7 bed detached house for sale

Swimbridge, Barnstaple EX32

A country home full of possibilities! Set within approximately 4.5 acres of rolling north Devon countryside, this handsome period farmhouse in need of some modernisation, also has two attached cottages, a useful collection of workshops and garages, six modular stables, an orchard, mature gardens and two well-fenced pasture paddocks.

For one buyer, it could be an immensely appealing family home with horses at the bottom of the garden.

For another, it may offer the opportunity to bring several generations together while allowing everyone to retain their own front door.

For others, the cottages may provide guest accommodation, workspace or a potential source of income through longer-term or holiday letting, subject to any necessary consents and restrictions.

It is the sort of property that can bring several elements of life together in one place: Home, family, animals, work and income.

And while the setting feels wonderfully rural, daily life remains reassuringly convenient. Schools, villages, market towns, the coast and Exmoor are all relatively close by.
The farmhouse


An opportunity to make it your own. The main farmhouse is now ready for its next chapter.

While full of character and generous in scale, the accommodation would benefit from a programme of modernisation, including an upgraded heating/electrical system and substantial cosmetic improvement throughout. A new kitchen, updated bathrooms, refreshed flooring and a more contemporary decorative scheme would all help unlock the house’s full potential.

This has been reflected in the asking price and gives the next owner the opportunity to improve the property around their own needs, taste and way of living, rather than paying a premium for somebody else’s choices.

For some buyers, that may mean carefully remodelling the farmhouse as a long-term family home, retaining its period features while introducing modern comfort, efficiency and design.

As you enter the farmhouse an open porch leads into a broad entrance hall with a tiled floor. From here, the principal reception rooms sit to either side.

The Snug, which could equally serve as a formal dining room, features a stone open fireplace with a slate hearth. It is an inviting room for family time, quieter evenings or a long Sunday lunch that gradually extends into the evening.

Across the hall there is another large living dining space, next to the kitchen, has an impressive inglenook fireplace incorporates a bread oven and wood-burning stove, while a second former fireplace could be adapted to create a substantial display recess with cupboards beneath, or a modern drinks area ready for cocktails.

A glazed door leads into the conservatory, which opens directly onto the front garden. This provides a natural connection between the house and its grounds and gives the living spaces a pleasant outlook across the lawns to the pond and paddocks beyond.

The kitchen and breakfast room is fitted with oak-fronted cabinetry and includes a Rangemaster cooker, integrated dishwasher and fridge, together with a walk-in shelved larder. A glazed door provides access to a small secluded patio, a perfect spot for a glass or two of wine in the evening or morning coffee and croissants. There is a stable style door to a small courtyard to the side of the property.

Steps lead to a separate utility room with fitted units and plumbing for a washing machine. A currently sealed internal doorway connects with Dairy Cottage, suggesting the possibility of a more integrated arrangement should a future owner wish to explore it.

Upstairs, the farmhouse provides four bedrooms, a family bathroom and a separate shower room.

The accommodation works comfortably for family life, but the real flexibility of this farmhouse comes from what sits alongside it.
Holly tree cottage


Attached to the western side of the farmhouse, Holly Tree Cottage is a self-contained two-bedroom cottage with its own entrance.

An open porch leads into the kitchen and dining room, where exposed beams add character and a modern range of fitted units provides practical everyday accommodation. The separate living room has exposed stonework, further beams and glazed sliding doors to the front.

Upstairs are two double bedrooms, both with built-in wardrobes, together with a modern bathroom.

For multi-generational buyers, this is the sort of accommodation that can allow parents, adult children or relatives to live genuinely independently while remaining close to the main household.

It could also suit long-term letting, holiday accommodation or guest use, subject to any necessary permissions and occupancy conditions.
Dairy cottage


Dairy Cottage adjoins the farmhouse to the rear and provides a further spacious self contained one-bedroom home.

It has a fitted kitchen and breakfast room. Beyond this is a separate living room with glazed double doors opening to the large garden area to the side of the property.

Stairs rise to a very generous double bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe and en-suite bathroom.

The cottage could be ideal for a dependent relative, returning adult child, regular guests, a live-in carer or an additional rental income stream.

Together, Holly Tree Cottage and Dairy Cottage create a level of flexibility that is increasingly difficult to find.

Gardens, pond and orchard

A paved terrace wraps around the front of the farmhouse and conservatory, providing space for outdoor seating and al fresco dining.

Beyond this, the gardens open onto a generous area of lawn bordered and punctuated by mature trees and shrubs.

At the southern end of the garden is an attractive pond, accompanied by a summerhouse and mature planting. This is likely to become one of the most memorable parts of the property: A quiet corner for summer evenings, wildlife, reading, or simply escaping the busier parts of family life.

A gate leads you through to the paddocks and orchard, which gives West Kerscott the feel of a traditional small rural holding rather than simply a house with a large garden.

This area has the potential to develop further into a self-sustaining vegetable garden and more, perfect for those seeking a little of the ‘Good Life’.

To the side is a large area of walled garden with mature trees, greenhouse and a shed.
Horses at home


For equestrian buyers, the stables offer one of its strongest lifestyle advantages. A substantial modern barn has been fitted with six modular stables. It is separately accessed from the lane and sits conveniently close to the paddocks and other buildings.

The land comprises two well-fenced pasture paddocks, allowing horses or ponies to be kept at home rather than at a remote livery yard.

For anyone currently paying livery costs and travelling back and forth each day, the appeal will be obvious.

There is the financial advantage of removing or reducing monthly livery fees, but the greater benefit is often more personal: Being able to see the horses from home, manage their routines independently and make them part of everyday family life.

Garages, workshops and more

The property is approached from a single-track country lane, opening onto a parking and turning area beside the house.

Close to the parking area is a single garage/workshop. A larger part-stone and block building, incorporates two further garages and a workshop.

These buildings could suit vehicle storage, machinery, hobbies, home-based work or the general equipment that inevitably accompanies land and animals.

They may also offer potential for alternative uses or conversion into a studio, accommodation etc, subject to obtaining the necessary planning permissions and consents.

For buyers currently renting commercial storage, workshop space or business premises elsewhere, bringing these activities home may provide both financial and practical advantages.
A smallholding lifestyle


The property is not limited to equestrian use.

The paddocks, orchard, gardens and buildings could equally appeal to buyers with plans for a more modest smallholding lifestyle.

There could be room for chickens, ducks, sheep, goats or pigs, together with vegetable growing, fruit production or beekeeping, depending on individual preferences and any relevant regulations.

Approximately 4.5 acres provides meaningful space without becoming an agricultural estate demanding full-time management.

For families seeking more outdoor life, it offers children the chance to grow up around animals, nature and practical country pursuits, while the proximity of local schools and towns ensures that rural living does not come at the expense of everyday convenience.
Country living without isolation


West Kerscott occupies an easily accessible position within a favoured rural hamlet, just outside of the popular village of Swimbridge.

Swimbridge provides many of the essentials of village life, including a primary school, public house, church and community hall. Landkey lies around three miles away, while Barnstaple, North Devon’s principal regional centre, provides a broad range of shopping, business, leisure and healthcare facilities, together with a theatre and district hospital.

In the opposite direction, the thriving market town of South Molton lies approximately six miles away. It offers independent shops, cafés and everyday amenities, as well as its weekly livestock market and award-winning pannier market.

The A361 North Devon Link Road provides access towards Tiverton and Junction 27 of the M5, where Tiverton Parkway offers direct rail services towards London Paddington.

For families, the area is served by a selection of well-regarded state and independent schools. West Buckland School is approximately four miles away.

North Devon’s beaches and the open landscapes of Exmoor National Park are also within a relatively comfortable driving distance, creating that increasingly rare balance between a genuine country lifestyle and practical access to the places people want to visit.
Finer details


Please note that some images have been enhanced, edited or furnished using ai/CGI

- Period farmhouse - four bedrooms, two reception rooms, conservatory, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, family bathroom and separate shower room - Council Tax band E

- Holly Tree Cottage with two double bedrooms, kitchen/dining room, living room and bathroom - currently Tenanted - Council Tax band A

- Dairy Cottage with one double bedroom, kitchen/breakfast room, living room, walk-in wardrobe and en-suite bathroom - Currently Tenanted - Council Tax band B

- Approximately 4.5 acres including gardens, orchard and two well fenced pasture paddocks

- Excellent equestrian facilities including a substantial modern shed fitted with six modular stables

- Useful range of garages, workshops and outbuildings with potential for alternative uses or conversion, subject to the necessary consents

- Main farmhouse in need of modernisation, including heating/electric upgrades and substantial cosmetic improvement, with the asking price

reflecting the work required

- Potential to retain the existing three-home arrangement or reconfigure and interconnect the accommodation to create one substantial family

home, subject to the necessary permissions

- Night storage heating to the main farmhouse

- Oil-fired central heating via radiators to Holly Tree Cottage and Dairy Cottage

- Mains electricity and mains water

- Private drainage via septic tank and soakaway. Compliance with current regulations is unknown and purchasers should make their own enquiries

- Broadband: Standard and ultrafast services are reported as available in the area according to Ofcom