Historic Sidbury home with garden lodge

A handsome and unique detached home with a thatched lodge in extensive, beautifully designed gardens is being showcased by Roger Hemming Estate Agents, the Experts in Property in Honiton, at a guide price of £1,375,000.

Rose Hill House sits in an elevated spot in the heart of Sidbury, the ever-popular East Devon village just a couple of miles inland from the coastal town of Sidmouth and around 15 miles from Exeter and all its facilities, including mainline railway stations and motorway links. On the River Sid, the village has a great community spirit as well as a pub, primary school, village hall and shop.

It is believed that parts of the historic Grade II listed property date back to the 18th Century, and the living space extended by successive owners over time. Now of lovely proportions and with many interesting period features, this fine double-fronted house comes with more than a half-acre of grounds.

Among the previous owners of Rose Hill House are renowned artist, John Frye Bourne (1912-1991), and his wife Norah, a water colourist. At 16, John was one of the youngest students to attend the Royal Academy (1929-1934) and became a popular portrait artist among fashionable circles. John and Norah moved from Harpenden to Rose Hill House in 1956 and must have immediately begun work on the gardens as a slate plaque – still in place today – states they made the garden with the help of four others 1957-58.

A leaded umbrella canopy sits atop the front door, which leads into the welcoming entrance hall with cloakroom. In the hall is an unusual framed glazed panel exposing the original cob construction of the wall. In the elegant dual aspect living room is an impressive fireplace and steps leading up to a study. Across the hallway is the separate dining room with a lovely period fireplace, and behind this is an impressively sized L-shaped kitchen breakfast room fitted with oak finish cabinetry and a large 4-oven powder blue gas-fired Aga focal point. Behind the kitchen is a utility room and to the side, a sunny conservatory leads out into the garden.

On the first floor are three generous double bedrooms and a large family bathroom with separate WC, while on the third storey is the fourth double bedroom and second bathroom along with eaves storage space.

The extensive gardens at Rose Hill House place it head and shoulders above its competition. Designed and created by the Frye Bournes, the gardens are planted with a profusion of specimen shrubs and trees, which have matured beautifully over the years.

Pathways inset with pebbles gathered from local beaches wind their way around the lawns and plants and lead to a beautiful, thatched pavilion, an ideal place to sit and take in the views. There is plenty of space for parking, a greenhouse and several small outbuildings for storage, as well as one of the most attractive features of this fine property – a wonderful garden lodge with cathedral style windows and a domed thatched roof.

Now providing intriguing guest accommodation with an en-suite double bedroom and attached to a modern double garage with fitted kitchen, the lodge is thought to have been Frye Bourne’s studio during his time in Sidbury.

Roger Hemming, selling agent, said: “Rose Hill House is an outstanding, well-positioned and well-proportioned period property with notable gardens inspired and created by two artistic minds. There is a range of possible buyers as with a little imagination and adaptation, subject to any necessary consents, the lodge and garage could be combined to create a detached annexe, which would lend itself to multigenerational family living or used as a valuable holiday let. As you might imagine, we’re hugely impressed by Rose Hill House and we’re sure you will be too.”

For further information, to book a viewing appointment or for advice on any property-related matter, pop into Roger Hemming Estate Agents on New Street in Honiton or call 01404 45343. To browse property for sale throughout the Southwest, visit www.rogerhemming.co.uk or www.theexpertsinproperty.co.uk

Address: Rose Hill House, Cotford Road, Sidbury, Devon, EX10 0SQ

Guide price: £1,375,000

Agent: Roger Hemming Estate Agents, Honiton, 01404 45343

Details at: https://tinyurl.com/4stdh8tp