Bickleigh Cottage Bickleigh, Tiverton, Devon savills.co.uk
One of Devon s most iconic properties Bickleigh Cottage, Bickleigh, Tiverton, Devon EX16 8RJ Tiverton about 3½ miles Tiverton Parkway & M5 about 10 miles Exeter about 11 miles The property of the vendor s family for over 80 years. A picturesque thatched house, annexe and cottage on the bank s of the River Exe. Lot 1 Bickleigh Cottage Hall, study, dining/sitting room, snug, kitchen, utility, laundry, 5 bedrooms (1 currently used as a sitting room), 3 en suite shower rooms, family bathroom Annex staircase hall, sitting room, kitchen / dining room, 2 bedrooms with en suite shower / bath rooms. Riverside gardens and 120 yards of single bank fishing rights. Double garage and parking for 4 cars. Separate orchard and garden. Lot 2 Kingfisher Cottage Staircase hall, kitchen, dining room, sitting room, 3 bedrooms, (two with en suite shower / bath rooms), family bathroom. Parking for 4 cars In all about 2½ acres For sale by public auction as a whole or in two lots (unless previously sold) Option to purchase a further area of about 1.2 acres of woodland SITUATION Bickleigh Cottage is on the River Exe at Bickleigh Bridge on the edge of the village. The village has a church and two pubs, together with two visitor attractions, Bickleigh Mill, with a restaurant and craft centre, and Bickleigh Castle. The city of Exeter is about eleven miles to the south and has excellent cultural, educational and leisure facilities. The market town of Tiverton, some 3.5 miles to the north, has a museum, good shopping facilities, East Devon College and Blundells School. There is a mainline railway station at Tiverton Parkway, next to junction 27 of the M5 motorway, both about 10 miles away. Exeter airport is some 13 miles away to the east of the city. DESCRIPTION Bickleigh Cottage, Listed Grade II, is the archetypal picture-postcard cottage, a pretty, thatched cottage sitting on the banks of the River Exe and one of the most photographed houses in Devon. The original house was probably built in the 17th Century with an extension in 1973. Bickleigh Cottage has in the past been used as an hotel but had consent in 2000 to turn it into 3 dwellings. The roof is mainly thatched with clay tiles over the river elevation. The pretty gardens extend along the river bank to Bickleigh Bridge, beside which the Simon and Garfunkel song Bridge over troubled water is said to have been written. One of the quirks of Bickleigh Cottage is that the ground floor is prone to occasional flooding. Occupants are given plenty of notice of imminent high
water thanks to an automatic notification from The Environment Agency. The ground floor of the house is designed accordingly with stone flagged floors and raised electrical sockets. The sale includes about 120 yards of single bank fishing rights. There is a ten-year average of 22.4 salmon, with the owners reporting that, on occasion, very many more fish could have been caught. On the opposite bank to Bickleigh Cottage is an area of about 1.2 acres of young mixed woodland that the present owners planted when they acquired it some years ago. The land was purchased for the purpose of protecting the integrity of the view from Bickleigh Cottage and is available to buy. There is also an area of orchard and garden on the other side of the road. ACCOMMODATION Lot 1 Main House and Annex Main House A thatched porch with solid wooden door with large wrought iron hinges leads into the staircase hall with beamed ceiling. The study has tiled floor, fireplace (not working) and leaded light window. The dining / sitting room has exposed wall timbers, wooden mantelpiece & brick fireplace & hearth with cast iron crested shield, an interior window gives light into the snug and three windows give wonderful views of the river. The snug with door to garden is oak panelled to dado level. A cloakroom has WC and wash basin. The kitchen has 4 oven oil fired Aga and 3 built in wall cupboards. Utility room has tiled floor, butlers sink and door to yard and to back stairs, velux window and door to laundry with plumbing for washing machines and a butlers sink. Beyond the kitchen is a connecting door to the annex. The yard has a door to the road, to the annex and a covered bin area with tiled roof. Both staircases lead to the first floor landing and to Bedroom 5 with wash basin and en suite shower room with WC. Bedroom 4 has built in cupboard, pretty cast iron fireplace with wooden mantle piece and en suite shower room with WC and wash basin. Bedroom 3 (currently a sitting room) enjoys the best of the wonderful river views, has picture rail, brick fireplace with pointed arch and 2 low window seats opening to provide storage. Bedroom 2 has built in wardrobe and wash basin. Bedroom 1 has built in wardrobe and en suite shower with WC and wash basin. A family bathroom houses the Worcester gas boiler, built in linen cupboard, bath, WC and wash basin. There are 2 storage alcoves at the top of the back stairs. Annex A sitting room with slate floor and brick fireplace with oak mantelpiece (no chimney) has door to the paved terrace providing a good seating area to enjoy the river views. The staircase hall has oak staircase with two storage cupboards either side. The kitchen has slate floor, wall mounted cupboards housing electric cooker, hob, Ideal Classic boiler and controls for communal sewage pump and a door to the yard leading out onto the road. The first floor landing leads to Bedroom 1 with built in cupboard and picture rail and en suite bathroom with bath, WC and wash basin. A passage back to the main house, has door to hot water tank and airing cupboard and communicating door to main house. A laundry cupboard has plumbing and room for washing machine with tumble dryer over. Bedroom 2 overlooks the river and has en suite shower with WC and wash basin. Lot 2 Kingfisher Cottage (attached to Bickleigh Cottage) A paved terrace provides a seating area enjoying the wonderful views and the half glazed front door leads to passage hall with small laundry room with plumbing for washing machine. Kitchen has tiled floor, Ideal Classic boiler and wall mounted cupboards housing electric cooker, hob and stainless steel sink. Dining room has fitted cupboard. Sitting room has fireplace with Parkray coal fire in stone surround. Under-stair cupboard. Stairs lead to first floor with bedroom 1 with wash basin and built in cupboard, bedroom 2 with built in cupboard and en suite shower room with cubicle shower, wash basin and WC. A bathroom has bath, WC and wash basin. Bedroom 3 overlooks the river and has built in cupboard and en suite bathroom with bath, WC and wash basin. An airing cupboard houses the hot water tank.
GARDENS AND GROUNDS The property is approached across the Trout Inn car park to an area belonging to Bickleigh Cottage with space for about 10 cars and a double garage built of rendered block work under a slate roof with two metal up-and-over doors and a side door to the garden. A wrought iron gate and paved path with stone wall leads from the parking area to the beautiful riverside garden with lawned areas and terraces providing plenty of areas to sit and enjoy the river views. The riverside front of the house is adorned with a mature wisteria and the garden is generously planted with herbaceous and shrub beds around the house and running along the paved path by the river to Bickleigh Bridge, with a lawn all along the river front opening out at Bickleigh Bridge. The flower and shrub beds, a picket fence and hedge shield the garden from the road and a pretty thatched lych-gate, with a greenhouse nearby, gives access onto the road. SERVICES Mains water one supply for all properties. Mains electricity 2 separate meters and sub meter. Mains gas 3 supplies. Shared private septic tank with pump. Electric night storage heaters. FISHING RIGHTS Single bank fishing rights from Bickleigh Bridge to the end of the garden wall are included in the sale, as shown on the included plan. Remaining fishing rights are under separate ownership. PLANNING Planning permission has been grated for the conversion of Bickleigh Cottage into three separate dwellings and has been partially implemented. (Listed Building Consent Ref: 4/52/1999/3435/LBC dated 01.02.2000 and Planning Permission Ref: 4/52/2000/220 dated 03.04.2000). FIXTURES AND FITTINGS Only those mentioned in these sales particulars are included in the sale. All others such as curtains, carpets, light fittings, garden ornaments etc are specifically excluded but may be available by separate negotiation. DIRECTIONS From Exeter take the A377 to Cowley Bridge, then join the A396 towards Tiverton. Continue along this road through the villages of Stoke Canon and Rewe for nearly ten miles until reaching Bickleigh. Continue over the bridge and Bickleigh Cottage is the first property on the right hand side, drive in to the car park opposite the Trout Inn. VIEWINGS Strictly by appointment with Savills. Prior to making an appointment to view we strongly recommend that you discuss any particular points which are likely to affect your interest in the property with a member of staff who has seen the property in order that you do not make a wasted journey. Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey. Not to Scale mapping with permission of the Controller of Her Majesty s Stationery Office Crown copyright (100041908)
Ground Floor Approx. 63.1 sq.m. (678.9 sq.ft.) Ground Floor Approx. 120.1 sq.m. (1292.9 sq.ft.) Ground Floor Approx. 46.7 sq.m. (502.8 sq.ft.) First Floor Approx. 109.1 sq.m. (1174.5 sq.ft.) First Floor Approx. 44.8 sq.m. (482.5 sq.ft.) First Floor Approx. 63.7 sq.m. (685.6 sq.ft.) Bickleigh Cottage Total area approx. 229.2 sq.m. (2467.4 sq.ft.) Annexe, Bickleigh Cottage Total area approx. 91.5 sq.m. (985.4 sq.ft.) Kingfisher Cottage Total area approx. 126.8 sq.m. (1364.5 sq.ft.) Important Notice Savills, their clients and any joint agents give notice that: 1. They are not authorised to make or give any representations or warranties in relation to the property either here or elsewhere, either on their own behalf or on behalf of their client or otherwise. They assume no responsibility for any statement that may be made in these particulars. These particulars do not form part of any offer or contract and must not be relied upon as statements or representations of fact. 2. Any areas, measurements or distances are approximate. The text, photographs and plans are for guidance only and are not necessarily comprehensive. It should not be assumed that the property has all necessary planning, building regulation or other consents and Savills have not tested any services, equipment or facilities. Purchasers must satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise. Savills Exeter The Forum, Barnfield Road Exeter EX1 1QR exeter@savills.com 01392 455755