British women's history is intricately bound to Bel Alp House, in the quiet Dartmoor hamlet of Haytor Vale, three miles from Bovey Tracey and nine miles from Newton Abbot.
This eight-bedroom property, is for sale through Knight Frank at an asking price of £3.5 million, once belonged to Dame Violet Wills, one of a group of prominent women who made Haytor Vale their home.
Even before its history, however, the most obvious appeal of the house, which dates from the Edwardian era but is unlisted, rests on its setting: perched high, it enjoys spectacular, uninterrupted views of Dartmoor towards the sea — views that Dame Violet saved for future generations by using her influence to ensure that no electric pylons could be built above ground.
The drawing room, with its enormous bay window and striking fireplace, is perhaps the best place to sit and admire the long southerly views across the countryside. In all, the main house, excluding the basement, offers more than 10,500sq ft of accommodation including three reception rooms, two kitchens plus master- and guest-bedroom suites, four further en-suite bedrooms, two second-floor bedrooms and a self-contained flat.
The interiors are very much the labour of love the present owners, who, returning from Hong Kong with a house on Dartmoor very much in mind, bought Bel Alp House about 15 years ago, when it was in a state of some disarray. During their tenure, they have restored it to how it would have been in its heyday, creating the light-filled family kitchen which now forms its heart, and rediscovering the garden.
The house as it stands today is also a far cry from the bungalow Bel Alp was when Dame Violet bought it in the 1920s. Originally known as Hellens House, it was one of the earliest buildings on what was to become known as Millionaires’ Row, built in 1904 as a holiday home for John Lancaster Shaw, managing director of Bentley & Shaw, brewers of Huddersfield, and commodore of the Royal Torquay Yacht Club.
Hellens House had been designed with provision for rooms to be added upstairs, which Dame Violet did upon purchase. She was one of 'a small group of eminent women' that used the Haytor Vale houses as their holiday homes during the earlier years of the 20th century, according to local historians Frances and Malcolm Billinge. Others included Dame Violet's sister, Ella, Emily Pankhurst’s daughter, Christabel, and Mrs Catherine Booth-Clibborn, daughter of Salvation Army founder, William Booth.
From the early 1920s until 1959, their Haytor Vale enclave was an exclusive meeting place of like-minded women of independent means, driven by their shared Christian ideals and belief in philanthropy.
Dame Violet continued to hold court at Bel Alp until shortly before her death, when an advertisement in COUNTRY LIFE (June 11, 1959) marketed the house for sale with 50 acres.
Today, Bel Alp comes with 25 acres of formal gardens, paddocks, woodland, tennis court and a terrace for outdoor dining — plus an illustrious past and those dramatic views.
Bel Alp is for sale at £3.5 million via Knight Frank — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.
Bovey Tracey: What you need to know
- Location: Bovey Tracey is just under half an hour's drive from Exeter
- Atmosphere: A picturesque market town with a long history — it was a Saxon settlement, became a Norman stronghold and was the backdrop to a surprise attack by Cromwell's Roundhead army over the Royalists — Bovey Tracey has more than 100 listed buildings, plus a regular farmer's market and a wide choice of shops.
- Things to do: Dartmoor is walking, cycling and riding paradise. Bovey Tracey also has plenty of sporting clubs from cricket to tennis and petanque. The National TRust-managed Parke estate is also well worth visiting.
- Schools: St Catherine's Church of England Primary School in Heathfield is rated good by Ofsted. The wider area also has many well-regarded schools, including Exeter School, The Maynard, Stover in Newton Abbot and Mount Kelly in Tavistock.
Find more properties in the area.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
Dawn Chorus: A Blue Plaque for Marc Bolan, holidaying in the Caribbean with Francis Ford Coppola and a history of the National Gallery in 25 picturesPlus the best of the property pages, and how the railways will save the countryside.
-
Game, set, match: 12 of the world’s most beautiful tennis courtsFrom Italy to Indonesia, when it comes to hotel amenities, a picturesque tennis court will always trump a 24-hour gym. So, before you book your next holiday, take a look at our pick of the 12 best.
-
Five palatial mansions for sale, including one with its own private swimming lake, as seen in Country LifeSometimes bigger really is better.
-
Gaze over Cap Ferrat in this four-bedroom French villaIgnore the wind and the rain. Imagine yourself in this hillside home with some of the best views the Mediterranean can offer.
-
Classical style meets fun and flair in a seven-bedroom manor in CornwallAt Polstrong Manor, the current owners have combined period charm and elegant modern interiors to create a flamboyant country home 10-minutes from the beach.
-
Two halves make a sublime four-bedroom home in Kent's North DownsA contemporary extension to a traditional clapboard house brings light and life to Lavington House.
-
The week in property statistics: Service charges reach record highPlus, how first-time buyers prop up the mortgage market, why you need to move north if you want to live by yourself, and house-price growth slows
-
A seven-bedroom oast house for sale in East Sussex, where your dreams can run riotUnlisted, yet full of character, this property in the High Weald National Landscape is an eccentrically furnished family home that screams fun.
-
Character, history and comfort combine in a four-bedroom farmhouse in NorfolkWillow Farm near Southburgh is that rarest of things — a perfect combination of period charm and modern elegance in some of England's best countryside.
-
A Grade I-listed Georgian townhouse that's part of the fabric of Bath's historyWith 5,500sq ft set over six floors in the centre of Britain's most architecturally rich city, there is much to love here.
