Outstanding contemporary house set in a rural and elevated position within 58 acres with beautiful coastal views to Lyme Bay

Description

The Lookout stands proudly in an elevated position within the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with far-reaching viewings over Uplyme and Lyme Regis to the sea at Lyme Bay. Situated within the parish of Uplyme, the house is located down a long private driveway, partially owned but shared with a few neighbours. The property is surrounded by its own gardens within mature woodland known as Woolly Hill.

The wider area is renowned for its lifestyle living, with a plethora of restaurants and farm shops supporting this thriving community. Uplyme is a pretty village about 1 mile from The Lookout with many great amenities including a primary school (Ofsted ‘Good’ rating), post office, church, village pub and village hall. Lyme Regis featured in the Domesday Book and lies on the picturesque World Heritage Jurassic coastline. With its beach and amenities, it is a popular village, with a wide range of shops, pubs and first class restaurants such as River Cottage, Hix and Swim. Axminster lies 3.9 miles to the north with a wider range of amenities and shops.

Walking on the national coastal path passes along the World Heritage Jurassic Coastline and nearby includes the Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliffs National Nature Reserve. There are some excellent schools in the area including The Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis, Colyton Grammar, Blundell’s at Tiverton, Millfield in Street, Bryanston in Blandford Forum and the schools in Taunton including King’s College, Queen’s College and Taunton School. Communication via road and rail is good, combining an idyllic and tranquil rural position with accessibility. The A303 can be joined by way of the A358 heading towards London and the Southeast, whilst the A35 links to the A30 heading towards Exeter and the West. The M5 motorway can be joined at Exeter or Taunton. There are regular mainline rail services from Honiton to London Waterloo and from Exeter St David’s to London Paddington.

Bought by the owners looking for a “project” in 2014, the property stands in a private and secluded position amidst lovely gardens and just over 50 acres of mature woodland, with stunning open views to Lyme Bay. What followed their purchase was quite a journey and included being featured on Channel 4’s Flat Pack Mansions. The Lookout was finished in December 2016 which was the culmination of many hard months of planning and design. The design was inspired by the original dwelling on the site and the brief to the architect was to incorporate some of the features in their new home. What was as important to them was the outside spaces, and how the pool and gardens related to the inside of the new house. “We totally understood that the need to build in a traditional method wasn’t necessary any more. Once we had chosen the plot and decided that we wanted to build an eco-house, Baufritz was one of the first companies we came across and we really liked their designs. And loved the look of the finish. It was quite an easy decision to make” – the vendors. Constructed by Baufritz utilising ‘ecowalls’ and solid concrete floors with sound insulation. The Lookout incorporates a multitude of innovative and energy efficient measures. However, what stands out as much as the quality of design and engineering is the warm feel of it as a home, perfect as both a primary residence or second home to escape to.

Location

The layout is fantastic for entertaining and family living in equal measure. The double-height entrance and staircase hall floods the heart of the house with natural light, with amazing views down the valley. The large open plan kitchen is fitted with bespoke units and links with the living space and wraparound terrace, with large glass sliding doors connecting the house with the ambience of the grounds and views outside. There is a discreetly placed study, with a fully fitted utility room (with laundry chute) and walk-in pantry. The sitting room has a beautifully designed fireplace in local Portland stone, with the main study just off.

On the lower ground floor, the rooms all open into the garden to maximise the integration with the stunning surrounds. The owners created a large cinema room to enjoy home entertainment and installed a wine store and kitchenette that opens onto the gardens and sun terrace around the swimming pool. Beyond the central hallway, there are three bedrooms, one with a double bed and two with bespoke bunkbeds, designed very much with adults in mind.

The family-sized shower room serves all three bedrooms. There are two plant rooms, one at each end of this floor, providing essential space for the heating, ventilation and technology systems.

The views from the first floor are even better and all the bedrooms have a sea view. The principal bedroom has a large walk-in wardrobe with fitted walnut cabinetry and a beautifully appointed bathroom with bath, walk-in shower and double sink. The main guest bedroom also has an en-suite bathroom and two other bedrooms have their own shower rooms. The large laundry has ample built-in linen racks too.

BAUFRITZ
Baufritz are award-winning designers who have operated in the UK since 2006. Their philosophy centres on three fundamentals; health, innovation and quality & responsibility. The Lookout is a Passive House, an energy efficient home with an air quality controlled system for continuous mechanical balanced ventilation with heat recovery. It is a relatively simple system utilising sunlight, residual heat from technical equipment and even from the occupants. The entire building envelope is designed to prevent heat loss and every aspect of the building is fire suppressed.

GARDEN AND GROUNDS
Approached down a long drive winding through mature woodland, The Lookout has two driveways, connecting the house to the north and east via St Mary’s Lane directly to the B3165 down to Uplyme and Lyme Regis. The main drive comes down off Trinity Hill Road but the back driveway is magical and quicker to get to Uplyme. The gardens around the house have been landscaped to maximise the gentle contours of the site and the views. There are areas of level lawn and informal woodland walks around the house. There is a double carport to the north of the driveway with machinery stores attached.
The main drive sweeps down to a wide parking area in front of the house with amazing views over the pool and beyond. The heated outdoor infinity swimming pool has a wide Limestone deck with planted borders, a cantilevered day bed, hot tub and outdoor kitchen area with pizza oven. Beneath the pool is a gym / yoga studio with sauna, shower, WC and changing room. The woodland is demised on a long lease to the Forestry Commission with private access to owners of The Lookout.

FORESTRY COMMISSION
The majority of the woodland is leased to The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at a nominal rent on a 999 year lease, expiring in 2952. The Forestry Commission manage it as commercial woodland. The owners of The Lookout have unrestricted access across the land and the sporting rights are in hand.

Square Footage: 4,991 sq ft


Acreage: 58 Acres