Beach Road, Torquay, Devon TQ1 3LX

Smugglers Cottage is just above Babbacombe Beach, with stunning sea views out towards Lyme Bay, The Jurassic Coast and Portland Bill in the distance, and along the beautiful coastline of Babbacombe Bay. The house is in a beautifully sheltered location off Beach Road, below the wooded hillside, and is well presented and full of character and charm, its original features combining with high quality contemporary fixtures and fittings. The outstanding feature is the wide terrace balcony at first floor level affording spectacular sea and coastal views. Glazed doors from the light and spacious sitting room, with stone fireplace with woodburner and exposed ceiling timbers, open to the balcony and, off the sitting room, is the kitchen/breakfast room, also with exposed ceiling timbers, dining area and stylish fitted kitchen with fabulous sea views. On the ground floor is the entrance hall and principal bedroom with French doors out to the gardens, also enjoying gorgeous sea and coastal views, as well as an en suite shower room. There is a further bedroom and bathroom on this floor and, from the sitting room, stairs rise to another bedroom and bathroom on the second floor, once again benefiting from the wonderful sea and coastal views. The driveway off Beach Road provides parking and, adjoining the house, is a garage. Around two sides of the house are lawned gardens on two levels with plant borders and steps rise to a paved terrace and the broad terrace balcony with its fabulous sea and coastal views. Smugglers Cottage is situated close to the edge of the Babbacombe Cliffs Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), on the wooded hillside just above Babbacombe Beach and the 5 star Cary Arms luxury seaside hotel and spa. Babbacombe Beach is a beautiful arc of shingle beach and is a prime spot for diving, sailing and fishing, with small beachside café and slipway. Babbacombe itself emerged as a romantic seaside resort in the Victorian period, praised by Queen Victoria in 1846 as a ‘beautiful spot… red cliffs and rocks with wooded hills like Italy’. It is known as ‘the jewel in the crown’ offering a peaceful, scenic alternative to bustling Torquay, with its lush gardens and seaside charm, and is on the South West Coast Path providing spectacular coastal walking. The facilities of Babbacombe, including its theatre, are within easy reach of the property, as well as St Marychurch Village with its pedestrianised shopping precinct about a mile away and shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants, as well as Cary Park with tennis courts and bowls club. About half a mile on foot is Oddicombe Beach, linked by the renowned funicular Cliff Railway to picturesque Babbacombe Downs and Torquay Golf Club just beyond. Torquay itself is on the ‘English Riviera’ and about two miles away are the harbour, marina, seafront esplanade, beach and facilities of Torquay town, around the bay with its waterside restaurants and bars. The glorious South Devon coast is all easily reached with its beaches, estuaries, coves, rocky cliffs and coastal towns and villages. To the west is Dartmoor National Park, renowned for its stunning scenery. In Torquay there is a station on the ‘Riviera Line’ between Paignton and Exeter and there are mainline connections to London (Paddington). At Exeter, via the A380 and A38, there is access onto the M5 motorway and an airport.