Little Winters, Lyme Regis, Dorset

Nestled in the secluded Rocombe Valley, this pink-painted country house is draped in sweet-smelling jasmine and roses. Encircled by over four acres of exquisite gardens, Little Winters was built in 1929 and sits on an elevated position overlooking the countryside between East Devon and Dorset, two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The plan spans over 4,770 sq ft and comprises a seven-bedroom house and a three-bedroom stables-turned-cottage. A wonderful orangery paved with terracotta tiles sits to the side of the main house and captures a sublime quality of natural light.

Setting the Scene

Lyme Regis, nicknamed 'The Pearl of Dorset' is a picturesque 30-minute riverside walk from the house. Here, the South West Coast Path can be found, as can the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its rocks, fossils and landforms.

Little Winters was built in 1929, replacing a thatched farmhouse which had stood on the same site. The house brims with original details and fittings, including Crittall windows on the ground floor, fireplace surrounds, light fittings and door handles. Colonel Bacchus, who commissioned the house, was a keen plantsman, importing many specimens of trees and plants from India, where he'd emigrated from.

In recent years, the house has been updated with wood chip boilers and solar panels to ensure lower running costs and a more ecologically sustainable approach to energy efficiency. There is a cedar-clad studio in the garden, as well as the ruins of a bothy which has planning permission to be converted into a one-bedroom annexe. 

The Grand Tour

Entry to the house is through double doors flanked by traditional Critall windows, opening to a large entrance hall with dark wooden floors and a wood-burning stove. The kitchen sits adjacent, with a cream Aga and soft grey shaker cabinets, as well as two utility rooms and a larder, complete with its original slate shelves. A basement is accessed from external doors, rather than stairs, and houses a workshop and storage rooms with windows providing light.

The generous living spaces are south-west facing, oriented to take advantage of the natural light which pours through the leaded glazing. In the drawing room, there is a window with a window seat, which looks out from its elevated position across the valley. An original, tiled fireplace is found in this room; the brick tiles a motif repeated throughout the house. At the side, a delightful orangery with a tall, mono-pitched glazed roof and a terracotta tiled floor is a brilliant place to keep pelargoniums throughout the year.

A wooden staircase ascends to the first-floor landing, where there is a generous provision of built-in storage. There are five bedrooms on this floor, three with built-in wardrobes, whilst the principal bedroom is home to a walk-in dressing room. Original green glazed tiled fireplaces provide an authentic warmth to the rooms. Two substantial family-sized bathrooms with colourful pastel sanitaryware add character to the spaces. Stairs lead to the second floor, which has two additional bedrooms with views across neighbouring treetops.

The detached converted stable block, known as Little Winters' Cottage, has been used as a holiday let. Clad in weathered grey cedar tiles, this three-bedroom, and two bathroom cottage has its own paddock and pretty valley views. The spacious living space has a wood burner and a Belfast sink in the kitchen area, as well as a large west-facing balcony with specular views across the valley.

The Great Outdoors

The carefully conceived exterior of the house is a display of greenery. South-facing gardens provide a buoyant display of specimens, including a camellia walk and several magnolia varieties. Roses climb the wooden veranda, with paving offering the perfect spot for a table and chairs. There is a brilliant connection between inside and outside in the summer months, with French doors opening from the hallway and sitting room straight onto the terrace. Steps lead from here to a well-maintained lawn.

The garden was lovingly tended by the first owners of the house in the 1930s; the current owners have worked to maintain and add to what they created, including looking after the five shallow spring-fed ponds found in the garden and cultivating the mature exotic plants and trees. At the foot of the garden is an expansive area filled with vegetable patches, and another stretch of lawn which could serve as the garden for the proposed one-bedroom annexe. There is also a paddock in front of the existing cottage - perfect for keeping chickens or other livestock - complete with a stables and a garage.

Out and About

The house is perfectly located for the excellent amenities in the surrounding area. Uplyme village is only six minutes away by car and has an active community spirit, along with a shop, post office and petrol station. There is also a popular local pub and a well-regarded primary school. A short eight-minute drive away is the famous River Cottage, which hosts long table lunches, seasonal feasts and a well-stocked store with a range of organic drinks, food and cakes. Stonebarrow in Charmouth, owned by the National Trust, is a ten-minute drive away.

Renowned for exceptional open countryside and woodland, Rocombe is a unique point where the two AONBs of East Devon and Dorset meet, providing excellent walking paths around the house. Sea swimming groups gather at Lyme (a 10-minute drive away), where calmer waters are sheltered by the arm of the Cobb, and there is also a gig rowing club, a sailing club and a boat-building school. Tom’s Lyme Regis is a lovely restaurant on the seafront specialising in local produce and is great for a morning coffee with a sea view. Lilac’s wine bar and restaurant offers excellent food, and for pizza, there is Poco's, which has an upstairs terrace overlooking the beach.

There are excellent schooling options available in the surrounding areas, including a fantastic local primary school, Mrs Ethelston's, which is a short walk from the house down a quiet lane and across a field, as well as The Woodroffe Secondary School which is also easy to walk to. The Axe Valley Academy is also closeby, as is the popular Colyton Grammar.

The nearest train station is at Axminster, a ten-minute drive from the house, with direct services running from here to London in around two hours and 40 minutes. The M5 is easily accessible and runs to Bristol.

Council Tax Band: H