Your own little slice of Haven down in Devon
Situated in the desirable environs of Newton Ferrers, this estuary-side property has views that will never get old
It takes a certain amount of confidence in the quality of your property to name it The Haven. The implication would be that it would have to be a home of the highest standard, something approaching a ‘dream house’.
I imagine each of us have our own ideas of what perfection might look like. I, for example, enjoy my cricket, so would like my own pitch. Someone who likes horses (not me) would be keen on menages, or something like that, and paddocks, so that they can spend time with their giant unpredictable animals.
However, certain things strike me as universal. I think a kitchen island would be pretty much a staple for all these days, as would a top-tier bathroom with all the trimmings. If there’s one thing I know about most humans, it’s that they certainly would find heaven by spending time near the water.
Which leads me back to The Haven, near Newton Ferrers. This four-bedroom property – for sale with Marchand Petit for £1.95 million – certainly ticks the ‘near some water’ box, situated as it is above Newton Creek, which feeds directly into the River Yealm.
I’m trying to think of the correct way to describe the general atmosphere of this place. Nautical feels a little serious, so perhaps ‘seaside chic’ is what we’ll aim for — lots of white, lots of soft-blue hues, plenty of large windows throughout, seashells and wood.
Every bit of this property does what it can to make the most of the sensational setting, making sure it would never be more than a moment that you would lose sight of the Yealm and the Atlantic beyond.
The ground floor is set for entertaining, with large open-plan spaces forming the kitchen, dining and living rooms. Two bedrooms occupy the remainder of the ground floor, while the other two (including the master suite), take up the first floor.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Outside, the gardens wrap around the property and provide plenty of space to sit and enjoy the view with a coffee, as the photographs are desperate to prove, while a garage provides somewhere to park. The property offers water frontage with a mooring, subject to permission from the harbourmaster.
I’m not sure where I’d put my cricket pitch, and it seems unlikely that a horse could be stored here for long. But overall, I think The Haven just about lives up to its name.
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
Riverside living in a New-England style hillside home
Where the Truro and Tresillian Rivers meet, five bedroom Rivergarth is suitably positioned to take advantage
The Country Life Podcast
Listen to all the episodes of the Country Life Podcast.
Quentin Blake’s former home for sale, and it’s as wonderfully higgledy-piggledy as his illustrations
This 570-year-old house was until recently the home of the iconic children’s illustrator Quentin Blake. We stepped inside to take

James Fisher is the Digital Commissioning Editor of Country Life. He writes about motoring, travel and things that upset him. He lives in London. He wants to publish good stories, so you should email him.
-
What on earth is the person who comes up with Annabel's otherworldly facade displays on? London's most magical Christmas shop displaysPhotographs by Greg Funnell.
By Rosie Paterson Published
-
What trees taught me about perfect planting — Alan TitchmarshSense and patience is key to growing healthy trees, as a certain Mr Mackenzie showed a young Alan Titchmarsh
By Alan Titchmarsh Last updated
-
It'd be crazy to buy this 500-year-old farmhouse just because of its utterly gorgeous Aga — so thank goodness that the rest of this place is also really nicePerry Mill Farm is an immaculate yet characterful four-bedroom dream home in the country at a price that will make city dwellers immediately start Googling 'working from Worcestershire'.
By Toby Keel Published
-
'A masterpiece of timeless elegance' for sale on the charmed Surrey estate once owned by Henry VIII and the Guinness familyThe Manor House in Burwood Park is a grand, enormous and undeniably impressive. Annabel Dixon takes a look.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
A grand hall in Yorkshire with 400 years of historyCarlton Hall is a wonderful family home amid glorious gardens in a quaint village location. Penny Churchill looks inside.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Why don't more of us live in brightly coloured homes?It's not often that you see a home sporting the colour palette that you'd get if you hired a four-year old as your interior designer. But why not? The Blue House in Bethnal Green asks this and many more questions.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Five magnificent mansions, from a former monastery to an Art Deco wonder in the South Downs, as seen in Country LifeWonderful homes, including a superb beach home in Cornwall, all fresh on the market via Country Life.
By Toby Keel Published
-
A 14-bedroom 'miniature Downton Abbey' to call your own — and there's not a penny of Mansion Tax to be paidNorton Manor is an incredible period home that's on the market for £1.3 million.
By Toby Keel Published
-
The dream ski chalet for sale: Plan world domination and ski Japow at the same timeEach week, James Fisher fantasises about a dream ski chalet he'd like to buy, but can't — from architecturally striking marvels, to cosy mountain retreats, and everything in between. This week, we are off to the top of the Rusutsu resort in Japan.
By James Fisher Published
-
A country home that comes with a perfect lifestyle business: one of Britain's oldest vineyardsAstley Vineyard in Worcestershire, and the lovely house that it comes with, are looking for a new owner.
By Toby Keel Published