Taw View, Fremington, Barnstaple

POSITION! POSITION! WOW FACTOR! - If you are looking for somewhere different & rather special, look no further. Herons Rise is a unique, detached Hi Tech home, boasting many bespoke features, with an emphasis on entertaining & leisure which has a natural and ever changing estuary/marsh backdrop. This stunning individual home simply has to be viewed to be fully appreciated. Hall, Work Station, Wet Room, Sitting Room, Open Plan Cinema/Dining/Family Room/Kitchen/Breakfast Room, Concealed Utility Room, 3 En Suite Bedrooms, Parking for 3 + Motorhome. Landscaped gardens backing onto the estuary with potential mooring. EPC Band B. Council Tax Band C. Freehold

Situation & Amenities - The first ‘wow’ factor which Herons Rise boasts is its unique position. Whilst it forms part of a quiet no-through residential development, to the rear it adjoins the natural canvas of the ever-changing estuary back-drop, where the marsh seamlessly meets the garden and plays host to wading birds including curlews, egrets and the occasional heron. Across the estuary, the vendors regularly watch deer, foxes and horses in the fields beyond. For those with sailing interests, the estuary also provides free mooring and the vendors regularly kayak from their back garden to nearby Fremington Quay, where there is an excellent café and the Tarka Trail – popular with ramblers and cyclists alike, providing access to many miles of scenic walks. At high tide one can even fish from the back garden. At the same time, within a short walk and without having to use a main road, there is access to a recreation ground in the village, as well as bus services, a parade of shops, medical centre, schools, the thriving Fox Inn, a Chinese restaurant and a late-opening Co-Op. It’s the best of both worlds – peaceful riverside living with everything you need on the doorstep. A little further afield there is access to the estuary and coastal village of Instow with its Yacht Club, cricket ground, beach, dunes and many varied and well-regarded eateries. The market towns of Bideford and Barnstaple are equidistant. As the regional centre, Barnstaple houses the area’s main business, commercial, leisure and shopping venues, as well as live theatre and district hospital. At Barnstaple there is access to the North Devon Link Road which leads on in a further 45 minutes or so to Jct.27 of the M5 Motorway, where Tiverton Parkway also offers a fast service of trains to London Paddington in just over 2 hours. The area is well-served by excellent state and private schools including Kingsley at Bideford and West Buckland school. About 35 minutes by car are the renowned surfing beaches of Croyde, Putsborough, Saunton (also with Championship Golf Course) and Woolacombe. Exmoor National Park is a similar distance. The nearest international airports are at Bristol and Exeter.

Description - The second ‘wow’ factor which Herons Rise boasts is the build itself and in particular the attention to detail. The intention of the owner/builders was to redevelop the tired bungalow which previously occupied the site and remodel it to create a two-storey individual house built to take full advantage of the setting and incredible views. Along the rear elevation there is an emphasis on light and glass, with doors/windows opening out to allow the outside in, and to act as a giant hide to monitor the natural world beyond. The property presents elevations of painted render with Cedral board detail, and double-glazed doors/windows beneath a mainly slate but partly cedam roof.
The third ‘wow’ factor which Herons Rise boasts are the amazing bespoke designer high-tech features. There are almost too many to list but most notable areas include smart luxury living-state of the art Siemens appliances, Bora hob with downdraught extractor, Quooker boiling water tap, Cat 6 cabling and thermostatically timed WiFi controlled underfloor heating upstairs and down, concealed Utility Room, drop-down projector screen for cinema evenings. Floors and flow – downstairs tiled throughout with inside to outside patio continuity, upstairs with LVT flooring and tiled wet rooms. Heating and comfort – Ideal system boiler (10 year warranty) and 300ltr hot water pressurised cylinder delivering simultaneous showers, underfloor heating up and downstairs. Windows and light – premium Original OW80/smart aluminium double-glazed windows to maximise views and efficiency, light tunnels for natural light on landing and stairwell. All bedrooms have ensuite wet rooms. The door apertures futureproof for wheelchair access if appropriate. There is CCTV. Fence panels are removable to accommodate a motorhome/additional parking with electric point adjacent. The gardens have been landscaped with ease of maintenance in mind and to enjoy different vistas/follow the sun around. All in all, this is a special property where the emphasis is on entertaining, leisure and enjoyment in the most incredible, natural setting.

Accommodation - ENTRANCE HALL. As you step inside the Ground Floor is tiled throughout with seamless inside to outside flooring that connects directly to the patio – ideal for entertaining/Al fresco dining. The entrance has a work space that is perfect for working from home with a great view over the garden and the adjacent double built-in cupboard is massive – easily accommodating everything you could need. The PORCH has a PIR sensor so you can come in without having to switch on any lights on dark evenings, and turns off automatically. The overall layout is flexible too. Sliding pocket doors from the SITTING ROOM to the main RECEPTION AREA can create a fourth large bedrooms which links perfectly to the adjacent WET ROOM. The KITCHEN is a real showstopper with quartz worktops, state of the art Siemens smart appliances that can be controlled from your phone, including a camera within one oven to monitor progress, a Bora hob with downdraught extractor, Quooker hot tap, a mains water-fed bean-to-cup coffee machine and there are even two WiFi dishwashers so you’ll never have dirty dishes on show. The handy workspace overlooks the GARDEN so whether you’re working from home or just organising life you’re always connected to the views. The glass doors/windows make the most of the views – whether storm watching or enjoying the wildlife and watching cyclists/walkers or perhaps the Barnstaple Marathon, which takes its route down towards Fremington Quay. Access to outside is on all sides, giving an indoor/outdoor flow and bi-fold window to really make the most of the TERRACE, DINING and LIVING SPACE in the Summer. There is even a drop-down screen for watching movies. Behind the extensive range of storage cupboards to one wall are doors which hide the secret UTILITY ROOM which is plumbed and powered for washing machines and a tumble dryer, with extra worktop and storage space to keep the main living areas/kitchen uncluttered, as well as housing the boiler. The staircase rises from the main RECEPTION AREA and features a bespoke two-storey oak finished bookcase with extra wide oak staircase and wide doorways for an open, airy feel. The LANDING gives way to the BEDROOMS – all three are doubles with their own ENSUITE WET ROOMS and each one has a river view, which is pretty rare in North Devon. Upstairs is finished with LVT flooring and tiled WET ROOMS, all with thermostatically timed WiFi controlled underfloor heating for comfort. You’ll also notice how quiet it is – the house has acoustic soil pipes so you don’t hear flushing or water running between floors. All upstairs WET ROOMS and the LANDING have a sensor nightlight to avoid use of bright lights and ensure safety at the top of the stairs.

Outside - As you arrive, you’ll notice the gated entrance, wrapped around GARDEN and plenty of space. There are three generous parking spaces at the front, plus additional room for a motorhome or caravan, as previously mentioned. A fence with pedestrian gate separates the FRONT GARDEN, which is a real sun trap from mid-afternoon until sunset, making it the perfect spot for evening drinks. There is access at both sides of the property to the REAR GARDEN. On one side is a useful bicycle/dustbin store. The back garden blends into the natural landscape and adjoins a bird reserve of special scientific interest, so it’s rich with wildlife, but the real highlight is here – direct access onto the tidal river. You can launch kayaks, SUP boards or even anchor a boat right from your garden. At high tide it is also perfect for fishing – like having a private waterfront playground, with blackthorns for making sloe gin, and a perfect spot for wildlife and people watching. This property is about more than just a house – it’s about living with water, nature and village life on your doorstep. Walk or cycle the Tarka Trail, stroll to Instow beach, enjoy supper at the Fox Inn or launch your paddleboard from your garden. With city-like connectivity and village charm, it’s a rare find in North Devon. In short, a smart, move-in ready riverside retreat offering contemporary design, rare river access and unbeatable lifestyle connections.

Services - All mains services connected. Gas central heating. Heat and smoke detectors.

Directions - From our offices proceed up Sticklepath Hill to the Cedars Inn roundabout, and go straight across signposted Fremington. Continue through the village of Bickington and proceed towards the village of Fremington. Just prior to the village take the first turning on the right-hand side into Taw View. Turn immediately right and follow the road around, where Herons Rise will be found towards the bottom on the right-hand side.