No bars, no signal predictedOne bar, reliable signal unlikelyTwo bars, may experience problems with connectivityThree bars, likely to have good coverage and receive a data rate to support basic web servicesFull bars, likely to have good coverage indoors and to receive an enhanced data rate to support multimedia services
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This property is no longer on the market

21 bedroom detached house

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Detached house
21 bed
16 bath
EPC rating: F*
44,681 sq ft / 4,151 sq m

Key information

Tenure: Freehold
Council tax: Band H
Broadband: Ultra-fast 1000Mbps *
Mobile signal: 
EE O2 Three Vodafone
Water: Ask agent
Heating: Ask agent
Electricity: Ask agent
Sewerage: Ask agent
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Property description & features

  • Tenure: Freehold
  • An Exquisite Italianiate Style Villa
  • Southerly Facing With Stunning Sea Views Across Torbay
  • A Rich History of Ownership
  • An Abundance of Ornate Original Features
  • Spacious Master Bedroom Suite With Sea Views
  • Self Contained House Keepers Apartment
  • Self Contained Annexe
  • Landscaped Gardens With Large Terrace and Ornamental Pond
  • Double Garage and Generous Sized Driveway
  • Approximately 1 Acre

riginally named Charante, Villa Sylvania was completed around 1865 and was originally owned by a consortium which included Lord Hesketh, Lord Haldon and The Whidbornes who have significant historical relevance locally. The current owners have resided the property for over 20 years and have lovingly restored and maintained the villa which is reflected in the condition of the property throughout.

Currently, Villa Sylvania (name meaning forest) enjoys a prominent position on one of Torquay's sheltered hillsides and enjoys a southerly position from the beautifully landscaped grounds.

The main house was built in an Italianate style, which is reflected in the ornate pillars and the paving to the front courtyard.

The current owners have lovingly restored the main part of the property to its former glory and it retains a wealth of period features.

The quality of the house is exceptional and evident as soon as you enter the welcoming reception hall with its ornate plasterwork and carved door lintels. The features continue throughout the three main reception rooms which all enjoy sea and garden views through large windows and are superbly positioned for entertaining. There are arched doorways between the dining room, sitting room and drawing room, which has a large bay window and fireplace. The reception hallway is equally impressive and grandiose with its sweeping staircase illuminated by a large stained glass window.

Another feature of the property is the Egyptian room, with its spectacular ceiling, wall murals and fireplace. The high quality and stylish kitchen has a wide range style cooker, concealed appliances, polished granite work surfaces, tiled floors and French windows overlooking the charming courtyard with a fountain and coloured paving.

At the top of the sweeping staircase, the master bedroom suite enjoys possibly the best views from the property from a large bay window and has the benefit of a large en-suite bathroom with a spacious air bath, shower cubicle, twin wash basins and a large walk in dressing room with fitted wardrobes.

East Wing

Attached to the North corner of the property are the former "servants" quarters which are laid out over three floors.

The ground floor comprises of the domestic rooms which include the former Victorian kitchen with he original stove, scullery, cold meat store (currently storage) laundry room, walk in larder, former staff sitting room and gardeners wc. Most of which still has the original flag slate floors. The remaining upper floors are all bedrooms ten in total and most have en-suite facilities.

Annexe

With its own access the annexe is to the side of the main house and has an entrance hallway, sitting room, kitchen/dining room, three bedrooms and a study. One of the bedrooms has a dressing room and all three bedrooms have en-suite facilities.

House Keepers Apartment

Above the double garage there is a three bedroom self contained apartment, comprising of a sitting room, kitchen/dining room and all bedrooms have en-suite facilities (refer to floor plans and virtual tours.)

Gardens and Grounds

Villa Sylvania has an enviable approach through tall wrought iron double gates which lead onto a stunning paved front courtyard with ample parking for several vehicles and boats.

The landscaped gardens laid to the front of the building feature an Indian sandstone large terrace, ideal for alfresco dining in the Summer months and offer spectacular views of Torbay and the sea.

The gardens are private and sheltered and are surrounded by a well established mixture of mature trees, shrubs which include conifers, palm trees and a variety of Mediterranean plants.

A beautiful feature of the garden includes a wild meadow and ornamental pond.

Viewings are to be arranged strictly by the vendors agent, Absolute Sales and Lettings in Wellswood.

Please [use Contact Agent Button] and you will need to allow at least 1.5 hours for viewings to fully appreciate the accommodation on offer.


EPC Rating: F

Rooms

Garden
The landscaped gardens laid to the front of the building feature an Indian sandstone large terrace, ideal for alfresco dining in the Summer months and offer spectacular views of Torbay and the sea. The gardens are private and sheltered and are surrounded by a well established mixture of mature trees, shrubs which include conifers, palm trees and a variety of Mediterranean plants. A beautiful feature of the garden includes a wild meadow and ornamental pond.

Places of interest

    Absolute are proud to be the ‘South West Regional Estate Agency’ of the year, having won Gold at the prestigious Negotiator Awards in 2021. We’ve sold and let properties from our local offices since 2010 and now, with 5 contemporary offices across Torbay & Teignbridge, we are well equipped to assist with all your property needs. If you're selling or letting a property in Torquay you need an agent who will make your home stand out from the crowd, ultimately achieving you the best price in the right timescale. Our innovative ethos has always put us at the forefront of agency, from the use of the latest property technology to improve the selling and letting process, to the modern designs of our offices and marketing. Above all else, our primary focus is to expertly advise and provide you with outstanding customer care. We combine the widespread exposure of our national network and online reach with the local expertise and knowledge of property professionals who genuinely care about your property as much as you do. Our Torquay Sales Department is headed up by Director Darren Hole, who has over 25 years of experience working in estate agency within Torbay. Darren is assisted by our highly accomplished and established Torquay team, who have been helping Torquay residents with their properties from our modern Wellswood office since 2016. We know that selling your home is one of the biggest financial decisions you will ever have to make and choosing who to trust with this is key to a successful sale. Our vendors love our professional photography, bespoke brochures, 3D virtual tours and extensive social media marketing that we are able to offer, and buyers find them invaluable when selecting which properties to view. Our Lettings team is headed up by our Lettings Director Chelsey Durrant who won the coveted ‘Best Property Manager Gold Award’ at the Sunday Times Letting Agency of the Year Awards in 2016. At Absolute, a unique part of our service is that you'll be assigned a designated property manager who will look after you and all aspects of the lettings process, including ensuring your compliance. If you are looking for an agent to manage your property as if it was their own, we'd love to talk to you. Alternatively, if you are a landlord looking to expand your portfolio we'll be happy to keep a look out for suitable properties for you based on your investment aims. In fact, we specialise in helping landlords who would like to sell with their tenants still in residence, helping you to generate cashflow from day one of purchase. ‘Our vision is to be the number one choice of agent in Torbay, Teignbridge and the South West: To be the first name that comes to mind when a landlord or vendor considers selling or letting their property, offering a service so good that our customers recommend us above all others. Our goal is to be the most reliable, honest, friendly and caring agent with our brand recognised by everyone who will consider us to be the ‘Absolute’ best.’ Our Torquay office is situated in the heart of the Wellswood at 13 Ilsham Road, Brixham. We look forward to welcoming you for a coffee, tea, soft drink or even a glass of Prosecco to talk about your moving or investment plans with no obligation whatsoever.

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    Property reference 362a5bb9-0e34-424a-96f5-2ed6fdc96128. The information displayed about this property comprises a property advertisement. OnTheMarket.com makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the advertisement or any linked or associated information, and OnTheMarket.com has no control over the content provided by the agent or developer. This property advertisement does not constitute property particulars. The information is provided and maintained by Absolute Sales & Lettings - Wellswood.

    OnTheMarket may have applied supplementary data to this property listing, including:

    Broadband availability and predicted speed: obtained from Ofcom on February 24, 2023

    Broadband speed is measured in megabits per second, with the number returned showing how fast the connection is. Each reading is based on the highest predicted speed of any major broadband network for services that deliver the download speeds. The following are the different readings that we may display:

    Basic: Up to 30 Mbit/s
    Super-fast: Between 30 Mbit/s and 300 Mbit/s
    Ultra-fast: Over 300 Mbit/s

    The data is updated three times a year. The checker results are predictions and should not be regarded as guaranteed. For more information, see: https://checker.ofcom.org.uk/en-gb/about-checker#Answer_0_2

    Mobile phone signal availability and predicted strength: obtained from Ofcom on February 24, 2023

    Mobile signal predictions are provided by the four UK mobile network operators: EE, O2, Three and Vodafone. Predictions can vary significantly from the coverage you may actually experience as a result of local factors (especially terrain). Ofcom has tested the actual coverage provided in various locations around the UK to help ensure that these predictions are reasonable. The values shown against a property can be broken down as follows:

    Clear: No bars, no signal predicted
    Red: One bar, reliable signal unlikely
    Amber: Two bars, may experience problems with connectivity
    Green: Three bars, likely to have good coverage and receive a data rate to support basic web services
    Enhanced: Full bars, likely to have good coverage indoors and to receive an enhanced data rate to support multimedia services

    Energy Performance data and Internal floor area: obtained on May 11, 2018 from The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 or the Home Report if in relation to a residential property in Scotland.

    Any supplementary data should not be relied upon as forming part of any property particulars and OnTheMarket cannot be held responsible for any incorrectness in this data. See here for more information.

    *Call rate information

    Calls to 0843 numbers will be charged at 4p/min from BT landlines. Calls from other networks may vary, and calls from mobiles and outside the UK will be higher. Calls to local numbers beginning with 01, 02 and 03 numbers will incur standard geographic charges from landlines and mobiles.