Hawson Court, Buckfastleigh, Devon, TQ11

Sited on a hill above the River Mardle within the Dartmoor National Park and half a mile from Hembury Castle, Hawson Court is a substantial, early Victorian country house built around 1850. Much of the surrounding land and other associated buildings were sold over time after the war, with Hawson Court itself divided into four separate residences.

1 Hawson Court is the most significant part of the house and therefore contains most of the significant rooms including the drawing and dining rooms and the principal bedroom. It bears all the hallmarks of a fine country house of the period with elegantly proportioned rooms with tall ceilings, large windows overlooking the grounds and, although unlisted, has retained most of its original architectural fittings. These include beautiful stained glass windows, a fine mosaic tiled floor in the hall, a grand front staircase with its ornate newel posts and marble stone pillars, several carved timber fireplaces, timber floors, half-height panelling, decorative cornicing and an abundance of original joinery.

The ground floor has two principal reception room and an orangery, which all face east through to south to catch the best of the daylight from early morning until late afternoon. These rooms are separated from the kitchen and study by the long hallway, below which is a basement store room. The kitchen is a very good size with plenty of room for a kitchen table, is fitted with a range of units, and has both a conventional oven and a newly-installed electric AGA and has a walk-in pantry.

Overlooking the front staircase on the first floor is a wide galleried landing illuminated by natural light flowing in through a tall stained glass window and incorporating three archways at one end screening a quiet reading space. Off it are four double bedrooms. The main bedroom has a tall, east-facing oriel window and is en suite to the family, dual access bathroom. The remaining bedrooms share the family bathroom and a separate shower room.

The house is approached off a quiet country lane and down a long, sweeping drive to a parking area beside the house. It sits in about six acres of garden and park-like grounds, which fan out on one side of the house and extend into a further seven acres of mature woodland. The grounds are not ornate and therefore do not require intensive maintenance but have a charming natural quality that allows the garden to merge seamlessly into the surrounding woodland. A paved terrace fringes the south-east facing side of the house and looks out across a long, level lawn that ends at the far tree line. The woodland contains a rich variety of native broadleaf trees supplemented by a gorgeous selection of more exotic evergreen and broadleaf trees. This heady mix provides a wonderful environment for the house that is both colourful and varied throughout the year. It also attracts a rich variety of wildlife, which ventures right up to the house and can be enjoyed along the network of paths that criss-cross the grounds.

1 Hawson Court is situated amidst unspoilt countryside on the eastern side of the Dartmoor National Park. It is only two miles from the small market town of Buckfastleigh and conveniently midway between the larger centres of Plymouth and Exeter.

Buckfastleigh has a selection of amenities including two convenience stores, several pubs, farm shop, medical centre and a train station on the heritage South Devon Railway. For wider needs Plymouth and Exeter both have an excellent selection of shops, businesses and cultural activities as you might expect from two provincial cities.

For transport links the A38/Devon Expressway skirts the eastern edge of Buckfastleigh providing swift access to the west country's main road network. Exeter has two railway stations, with Exeter St David's providing services to Paddington (2 hours 7 minutes) and Exeter Central to Waterloo (3 hours 17 minutes). In addition, Junction 30 on the M5 is to the east of the
city as is Exeter International Airport.

There is a wide choice of schools from the independent sector including Exeter School, The Maynard and Exeter Cathedral School.

Buckfastleigh 2 miles, Strawberry Fields Farm Shop 2.5 miles, Totnes 8.5 miles, Paignton 15 miles, Torquay 17 miles Plymouth town centre 25 miles, Exeter city centre 25 miles, Exeter Airport 28 miles (All distances and times are approximate)