Words: Gentleman's Journal
Here’s a fun fact. Despite not having lived on the palatial Brimptsmead Estate for over 25 years, Prince Charles retains the right to visit. Why? Because, on the river that winds through the Edwardian home’s grounds, fishing is very, very good. And, if His Royal Highness gives 24-hour notice to the current owners, he is permitted to visit the riverbank by his old home, and cast for as many wild brown trout as he can catch.
It’s a gentleman’s agreement; but one that may be in danger. Because, this year, the entire Brimptsmead Estate has gone on the market. Below, take a look around Prince Charles’ favourite fishing destination — before it gets a bite…
Sitting at the centre of Dartmoor, by the popular beauty spot of Dartmeet, construction on the Brimptsmead Estate was completed over a century ago, in 1906. Built in a quintessentially Edwardian style, it was owned by the Duchy of Cornwall until Prince Charles sold up in 1992.
The main house is build from handsome pink granite, dressed with Dartmoor granite mullions and lintels, and has turrets topped with 26000 red clay tiles. And, with the Yelverton Bohemians Cricket Club and the homely Tavistock Inn just around the corner, there’s everything the new owners will need for a princely life right on their decadent doorstep.
Inside the main house, expect everything from a lobby to a library, a drawing room to a dining room, a study to a sitting room. There’s also a reception hall and a drawing room — an excellent space for entertaining, finished with full panelling, wooden floors and a five pane stone mullion window.
On the first floor, a large landing area gives access to six excellently appointed bedrooms. The principal bedroom is particularly impressive, offering magnificent picturesque views across the moor — and boasting a luxurious open-plan en-suite bathroom.
At the rear of the house, the new owners will find the grand kitchen and breakfast room — where cabinets hewn from bespoke oak and a central island crafted around a bespoke granite pillar blend in seamlessly with the exposed stonework. A glass roof offers plenty of light, and the five-oven AGA gives plenty of scope for long, decadent Sunday lunches.
There’s also a gunroom, found just off the large hallway and featuring original wood panelling and a mightily impressive fireplace. And a ‘Spa de la Mare’ hydro pool and shower room is located on the first floor, should the new owners need a little pampering.
But Brimptsmead Estate has more to offer than the main house. There’s a ‘party barn’, a dog kennel, a pump house, a garden store and even a garage for six vehicles — not to mention two additional cottages.
Bentley Cottage has an open-plan kitchen, conservatory and balcony. And the quaint Herb Cottage has a modest entrance hall, principal bedroom with en-suite shower room and large kitchen-dining room.
But the big draw? That great outdoors. Prince Charles clearly knew Brimptsmead Estate’s grounds were worth hanging on to — and we can see why. From ancient woodland to wildflower meadows, the property is surrounded by established grounds and gardens of a sprawling 9.22 acres.
There’s an elevated terrace outside the house, with views across the open moorland. And, behind the property, a winding pathway leads down to a serene section of the River Dart — where the new owners will have exclusive rights to fish with a pair of rods. That is, of course, unless the Prince pays a visit.
Want more extraordinary properties? Take a look around Frank Sinatra’s Los Angeles home…
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