A Grade II*-listed manor set in idyllic grounds in the South Hams
Dating from the 17th century, Ranscombe Manor combines period elegance with manicured grounds and an amazing setting.
Few properties can rival with Ranscombe Manor for the setting. This Grade II*-listed, 17th-century property — on the market with Charles Head, with price on application — sits in 33.5 acres of secluded grounds near Kingsbridge, in the beautiful South Hams.
The magnificent driveway that meanders through the grounds to reach the house, affording long views of the rolling countryside in the process, immediately set the tone. An original 18th century stone arch guards the door, which opens into a striking cross-passage entrance hall, mentioned by Pevsner in his book.
To the left of the hall lies the elegant drawing room, with its feature fireplace, exposed beams and panoramic views of the garden, and beyond that the large dining room, which has a large stone fireplace with woodburning stove and is perfect for entertaining. On the opposite side of the hall are the lovely kitchen and breakfast room, with its Aga and granite worktops, and the sitting room.
Two staircases, including a spiral on, led upstairs, where there are five bedrooms, including the opulent master suite (one of the bedrooms is currently used as dressing room).
Additional accommodation is available in a studio apartment and in a two-bedroom cottage which comes with a large, private outdoor terrace. Planning permission is in place to convert the courtyard outbuildings into four homes.
But it’s perhaps the grounds that make Ranscombe Manor really special. The house opens directly onto a spectacular box hedging maze beyond which are lawns, a walled kitchen garden, an apple orchard, woodland, pasture, parkland, a pond and a stream.
Ranscombe Manor is for sale with price on application to Charles Head — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Kingsbridge: What you need to know
- Location: Kingsbridge stands in an Area of OutstandigngNatural Beauty 13 miles from Totnes (with its train link into London)
- Things to do: This is prime watersports country, with sailing at Salcombe (6 miles) and beaches nearby at Thurlestone (5 miles) and Slapton (7 miles)
- Schools: Kingsbridge has the Ofsted-outstanding Kingsbridge Community College. Find more properties in the area.
Carla must be the only Italian that finds the English weather more congenial than her native country’s sunshine. An antique herself, she became Country Life’s Arts & Antiques editor in 2023 having previously covered, as a freelance journalist, heritage, conservation, history and property stories, for which she won a couple of awards. Her musical taste has never evolved past Puccini and she spends most of her time immersed in any century before the 20th.
-
The eclectic New York townhouse that Lily Allen sings about in her new, headline-making album is for sale381, Union Street is on the market just days after the singer’s latest album details the alleged infidelity in her marriage.
By Lotte Brundle Published
-
When did the Titanic sink and other questions. It's the Country Life Quiz of the Day, October 29, 2025Test your general knowledge in Wednesday's quiz.
By Country Life Published
-
The eclectic New York townhouse that Lily Allen sings about in her new, headline-making album is for sale381, Union Street is on the market just days after the singer’s latest album details the alleged infidelity in her marriage.
By Lotte Brundle Published
-
This Suffolk home is a perfect escape from the world and it comes with its own stretch of river and 20 acresThis idyllic home in Suffolk is the perfect village home.
By Julie Harding Published
-
The quaint Alpine village that got taken over by The BeatlesThe Beatles visited the Austrian resort of Obertauern to film their 1965 film Help!. Despite a distinct lack of prowess on the slopes, the Fab Four got by with a little help from some new-found friends, discovers Russell Higham.
By Russell Higham Published
-
The ultimate treehouse escape, where you can have a sauna and hot tub 12 metres above the forest floor, is for sale in DorsetGuy Mallinson's award-winning treehouses in Dorset are a true escape from the world. Anna White takes a look.
By Anna White Published
-
20 breathtaking country homes for sale, as seen in Country LifeWe take a look at some of the finest houses to come to market via Country Life in the past week.
By Toby Keel Published
-
The elegant country home of a motor racing daredevil who drove round the world in a 1936 Bentley and crashed a Range Rover into his own front porchPeasemore House, with its collection of barns, workshops, stables and more, is an ideal home from which to plan an adventure — something that was a passion of its present owners. Penny Churchill explains more.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
The wisteria clad cottage where Noël Coward and Ivor Novello held court at the height of their fameThe 17th-century Follejon Cottage just outside Windsor was a perfect escape from the city for Noël Coward and his circle of friends. As it goes on the market, Penny Churchill takes a look.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
A Cotswolds property that's the strangest mix of old and new we've ever seen... and yet somehow, it all worksThe Gasworks is a house quite unlike anything you've seen before — or at least anything you've seen all in one place. Toby Keel takes a closer look.
By Toby Keel Published
