Tower Cross, Honiton, Devon

SITUATION
The property is situated in a delightful position on the country outskirts of Offwell, an active and popular village with a primary school, village hall and ancient Church of St Mary's. There are many delightful walks close at hand over some of the county's most attractive countryside and woodland and it sits on the fringes of both the East Devon and Blackdown Hills Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Bishops Tower lies on Honiton Hill, approximately 1 mile from the market town of Honiton which has a good selection of multiples including WhSmiths, Boots, M & S Simply Foods, Homebase, Tesco, Aldi and Lidl with a variety of independent shops, restaurants, schools, a sports centre/swimming pool, golf, rugby, football and cricket club.

The town has excellent communication facilities with an hourly SWR main line rail link to London Waterloo and a dual carriageway to the nearby Cathedral City of Exeter and Exeter International Airport.

Exeter has excellent shopping and many sporting facilities, theatres, art centre, a GWR main line express rail link to London Paddington and easy access to the M5 motorway linking the Midlands and London with the South West.

Bishops Tower also lies close to the coast and the popular towns of Sidmouth and Lyme Regis. This stretch of coastline is well known for its beautiful walks, high cliffs and dramatic scenery and sits at the heart of the World Heritage Jurassic Coast. There are excellent private and state schools in the area including the renowned Colyton Grammar School, one of England's top co-educational grammar schools, which is located a few miles away in Colyford.

THE PROPERTY
The Tower and Tower Farmhouse form an impressive detached Grade II Listed residence known as the Bishops Tower and is one of East Devon's most prominent landmarks and iconic properties. The house has gone through a comprehensive and meticulous programme of refurbishment and renovation over the past seven years, and it enjoys superior finishes throughout with bespoke high quality fixtures and fittings.

The renovation work has provided the house with a new fully insulated roof and complete internal reconstruction, restoration and redecoration, with bespoke double glazed bronze architectural windows, lime plaster finishes, fibrous plaster mouldings, new mechanical and electrical services throughout, modern sanitary ware and high specification fittings, condensing boiler, central heating and a pressurised water system maintaining high pressure to all water outlets throughout the house.

The accommodation is beautifully presented and particularly light with all the principal rooms taking advantage of the delightful views. The property also benefits from five ground floor reception rooms, including a large central dining room/hall with a historic hamstone fireplace and dual fuel stove, bespoke staircase, doors opening into the adjacent elegant drawing room, each with Beach Bros of Exeter's oak flooring. To the rear the snug and study have flagstone and tiled floors, dual fuel stoves and look into the secluded and charming courtyard.

On the southern side is a stunning modern kitchen/breakfast room with a fine Italian porcelain tiled floor, electric underfloor heating, ornate fireplace, dual fuel stove and french doors that open out to the side and front 'parkland' gardens.

The main kitchen is also beautifully fitted with extensive storage units, an island unit with ample seating, storage, glass worktop, induction hob, pop up oil screen and wine cooler. Other appliances include fridge freezer, dual use ovens, warming drawer, dishwasher and washer/dryer in utility area.

On the first floor of the main part of the house are six double bedrooms, all with en-suite shower or bathrooms with backlit mirrors, integral electric points, underfloor heating, heated towel rails and extraction fans.

Also on the ground floor is a further utility room with a spiral staircase to the rear first floor bedrooms, a large reception room with shower room and the seventh bedroom directly above, that could be used as a separate holiday annexe or live/work space. The house has been planned for flexible use and multi-generational occupation. There is a monitored mains fire alarm, security system, broadband service and television and telephone point in each room.

GARDENS & GROUNDS
Undoubtedly one of Bishops Tower’s main features is its setting and the Tower is beautifully illuminated at night by remote controlled multi-coloured floodlights. The superb gardens and grounds have a pond, a variety of magnificent established trees, a wonderful array of rhododendrons, hydrangeas and other colourful plants and shubbery which surround the property.

There are two entrances to the property, the first via a pair of bespoke and traditional wrought iron gates hung on stone pillars, lit by a pair of antique coach lights. The second entrance is a few yards further on via a wooden farm gate into the large gravelled parking area that then leads through a further gateway to the front of the property, where there is an additional parking area, feature water fountain and wooden pergola.

To the rear is a sheltered walled courtyard with further shrubbery, fountain, outdoor lighting, sockets, a seating area and hot tub connection. There is ample scope at the property for further landscaping, the creation of a sustainable vegetable garden, a stable and tack room and for animal husbandry including chickens and geese.