Honiton Barton

Honiton Barton has a truly blissful position surrounded by its own land and looking out across the beautiful valley of the River Mole, possibly the best salmon and trout river in the county. The house is Grade II* listed and retains a wealth of original architectural features such as high ceilings, chamfered beams, panelling, window seats, studded doors and many charming, hand-carved doorframes. It has been the home of its current owners for the past 35 years and they have undertaken a painstaking programme of sympathetic restoration including replacing concrete floors with flagstones and revealing several fireplace paintings hidden beneath plaster. There has been a farm on this spot for over 1,000 years since the reign of Edward The Confessor. The older, rear of the house is part of a traditional, stone-built Devon longhouse, which was then greatly enlarged in 1676 with an impressive, E-shaped main wing. Brick, originally painted red, was chosen as the primary building material for the new wing as it was both fashionable and expensive and the house is thought to have been the first brick-built house in the area.

The house is currently configured so that the south wing can be used as a self-contained, south-facing holiday property with a sitting room, kitchen/breakfast room and three double bedrooms.

The remainder of the house is comprised of most of the Restoration-era wing plus the remaining portion of the earlier longhouse. Within this are three generously sized reception rooms, all with impressive fireplaces. The
kitchen is immediately adjacent to the dining room and leads through to the laundry/boot room, with direct access to the attached double garage.

The first floor above is accessed by the original fine, wide oak staircase lit by a tall, leaded light window with views of the countryside beyond. On this floor are the principal bedroom, which has its own adjacent bathroom, the guest bedroom with en suite bathroom and two further double bedrooms and the family bathroom.

Chapel & outbuildings
Set back behind the house is a Grade II* listed Georgian chapel built in 1730. By the 20th century it was no longer in use for worship and was instead being used to house livestock. It now needs renovating but would make an ideal home office or guest annexe (subject to consent).

Beyond it is a range of Victorian and pre Victorian outbuilding's including the Roundhouse. There are also more recent agricultural buildings with resident barn owls and including a 4-bay cart shed, with one bay converted to a
north-facing studio, a long cow and calving byre with hayloft above and an attractive threshing barn with a lean-to early grain dryer.

Garden, grounds & fishing
Honiton Barton is approached down a 500 yard long drive with a pond, lawned garden and a good-sized parking area beside the house. This in turn is surrounded by mature, gently sloping pasture land divided into enclosures by field hedging plus a large, mature apple orchard.

The unspoilt, organic nature of the surroundings attracts a wonderful variety of wildlife including red deer, nesting kingfishers and sand martins, herons, spawning lampreys plus goshawks and peregrines. The house sits in all
about 30.81 acres.

Agent's Note 1: The property has roughly 1,300 yards of double bank fishing rights (including ownership of the river bed) along the length of the River Mole. Described as 'possibly the best beat on the River Mole and arguably the best on the Taw system'. The river attracts salmon, sea trout and wild brown trout. There is good access to both banks and all 13 pools, which include three exceptional night fishing sea trout pools. The fishing rights are available by separate negotiation.

Agent's Note 2: The access driveway is included within the freehold of Honiton Barton. However, three neighbouring properties have access rights along part of the drive

Honiton Barton is situated amidst beautiful countryside in the North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with the Exmoor National Park and the North Devon coastline (World Surfing Reserve) within easy driving distance. It lies about a mile as the crow flies from the small village of George Nympton and close to the market town of South Molton, which has a wonderful selection of local shops and businesses capable of meeting most day-to-day needs. These include a post office, two excellent butchers, bakery and bank, along with medical, dental and veterinary surgeries.

About forty minutes away and just outside Tiverton, via the A361 Devon link road, are Junction 27 on the M5 and Tiverton Parkway station, which has a regular service to Paddington (1 hour and 52 minutes). Exeter Airport offers a regular 1 hour service to London City Airport.

The local area also has schools from both the state and independent sectors including South Molton CofE Primary School (Ofsted 2 Good), West Buckland School, Blundell's and Blundell's Preparatory Schools in Tiverton and The Maynard and Exeter Cathedral School in Exeter.

From the western end of Broad Street/B3226 in South Molton turn left onto South Street/B3226. Follow the B3226 out of the town (N.B. if using satnav take care not to turn onto George Nympton Road) and after travelling for a total of 1.1 miles turn left onto a narrow lane. Carry on for just over half a mile and the driveway entrance will be found on the left. Follow the drive down the hill to a sharp right-hand bend. Go round the bend and the property will be found at the end of the drive.

Marketed by: Knight Frank, Exeter