Down in deepest Devon, James Carroll of Jackson-Stops quotes a guide price of £2m for Grade II*-listed East Down Manor, near Barnstaple. The property stands in more than 12 acres of idyllic gardens, grounds and magical woodland on the edge of the pretty North Devon hamlet of East Down, in the foothills of Exmoor National Park, with expansive views across the rolling north Devon countryside.
Originally a Dower House serving Arlington Court, now owned by the National Trust, the striking Georgian-fronted house probably dates from the late 17th century, with some 18th-century remodelling. Currently in need of modernisation after 60 years of ownership by the same family, East Down Manor offers three main reception rooms, six bedrooms, three bathrooms and two self-contained, two-bedroom apartments.
Once part of a large Devon estate owned by the Pine-Coffin dynasty, the manor was bought in the 1960s by the family of Victoria Scott Brown, who recalls how her parents, then based in London, came to look at a two-up, two-down, cottage by the sea at Instow: ‘Unimpressed by the cottage, they were on their way home when Ma spotted an advertisement for East Down Manor in the local paper at nearly the same price, and immediately fell in love with the house.
'Pa, who trained as an artist in New Zealand, was an interior designer who gathered interesting and colourful paintings, furniture and ceramics from all over London. On our regular trips to Devon, the estate car would be loaded with children, while large paintings or furniture were carried on the roof.’
‘On one occasion’, she adds, ‘a painting later identified as being by Devon artist Benjamin Haughton, who lived at East Down Manor in the early 1900s, blew off on Salisbury Plain and was reclaimed somewhat the worse for wear.'
'The painting of the manor garden still needs restoration and a little love, like the rest of the house, but it will remain with it as part of its history.’
East Down Manor is for sale at £2m — 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
-
Six beautiful homes around the world, from Portofino to Provence to Palm BeachAn exquisite villa tucked into a hillside? A A breathtaking apartment created to make you feel like you're flying through the endless blue skies?
-
The 'greatest battle for 300 years': England's great estates face up to a green futureThe climate crisis will affect us all. All over Britain, major landowners are stepping up to tackle a warming world and biodiversity loss.
-
Six beautiful homes around the world, from Portofino to Provence to Palm Beach
An exquisite villa tucked into a hillside? A A breathtaking apartment created to make you feel like you're flying through the endless blue skies?
-
An idyllic home where the forest meets the sea, for sale for the first time in over half a centuryLittle Aston is a graceful, charming home with superb gardens and its own orchard, as well as some of the south coast's most beautiful areas right on its doorstep. Penny Churchill takes a look.
-
'Just look at those stairs. Just as an art form, they are bewitching, like the shell of a nautilus': The lure of buying a stairway to heavenIt seems like madness to buy a house purely because you fall in love with the staircase — but sometimes, they are simply so beautiful that it's impossible to resist. Toby Keel takes a look at some glorious examples of staircases we've seen in Country Life in the last couple of years.
-
A one-of-a-kind waterfront estate with two private beaches is for sale on the same storied American island that Jackie Kennedy, the Obamas and Princess Diana have all visitedBeach Farm on Martha’s Vineyard — a favourite summertime holiday destination with prominent American families — is a perfect melding of New England and Scandinavian design styles.
-
The architect who created the MI6 building only designed a tiny handful of houses — and one of them is now up for sale in one of London's most bucolic spotsSir Terry Farrell designed the beautiful, light-filled, T-shaped Drum House in Petersham, with gardens laid out by John Sallis Chandler, who has won multiple RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medals.
-
'True waterfront homes are finite... miss one and it could be years before you see another like it again': Why the best waterfront property always hits the spotThere’s no denying the appeal of waterfront property, which now sells for some 51% more than its inland equivalent, finds Knight Frank. Annabel Dixon explores the shore.
-
19 charming homes for sale, from picture-perfect cottages to beachside retreats, as seen in Country LifeThis week's selection of some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life this week.
-
Tim Burton is selling the house he shared with Helena Bonham-Carter, a sublime home on the Thames that comes with three private islandsMill House in Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire, might just be the perfect English country home.
