Sheepstor, Yelverton, Devon, PL20

Nestling amidst lush, unspoilt farmland on the edge of the moor itself, Yellowmead Farm is near to the Yellowmead Stone Circle from which the farm gets its name. It is also set at the foot of Sheeps Tor, which stands 1,210ft above sea level making it one of Dartmoor's most prominent tors. Situated at the end of a three quarters of a mile-long no-through road, Yellowmead Farm is a lovely example of an unchanged Dartmoor farmstead encompassing a group of period farm buildings a short distance from the farmhouse. In addition, the farmstead is surrounded by just over 9 acres of its own land and has no near neighbours and thereby provides those rarest of sought after commodities: beauty and tranquillity. The farmhouse is built of local stone protected by painted render and possibly dates from the 17th century. The property is unlisted and has been sympathetically refurbished to a high standard. Care has been taken to preserve the house's intrinsic character and original architectural fittings including a fantastic fireplace in the dining room.

The house has well proportioned rooms with good ceiling height plus far-reaching views across the garden to the surrounding countryside beyond. It also faces southeast to southwest catching the best of the daylight throughout the day. As was typical of period farmhouses, the front of Yellowmead Farm faces southeast thereby ensuring that the two main reception rooms and all four bedrooms benefit from good natural light from early morning through to late afternoon i.e. during the rural working day. The extension containing the kitchen/breakfast room also faces southeast and is fitted with a tiled floor, units under timber work surfaces including a central peninsula and a range of built-in electric appliances.

Holiday Cottage and outbuildings
The driveway to Yellowmead Farm emerges onto a large, gravelled parking area in front of the house, with most of the outbuildings grouped on around either side of the end of the lane. Opposite the house on the far side of the parking area are an attractive, stone-built barn with a hipped roof and a single storey outbuilding, both roofed with corrugated iron. On one side of the barn is a further two-storey, stone-built outbuilding that has been converted to create a holiday cottage with a combined, U-shaped living room with a galleried staircase and kitchen on the first floor plus two en suite double bedrooms downstairs. Outside, there are three stone barns, two of which have been renovated and re-roofed. These barns would make an ideal studio or office, subject to the appropriate planning permissions. Further parking and storage is available in the farmyard behind.

Garden and grounds
Set against the dramatic backdrop of the wild moorland of Dartmoor to the north and the rolling landscape of the surrounding countryside to the south, it is not an exaggeration to state that Yellowmead Farm has a setting that is almost unique and hard to beat. The farmstead is surrounded by its own land, which amounts to about 9.18 acres in all. Formal garden surrounds the house incorporating lawns fringed with richly stocked borders, paved seating areas, a circular pond next to the holiday cottage and parking area and a combined orchard and meadow to the north of the house. There is also a circa 20 foot greenhouse.

In the northeast corner of the orchard is a small area of broadleaf woodland. Beyond the garden is the property's lush, pastureland, which is divided into two enclosures by field hedging dotted with a mix of native, broadleaf trees.

Yellowmead Farm is situated amidst unspoilt countryside on the western side of Dartmoor. It has no near neighbours and is about a mile from the tiny village of Sheepstor, which is named after a prominent outcrop about half a mile northeast of the village and one of the area's most prominent tors. Sheepstor has a thriving village community, a church and has regular events including musical evenings in the village hall. The much larger village of Yelverton has a Co-Op supermarket, florist, various cafés and a GP surgery, along with access onto the A386. The attractive market town of Tavistock offers excellent shopping and recreational facilities including two swimming pools, gyms, five supermarkets and many other local specialist shops. Most day-to-day needs can be met in the city port of Plymouth, the centre of which is about a 40-minute drive away, although there is a massive Tesco Extra on the northern outskirts just nine miles away. Plymouth also has a railway station with fast, direct services to Exeter St. David's (1 hour) and onwards to London Paddington (3 hours total). The wider area also has a good choice of schools from both the state and independent sectors. There are two primary schools within a 3-mile radius, both rated Good by Ofsted, plus 14 independent schools within a 30-minute drive.

Sheepstor 1 mile, Yelverton/A386 4.5 miles, Woolwell (Tesco Extra) 9 miles, Plymouth city centre 13.5 miles, Mothecombe Beach 19.5 miles Exeter city centre 34 miles, Exeter Airport 50 miles (London City Airport 1 hour) (All distances and times are approximate)