A home on the English Riviera with breathtaking views across the sea
Brim Hill is a classic 1930s seaside mansion in Torquay. Julie Harding takes a look.
Toby Keel
The idea of giving a glamorous nickname is, at its heart, a clever bit of marketing. Yet there's no denying that it works: recent figures suggest it can bring as much as a 20% uplift to house prices.
It's also nothing new, going back at least as far as the Victorians, who dubbed the area around Torbay — Torquay, Paignton and Brixham — as 'The English Riviera'.
What started out as a neat idea to sell a few extra train tickets to tourists coming down from London has stuck, for The English Riviera is indelibly linked to the warm, pleasant and palm-tree lined beaches and coves of South Devon.
This 1920s poster shows a world that's a sunny escape from the grime of industrial Britain at its peak.
True, there was a time when, like most seaside towns in Britain, the area was down on its luck; and the classic sitcom Fawlty Towers, set in Torquay, probably didn't help much. But the area is having a bit of a resurgence, even earning UNESCO recognition recently to celebrate '22 miles of intricate coastline which provides a real mix of quiet wildlife-rich secluded coves, dramatic cliffs and headlands to family friendly beaches, bustling seafront proms and protected harbours.'
For those keen to move down here, there's good news: one of the prettiest houses in Torquay is up for sale. Brim Hill is a Grade II-listed Regency villa with sensational sea views, and it has the X-factor everybody wants: a sea view.
The view is glorious from the gardens and terrace, but even better from the full-width first-floor balcony, reached via French doors from the dressing room adjoining the principal bedroom, and it provides a front-row seat to this coastal panorama.
The rest of the house is also worth writing home about. Built in the early 1830s, Brim Hill retains many period details within its five bedrooms and five reception rooms.
There are newer touches too: bifold doors connect the sitting room and drawing room, and can be pushed back to create a large entertaining space.
The kitchen, too, is made for catering for convivial gatherings. Also on the ground floor, there is a dining room, family room and study, while outside a detached annexe lends itself to a variety of uses. And, naturally, there's a pool.
Brim Hill is for sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details.
