Branscombe, Seaton, Devon, EX12

HOLE HOUSE
Tucked away in a wooded combe that provides both privacy and sweeping views of the coastline about a mile away, Hole House is a charming Grade II* listed period country house occupying a unique and simply wonderful setting. An earlier house was recorded on the site in 1075 as the seat of Simon de Holcomb, a Saxon bowman who fought at the Battle of Hastings. The house then remained in the Holcomb(e) family for over 500 years.

The present house dates from the early to mid-16th century when it started life as a traditional hall house before being enlarged and improved a century later.

The house is built to a courtyard plan using dressed Beerstone with handsome stone chimney stacks, a tiled roof and stone mullion windows with leaded light panes.

The east wing also includes a rare section of chequer pattern walling made up of small Beerstone blocks and knapped black flint. The house has undergone minimal architectural alteration since the 17th century, and is laid out so that all the reception rooms and the majority of the bedrooms are facing south or west to catch the view and the best of the natural light throughout the day. It has retained many original architectural features including ceiling timbers, fireplaces, flagstone flooring, window seats and some fine Tudor and Stuart-era joinery such as carved fire surrounds, wall panelling and panelled doors.

The drawing room was created from the central hall of the original house and has a fine inglenook fireplace surmounted by a Tudor arch combined with a carved fire surround and has a fitted wood burning stove. The kitchen is also generously sized and is adjacent to the conservatory and breakfast room providing a lovely, family-centric space.

Upstairs there are six double bedrooms with views out over the surrounding countryside plus four bathrooms, one of which is en suite to the principal bedroom.

GRANARY COTTAGE, GARDEN & GROUNDS
Hole House is set within mature gardens and grounds amounting to about 33 acres that teem with a rich variety of wildlife. Beside the heavy wrought iron front gates is Granary Cottage, a self sufficient, one-bedroom cottage.

A lower driveway sweeps up to a large parking area behind the house and the property's garage. Also off the lower drive is an outbuilding (30' x 30') that contains a workshop, two loose boxes and a storeroom. Above the house is another barn (40' x 10'6) in need of repair.

The house has a beautiful lawned garden extending out from its eastern side, bound by a castellated wall surmounted by sumptuous views of the valley. This lawn is decorated in places by beds stocked with flowering shrubs and there is a wisteria draped pergola over the front door.

On the opposite side of the approach lane is a further area of partly walled garden, an orchard, former kitchen garden and a spring-fed pond.

To the west of the house is a broadleaf wood running along the side of the hill, with the remainder of the land consisting of several fields bordered by a small brook extending out to the south and south-east.

A further 25 acres is available by separate negotiation.

LOCATION
Hole House is situated amidst beautiful rolling countryside within the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and just a mile as the crows flies from a gorgeous stretch of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. The nearby village of Branscombe is an active community with a village hall, parish church, CofE primary school, two pubs and an old forge. The house is roughly midway between the coastal towns of Seaton and Sidmouth, which both have an excellent selection of shops and local businesses including GP, dental and veterinary surgeries.

Other nearby towns include the local cultural centre of Lyme Regis and Axminster, which has a railway station on the West of England Main Line with regular, direct services to Waterloo (2 hours 45 minutes) and Exeter St. David's (45 minutes). Other local transport links include the A3052, which is just 1.5 miles away and Exeter Airport, which is about a 30 minute drive.

The area also has a wide choice of popular state and independent schools including Colyton Grammar School, St. John's School, Perrot Hill, The Maynard and Exeter Cathedral School.