Beacon Lane, Kingswear, Dartmouth, Devon, TQ6 0BU | Property for sale | Savills
4,032 sq ft(374.58 sq m)
Offers over £5,000,000

Beacon LaneKingswear, Dartmouth, Devon, TQ6 0BU

  • Sold

Key features

  • Sold in December 2022
  • Private jetty / harbour wall
  • Slipway and boathouse
  • Indoor swimming pool
  • Mediterranean style terraces and gardens
  • Over 4,000 sq ft

Possibly the most iconic house on the banks of the River Dart

About this property

  • Inverdart Boathouse is one of the most outstanding properties on the River Dart and offers an impressive welcome to all those visiting Dartmouth by boat. The property has been a development project and a labour of love since 1993 and is an example of specialised craftsmanship at its very best. The house has been built with stone quarried from the site, with the harbour excavated out of the solid rock below, a slipway and a specialist harbour wall for protection. As Inverdart Boathouse owns the foreshore extending to the mean low water mark, the house also benefits from its own private beach at low tide.

    The creation of this extraordinary home has won numerous awards including Overall Winner and Best Traditional Home in ‘Homebuilding and Renovation' 2013, which resulted in a ten-page feature in the magazine and front-page cover status - quite some accolade. There is no doubt that this beautiful house has been a monumental feat of engineering and was definitely not for the fainthearted. The foundations had to be excavated from solid rock and built a remarkable 19.5 metres below ground as well as new battlement style retaining walls and 12m long anchors. The aesthetics of Inverdart Boathouse were of equal importance to the engineering of the structure; the owners wished to create a property that would blend with the historic elements of the entrance to the River Dart whilst demonstrating modern day craftsmen still have the traditional skills required.

    Inverdart Boathouse was built from stone quarried on site and the roof laid with Delabole slate. The castellated walls and terraces complemented the design creating something unique and not in any way any reflecting its true age. The house which has been designed around the view and its relationship with the water, is arranged over four floors with versatile accommodation from which most windows have outstanding vistas. Many of the fittings have been reclaimed from shipbreaking yards, and have recorded provenances. Exposed rock-faces feature as internal walls and all the external and internal joinery is in oak. The sitting room has glass panels within the floor giving a bird's eye view of the impressive Roman-style swimming pool below with pillars hand made by de Lank Quarry, Cornwall, famous for building London Bridge, the fourth Eddistone Lighthouse, Princess Diana memorial fountain in Hyde Park and other iconic creations. A large bespoke stone fireplace features at one end of this room. Please note, a lift shaft has been cut from solid rock and has capacity to carry an 8 passenger elevator to all floors (not fitted).

    The gardens are simply glorious and mirror that of a cascading terrace of colour more likely to be found in the Mediterranean. The house is accessible only by foot or by boat and both offer quite spectacular welcomes. The gated pillared access from Castle Road leads to a meandering path and steps which are terraced and flanked by well-established beds and borders. It's hard to believe these gardens were only terraced about six years ago considering the depth of colour and range of flowers, shrubs and trees. The stone walling and terracing were built by the same stonemason who did the stonework on the house and there are many areas from which to sit and enjoy the view. On the lower ground floor is the original boathouse, dating from the 1850's, which is quite exquisite with its vaulted timber ceiling, wood burning stove set in an exposed stone wall and built-in seating. Double doors open onto the harbour wall and slipway beyond, where there is a salt water heat exchange reservoir contained within the sea wall. Aprox 4m x 4m x 3.5m deep.

    There is a running mooring for a vessel up to 16' LOA

    View payable Stamp Duty for this property

Local information

  • Situated on the south-west facing bank of The River Dart, Inverdart Boathouse occupies one of the most spectacular and unique locations in the South-West of England, with the waves lapping on the foreshore and the uninterrupted river and sea views on your doorstep. The house is located on the edge of the village of Kingswear which lies in the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and offers two good pubs, a village shop, a post office, a church, a primary school and the highly regarded Royal Dart Yacht Club. Across the river and accessible via 3 different ferries which run all day long, is the beautiful town of Dartmouth, home to the Britannia Royal Naval College and offers a wonderful selection of shops, boutiques, galleries, pubs and restaurants. In addition, the town offers two supermarkets, a cinema, a medical centre and a leisure centre with indoor swimming pool. The River Dart's deepwater port attracts sailing vessels from all over the world and is one of the prettiest in Europe. For yachtsmen, Kingswear is at the centre of one of the finest cruising grounds in the UK and there are three well known marinas on the river with first class facilities for sailing and motor yacht owners alike. Totnes and Newton Abbot both offer main line rail links to London and the A380 (7 miles) provides access to Exeter and the M5 beyond. There are sandy beaches at Torbay and all along the South Hams coastline together with several excellent golf courses, the South West Coast Path and The Dart Valley Trail.

Additional information

  • Dartmouth across the River Dart and serviced by three ferries, Totnes 12 miles (London Paddington 2 hours 50 minutes), Exeter 31 miles.
  • Services: Private drainage, mains water and electricity, oil central heating
  • Outgoings: South Hams District Council, Council Tax Band G
  • Directions: If entering the village follow the signs for the lower ferry and continue down the hill, passing The Steam Packet Inn on your left. Take the left fork into Church Hill and continue to the first sharp right-hand bend. At this junction, do not follow the sharp bend but instead, cross diagonally into Castle Road. Follow the road for a little way until reaching Inverdart Cottage on the left. Park opposite Inverdart Cottage and then proceed on foot back along the lower road which is Beacon Road, and the gated entrance to Inverdart Boathouse is the first entrance on your left.
  • EPC Rating: D
  • Tenure: Freehold
  • Council Tax Band: G