Hittisleigh, Exeter, Devon, EX6

Hill Farm has a wonderfully private and idyllic position. It is set at the end of a long, privately owned lane and is surrounded by about 48 acres of attractive pasture alongside blocks of mixed mature woodland. The house is believed to date back to the 17th century and has been sympathetically extended over successive centuries and today provides over 4,500 sq ft of generously sized living space. It is unlisted, with a light painted and rendered exterior, two storeys and a plain tiled roof. It was originally built as a traditional Devon long house and this has continued to influence how the house has grown organically over the centuries.

The ground floor has four reception rooms plus two good sized kitchens, one at either end of the house. In addition, it has a total of seven double bedrooms and five bathrooms. One bedroom and one bathroom are located on the ground floor, enabling a self-contained, ground floor annexe to beeasily created. The house has also retained some of its original architectural features, including beams and ceiling timbers, an inglenook fireplace, and an intact clome oven. The addition of bespoke elements such as English elm flooring, oak brace-and-ledge doors, and an elegantly plastered ceiling in the principal bedroom further enhances the character of this lovely home.

The property is approached via a long, privately owned lane. About 100 yards onto the property, the lane passes through a group of traditional cob barns, ancillary outbuildings and a modern, steel-framed barn. The barns have scope for development subject to consent. The driveway then emerges onto a parking area with the house and formal garden on one side and a sheltered, solar heated swimming pool on the other. Beside the pool is a sizeable log cabin that serves as a pool room equipped with toilet, showers and a sauna that also serves as a gym and cinema. Pasture land stretches out beyond the pool and garden providing a wonderful buffer zone for the house. This is divided into several enclosures alongside areas of mixed, mature woodland, with the River Yeo meandering along the south-eastern extent of the property’s land.

Hill Farm is situated at the end of a no-through lane, just over a mile from the hamlet of Hittisleigh with village hall and Norman church. Just 2.5 miles from Cheriton Bishop with post office and village shop. Spreyton village four miles away has a parish church, village shop, primary school and pub (Tom Cobley Tavern). Despite the rural setting, other amenities and transport links are at hand including Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsburys et al delivery services. The A30 is under three miles away providing swift onward access to Exeter, which has everything that a university and cathedral city has to offer. Regular train services run from Exeter St David’s to Paddington taking just over two hours. The area also offers a wide choice of schools from both state and independent sectors. There are four primary schools within a four-mile radius with a choice of secondary schools slightly further afield. From the independent sector there are some excellent schools close by including Exeter School, The Maynard School, and Blundell’s in Tiverton.