Westcountry

A quaint and secluded cottage in Cornwall has been put up for sale at £550,000.

Lady Emma's Cottage, Mount Edgcumbe, sits in total seclusion with stunning views across Plymouth Sound to Drake's Island and out to sea.

Hidden away on The Rame Peninsular, known locally as the forgotten corner of Cornwall, it is bordered on three sides by the Rivers Lynher and Tamar, Plymouth Sound and the English Channel.

The property is currently on the market through Knight Frank at a guide price of £550,000.

Lady Emma's Cottage has a delightful history, starting in 1760 when the Lord of Mount Edgcumbe (made 1st Earl Mount Edgcumbe in 1786) lavishly landscaped the gardens and grounds of Mount Edgcumbe to create one of the finest gardens in the county.

Lady Emma's Cottage was built at the same time in the Gothic Revival style and was named after Lady Emma Sophia Edgcumbe.

Tragically, the original cottage burnt down but was rebuilt in 1882 using a kit marketed by Country Life magazine.

The plans for this kit were designed by the famous interior designer William Morris. The cottage was then lived in by estate workers, but only males were permitted, as it was considered unseemly for both sexes to be put together in such a romantic spot.

Sandy Davenport, Knight Frank: "This is a once in a life time opportunity to have an historic home in a wonderful position, which has beautiful views, isolation and water access, and all at a very reasonable price."

After World War I, the cottage was used as a nursery for the Earl's children for several years. Since then, a succession of families mostly employed by the Earl have lived in the cottage until 1965, when the estate was sold to the Plymouth City and Cornwall County Councils.

Over the next 30 years if fell into ruins. In 2003/2004, the building was restored using replicated designs of William Morris's interior and is now on the open market again.

Lady Emma's Cottage has been sympathetically refurbished by the present owners, who have preserved many of the original features whilst incorporating modern bathroom and kitchen facilities.

The house is approximately 2,044 sq ft and consists of two reception rooms, a kitchen, four bedrooms and three bathrooms.

The cottage is situated in approximately one acre of established gardens which includes a mature and most unusual Cork Oak and a Spanish (Holm) Oak tree.

The cottage is on a full repairing and insuring lease of 95 years from the Plymouth City and Cornwall County Council. The only significant restriction in the lease is that the building cannot be occupied as the main or principle dwelling of the occupier.

However, there is no restriction as to how many weeks within a year, or any number of years that the house may not be continuously occupied as long as the occupier has a principle residence elsewhere.

Lady Emma’s Cottage is situated within a few miles of the historic and quaint fishing villages of Kingsand and Cawsand whose narrow streets and colour-washed cottages time has forgotten.

There are plenty of shops, pubs and restaurants to be found here, catering for all needs. Plymouth is the closest major city, reached by the Torpoint Ferry, 11 miles away, and is steeped in naval history, for in 1588 Sir Francis Drake masterminded the defeat of the Spanish Armada from Plymouth.

Plymouth has a mainline station with trains running to London Paddington every hour with an average journey time of three and a half hours. Direct services also run from South Wales, the Midlands, the North of England and Scotland. It is also possible to fly direct to Plymouth from London Gatwick, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds/Bradford and Jersey. Ferries from Plymouth go regularly to France and Spain.

Sandy Davenport, from Knight Frank, says: "This is a once in a life time opportunity to have an historic home in a wonderful position, which has beautiful views, isolation and water access, and all at a very reasonable price.

"Lady Emma’s Cottage and its situation are truly inspiring."