Devon: an abundance of natural beauty

Sue Field highlights the benefits of the West Country county of Devon, as she seeks out the best places for smallholder living in the UK…

Aylesbeare, like many villages in Devon, was predominantly a farming area but agriculture is no longer the main source of employment. Aylesbeare Common is part of the large East Devon Pebblebed Heaths Site of Special Scientific Interest and has a wider variety of butterflies than any other RSPB reserve. The village holds an annual Orchard Festival and orchard tours are available. There is a highly regarded village pub and the nearest primary schools are in nearby villages with free bus transport. Ottery St Mary has an outstanding secondary school and Exeter offers a huge choice of cultural activities, shops and restaurants.

THE AREA AND THINGS TO DO
The Jurassic Coastline is a jewel in the crown but Devon also has Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks within its boundaries with their countless hiking and riding trails. Beautiful villages and small towns abound in Devon and one which stands out for its olde worlde charm and popularity is Sidmouth, with its independent shops and bustling seafront. Exeter itself has Powderham Castle which played an integral part in the English Civil War and bound to be of interest to your kids! For more of a resort day out, Dawlish Warren has funfairs and a beautiful beach.

LITTLE KNOWN FACTS
Devon has more road than any other English county, some 8000 miles! It also invented the Cornish Pasty and some of the UK’s greatest monuments were built out of stone mined in the village of Beer, including Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s, Exeter Cathedral and the Tower of London.The only county with two separated coastlines on the English Channel to the south and the Atlantic to the north. And the last county in England to stop executing witches!

FAMOUS DEVONIANS
Quite an impressive list with Sir Francis Drake, Agatha Christie, Sir Francis Chichester and Scott of the Antartic amongst them. Something of an adventurous thread there with a taste fort he unknown? On the literary front, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Charles Kingsley were. born and lived in Devon.So if you too are feeling adventurous with a thirst for new horizons, take a look at Rill Farm and the potential it offers in this beautiful county.

FEATURED PROPERTY
Our property this month is a stunningly elegant former farmhouse in a wonderful rural setting with over 3,500 sq ft of spacious and versatile accommodation. Rill Farm, in the hamlet of Aylesbeare, just 4 miles from the M5 and 7 miles from Exeter, boasts traditional styling and a wealth of period features. Family living in this seven bedroom, two bathroom property, would provide ample space and also give you room to find a quiet corner! The ground floor has a kitchen/breakfast room which leads into a spacious dining room which in turn leads through to the light filled sitting room. Both these reception rooms have open fireplaces for those chilly winter evenings when the family, and probably your dogs as well, relax after a day’s work.There is also a conservatory, a utility room, larder, office and cloakroom.

Such is the size and layout of the property that, with a few modifications and of course the necessary consents, offering B&B or a holiday let could provide a supplementary income. Rill Farm has a number of outbuildings which include a former milking parlour and feed store, log and other stores which, subject to any planning consents, could be used for various craft activities. As the area is known for its orchards, maybe producing your own cider would make an interesting project. There is also a small well-fenced paddock of approximately a quarter of an acre, ideal for chickens, but further land is available by separate negotiation if your dreams take flight with other livestock!

All this is available at a guide price of £899,000with Strutt & Parker’s Exeter office.

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