There are weeks in Devon when the temperature climbs, and South Devon becomes the sort of place you’d want to holiday to. The beaches warm up, the estuaries glitter and the idea of stepping from you garden straight into cool water stops feeling like a luxury and starts feeling like exactly the right way to live.
This week has been one of those weeks.
We’ve been thinking about the homes currently for sale where summer really comes into its own; where a pool isn’t an afterthought, but part of the home. Whether it’s an indoor pool for year-round use, or an outdoor one that lets you soak up the summer rays, these properties make a compelling case for taking a dip.
A short walk from the quay at Noss Mayo, with first-floor views across Newton Creek and five and a half acres of grounds, Bridgend House is a Georgian home with a proper sense of occasion. The swimming pool sits below the terraced gardens, past a stream and footbridge, within a paved surround with a circular gazebo – the sort of pool that belongs to a long summer afternoon.
West Charleton Grange, West Charleton
Set within an impressive nine acres, West Charleston Grange is a private estate with gravitas. This elegant manor house; 16th century in origin, with Georgian enhancements, comes with six established holiday cottages, a private lake, an entertainment pavilion and an indoor heated pool complex. An exceptional lifestyle offering, with the income to support it.
East Boreston is a Grade-II listed farmhouse that operated as a fully established lifestyle business; a main residence, holiday barn, detached cottage and a separate pool barn with an indoor heated pool. A 34kw solar array and ground source heating run the whole operation sustainably with RHI and FiT income streams adding long-term financial returns.
Boasting more than 8,600sq ft of house and set within three aces in the village of Brixton, Brixton House is a truly opulent home, with a Corinthian entrance portico and a Great Hall to match. The leisure offering is extraordinary: a lower ground floor spa with a pool, sauna and gym, in addition to the outdoor swimming pool, sunken hot tub and floor-lit tennis courts.
The Burrow, Torbryan
Built around six years ago with genuine flair, The Burrow is a striking modern barn conversion near the village of Ipplepen, set within just under two acres of landscaped grounds with strong eco credentials including solar panels, battery storage and an air source heat pump powering the 12m x 6m outdoor pool. The grounds have been designed for outdoor living and entertaining; a large patio with bar, BBQ and hot tub, an acre paddock with open countryside views, and EV charging throughout. Inside, the barn is all volume and light: a spectacular south-facing kitchen and family room with large sliding doors, five individually styled bedrooms, a principal suite with dressing room and en suite, and Starlink broadband for those who need to stay connected.
Not every pool home is a country estate, 10 St Elmo Court is a first-floor, three bedroom apartment in one of Salcombe’s most sought-after settings, with south-west facing views across the valley and North Sands Beach, and access to a landscaped communal garden with a heated outdoor pool. The sitting room opens onto a private balcony with views across the beach; the master bedrooms enjoying direct balcony access and sea views. It’s a rare and relaxed foothold in Salcombe.
Higher Gitcombe, Cornworthy
Higher Gitcombe sits close to the River Dart in Cornworthy with views reaching towards Dartmoor and a hydrotherapy pool on the large front sun terrace that has quickly become the property’s defining summer feature. The main house offers six bedrooms, a beautiful kitchen, and a sitting room with five sets of French doors opening onto the garden. The self-contained Coach House apartment, with its own hot tub and Dartmoor views, adds flexibility and income potential.
The Coach House, Aveton Gifford
Part of an exceptionally attractive private estate beyond Aveton Gofford, The Coach House is a Grade-II listed home with genuine Gothic character; vaulted ceilings, exposed timbers and arched windows, sensitively enhances for contemporary life. The heated pool has a retractable enclosure and looks out across the gardens and pasture whilst nice acres of grounds include a ménage, five loose boxes and gently sloping paddocks. And, if you fancy a saltwater swim instead, Bantham and Bigbury on Sea are with easy reach.
A converted Trappist monastery and set within eighty acres of parkland in the Avon Valley, Vespers at Wood Barton is a stand-out home. The four-bedroom apartment boasts generous, carefully-considered interiors and a south-west facing balcony and a garden terrace. Residents of Wood Barton have exclusive access to a leisure complete within the restored chapel, comprised of an indoor pool, sauna, jacuzzi, gym and tennis courts with fishing rights along the River Avon beyond the door.
Westow Lodge is a thoughtfully renovated family home in Churchstow, on the edge of Kingsbridge. The heated swimming pool is enclosed by panoramic sliding glass doors – a year-round proposition rather than a purely seasonal one, and the grounds offer a sense of privacy with established planting and patio entertaining areas. An attached one-bedroom annexe and extensive storage for boats and caravans complete a practical and well-considered package.
Sitting quietly on the outskirts of Dartmouth, within two acres of landscaped grounds that includes a stream-fed lake and a paddock, Western Waters is a true period country home. The indoor heated pool is a particular highlight; give full-height sliding doors open directly onto the garden, making the transition between inside and out effortless on a warm day. Five bedrooms, four reception rooms and a balcony with far-reaching countryside views make this a genuinely complete South Devon home.
Sheplegh Court, Blackawton
Sheplegh Court is a substantial period estate near Dartmouth, converted into a collection of apartments and cottages with more than twenty acres of landscaped grounds and shared access to an indoor and outdoor pool, sauna, tennis court, and snooker room. We currently have two apartments available: 4 Sheplegh Court, a two-bedroom, second-floor apartment with period character and pretty grounds views, and 6 Sheplegh Court, a three-bedroom, first-floor apartment with panoramic countryside views and an individual EV charging point. Both offer an appealing base in a peaceful rural setting with Dartmouth just a short drive away.
Hollyhocks, Colmer House, near Modbury
Hollyhocks is a two-bedroom, ground-floor apartment within the historic Colmer Estate, fully renovated and proven as a high-performing holiday let. The estate itself spans twenty-eight acres of meadows, woodland, and a wildlife lake, with an all-year-round indoor pool, seasonal outdoor pool, tennis court, and gym shared between just twenty privately owned homes.
See something you like?
Thinking about a home where summer really comes into its own? We’d love to help you find it. Get in touch with your local Marchand Petit office or browse our full collection of homes for sale in South Devon here.