Six thatched cottage dreams in the West Country, starting from £495,000
Julie Harding and Toby Keel pick out some of the prettiest thatched cottages on the market today in Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Gloucestershire.
Devon — £1,187,500
For history buffs seeking a new home with a proliferation of original features, Trillow, a Grade II-listed farmhouse with far-reaching views and set in about 8½ acres, is likely to fit the bill.
This thatched five-bedroom property dates from the early 16th century and has the likes of exposed timber beams, flagstone floors, impressive fireplaces and — the pièce de résistance — an original plank-and-muntin screen (in the sitting room).
However, it certainly doesn’t resemble the 1500s in terms of comfort levels, as these nods to the past are mixed with underfloor heating for cosy days and nights when the temperatures drop outside, modern fittings — including in the well-equipped kitchen with its farmhouse-style units, oak worktops and oil-fired Aga — and understated décor that is on point for the 2020s. Trillow is sited in a tranquil location, close to a peaceful country lane, but the village of Whitestone is only a mile away and the cathedral city of Exeter, with its shops, schools and university, a mere three-mile drive.
For sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details and pictures.
Cornwall — £500,000
Just half a mile from Lizard village, almost at the southern tip of the British mainland, is this classic chocolate-box cottage. It's a two-bedroom place that is Grade II-listed, but don't let that concern you for it's been extremely well-renovated and is ready for new occupants.
For sale via Laskowski & Co — see more details and pictures.
Devon — £575,000
The Duchy of Cornwall’s Bow Creek is an estuary of the Harbourne River that flows into the River Dart—and it is as idyllic as it sounds. Grade II-listed Quay Cottage is situated within close proximity of this creek, offering river views and, for those who love boating, time on the water, for the creek is navigable by small boats for a few hours either side of high tide.
On dry land, the location, the hamlet of Tuckenhay, is only four miles from Totnes and six miles from Dartmouth. When not messing about in boats, the new owners will be able to appreciate the exposed oak trusses within their spacious first-floor reception room, the ground-floor dining room with its inglenook fireplace and the fitted kitchen, plus the three bedrooms, two of which are on the ground floor; the largest one is on the first floor. Quay Cottage was rethatched in 2024.
For sale via Marchand Petit — see more details and pictures.
Gloucestershire — £495,000
Some class Gloucestershire as sitting within the confines of the ‘West Country’, given a generous interpretation of the map, so Asphodel Cottage, in the village of Tarlton, surely counts. Recently sympathetically and tastefully renovated by the current owners, this detached property that dates from about 1624 (when James I was coming to the end of his reign) offers oodles of charm and sought-after features, including an inglenook fireplace, vaulted ceilings and myriad exposed beams.
The ground floor consists of the open-plan kitchen/sitting room; there is a bedroom with adjoining bathroom on the first floor; and, beyond the confines of the cottage, there is an 11ft by 13ft garden store. Anyone sitting in the south-facing rear garden will enjoy views over the Bathurst estate.
For sale via Butler Sherborn — see more details and pictures.
Devon — £775,000
The beautiful Blackdown Hills National Landscape offers viewpoints and valleys and woodlands and waterfalls — and Wrens, a thatched Grade II-listed property with four bedrooms that sits on its edge in the hamlet of Beacon. This glorious countryside can be enjoyed from the raised paved terrace on the south side of this pink-walled house or from the well-managed gardens, which feature lawns, ornamental shrubs, trees and raised beds.
Accommodation on the ground floor consists of a kitchen/breakfast room where there is a four-oven Aga and an exposed beam and ceiling timbers, adjoining dining room, sitting room (with brick fireplace with woodburner) and office.
Upstairs, there are four bedrooms, all of which offer spectacular views to the south.
For sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.
Dorset — £725,000
Wheat reed-thatched Jack’s Cottage in Tarrant Monkton, near Blandford Forum, was originally a pair of farmworkers’ cottages, made of lime-rendered cob and brick. Now, it is a detached three-bedroom family home that has been brought firmly into the 21st century.
Notable features include two fireplaces, latched oak doors, exposed timbers and a copper rolltop bath. Eyecatching rooms on the ground floor are the beamed sitting room and dining hall, plus the kitchen/breakfast room.
The gardens are made up of lawns, borders and a terrace for entertaining.
For sale via Winkworth — see more details and pictures.
