Sheepstor, Devon

A charming stone-built cottage enjoying a peaceful rural setting on Dartmoor National Park with attractive gardens, driveway parking and views towards Sheepstor. Freehold; Council Tax Band: E; EPC Band: E

Situation - This captivating character home occupies a sunny, south-facing position in the heart of the exclusive village of Sheepstor on Dartmoor, adjacent to the village's Grade I-Listed, 15th-century church, and below the famous granite Tor from which the settlement derives its name. Owing to its 12th-century origins, much of the village is Listed and, therefore, unspoilt by development, whilst the diffuse layout ensures good privacy whilst benefiting from a traditional village community feel. Open moorland is accessible within 500 yards, making the property perfect for those keen on walking, exploring, or with energetic pets.

The village sits adjacent to Burrator Reservoir, a well-known local beauty spot and nature reserve. Plymouth is within extremely easy reach, with both Derriford Hospital and the city's schooling options within commutable distance. The nearby village of Yelverton (3.5 miles) provides an excellent range of day-to-day amenities with its parade of shops featuring a mini-supermarket, local butchers, delicatessen, cafe and pharmacy, whilst the village also has a GP Surgery, Texaco fuel station, Post Office and Veterinary Surgery. The thriving town of Tavistock, 9.5 miles away, is a thriving market town forming part of a designated World Heritage Site and offering a superb range of shopping, recreational and educational facilities.

Description - This is a very rare and interesting opportunity to acquire a traditional Dartmoor cottage with origins dating to the 18th century, which has been the subject of a sophisticated and comprehensive restoration in order to create a 2/3-bedroom home of considerable character, comfort and quality. A full internal overhaul has been undertaken, with keen attention to the correct techniques and use of materials, including all brand-new, bespoke hardwood double-glazed windows, an insulated lime render finish, porcelain tiled flooring with an insulated recycled-glass-bead sub-base, and clever use of reclaimed stone and slate, both inside and for external landscaping. Complementing the interior work, the newly created outside space offers wonderful privacy and serenity, and good variety, with the plot amounting to 0.25 acres in all and featuring a well-kept lawn, cottage-style planting and a vegetable garden, plus several apple trees and soft fruit bushes. Completing the picture, there is a gravelled off-road parking space for 2 vehicles, plus outbuildings including a sizeable stone barn which could offer further potential, subject to any necessary consents. This is a hugely appealing moorland home with an emphasis on character and individuality, for those looking for an authentic Dartmoor lifestyle.

Accommodation - The renovation has retained much of the cottage's original character, including extensive exposed timber and stonework, panelled and stained-glass doors, and two beautiful stone fireplaces - one "revealed" during the overhaul. The cottage is accessed via a rebuilt porch, from where the accommodation is briefly comprised as follows: a good-sized, open-plan sitting/dining room, with wood-burning stoves at both ends, of which the dining room stove has a hotplate and oven; a study or potentially a small ground-floor bedroom, otherwise ideal for home working or hobbies; the cleverly arranged, rustic kitchen, overlooking the rear garden and fitted in a traditional style with a Belfast sink, integrated dishwasher, fridge, oven and cupboard unit with slate preparation surface; a lovely garden room, overlooking the front garden, towards surrounding countryside, through French doors; a dedicated utility room; a cloakroom; a turning staircase with useful under-storage; a galleried first-floor study or library area, again potentially suitable as an occasional bedroom; two front-facing first-floor bedrooms, one with built-in wardrobe space, and; a bathroom with both a bath and separate shower.

Outside - To the front, a private driveway provides parking for 2-3 vehicles, adjacent to which is a good-sized stone barn, currently providing excellent storage but which may offer potential for other uses, STP. The gardens are a particular feature, facing south and arranged into a number of attractive areas, including a cottage-style garden with a mixture of shrubs, flowering plants and rockery planting, front and side lawns with well-stocked flower borders, a patio terrace, and an elevated rear garden comprising a vegetable patch and a wildlife pond. Finally, there is a useful greenhouse/garden shed, and a sizeable log store by the entrance gate. In all, the plot amounds to 0.25 acres.

Services - Mains water (metered) and electricity. Heating is provided throughout by app-controlled Herschel infrared electric heaters. Drainage via a shared septic tank. Standard broadband is available. Variable mobile voice/data service is available through EE and Three (source: Ofcom's online service checker). Please note that the agents have neither inspected nor tested these services.

Agent's Note - The property is accessed over a paved roadway from the village lane to its parking area, over which it is understood to have an historic right of way.