As you might imagine, we see a lot of lovely homes here at Country Life. From irresistible chocolate box cottages to sprawling Scottish estates, and from pretty family homes in the Home Counties to swish London penthouses.
With such a range of sizes, shapes, locations and budgets, it's self-evidently impossible to start talking about what the best house ever is. And yet when The Shotts came along, that's the exact conversation that we found ourselves having.
'Is this the best house ever?' came the question on the editorial team group chat, along with a link to the listing. 'YES!' came the first of several replies, just moments later. And while we still wouldn't pretend that it is definitely the best house ever, we'd defy anyone not to grin and coo at the combination of an outrageously beautiful location with a magnificently flamboyant interior. It's the ultimate antidote for every soulless, greige-decorated box you've ever come across.
‘The current owners spent three years painstakingly renovating the house into a unique family home in a class of its own, with a magical, fairytale feel,’ say agents of seven-bedroom Shotts Manor — just below Haytor and 17 miles from Exeter — the interiors of which manage to combine Italianate villa with gypsy caravan and everything in between.
Moroccan tiles feature heavily: the owners commissioned them specially for the house, and it took the tilers nine months to install them. But just as much a part of the house are the breathtaking Dartmoor views, with the house’s entire design centred on the sunrise. There’s also a retro-style oval slate-framed open fire, carved doors from India, handpainted walls in viewing gallery The Nest and, as well as a staircase, a playful slope leading from first to ground floor.
The awe-inspiring home is currently on the market via Strutt & Parker with a guide price of £3.5 million, and its global-inspired interiors are nothing short of breathtaking, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality.
Artistic flair runs throughout, no least in the kitchen, with its green and white tiled flooring, dramatic stand-alone sink and hand-painted touches from a 'noble Scottish artist.'
Little Shotts is a two-bedroom cottage in the grounds, finished in the same playful style and providing excellent guest accommodation or let out as holiday accommodation.
Also within the grounds is Tiny Shotts, a garden office with adjoining shower room, an outdoor living room and a footpath through woods to the west will lead you to The Rock Inn.
The Shotts is a rare find — a celebration of global style that is somehow right at home in the midst of the Dartmoor National Park.
The Shotts is currently on the market via Strutt & Parker with a guide price of £3.5 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.
Haytor: What you need to know
Location: In the Dartmoor National Park, about 9 miles west of Newton Abbot, just under 5 miles from Bovey Tracey — also known as 'The Gateway to the Moors' and approximately 20 miles south of Exeter.
Atmosphere: The pretty village is home to The Rock Inn — a well-regarded, local pub, as well as gastropub Tinpickle and Rhum.
Things to do: The surrounding National Park provides a wonderful backdrop with plenty of outdoor activities, from walking, riding and cycling. The Cathedral city of Exeter is easily reached and home to a theatre, museum, extensive shopping facilities and restaurants, whilst Bovey Tracey and Ashburton provide a good mix of boutique shops and day-to-day amenities.
Schools: There are plenty of reputable options in the area, including primary schools at Widecombe-in-the-Moor and Bovey Tracey, Stover School, Blundell's in Tiverton, St. Peter's in Lympstone, Exeter School and The Maynard School.
See more property for sale 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
-
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.
-
The Airlander wants to save our skiesA new hybrid aircraft promises eco-friendly aviation. Designed and built in the UK, can it be the future of air travel?
-
Gaze over Cap Ferrat in this four-bedroom French villa
Ignore 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.
-
17 delightful homes for sale, as seen in Country LifeOur round-up of some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life this week includes a wonderful Cotswolds home and a happily affordable cottage in the West Country.
