Without wishing to completely shatter the fourth wall, the property I’m about to describe to you was described to me as ‘a wreck’.
‘Would you write up that wreck please James’ came the instruction from on high, and I was intrigued. What was I to be confronted with? Some shattered old barn, full-to-bursting with cobwebs and cowdung? Half a windmill? A bomb shelter?
That’s the joy of the phrase wreck — it can mean so many things. Without sounding too much like Alan Partridge (‘What’s your favourite type of wreck? Ship, train or emotional?’) wrecks come in many shapes and sizes. What I would argue, however, is that Grade II-listed Homebush Cottage is not a wreck.
Up for auction with Symonds and Sampson on May 16, for a guide price of £250,000, this property might be one of the most elegant and charming homes to ever receive the label ‘wreck’. I mean just look at those local rubble-stone walls, the mullion windows and tiled roof.
So what if it has holes in the roof and also probably no floors or interiors (I can’t actually find any pictures of the interior, so who knows), the essence of greatness is here. And from the essence, you could create excellence (with the necessary consents).
Originally dating from the 17th century, the cottage is nestled at the end of a track and surrounded by its former gardens and orchard (which also need renovating). In total, the property comes with 11.75 acres of gardens and ground on the edge of the hamlet of Watchcombe in the East Devon AONB.
The nearby town of Colyton boasts a town hall, shops, post office and primary school, while the market town of Honiton is some five miles away, with further amenities and a mainline connection to London Waterloo.
A £6.5m super-prime home in Devon: The 'best of both worlds' seaside home right across the water from Devon's most expensive town
Thalassa is a home that enjoys glorious sunsets, delightful beaches, privacy and seclusion — yet is close enough to the action
Credit: Alex Winship/The Family Office, UKSIR
Once the home of the Elgin Marbles, now a luxury four-bedroom apartment in Mayfair and yours for £26.25 million
A host of historical figures have made their homes at 149 Old Park Lane, from Rolls Royce to Royal Family
Credit: Knight Frank
A five-bedroom home that's a mile south of Farnham and a mile north of the South Downs
White Lodge quite literally offers the best of both worlds and is a tremendous example of the English country home.
Credit: Savills
A wildly dramatic clifftop home built by the man who escaped the Cornish tin mines to become an international diamond trader
The beautiful home of Porthledden is a classic tale of local boy made good — but Francis Oats didn't get to
-
What the hedge can tell us about the countryside, with Richard NegusThe hedge is much more than just a barrier between one field and the next. Richard Negus joins the Country Life Podcast to discuss his work, his latest book and how he's being tapped up to switch cricket clubs.
-
Country Life August 20 2025Country Life August 20 2025 is the Scottish Issue, featuring glorious Glamis Castle, 47 pages of the best Scottish property for sale, John Buchan, and the Glasgow Boys
-
A 17th century farmhouse in Surrey with one of Britain's oldest squash courtsFords Farm is on the market for the first time in over half a century.
-
The 15 best-value commuter towns for people working in London, according to new research from one of Britain's top estate agentsSavills have released their list of the best-value commuter towns in Britain. But do the sums add up? Toby Keel takes a look.
-
What everyone is talking about this week: Where are the new Cotswolds?The appearance of American Vice President J. D. Vance in the Cotswolds is a sure sign that they're saturated, but where else can you escape to that has the same charm?
-
19 outstanding country homes, from £450,000 to £20 million, as seen in Country LifeA spectacular country house in Yorkshire and an enormously impressive Channel Islands retreat are among the stand-out homes on the market this week.
-
Three homes down by the Thames, perfect for those who love messing about on boatsThis summer’s scorching temperatures will no doubt have endorsed the perennial appeal of Thames-side houses with frontage and private access to the river. Penny Churchill and Toby Keel pick out some prime examples.
-
A pavilion, pool and pleasure gardens at this Devon country house 'with not another building in sight'Ebberly House is a majestic country house in Devon built by one of John Soane's pupils — and as it comes to the market, it's a place Penny Churchill knows well.
-
Take over the world or throw a great big party on this private fort for sale in PembrokeThorne Island, dubbed the British Alcatraz, has been a £2 million labour of love. Now it could be yours.
-
The perfect summer house? A country home, beach house and rural escape rolled into one in a prime spot in SussexIf there's a finer house than Grangewood House in which to enjoy the summer, we'd love to see it. Penny Churchill takes a look.
