Halton Quay, St. Dominick, Saltash, Cornwall

Built for its view. Shaped by the river. Designed for living. There are houses with views — and then there is Chapel House.

As you approach over the sweeping private drive, the River Tamar reveals itself below, wide and light-filled. By the time you reach the house, the logic of its position is unmistakable: this is a home conceived for this setting.

Built in 2009 and awarded the NHBC Best West Country New House of the Year, Chapel House combines traditional West Country materials with modern construction and infrastructure. It feels established and entirely at ease in the landscape, yet offers the comfort and efficiency expected of a contemporary home.

In a sheltered and sunny, Southeast facing position the handsome front façade looks down on the constantly changing appearance of the river whether it be a fleeting patch of ruffled water, seahorses with wind-over-tide or the mirror stillness of a calm day. Mornings begin with sunlight bathing all the principal rooms with light and warmth. The house unfolds from the granite-columned front entrance, the layout flowing naturally. From the central hall the library connects through to the dining room, a gracious space for formal entertaining, double doors lead to the drawing room with its commanding views across the garden and water, the wood burner providing a striking focal point.Returning to the hall you enter the spacious farmhouse kitchen and adjoining snug which form the heart of everyday life. A separate study provides a quiet and practical environment for home working, supported by fibre-to-premises broadband.

The easy rising main staircase leads to the principal bedroom with its exposed trusses and generous en suite bathroom and to the principal guest suite.The secondary entrance at the front provides step-free, level access from the generous gravel parking area. Leaving your boots in the hallway, the wood burner in the snug welcomes you. The West staircase leads to the third bedroom with private shower and the delightfully spacious family room with its balcony window and ensuite.

Modern Infrastructure
While the setting feels timeless, the services are thoroughly modern:
•Oil-fired underfloor heating
•Solar hot water panels
•Photovoltaic panels with feed-in tariff
•Fibre-to-premises broadband (circa 150 Mbps download speed)
•Cat 5 cabling to most rooms
•EV charging point

Chapel House offers an award-winning home designed to sit comfortably within its landscape with a rare combination of private river frontage, practical boating access, established gardens of depth and maturity and usable acreage.

History
The legend of St Dominica and St Indract tells of these Irish Saints who travelled up the Tamar and landed at Chapel in 689 AD and struck the Holy Well nearby. Records show a mediaeval settlement here in 1422, later “The estate called Chapel adjoining the Eastern part of the Barton of Halton consisting of a farmhouse, suitable out houses at about 24 acres of arable, orchard and pasture land in a beautiful spot between Pentillie and Cotehele” was offered for sale in 1831. The two Lime Kilns are probably late 18th century and would have used Plymouth limestone and Welsh coal brought up the river in barges to produce lime to sweeten the acid soil of the local market gardens. The area was renowned for early flowers and fruit, commanding high prices at Covent Garden - delicious strawberries are still grown at Chapel House. In 2009 the old Georgian-style farmhouse, then in poor condition, was demolished by the current owners and rebuilt using materials arising from the original. There are carved granite stones built into the facade thought to have come from a Chapel on the site or possibly the nearby monastery at Halton Barton. Chapel House has the advantage of cavity walls, underfloor heating and a high level of insulation. The dates 689 and 2009 are remembered in the Celtic Cross window in the master bedroom.

The Garden
Granite steps lead from the terrace to lawns that fall gently towards reed beds, purple in summer golden in winter. The garden has been thoughtfully landscaped to work with its natural amphitheater setting, with planting designed to provide structure, carrying year-round colour through the borders. A secret belvedere, with long river views, is ideal for summer evening dining. For the keen gardener, there is real substance: a walled kitchen garden with raised beds for vegetables and soft fruit with a traditional potting shed and a small orchard.

The Grounds
A walk through the Woodland, magical with snowdrops, daffodils and bluebells in the spring, takes you past the majestic Holm Oaks, providing scale and permanence, arriving at a small croquet lawn. Three paddocks with independent water supply extend the landholding by approximately four acres, offering flexibility for equestrian use, small livestock or simply the enjoyment of open space and privacy. A secondary driveway runs past a paddock to the tractor shed, built in stable style and supporting a 3.8 kW solar array.Remnants of the site’s long history remain, including the ruins of the former Chapel and a substantial Limekiln, now repurposed as a boathouse.

The River
The property enjoys approximately 120 metres of direct river frontage. The former limekiln loading inlet provides valuable all-tide access to the Tamar, navigable upstream past Calstock and downstream to Plymouth Sound and the open sea. For those who keep a boat this is a rare advantage; shallow water Moorings may be available just off the foreshore and deep water, swinging Moorings are usually available about a kilometre downstream. Wildlife forms part of the daily backdrop — herons in the shallows, kingfishers occasionally flashing by, redshanks calling across the mud, with rare sightings of otter and even a solitary seal.

The property is set in an idyllic rural position, beside the River Tamar, seven miles north of the South Cornwall town of Saltash and surrounded by the stunning scenery of the Tamar Valley National Landscape. The local village of St. Dominick has a 13th century church, a village hall, public house, village shop and a primary school, while nearby Tavistock and Saltash provide a range of everyday amenities, including local shops, supermarkets, restaurants and cafés, as well as leisure facilities and schooling. Just across the Tamar Bridge, Plymouth’s city centre is easily accessible and provides superb shopping facilities with Drakes Circus shopping centre, three theatres as well as a further choice of schooling. The Barbican area has retail art galleries, numerous bars and eating places and others at Royal William Yard. In the local area there are many opportunities for recreational pursuits including walking, riding and sailing. The property is readily accessible to Dartmoor National Park and the dramatic and unspoilt South Cornwall and South Devon coastline. Nearby are the famous St. Mellion International Golf Resort and China Fleet Golf & Country Club. The area is well connected by road, with the A388 two miles away leading to the A38, while Plymouth’s mainline station provides direct services to London Paddington, taking just over three hours.

Local Authority : Cornwall Council
Council Tax : Band G.
Servcies : Mains electricity and water. Private drainage which we understand is compliant with current regulations. Oil fired under-floor central heating; solar hot water panels; a generous feed in tariff from the photovoltaic panels; broadband fibre-to-premises with a download speed of 150Mbps; Cat 5 cabling to most rooms and an EV charge point
Tenure : Freehold.
Wayleaves and Easements : The property is sold subject to any wayleaves or easements, whether mentioned in these particulars or not.
Guide Price: £1,550,000