Downs Orchard

A very special waterfront home in a prime, frontline location overlooking the River Fowey with direct water access. 3 Reception rooms, 5-6 bedrooms (1 en-suite). Guest lodge. Garaging & outbuildings. Slipway, quay and landscaped gardens. Woodland and grounds of 7.4 acres. EPC Band E

Situation - Cliff is a picturesque, lightly wooded hamlet on the eastern bank of the Fowey River. The hamlet is about 1.75 miles south west from the unspoilt village of Lerryn with its ancient bridge and period cottages. The village caters for most day-to-day needs including a village shop, a village hall and pub. The town of Lostwithiel is about 4.5 miles from Cliff and provides a wider range of shopping facilities. The nearby towns of Bodmin and St Austell both offer a far more comprehensive range of shopping, commercial and leisure facilities.

Much of the countryside surrounding Cliff is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and offers some of the most tranquil and picturesque footpaths and bridleways along the south coast of Cornwall together with footpaths leading inland to the pretty parish of St Veep and riverside footpath which runs along Lerryn Creek, passing through Lerryn and following the river bank through the woods to the north of the River Fowey.

On the opposite banks of the river are Golant and Fowey. Fowey is one of Cornwall’s most historic and unspoilt sea port towns renowned for its safe deep water anchorage and excellent sailing. Fowey harbour is a charming and picturesque inlet between imposing headlands extending for about 6 miles inland to Lostwithiel with good depth of water for the first mile or so. Fowey has all the activity of a busy working harbour with ships from many nations entering and leaving the harbour. A car/passenger ferry service links Fowey with Bodinnick and runs constantly during daylight hours.

The Fowey River is an ideal place to keep either a yacht or dinghy as together with its creeks and inlets it provides fantastic opportunities for day sailing. Fowey plays host to a number of major cultural and maritime events including the Daphne Du Maurier Literary Festival and the Fowey Royal Regatta.

Whilst Fowey remains a working, deep water port, it is also the perfect cruising base from which to explore the Channel Islands and beautiful harbours and creeks of the West Country. Throughout the summer its harbour teems with boating activity, from competitive racing of the local Troy class, cruising yachts and dinghies, to large gaff-rigged wooden Oyster luggers and visiting cruise liners.

The town itself is rich in amenities with all manner of shops, bank, chandleries, boutiques, bars, delicatessens and restaurants. It also has its own hospital, doctors and dentists surgeries, as well as a library, primary and secondary schools.

Communications are good with a main line railway station at Bodmin providing fast and easy access to London Paddington (travelling time approximately 4.5 hours). To the north west, Newquay Airport at St Mawgan provides regular flights to London (flight time approximately 1 hour).

The motorway road network as far as Exeter and then either the A30 (via Bodmin) or A38 (via Plymouth) makes Fowey very accessible. Regular Intercity rail services from Bodmin or Liskeard and Plymouth are even quicker. The growing number of flights to UK and international destinations from Newquay and Exeter Airports, and Brittany Ferries services from Plymouth to France and Spain, ensure that Fowey is now a viable destination or starting point of any journey.

The Property - The private drive leads down through open grassland and trees through an avenue of cherry trees to a substantial parking area in front of the double garage. Beyond this is a charming forecourt with a pond and water feature, fed from a natural spring above the property. There is a Breeze House opposite the pond that is ideal for entertaining or simply admiring the views out across the estuary. First impressions are magical.

Downs Orchard is a very special waterfront property positioned in a breath-taking and prime location on the eastern banks of the Fowey Estuary. The house has up to six bedrooms and overlooks the water, with views across, up and down river. The property extends to about 7.4 acres that includes about 600ft of direct water frontage and a one-bedroom wooden detached studio. It is approached from the end of a quiet, rural lane and then down its own private driveway. It is surrounded on one and a half sides by National Trust land which, itself, has no public access. The gardens, grounds and woodland give the home a fabulous degree of protection and privacy; there are no public rights of way over its land.

Over the last six years Downs Orchard has been significantly improved and renovated, both internally and externally. A new surface has been laid on the driveway, the studio and boatshed have been added, the house itself reconfigured and greatly improved, there is new fencing, and drainage and the riverbank above the slipway have been reinforced and landscaped.

The thatched veranda leads into the central corridor, at the middle of which is a staircased, inner hallway. Off the corridor are the principal reception rooms and the kitchen/breakfast room. Similar to all the windows in the house, the kitchen/breakfast room has double glazed, UPVC windows that maximize the stunning, panoramic waterfront views over the Fowey Estuary. The kitchen has a four-door, electric AIMS Aga with its electric companion and LPG gas hobs. French doors lead out onto the west facing terrace that runs along the entire length of the waterside façade of the house and links to the grass lawn on the southern end. Opposite the kitchen is the freezer room and bar, beside which is the utility room that has shaker-style units and wooden work surfaces. Beyond the kitchen is the family room that has a wooden floor and a double-sided wood burner that heats both the family room and the sitting room next door. The family room could also be used as the sixth bedroom and lies opposite the downstairs shower room. Like the open plan sitting room beyond, the family room/bedroom enjoys the waterfront views and has French doors leading out to the west facing terrace. At the far end of the corridor is the large open plan sitting room/dining room. This attractive room has large windows and bifold doors to maximise the river views and provide access onto the terrace. A stone arch leads through to the office area that could equally be used as a dining room. Beyond the sitting room is a garden room that faces south and has concertina doors on both the southerly and westerly aspects that lead out onto a terrace and lawn that are ideal for entertaining. Off the reception hallway, at the rear of the house, is a covered area with an new roof that forms a link from one end of the garden to the other behind the house.

Stairs lead up from the galleried, inner reception hallway to the first-floor landing, off which are a total of potentially five bedrooms. One of the bedrooms is currently configured and furnished as a dressing room. On the southern end of the house is the principal bedroom suite which has a Juliet balcony and a Velux balcony window. It has its own en-suite bathroom with both a bath and a shower. The bathroom enjoys the morning sun and the principle bedroom has both southerly and westerly aspects. In addition to an airing cupboard and a family shower room (in the process of being converted) there are three further bedrooms, two of which overlook the water.

Gardens & Grounds - Behind the house is a detached wooden cabin that consists of an open plan dining/sitting area and kitchenette, a shower room and a double bedroom. Below this is the boathouse that is currently used as a wood store, boat store and workshop. In front of the house there is parking for at least five cars in addition to a double garage with electric doors. Much of the grounds are laid to mature woodland. The mature gardens and grounds are particularly special at Downs Orchard. They have been well tended and improved over the years and there are a wide variety of specimen trees and shrubs including Acers, Maple, Davidia, Tulip Tree and Fig.

The property owns its own small quay and a recently renovated slipway. The property has two running moorings or frapes that can be accessed for a few hours either side of high tide. The property owns the riverbank in front of part of the property down to mean high water.

Services - Mains electricity and photo voltaic panels. Private water and drainage. Air source heat pump. BT Superfast Broadband delivering download speeds of around 15Mbps at the house.

Fixtures And Fittings - All items usually known as tenants’ fixtures and fittings, whether mentioned or not in these sale particulars are excluded from the sale but may be available by separate negotiation. Such items include all fitted carpets, curtains, light fittings, domestic electrical items, garden equipment, statuary and machinery.

Directions - From A30 south east of Bodmin, take slip road signed Bodmin, Liskeard. Follow road to left turn for Liskeard and signs to a roundabout and take Liskeard exit. After 200 yards at next roundabout, take right turn signed Lostwithiel. Follow signs to Lostwithiel (approx. 4 miles). In Lostwithiel, take left turn east onto main road A390 and follow into 40mph zone After 400 yards take right turn signed Lerryn. Straight on at crossroads at houses and Earl of Chatham pub, signed St Winnow (1¾ miles) and Lerryn (3 miles).

Follow road through Lerryn and then follow signs to Polruan, Bodinnick (IGNORE left fork to Polperro). After about 0.6 miles beyond Lerryn, where main road turns left beside a white cottage (Wooda Cross), carry straight on signed Manely (½ mile) - signed as a dead end road. Follow the road, then downhill and round to a small cove beach. Continue past the beach following signs to “Downs Orchard”. Take the left hand bend up the steep hill and follow the tarmac drive round to the right and along to the house.

Viewings - Viewing is strictly by prior appointment with Stags Truro Office on



Marketed by: Stags, Truro