5 bedroom detached house for sale

Yealm Cottage Set quietly in the centre of the village, Yealm Cottage is a nineteenth century stone property full of charm from the outside, with long views down the estuary. Built around 1830, it is rich in character and history, both in the details of the house and in the walled gardens, and has evolved into a generous family home with five bedrooms, walled cottage and kitchen gardens, a garage and plenty of off road parking.

From the granite set approach at the front you are opposite the Post Office and very close to the river, waterside walks, the pub and village shop, yet once you step through the house and out into the garden it feels surprisingly private, with green terraces and established planting looking towards the estuary and over rooftops, moorings and the shifting light on the water.

A house that has evolved with care The current owners bought Yealm Cottage in 1986 and have carried out a considered programme of work over nearly four decades. The roof space has been converted to create two additional bedrooms and a shower room. The house has been re-roofed in Delabole slate including additional roof insulation, with external cladding added to much of the original stonework and most windows updated with double glazing.

On the western side, the footprint has been extended to include a workshop, boiler room, pantry area, dining room, dressing room and shower room. A conservatory, greenhouse, garage and garden stores complete the picture, so the house feels established, practical and ready for its next chapter. The front door opens into a welcoming ground floor arranged for easy day to day life and entertaining.

Ground Floor The sitting room is a generous, double aspect space with a bay window framing the estuary. Original shutters remain on the north facing window, and a log effect gas fire provides a focal point on cooler days. Alcove shelving offers space for books and favourite pieces, and there is a relaxed, nostalgic feel to the room with sash windows and soft light from the garden.

At the heart of the house, the kitchen and breakfast room is fitted with bespoke cabinetry by Village Furniture. An electric two oven Aga, upgraded to the Econtrol X series in 2024, anchors the room, while the original fireplace has been repurposed to provide additional built in storage and shelving. It is a kitchen designed to be used, somewhere to cook, talk and gather around the table. The kitchen connects to a dedicated pantry area with fitted cupboards, solid oak doors, shelving and worktop, ideal for small appliances and stores, and then to a separate utility room with sink, washing machine, tumble dryer and a back door directly to the driveway. The dining room opens into a glazed conservatory with underfloor heating and built in bench seating with storage beneath. This is an all season room that links the house and garden, working just as well for slow breakfasts as for long evening summer suppers with the doors open to the terrace.

First Floor The first floor holds three bedrooms, each with extensive built in storage. The principal bedroom sits to the estuary side, with large windows framing calming water views. There are fitted wardrobes and cupboards, an adjoining dressing room and a generous en suite shower room with level access shower and seating. Separate heating controls for the bedroom, dressing room and shower room allow for comfortable, efficient use.

A further double bedroom on this level also enjoys the wide estuary outlook and has large built in cupboards. The third bedroom is a well proportioned single with built in storage and a small hand basin, equally suited to use as a child's room, guest room or study.

A family bathroom serves this floor, fitted with both a bath and separate shower, plus substantial built in cupboards for linen and towels.

Second Floor The converted roof space provides two additional bedrooms, both with eaves storage and wonderful views over the estuary, a reminder of how close the river is to everyday life here. One is a comfortable double, the other a generous single, and they share a well planned shower room with built in storage. This level works particularly well as guest accommodation, teenage space or a quiet work from home retreat.

Lower Ground Floor On the lower ground floor, a large boiler room with storage space and workshop underline the practical side of the house.

The boiler room houses a gas boiler, replaced in May 2024, and a substantial six hundred litre water tank with back up immersion heater and secondary heating coils linked to the hot water solar panels. There is excellent storage under the stairs and on fitted shelving, and a door opens directly to the rear garden.

Alongside sits a spacious workshop with access from the garden, a fully functional working space for tools, hobbies or garden equipment.

Garage, Drive & Parking Approached over a granite set drive with an additional gravelled parking area, Yealm Cottage offers garage parking and off road parking for at least three cars with room to turn. There is level access to both the front door and the utility entrance.

The detached garage is fully insulated, with electric up and over door with remote control, ample built in shelving, and adjacent to an EV charging point. A lower entrance to the property, off Newton Hill via a green gate, offers potential for further parking if widened, subject to any necessary consents.

Walled Cottage & Kitchen Gardens Yealm Cottage is wrapped in walled gardens that blend a relaxed cottage garden with a productive kitchen garden, balancing places to sit and look out over the water with space to grow fruit, vegetables and cut flowers.

A passage along the eastern side of the house leads from the drive to the south facing rear garden, which unfolds in two principal tiers. The upper garden is enclosed by natural stone boundary walls and laid mainly to lawn, with well established cottage garden borders and two arbours offering sheltered places to sit. Discreet terracing makes maintenance straightforward while keeping the character of the garden.

Below, the large walled vegetable garden and orchard area is designed for productive growing, with an established asparagus bed, a variety of soft fruit, apple and pear trees. It is a rare chance to step straight from the kitchen into your own seasonal produce.

The greenhouse, approximately twelve feet by eight feet with added headroom, is accessed from the potting shed and has both soil beds and boarded areas with bench and shelving, making it easy to manage different types of planting.

The potting shed itself is a substantial structure, mainly stone with some timber boarding, a twin cell polycarbonate roof for excellent natural light and two generous shelves for overwintering plants and general storage. Hot water solar panels sit beneath the roofline, quietly supporting the energy efficiency of the house.

Setting & Village There is a gentle, nostalgic quality to this setting, with church bells, boats moving with the tide and children crabbing from the causeway (The Voss). During the week you can walk children to school, pick up a loaf of bread and a coffee from the village shop or deli, and be home again within minutes. For those who are retired, the same route becomes a morning ritual, with time to stop and talk, watch the river and feel part of village life, with its many activities, clubs and societies. Weekends have their own rhythm, with walks on the coast path, sailing on the estuary and slow afternoons in the garden as the light changes over the water.

Yealm Cottage offers a rare mix: in an established estuary village with a strong sense of community, everyday convenience on the doorstep and the easy, slightly timeless rhythm of life by the water, all within reach of nearby beaches, Dartmoor and transport links to London and beyond.