There are many properties that come across the Country Life Online Property Desk. You can get quite numb to it all. A doric column here, a classical façade there — it can all blend into one. It is one of the great luxuries of this job that we are consistently presented with property that looks like it should be on a postcard, but also one of the great curses. Like eating filet mignon every night.
So it does take something quite unusual for us to sit up straight in our chairs. In the case of Woolbrook Reservoir, it was more a case of leaning closer to the screen and whispering ‘what on earth is that?’. The answer is in the name: it’s a former reservoir in Devon, that has been converted into a six-bedroom home that you can rent through Luxury Coastal.
Down a quiet lane in the town of Sidmouth, the property seems to be mostly sunk into the ground, with the roof covered in astroturf grass, allowing the property to almost hide within its surrounds. Set around a central courtyard, the rooms each consist of at least one side of floor-to-ceiling windows, meaning that despite its subterranean beginnings, there is plenty of light throughout the property.
The building was decommissioned in 2003, and converted into a property in 2010 by a civil engineer. In 2019, Mark and Carline Laurenti purchased the property and set about turning it into their dream home. Now, the couple are travelling, meaning the 7,500sq ft structure is available to stay in, should you wish to find a holiday home with something different.
Amenities-wise, Woolbrook has it all. Alongside six bedrooms, most of which are double-height, the property boasts a games room, a massive open-plan kitchen/dining/reception area, a gym, and five bathrooms.
Outside, the magic continues with an outdoor bar, barbecue area, hot tub, various entertaining space and a cosy garden area. It is hard not to imagine oneself with friends enjoying the very best of the UK summer in a place like this.
Should you somehow get bored of all that, Sidmouth itself is in prime position on the Jurassic Coast, offering plenty of things to do and places to see, all within a short drive. But it might be hard to tear yourself away from this place.
Credit: Savills
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Credit: Strutt and Parker
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