Ashcombe Road, Higher Dawlish Water, EX7

A charming period residence with quintessential external aesthetics, stunning country views, beautifully presented principal accommodation, a detached three-bedroom ancillary cottage, a heated 32 ft. swimming pool, mature gardens, and paddock with the plot extending to around 4.21 acres.

Situation

Weston Cottage is perfectly set in the idyllic Ashcombe Valley and is approached by way of a private access lane with a bridge over Dawlish Water brook. Higher Dawlish Water is positioned around a mile from Dawlish town centre and the promenade.

Dawlish is a resort set on the south Devon coastline, famed for its expansive lawns beside a brook, and the black swans. The town offers many amenities, including a good range of independent shops and cafes. There is a superstore on the outskirts of the town. Educational facilities include a good range of primary schools, a community college offering secondary education and private education is available at well-regarded Trinity School, which is located around three miles away in the seaside town of Teignmouth.

Dawlish has a mainline link to London Paddington and commuter trains to Exeter and Torbay. There are many leisure facilities close by, with the town having a long sandy beach that stretches to Dawlish Warren with its nature reserve and 18-hole golf course to the east, and there are boating opportunities on the Exe estuary. Teignmouth Golf Course is also close by, being set on the Little Haldon Hills and there are a good range of footpaths and bridle ways nearby by for country walks etc including Long Lane which stretches towards Mamhead Park to the north.

The Cathedral city and county town of Exeter lies around 15 miles away with its wide range of facilities, private and public schools, international airport and red brick university.

Description

Weston Cottage is a beautiful, detached period residence set within and having wonderful views across the idyllic Ashcombe Valley.  The property has quintessential external aesthetics with whitewashed rendered elevations set beneath a Devon thatch with brow windows.  The house has undergone an extensive programme of renovation and refurbishment during 2025 to include the replacement of the thatch on the front elevation and ridge; high quality replacement double glazed windows and external doors have been fitted in the primary house and there has been extensive internal and external redecoration.  Weston Cottage offers over 3000 square feet of versatile and charming family sized accommodation. In addition, the separate detached ancillary cottage, Little Weston, has over 1600 square feet of appealing accommodation providing excellent opportunities for home and income and cross generational living etc.  The gardens and grounds are quite special with sweeping lawns, various entertaining terraces, a heated swimming pool, and summerhouse and an additional paddock with the grounds extending to around 4.21 acres in total.   

Accommodation

To the front of the property there is an entrance canopy with a feature coach light. The part glazed entrance door opens to the welcoming Reception Hall from where stairs rise to the first floor and a panel door opens to a useful Utility Room with a butler sink and space for utility appliances. Double panel doors open to the Sitting Room, a lovely dual aspect space with feature ceiling beams and a bow window taking in wonderful views across the rolling meadows of the Ashcombe Valley. There is built-in shelving, a TV/audio unit and a chimney breast with an inset feature fireplace having a paved hearth and a grate for open fire, a beam over and a recess for the storage of logs beside. Additionally, there is a pull-down home cinema screen with projector. Also, from the reception hall double doors open to the Snug, this space also has feature beams and enjoys good views across nearby countryside. There is a feature slate fireplace with a raised heath and a grate for an open fire. There is a large built-in bench-style seat beneath and a door opens to the garden. There is a further ground floor Reception Hall/Boot room with an area of work surface with spaces for fridges etc. This space in turn opens to a lobby area with, coat hooks and a door opens to a modern ground floor Shower Room/WC, with a three-piece suite having a tiled shower cubicle and a built-in cupboard.  Additionally, a stable door opens to the spacious Ground Floor Bedroom, this being dual aspect space overlooking the rear garden. There is a feature fireplace with exposed brickwork and a slate hearth, an open wardrobe area with hanging rail and a further built-in cupboard. The lobby area also opens to the Kitchen/Dining Room, a free-flowing space that provides and excellent “hub” for the house. There are ceramic floor tiles, and the kitchen area is fitted with a modern range of units with extensive cupboards and drawers, areas of laminate worksurface with tiled surrounds, there is a one and a quarter bowl composite sink unit, a built-in four-ring Bosch hob, a separate built-in double oven, a built-in dishwasher and a concealed fridge. Set above part of the kitchen area there is a gallery/study with a feature balustrade and timber flooring with this area opening to an external terrace which sits above the swimming pool. The dining area is a great entertaining space and has a part vaulted ceiling, timber flooring and a feature beam.  This space also has wonderful views and also opens to the outside, providing a good sense of inside/outside living.

The FIRST FLOOR LANDING is set out in two parts and has a built-in cupboard, good views, exposed beams, a part vaulted ceiling and there are latch and panel doors to the principal first floor rooms. The Principal Bedroom is a lovely space with wonderful country views, there is a large built-in wardrobe with rustic timber doors and there is a modern En Suite Shower Room with full height tiling, ceramic floor tiles and a three-piece suite with a curved shower cubicle. Additionally, leading off the principal bedroom, there is a Study/Dressing Room with views across the meadow. The Second Bedroom is a spacious room with a high ceiling having exposed trusses and views across the garden and meadow. There is a stylish En Suite Shower Room having a large, tiled shower cubicle with dual controls, ceramic floor tiles and a fitted unit with cupboards and an inset Savoy wash hand basin. There is a large built-in shelved cupboard. The third bedroom is another attractive space having views across the gardens and meadow and stairs descend to a latch and panel door opening to a dual aspect En Suite Bathroom, which enjoys good views and has a modern three-piece suite with a deep panel bath.

Little Weston

The cottage is approached by way of a large, paved entrance terrace providing a good space for outdoor entertaining and for contemplating the idyllic surroundings. The Reception Hall has a tiled floor and timber panel doors opening to the ground floor rooms. There is an appealing dual aspect ground floor bedroom taking in good views across the valley with a built-in wardrobe. There is also a modern Ground Floor Shower, being fully tiled with a modern three-piece suite having a large shower cubicle with dual controls and a demist mirror. The Principal Reception/Kitchen Space is free flowing, has oak flooring and enjoys good views. The Kitchen area is fitted with a modern range of units having an integrated four ring gas hob with oven beneath. The sitting area has a large contemporary style log burning stove with an exposed flue and this space opens to the dining area which has a large picture window beautifully framing the views with patio doors opening to the terrace. Leading off this area there is a large versatile space, currently in use as a gym, with the space opening to the outside and housing a large thermal store as well as the wall mounted LPG gas boiler supplying heating to the cottage.

At first floor level the Landing Area has good views and a built-in cupboard. The Principal Bedroom is a dual aspect space with a large picture window enjoying outstanding country views and French doors open to a large External Terrace which sits above the pool/entertaining area. A panel door opens to an En Suite Shower Room with a modern three-piece suite and a demist mirror. The Second Bedroom at first floor level is a dual aspect space with good views and a panel door opens to an En Suite Bathroom, being fully tiled and having a three-piece suite with a shower over the panel bath and a demist mirror.

The Outbuildings

Adjoining and interconnecting with the cottage there is a Garage which has windows and an “up and over” door. Approached from the parking area there is a large timber Summer House with double timber glazed entrance doors. This space is unexpectedly large and has a vaulted ceiling and windows taking in some aspect.  Set beside the summer house there is an open External Store for bins, etc. In addition, there is an External Boiler Room which houses the biomass boiler supplying heating to the main house, along with the swimming pool if required. There are additional timber sheds and stores, et cetera and there is a large timber Machine Shed set to the rear of the property.

The Gardens and Grounds

Weston cottage has a charming approach by way of a private lane with a bridge over Dawlish Water brook which serves just a handful of properties, and over which Weston Cottage has a right of access. A five-bar timber gate with a feature granite pillar beside opens to the expansive parking area, which has been recently re-laid to gravel and provides parking for numerous vehicles. From here a charming wisteria arch opens to the paved pathway which leads to the front of the property. Set on either side of this the front gardens are laid lead to well-kept areas of lawn, there are raised paved areas and an external log store, A further wisteria arch opens to a paved pathway which leads to the pool/entertaining terrace with the pool itself measuring approximately 10m x 5m x 1.5m and with the swimming pool area being partially enclosed by whitewashed walling and with further terraces and a barbecue area set above. Set to the rear and side of the property there are mature landscape gardens with timber terraces and broad sweeps of mature lawn which wrap around the property with the higher grounds and terrace being the perfect spot to contemplate the views. A six-bar metal gate opens to the gently sloping paddock which extends to approximately 3.85 acres with the gardens and grounds extending to around 4.1 acres in total. The paddock has natural boundaries with mature trees and hedges and is surrounded by rolling countryside, in addition there is a fire pit set on the higher ground in the paddock.

Services

Septic tank, biomass heating for the principal house and swimming pool, LPG heating for the annex, mains water supply.

Council Tax Band F for Weston Cottage and B for Little Weston.