A secluded property in Cornwall — accessible only via boat or foot — that has played a part in rock and roll history
From a site used by Medieval merchants, to serving as the inspiration behind a classic novel, to a world-famous recording studio, there is plenty to be inspired by at The Old Sawmills, which can be found on its own romantic stretch of river, not far from Fowey in Cornwall.


The Old Sawmills may be accessible only by boat or on foot, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been much visited over the years.
On the contrary, since 1974, the likes of Robert Plant, Stone Roses, Oasis, The Verve, Supergrass and Muse have floated up to its pretty seclusion of 32 acres (mostly woodland), to belt out the much loved tunes of, for example, Definitely Maybe and Origin of Symmetry in its ‘legendary’ lower-ground-floor recording studio.
The property is currently on the market via Strutt & Parker for offers over £2 million.
There are seven bedrooms in the main house (including one that sleeps four), most of which enjoy magnificent views over the garden and creek, called Bodmin Pill—site of a momentous picnic of May 1907, which is said to have inspired Kenneth Grahame.
‘Green turf sloped down to either edge, brown snaky tree-roots gleamed below the surface of the quiet water, while ahead of them the silvery shoulder and foamy tumble of a weir, arm-in-arm with a restless dripping mill-wheel, that held up in its turn a grey-gabled mill- house, filled the air with a soothing murmur of sound, dull and smothery, yet with little clear voices speaking up cheerfully out of it at intervals. It was so very beautiful that the Mole could only hold up both forepaws and gasp, “O my! O my! O my!”.’ (The Wind in the Willows).
A separate two-bedroom timber Lodge was built in 2011 (wild deer have been known to peer through its windows) and the property is only half a mile by boat from the village of Golant; Fowey is about a mile and a quarter in the other direction.
The Old Sawmills is currently on the market via Strutt & Parker for offers over £2 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Golant: What you need to know
Location: On the western bank of the River Fowey, just over a mile (by boat) from Fowey town.
Atmosphere: Golant is considered 'one of the most delightful and desirable places to live on the Fowey Estuary,' according to the agents, and is home to the renowned Fisherman's Arms pub. The area was once known for its apple orchards and cider making, with many old fruit trees still dotted around the village. There are a good range of amenities in Fowey, from boutique shops, award-winning restaurants, and the Eden Project is also not far.
Things to do: The river provides excellent mackerel and bass fishing for those keen to catch dinner, and for the water-lovers there is paddle boarding, kayaking and sailing, as well as plenty of wild-swimming opportunities, plus plenty of pretty walks along the river.
Schools: Fowey Primary School and Polruan Primary Academy are close to the area whilst secondary options can be found slightly further afield in Liskeard and Plymouth.
See more property for sale in the area.
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
Annunciata grew up in the wilds of Lancashire and now lives in Hampshire with a husband, two daughters and an awful pug called Parsley. She’s been floating round the Country Life office for more than a decade, her work winning the Property Magazine of the Year Award in 2022 (Property Press Awards). Before that, she had a two-year stint writing ‘all kinds of fiction’ for The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, worked in internal comms for Country Life’s publisher (which has had many names in recent years but was then called IPC Media), and spent another year researching for a historical biographer, whose then primary focus was Graham Greene and John Henry Newman and whose filing system was a collection of wardrobes and chests of drawers filled with torn scraps of paper. During this time, she regularly gave tours of 17th-century Milton Manor, Oxfordshire, which may or may not have been designed by Inigo Jones, and co-founded a literary, art and music festival, at which Johnny Flynn headlined. When not writing and editing for Country Life, Annunciata is also a director of TIN MAN ART, a contemporary art gallery founded in 2021 by her husband, James Elwes.
-
Graham Norton's elegant East London home hits the market, and it's just as wonderful as you would expect
The four-bedroom home in Wapping should be studied for how well it uses two separate spaces to create a home of immense character and utility.
By James Fisher Published
-
Sign of the times: In the age of the selfie, what’s happening to the humble autograph?
When Ringo Starr announced that he was no longer going to sign anything, he kickstarted a celebrity movement that coincided with the advent of the camera phone and selfie. Rob Crossan asks whether, in today’s world, the selfie holds more clout than an autograph?
By Rob Crossan Published
-
Graham Norton's elegant East London home hits the market, and it's just as wonderful as you would expect
The four-bedroom home in Wapping should be studied for how well it uses two separate spaces to create a home of immense character and utility.
By James Fisher Published
-
About time: The fastest and slowest moving housing markets revealed
New research by Zoopla has shown where it's easy to sell and where it will take quite a while to find a buyer.
By Annabel Dixon Last updated
-
A wisteria clad hall built by one of the founders of the Bank of England
Come for the history of Old Hall. Stay for the interesting interiors.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
A gorgeous Scottish cottage with contemporary interiors on the bonny banks of the River Tay
Carnliath on the edge of Strathtay is a delightful family home set in sensational scenery.
By James Fisher Published
-
Six rural properties with space, charm and endless views, as seen in Country Life
We take a look at some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life in the past week.
By Toby Keel Published
-
380 acres and 90 bedrooms on the £25m private island being sold by one of Britain's top music producers
Stormzy, Rihanna and the Rolling Stones are just a part of the story at Osea Island, a dot on the map in the seas off Essex.
By Lotte Brundle Published
-
A home cinema, tasteful interiors and 65 acres of private parkland hidden in an unassuming lodge in Kent
North Lodge near Tonbridge may seem relatively simple, but there is a lot more than what meets the eye.
By James Fisher Published
-
A rare opportunity to own a family home on Vanbrugh Terrace, one of London's finest streets
This six-bedroom Victorian home sits right on the start line of the London Marathon, with easy access to Blackheath and Greenwich Park.
By James Fisher Published