A unique Grade II Victorian waterfront house with spectacular views over the Dart Estuary.

Coastal Property

Description

Nearly all ancient defensive structures were built to dominate the local landscape. Paradise Point has the distinction of being built on the site of the former Paradise Fort, which was positioned on a bend of the river with far-reaching views north up the river towards Dartmouth and east towards Dartmouth and Kingswear Castles. Whilst the guns have gone the views
remain unrivalled.

The fort was bought in 1850 and replaced by Paradise Point, a Victorian house built of distinctive Flemish bond yellow brick with Bathstone dressings under a Welsh slate roof.

The house is Grade II listed and is typical of the period with impressive reception rooms filled with light, elegant high ceilings and sash windows that capture the beautiful river and countryside views.

The house has been the much-loved home of its current owners for the past 14 years and their desire to return the house to its former glory shows in the care that has been taken in its renovation. This reflects the property’s heritage and creates a stylish and stunningly presented family home.

The ground floor is centered around a striking reception hall, which has a fine Jerusalem stone floor and a distinctive, curved bookcase containing a hidden door leading to a bathroom. Leading from this is the kitchen/breakfast room, two principal reception rooms and an orangery that wraps around two sides of the house. The kitchen/breakfast room has a bay window accommodating an integral dining area and is fitted with a
Mark Wilkinson bespoke kitchen, a central island, granite work surfaces and Britannia range cooker.

The dining room is dressed with a beautiful mural depicting local estuary scenes from 1905 with views over the Dart.

The first floor accommodates the luxurious principal bedroom suite incorporating a feature dressing room and both a bathroom and unique shower room. There is also two further double bedrooms, each with their own en suite shower room.

The second floor provides family accommodation comprising of two double bedrooms with en suite bath/shower room, a kitchen, dining room, sitting room and store room, which has the ability to become a self-contained apartment with access from a separate staircase.

The hugely impressive cellar is accessed by a passageway from the hall. The cellar comprises a bespoke wine room, utility room, cloakroom and stores.

The balance of the ground floor provides further facilities including a wonderful cinema room and a further separate snug. A staircase provides access to the bar and entertainment room which has direct access to the roof terrace.

Parking, mooring & outbuildings
Paradise Point is approached via a private driveway (Ravensbury Drive) which is part of the freehold and also serves the former gate lodge and four contemporary properties.

In front of the house is a generous parking area with spaces for up to six vehicles with reserved additional space for up to three cars at the top of the drive. Beside the house is a superb double garage which enjoys a fantastic seating and viewing terrace on the roof, created within the natural slope of
the hillside to a design that has achieved two architectural design awards.

A path leads down to a private modern jetty and much sought after mooring that stretches out into the river.

A spacious workshop is located below the driveway. A planning application has been submitted to create a two storey home office and boat house’ adjacent to the jetty. Geoff Sellick Architects have produced outstanding plans which propose a building that will blend sympathetically into the garden landscape and offers unrivalled waterfront views. Further details regarding this planning application are available upon request.

Garden & Grounds
Wrapped around two sides of the house is a delightful formal garden incorporating a pristine lawn and terraces which offer ample space for family and guests to enjoy.

The beautifully maintained lawn and terrace are fringed with colourful borders, richly planted with a variety of flowering shrubs, roses and herbaceous perennials. Scattered throughout the garden are a mix of mature specimen trees including a fine Monterey pine, tulip tree, black mulberry and several Tasmanian tree ferns. Sheltering in the shade of the
Monterey pine is a further seating area with an exceptional panoramic view towards Dartmouth and across to the woodland beside Warfleet Castle.

Beyond the immaculate lawn in front of the house is an attractive lower garden, which is filled with an array of flourishing shrubs and cascades down to the shore-front and jetty.

Location

Paradise Point looks out over the picturesque River Dart in an unrivalled position in the iconic sailing town of Dartmouth. Blessed with a vibrant food, cultural and sailing scene, Dartmouth has been one of Devon’s most desirable seaside towns since it was founded in 1147. It is home to the historic Britannia Royal Navy College, acclaimed fine dining restaurants, boutiques and artisan cafes as well as all the amenities you would expect such as supermarkets, vets and doctors.

Totnes, Paignton and Plymouth are all within a reasonable driving distance for wider requirements. For transport links the A379 provides access to Paignton and then on to Exeter via the A380/A38. Dartmouth also has a railway station linking to Exeter and beyond.

The area has a wide choice of schools from both the state and private sectors, with a choice of excellent independent schools in Exeter including Exeter School, The Maynard and Exeter Cathedral School, which are all within easy reach by car or train.

Considered one of Dartmouth’s most notable houses, the original house on the site back in 1402 was fortified ‘in defence of the King’s enemies’ (specifically the people of Brittany, who were engaged in ongoing tit-for-tat raids across the English Channel).

Its position gave an unparalleled view of the river and had a clear field of fire against any enemy vessel sailing up the Dart. It remained untested until the English Civil War when it was seized by the Royalists under Prince Maurice of the Palatinate and used as a firing point from which to bombard Dartmouth
Castle and the town as part of the king’s strategy to take Plymouth. The fortified property was eventually pulled down in 1850 to make way for Paradise Point.

Soon after in 1858 George Parker Bidder, the famous engineer known as ‘the calculating boy’ in his youth and a contemporary of the great Isambard K Brunel, fell in love with Dartmouth and bought the house, which he made his home until his death in 1878.

Square Footage: 6,777 sq ft


Acreage: 0.73 Acres

Directions

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Approaching Dartmouth from the west travelling into the town along the A3122/Townstal Road, take the second exit off the mini-roundabout onto Yorke Road/A379, signed to Stoke Fleming. After 1.1 miles turn left onto Redlap Road. At the next crossroads after about 250 yards turn left onto Weeke Hill/B3025. Continue for about a mile and then, at the end of a long stone wall on the right, turn sharp right onto Ravensbury Drive. The property will be found at the end of the drive after about 120 yards.

Additional Info

Dartmouth town centre 0.7 mile, A379 1.9 miles, Blackpool Sands 2.8 miles, Paignton 8.8 miles, Totnes 14.4 miles
Plymouth 30 miles, Exeter city centre 43 miles, Exeter Airport 45.5 miles (London City Airport 1 hour)
(All distances and times are approximate)

Services : Mains water, electricity, drainage & gas. Gas-fired central heating. Superfast broadband.