No bars, no signal predictedOne bar, reliable signal unlikelyTwo bars, may experience problems with connectivityThree bars, likely to have good coverage and receive a data rate to support basic web servicesFull bars, likely to have good coverage indoors and to receive an enhanced data rate to support multimedia services
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Guide price£1,400,000
Added > 14 days

8 bedroom detached house for sale

Clovelly, Bideford, Devon, EX39
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Detached house
8 bed
2 bath
5,190 sq ft / 482 sq m

Key information

Tenure: Freehold
Council tax: Band G
Broadband: Ultra-fast 900Mbps *
Mobile signal: 
EE O2 Three Vodafone
Water: Ask agent
Heating: Ask agent
Electricity: Ask agent
Sewerage: Ask agent
Discover more information

Property description & features

  • Tenure: Freehold
  • 8 bedrooms
  • 3 4 reception rooms
  • 2 bathrooms
  • 1.73 acres
  • Outbuildings
  • Period
  • Coastal
  • Detached
  • Garden
  • Parking
Once the childhood home of the renowned Victorian novelist Charles Kingsley, when his father was employed as the local rector, The Old Rectory is a gorgeous Georgian home, set in a sublime and very private woodland setting on the gorgeous 4,600-acre Clovelly Estate, which has been owned by only three successive families since the middle of the 13th century. Charles Kingsley became known for his concern for social reform, most notably via his illustrated story, The Water-Babies published in 1863. Surrounded by the peace and beauty of the surroundings he enjoyed as a child, it is not difficult to understand how he later came to compare his own idyllic, care-free childhood with that of those brought up in poverty.

The Old Rectory is a lovely example of a large 19th century family house. It has three upper floors and a basement, with a white-painted and rendered exterior under a slate roof. The house has an east/west axis with the rear of the house facing east towards the sea. Tall, wide sash windows look out across the grounds ensuring that the interior remains light and airy throughout the day. The house has a classic, four-square layout with a deep stairwell above the hall and has retained many of its original architectural fittings including numerous Victorian fireplaces, panel doors and working shutters. The ground floor has three good-sized reception rooms, all with open fireplaces, with the sitting and dining rooms interconnected creating a single, larger family room if desired. These are supplemented by a very large games room in the basement, warmed by a wood-burning stove and well-lit by natural light flowing in through wide, semi-circular windows at ground level. The kitchen is also generously sized and fitted with an engineered oak floor and a four-oven AGA. The house has a total of eight double bedrooms and two bathrooms spread over two floors, all with views out over the grounds, of which five of the eight look out towards the coast. There is also an 8 person lift ( big enough for a large wheelchair) that goes to three floors.

Garden and Grounds
The Old Rectory is approached via a 70-yard long drive that sweeps round in front of the house before returning around a teardrop shaped turning circle. There is ample parking space in front of the house supplemented by further parking on a spur off to one side of the drive. Between the two is an attached single garage that opens onto the drive and has an internal door through to the house's rear lobby. The house sits centrally within its grounds, which amount to just under one and three quarters acres. They consist of level lawns surrounding the house blending into mature woodland that contains a rich mix of broadleaf and evergreen native trees and a timber summer house.

Additional Information
Heating:
Oil Fired CH & AGA
Mobile Coverage:
Please look at the Ofcom website for more information


The Old Rectory is situated within the North Devon Coast AONB amidst the 4,600 acre Clovelly Estate. The house is just half a mile away from the harbour village of Clovelly, which is built into wooded sea cliffs on the north Devon shoreline. The village is on the South West Coast Path National Trail and has a RNLI lifeboat station, two hotels and a parish church. Bideford, an historic port town 20 minutes away by car, has a wide choice of shops and local businesses including several supermarkets plus GP, dental and veterinary practices. Barnstaple is just half an hour away and has wider amenities including a train station with regular rail services to Exeter Central (1 hour 15 minutes). Exeter Airport is about an hour and a half away connecting to several UK and international destinations, including a regular, 1-hour service to London City Airport. There are two primary schools within a five-mile radius and a selection of independent schools across the wider area.

Property information from this agent

Places of interest

    Exeter is an extremely desirable place to live, with one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe. With its easy access to award winning beaches and countryside walks, residents are able to lead the good life, whilst having access to a well-regarded business hub. The city remains a popular place to live due to the varied and attractive architecture and high standard of state and independent schooling, along with Exeter University, which is considered one of the best in Europe. The accessible train links to London are excellent and it is possible to be in the capital within two hours and seven minutes on the fast train. Exeter airport is in close proximity and this provides international and regional connections. From our office in the centre of Exeter at 19 Southernhay East, Knight Frank helps homebuyers  find their new home in Exeter. Relocating from abroad? We can help make your move to Exeter stress-free through our relocation services.

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    *DISCLAIMER

    Property reference EXE012349949. The information displayed about this property comprises a property advertisement. OnTheMarket.com makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the advertisement or any linked or associated information, and OnTheMarket.com has no control over the content provided by the agent or developer. This property advertisement does not constitute property particulars. The information is provided and maintained by Knight Frank - Exeter.

    OnTheMarket may have applied supplementary data to this property listing, including:

    Broadband availability and predicted speed: obtained from Ofcom on October 9, 2024

    Broadband speed is measured in megabits per second, with the number returned showing how fast the connection is. Each reading is based on the highest predicted speed of any major broadband network for services that deliver the download speeds. The following are the different readings that we may display:

    Basic: Up to 30 Mbit/s
    Super-fast: Between 30 Mbit/s and 300 Mbit/s
    Ultra-fast: Over 300 Mbit/s

    The data is updated three times a year. The checker results are predictions and should not be regarded as guaranteed. For more information, see: https://checker.ofcom.org.uk/en-gb/about-checker#Answer_0_2

    Mobile phone signal availability and predicted strength: obtained from Ofcom on October 9, 2024

    Mobile signal predictions are provided by the four UK mobile network operators: EE, O2, Three and Vodafone. Predictions can vary significantly from the coverage you may actually experience as a result of local factors (especially terrain). Ofcom has tested the actual coverage provided in various locations around the UK to help ensure that these predictions are reasonable. The values shown against a property can be broken down as follows:

    Clear: No bars, no signal predicted
    Red: One bar, reliable signal unlikely
    Amber: Two bars, may experience problems with connectivity
    Green: Three bars, likely to have good coverage and receive a data rate to support basic web services
    Enhanced: Full bars, likely to have good coverage indoors and to receive an enhanced data rate to support multimedia services

    Energy Performance data and Internal floor area

    Any supplementary data should not be relied upon as forming part of any property particulars and OnTheMarket cannot be held responsible for any incorrectness in this data. See here for more information.

    *Call rate information

    Calls to 0843 numbers will be charged at 4p/min from BT landlines. Calls from other networks may vary, and calls from mobiles and outside the UK will be higher. Calls to local numbers beginning with 01, 02 and 03 numbers will incur standard geographic charges from landlines and mobiles.