Dawlish, EX7

LOCATION

Oak Cottage is set in an enviable and yet convenient semi rural location, being positioned just below the beautiful Little Haldon hills above Lower Dawlish Water and being around two miles away from Dawlish town centre and the promenade. Dawlish is a resort set on the south Devon coastline, famed for its expansive lawns beside a brook, and the black swans. The town offers many amenities, including a good range of independent shops and cafes. There is a superstore on the outside of the town. Educational facilities include a good range of primary schools, a community college offering secondary education and private education is available at well regarded Trinity School, which is located around three miles away in the seaside town of Teignmouth. Dawlish has a mainline link to London Paddington and commuter trains to Exeter and Torbay. There are many leisure facilities close by, with the town having a long sandy beach that stretches to Dawlish Warren with its nature reserve and 18 hole golf course to the east, and there are boating opportunities on the Exe estuary. Teighmouth Golf Course is also close to Oak Cottage, being set on the Little Haldon Hills and there are a good range of footpaths and bridle ways nearby by for country walks etc. The Cathedral city and county town of Exeter lies around 15 miles away with its wide range of facilities, private and public schools, international airport and red brick university.

DESCRIPTION

Oak Cottage is a stunning, Grade II Listed local landmark property, with a rich sense of history and provenance having been built in the Victorian Gothic style in 1863. The property offers a wonderful sense of past grandeur, having originally been part of the Luscombe country estate. The house has picture book external aesthetics with dressed stone elevations, leaded light mullion windows, lattice style timber-work on the gables, steep roof pitches with finials on the ridge and tall chimney stacks. Additionally, to the front of the house there is a beautiful canopied veranda. The charming and spacious accommodation within the house has numerous original features. At ground floor level there are three highly appealing receptions with feature fireplaces, a bespoke farmhouse style kitchen/breakfast room with Aga and there is a vestibule with a cupboard leading off housing the workings of a ground source heat pump. There is also an elegant ground floor shower room with marble tiling. The windows, in particular on the front elevation have wonderful views over the surrounding countryside with views towards the sea, particularly from the upper floor. Three internal staircases serve four very spacious and highly appealing bedrooms. There is a stylish family bathroom with a four-piece suite, having a roll top as well as a second first floor bathroom also having a roll top bath. Oak Cottage is surrounded by wonderful mature gardens and grounds which complement the internal spaces perfectly giving a great sense of inside/outside living. There are sweeping higher and lower lawns providing wonderful spots to contemplate the views and surroundings and more formally set out gardens, being beautifully stocked with many shrubs, trees and specimen plants. There also wooded areas and wildflower gardens, as well as expansive stone built and timber outbuildings and a beautiful Victorian-style orangery. A driveway provides extensive parking for numerous vehicles and there is a detached double garage.

GARDENS GROUNDS AND OUTBUILDINGS

Outside set to the rear of the property, immediately behind is the delightful entrance courtyard laid to brick paving. Adjoining the courtyard there is a beautiful period outhouse with dressed stonework, matching the style of the house. The outhouse has seven rooms, there is power and light and these spaces prove excellent external storage. Set at the end of the outhouse there is an outside WC with a butler style sink and hot water.

The Gardens and grounds at Oak Cottage are really something quite special, combining country cottage charm with areas of more formal garden. Immediately in front of the property there is a beautiful terrace laid to stone chippings which was once used to film an episode of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, with a stone balustrade and steps descend to a pedestrian gate which gives access on to the approach lane. There is a fantastic canopied veranda to the front of the property with feature timber work and a cobbled floor, which combines with the reception spaces to give a great sense of inside/outside living.

The Terrace wraps around to the side of the property, from where steps descend to the beautiful shaped front lawn with borders and areas of bedding well stocked with a wonderful array of shrubs, trees and flowering plants to include a rhododendron, roses and magnolias. To either side of the steps there are shaped Yews and the terrace provides a wonderful spot to contemplate the rural surroundings and the sea views.

A laurel hedge has a feature arch which rises to the upper gardens, which are laid to inter connecting pathways and beautiful areas of formal-style gardens laid to shaped hedging and trees and there is a large Indian sandstone paved Terrace. There are numerous mature shrubs and flowering plants to include roses, a Handkerchief tree, Acers, and Magnolias etc and there is a large raised ornamental garden pond with lilies and water plants.

Adjoining the formal gardens there is an open timber summer house with a high vaulted ceiling and feature timber work providing a wonderful sheltered spot to sit and contemplate the beautiful grounds. Further steps rise to a clematis arch which gives access to the upper lawn, another beautiful sweeping lawn providing another good spot to contemplate the surroundings and sea views from a more elevated perspective. There is an open timber log store with a machine shed beside, a timber framed greenhouse, and a particularly beautiful Victorian style orangery with ceramic floor tiles, underfloor heating and power points. Within the higher grounds there are productive areas of garden laid to cane fruits, soft fruits and sweet peas etc. There are various fruit trees and delightful country cottage style areas of bedding. Throughout the grounds there is an irrigation system fed by a bore hole.

Adjoining the grounds on the eastern boundary there is an area of woodland and meadow which Oak Cottage leases form the Luscombe Estate. This additional areas has mature beach trees, a polytunnel, a hidden composting area and a beautiful Yew walk way. There are various other areas of mature gardens, too expansive to describe in detail.

From Luscombe Hill, a gravel driveway opens to gated access to the extensive gravel parking area set to the rear of the property. Approached form the driveway there is a large timber built garage with twin "up and over" doors, outside lighting and internal power and light with timber panel elevations and a tiled roof with finials on the ridge.