If you've never made it to Dartmouth, our advice is simple: go. This really is one of the pleasantest spots in the country, with the staggeringly scenic, steep-sided river estuary leading in from the sea to a town of incredible, unspoilt charm.
Obviously the best way to arrive in the town is via steam train followed by ferry, but if you can't wangle that then you'll have to bring the car. And that's fine too, for this entire area is well worth exploring — in particular the coastline to the south of Dartmouth itself, which is where we find today's featured property.
With far-reaching views of the Start Bay coastline, The Ark — for sale at £1.3 million — basks in glorious gardens in the small Devon village of Strete.
With four bedrooms and five bathrooms, there’s plenty of space for friends and family.
The contemporary home is light-filled and spacious — the double-height entrance hall is a particular highlight — and is a mere stone’s throw from Blackpool Sands and Slapton Sands, a shingle bar that stretches some three miles to Torcross.
The Ark has a swimming pool in its landscaped grounds, which fade away towards the shore, providing views that begin at Start Point and finish at the Dart Estuary.
The grounds offer a vegetable garden and greenhouse; outbuildings include a boathouse, summer house and pool house.
The village itself sounds rather lovely, with a post office/stores, restaurant and a church, while the coastal footpath runs nearby, giving access to the beautiful beaches at Blackpool Sands and Slapton Sands.
There is also Slapton Ley, a large freshwater lake and National Nature Reserve, which runs parallel to the beach.
For sale at £1.3m via Marchand Petit — see more details and pictures.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
'The best bulbs, like all the best plants, are those that give maximum pleasure for minimum effort — and these are the ones which will keep delivering for years'Now is the time to decide what bulbs to plant to make the most of next spring. Charles Quest-Ritson offers his advice.
-
Keeper’s Cottage at Heckfield Place: When does a hotel not feel like a hotel? When it feels like homeCountry Life visits Keeper’s Cottage at Heckfield Place in Hampshire, a private space that encourages creativity and offers true comfort.
-
Living on the edge? A lighthouse for sale on a clifftop on one of the most remote islands in BritainBressay Lighthouse was built by the father and uncle of the 'Treasure Island' author.
-
Alan Titchmarsh is selling his Hampshire home (and the garden that comes with it): Exclusive pictures and interviewAfter many happy years in Hampshire, the writer, broadcaster and national treasure Alan Titchmarsh is selling up and looking to move. He spoke to Penny Churchill about his years at Manor Farm House.
-
A Lake District escape with views that will make you feel like the king of all you can seeMellguards's many guest rooms and dual staircases make this property perfect for people who love to host, but tire of their guests quickly.
-
One of Yorkshire's great houses, burnt to the ground three generations ago, is back on its feet and on the market for the sixth time in a millenniumPenny Churchill looks at Riseborough Hall, a great house, rich with fascinating history and beautifully apportioned, which burnt to the ground but rose again.
-
Seven magnificent homes from Cumbria to Devon, as seen in Country LifeOur regular look at the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in the past few weeks takes in a breathtaking Lake District house and a superb home in Northamptonshire.
-
'Unquestionably one of the most distinctive and stylish homes in the Cotswolds' is for sale, just across a field from Soho HouseWith a staircase upcycled from a Spitfire machine gun factory and , and suspended lights came from a Dutch cargo ship. Every element in this room — and indeed throughout the house — tells a story Annabel Dixon peeks inside.
-
The world of super-super prime homes, where £100 million is barely even the starting pointA spectacular mountain retreat coming to the market in Colorado offers a glimpse into the very top end of the global property market. Toby Keel takes a look.
-
Elderly Salcombe residents were promised a home for life inside this listed villa — but now the charity it was gifted to want to sell itAge UK claim that Woodcot in Salcombe, Devon, is too costly to run, but are they right to sell up and cash in?
