With its green hills tumbling steeply down into impossibly blue sea, and views across the water to where you’ll see more of the same, there are few spots in England prettier than the River Dart estuary in Devon. Boats are as common here as cars are in most towns, skipping across the waves between Kingswear and Dartmouth, or perhaps down to the castle. And if you ever find yourself on one of those boats on a warm, sunny day, you’ll no doubt notice the gorgeous houses which cling to the choice spots, and wonder with envy who lives within.
The good news is that one of those houses, Paradise Point, has now come up for sale — and it’s every bit as beautiful inside as you’d hope. The less good news is that the asking price is £7.75 million, which will mean that for all but the best-heeled it’ll have to remain a dream.
The house sits in the village of Warfleet, roughly half-way between the centre of Dartmouth and Dartmouth Castle, on the western side of the estuary. It’s a Grade II-listed, five-bedroom house with gardens which run down to the water, where you’ll find your own little jetty.
While it’s full of character it’s a relative baby compared to many of the ancient buildings you’ll find in this historic part of Devon: it was built in 1850, to replace Paradise Fort, which once stood on this spot.
The 6,778sq ft is split across four floors, including lovely spaces such as a snug, bar, cinema room and a basement with wine cellar. The words 'wine cellar' undersell it a little, so here's a picture:
The bedrooms are split between the first and second floors, though the latter is currently laid out as a self-contained apartment.
The star of the show on the ground floor is the extravagant drawing room with doors that lead out to what we can only describe as a wraparound orangery.
The master suite above that drawing room has a balcony, dressing room and two en-suite bathrooms (yes, really — one has a bath, one has a shower) and is quite astonishing.
As well as place to moor your boats, there is space to park your cars — half a dozen will fit on the private driveway, while there is also a double garage with its own roof terrace that has been built into the slope. It’s an eye-catching design that has won a couple of architectural awards, according to the agents.
And speaking of eye-catching designs, another is in the pipeline for Paradise Point: plans have been submitted for a two-storey building down by the jetty which is to be a home office and boathouse.
If it wins approval from the local authorities, the next owner of this magnificent spot could become the proud owner of one of the great work-from-home spots in Devon.
Paradise Point is for sale via Knight Frank at £7.75 million — see more details and pictures.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
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