useful form. Coast and country. Space and access. A slower pace of life, without being isolated.
Proven multi dimensional business


The current business has been established for over 20 years and specialises in large group stays. The house sleeps up to 24 guests, with additional accommodation in Little Sandford, and has hosted family gatherings, birthdays, anniversaries, corporate clients, hen parties and other group stays.

It has its own website and is also promoted through a range of wellknown holiday and large-house platforms, including , Oliver’s Travels, Kate & Tom’s, Big Cottages, The Big House Company, hen party venue sites and Host Unusual. The figures show a serious existing operation, with gross turnover consistently over £100,000.

But the more interesting point is what could come next. Because the future owner may not want to simply continue the business exactly as it is.

They may see potential for:

Boutique wellness retreats - Yoga and Pilates weekends - Golf holidays - Surf and stay packages - Corporate retreats - Leadership away-days - Family celebration weekends-Small wedding accommodation - Private dining weekends - Creative retreats, Photography, writing or art residentials - Luxury multigenerational holidays - Seasonal house parties - Hosted Devon food and wine weekends

North Devon is increasingly attractive to visitors looking for space, nature, authenticity and memorable experiences.
Finer details


- A Freehold Grade II Detached Manor House with Annexe

- 14 bedrooms with 9 ensuites and several family bath/shower rooms

- Annexe with 3 bedrooms Fully fitted kitchens

- Garages, outbuildings and stores

- Secluded patios and terraces including Hot Tub & peaceful secret garden.

- Several private parking areas

- Mains water, electricity, oil central heating and drainage

- Ultrafast broadband available

- Council tax band: Little Sandford Band B

- The property is Grade II Listed. Historic England reference number: 1107695

Viewings: Strictly by appointment with the sole selling agent, Nic Chbat, of Unique and Distinctives Homes (part of the Match Property Group).

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