Every so often an opportunity comes along which is so rare as to be effectively unique. That’s the case today, as the picturesque and unspoilt Lamorna Cove has come up for sale.
Located at West Penwith, five miles from Penzance, it’s one of the last remaining bays in Cornwall that remains in private hands – and the whole place is up for sale at £2.65 million. That price includes a tourism business (including restaurant and apartments) and two delightful homes, one of which is amongst the most photogenic in Cornwall.
As well as being for sale as a whole the owners are also willing to split it into lots. Lot 1, the residential, boating and holiday business – including a restaurant, a series of one-and-two bedroom holiday homes and a pay-and-display car park – is for sale at a guide price of £1.45 million.
Lot 2 is the majestic three-bedroom Cliff Cottage, a granite-built former count house for the old Victorian quarry, now one of Cornwall’s most photographed houses, at £695,000.
Finally there is lot 3, the semi-detached, four-bedroom Gilly Cottage, at £495,000.
Approached down the heavily wooded Lamorna Valley that leads to the cove and the glittering waters of Mount’s Bay, Lamorna Cove was the site of a thriving quarry industry in Victorian times, which saw high-quality granite cut by hand from the cliffs and shipped from Penzance to destinations around the world.
Loading from Lamorna’s small quay was often delayed by heavy seas, and sea transport was eventually abandoned in favour of transport overland to Penzance.
The quarries ceased production in 1911, after which Lamorna Cove became an outpost of the Newlyn School of artists, among them Harold and Laura Knight, Alfred Munnings, Dod and Ernest Proctor, and Robert and Eleanor Hughes. Augustus John was a regular visitor, as were the writers John le Carré and Derek Tangye.
Throughout this period, the cove and its surrounding lands were owned by Col Paynter, who encouraged artists and writers to live there.
Tourism prevailed when Col Paynter’s daughter, Mary Elizabeth, sold the cove in 1982 and present owners, Roy Stevenson and his family, have enjoyed sharing Lamorna Cove with the public since 1995.
Lamorna Cove is for sale via Knight Frank – see more details and pictures.
-
‘I was rather excited, not remotely daunted... With hindsight, I should have been': The 25-year creation of the gardens of Glenarm CastlePay a visit to the gardens at Glenarm Castle in Co Antrim — home of Randal and Aurora McDonnell — is hard to credit that nearly all of the present garden was made this century, marvels Kathryn Bradley-Hole. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
-
Three homes down by the Thames, perfect for those who love messing about on boatsThis summer’s scorching temperatures will no doubt have endorsed the perennial appeal of Thames-side houses with frontage and private access to the river. Penny Churchill and Toby Keel pick out some prime examples.
-
Three homes down by the Thames, perfect for those who love messing about on boats
This summer’s scorching temperatures will no doubt have endorsed the perennial appeal of Thames-side houses with frontage and private access to the river. Penny Churchill and Toby Keel pick out some prime examples.
-
A pavilion, pool and pleasure gardens at this Devon country house 'with not another building in sight'Ebberly House is a majestic country house in Devon built by one of John Soane's pupils — and as it comes to the market, it's a place Penny Churchill knows well.
-
Take over the world or throw a great big party on this private fort for sale in PembrokeThorne Island, dubbed the British Alcatraz, has been a £2 million labour of love. Now it could be yours.
-
The perfect summer house? A country home, beach house and rural escape rolled into one in a prime spot in SussexIf there's a finer house than Grangewood House in which to enjoy the summer, we'd love to see it. Penny Churchill takes a look.
-
A six-bedroom modern masterpiece mere minutes from Europe's best golf courseVilla Stern catches the eye with its distinctive design, and is imbued with luxury inside and out.
-
Everything the light touches… The London penthouse for sale that will make you feel like a kingThe Observatory in London’s Fulham boasts 360-degree views of the capital.
-
This converted mill is the epitome of bucolic beauty and its grounds were masterminded by one of the finest garden designers alive todayHunworth Mill is the very picture of bucolic bliss, with exquisite gardens created by Arne Maynard.
-
Yes to padel, no to swimming pools: How to attract a new generation to the countrysideYoung parents are leaving the city earlier than in previous years, according to new research. What are they looking for?
