Detached house for sale in Ideford Combe, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12

Once a traditional Devon barn built of cob and local limestone, Ash Barn was converted into a family home by the current owners in 2009. It is positioned partway up the side of an unspoilt, secluded and pretty valley that carries one of the tributaries of the River Teign, with the join happening about a mile and a half downstream.

Wanting to combine a contemporary interior that was uncluttered whilst preserving the barn's agricultural heritage, the interior of Ash Barn is filled with natural light. Tall and in places vaulted ceilings combine with wide, floor to ceiling windows to elicit a wonderful feeling of light and space that takes in as much of the sweeping views down the valley as possible. The conversion also achieves a high energy efficiency rating for a period building through a combination of high levels of insulation with a mix of engineered oak and slate flooring and solid oak double glazed windows and doors.

There are three reception rooms on the ground floor, with the kitchen conveniently position at the centre of the barn, between the sitting and
dining rooms. Underfloor heating extends throughout the ground floor and the sitting room and study have fireplaces fitted with wood-burning stoves to ensure that the barn remains cosy in cold weather. The kitchen has a slate floor and is fitted with a range of contemporary units including a good-sized central island that can seat three, granite work surfaces and a range of built-in electric appliances.

There is a very useful utility room with bespoke oak cupboards, a space for a fridge/freezer and washing machine and a large sink. There is also a downstairs shower room/cloakroom for convenience when the study is used as a bedroom. This could be used as a self-contained annexe, if required.

The design of the earlier barn allowed for two upstairs bedrooms: The large, principal bedroom and its en suite bath and shower room are above the hall and is accessed by a staircase from the sitting room. The second upstairs bedroom has its own, en suite shower room and walk-in wardrobe and is above the kitchen. There is a further en suite double bedroom on the ground floor off the hall and the study currently serves as an occasional bedroom.

Ash Barn is accessed via a driveway entrance shared with a neighbouring property, with a short driveway rising to a generous gravelled parking area, where there is space for several cars.

Beyond it is a level lawn dotted with mature trees and shrubs including a gorgeous white magnolia and bound by bay hedging that provides privacy from the occasional passing hiker or car. The space between the v-shape of the barn is west-facing and paved, with its open end looking out on a further area of garden behind and on to the property's paddocks.

In the height of summer, the courtyard catches the sun during the day but really comes into its own on summer evenings where it becomes the perfect spot for outside dining. The rear garden has a sloping lawn with a large shrub border at one end.

Alongside, the rear driveway leads up to the stable block, which contains two loose boxes that are currently used for storage. Beyond the stable block are the vegetable garden and green house. The remaining land is sloping and is bound by stock-proof fencing. It is sectioned into two paddocks and an orchard and has wonderful views down the valley.

A380 0.5 mile, Kingsteignton town centre 1.5 miles, Newton Abbot town centre 4.5 miles (Paddington 2 hours 35 minutes) Teignmouth beach 5 miles, Ness Cove Beach 7 miles, Torquay 10 miles, M5 10.5 miles, Totnes 12 miles, Exeter city centre 15 miles Exeter Airport 17 miles (London City Airport 1 hour) (All distances and times are approximate).

Ash Barn is one of a small cluster of properties situated partway up a valley about a mile north of Sandygate. Once a village, Sandygate has become part of the small town of Kingsteignton, which with a population of 11,000, has a selection of shops and businesses including gp, dental and veterinary surgeries, a Co-Op and a Homebase store. What may not be available in Kingsteignton can most probably be found in the adjacent, much larger town of Newton Abbot, which has several large supermarkets including Tesco, Asda, Aldi and Sainsbury's plus a popular racecourse between the two towns.

Local transport links are good too with the A380 less than five minutes drive away. Newton Abbot has a railway station with direct services to

London Paddington, Exeter and Bristol and Exeter Airport is 17 miles/ 30 minutes away. The area also has a wide choice of schools from both the state and independent sectors. These include four good primary schools within a two-mile radius plus Stover in Newton Abbot and St. Christopher and Park Schools in Totnes from the nearby independent sector.