A beautiful waterfront home that had a front seat to maritime history is on the market for offers over £2.3m.
The Mission House, a Grade II Listed Mission House, was used to stop the Mayflower before it crossed the Atlantic Ocean. It was also heavily involved in the D-Day landings during World War II.
The property, which has four bedrooms, is located in Dartmouth’s Bayards Cove, Devon. This area is rich in maritime history. The remains of an ancient fort dating back to the 1500s can still be seen. There is also a mixture 17th, 18th, and 19th century architecture.
Speedwell and the Mayflower stopped at the quay in 1620 to discover why Speedwell was taking on water. They docked here and headed to Plymouth, where they would continue on to the new American world.
Britannia Royal Naval College made it possible for the town to be heavily involved in Second World War.
The Mission House, which is Grade II listed and has been described as one of the “finest quays” in the world, was where the Mayflower stopped off before heading across the Atlantic Ocean. It was heavily involved during the D-Day landings during World War II.
The four-bedroom house has been placed on the market with an estimated sale price of £2.3 million
The property, located on the quays, overlooks the River Dart. The property also includes a double garage and a store room located 50 yards from it
The property has high ceilings and plenty of bookcases for bibliophiles.
The light coming from different windows at different levels in the house bathes the open-plan dining space.
A pair of binoculars has been placed in a window that offers views along the River Dart
Here is where the disaster of Exercise Tiger occurred. In it, 1,000 servicemen died training for D-Day and more than 400 vessels were sent from the Dart to D-Day.
The Mission House was built in the 1700s. The current owners have renovated it over the past 20-years.
The entrance hall is tiled and features a beautiful fireplace. The open plan kitchen/dining space has 9ft ceilings and a sash windows that overlook the river and the ocean.
The first floor features a 21ft drawing area with a marble fireplace, oak flooring, stunning river views, and a cinema room. There is also a glass porch that leads to the cottage.
On the second and third floors, there are four bedrooms as well as two bathrooms. Separate access is available to the cottage, which has two bedrooms.
A double garage and a store room are also available for sale. They are located approximately 50 yards from the property.
Stuart Millard, Millard’s, said that “This is one the most beautiful waterfront areas in the world. The history of it is incredible.”
“It’s the most famous part of Dartmouth because it was the old Quay and the Old Fort is at the end. It’s beautiful.
“Looking out from your property, you can see Dartmouth Castle and Kingswear Castle, and look upstream for about a mile or so.
“Estuary properties can be amazing because there is always movement. They see the movement of fishermen, ferries, and all manners of people on the river.
This cinema room provides high-tech entertainment within a period property, making it a popular choice for movie lovers.
The property also has a fantastic kitchen with a breakfast bar and adjacent dining table.
The bedroom on the top floor offers a stunning view of the estuary. It is one of the four bedrooms in the luxury property.
The freestanding bathtub is located in a wood-panelled bathroom that has been tastefully decorated with blue.
The main bedroom features windows that overlook the River Dart. This allows the new owner to see boats moving up and down the estuary from his or her bedroom.
“Aside the beautiful views, the best thing about this property is the fact that it is only one metre above sea-level. It allows you to walk up and down the town without needing to take many steps.
“The wife of the current owner likes to go for a swim in the water three times a week. It’s a lifestyle property.
“I can’t recall when the last time something was put on the market there. It was probably about ten years ago.”
“There are only eight or nine houses on the site, and the owners of this property have had it for around 20 years.
“In that time it has had everything replaced, it’s basically an old 17th-century building that’s been transformed into a new house.”
Although ‘Dartmouth is busy in summer, once you close the door, you’re locked out of everything.
The cottage has separate access, so you could rent it out and make a good income.
‘There’s also the double garage, which is probably worth £300,000 on its own, as garages are highly sought after in the town.’
The property’s rear yard has a small terrace, which can be accessed from the sun room.
The small courtyard is ideal for small groups of people and has a barbecue.
The stunning views from the large sash windows over the River Dart are one of the main reasons to buy this property
Selling agent Stuart Millard said: ‘Aside from the views, the other big appeal of this property compared to others in Dartmouth is that it sits just one metre above sea level, so you have a nice level walk into town, no dealing with lots of steps’
The main kitchen is pictured with an Aga cooker right and plenty of space for food preparation
Millard said that there are only eight or nine houses in the area, and that the property’s owners have had it for around 20 years. “It’s basically a new house within an old 17th century structure. It’s been everything has been replaced.”
Mr Millard stated that although Darmouth can be busy during the summer, once you close the door, you’re locked out of everything.
Operation Tiger: D-Day rehearsal that cost American lives in hundreds but was cloaked for years to preserve morale
Preparations for D-Day began a year in advance of the famous landings themselves, with 3,000 people in the areas around Slapton, Strete, Torcross, Blackawton and East Allington in South Devon evacuated from their homes so the American military could carry out exercises.
Because of its similarities to parts of France’s coast, the Slapton Sands area was chosen. This would eventually be the location for the war’s largest invasion by sea.
Ships and landing craft filled up the usually tranquil River Dart, while Nissen huts – quickly-built structures used as temporary housing – appeared across Dartmouth’s Coronation Park.
The ships were torpedoed in an exercise around the Slapton Sands area, chosen for its similarity to parts of the French coast, to prepare for landings on Utah Beach later that year
Operation Tiger was created to be as realistically as possible. It was launched in April 1944. Landing crafts loaded with soldiers, tanks, equipment, and other equipment were deployed along its coast.
But the military were shocked when nine German E-boats – ordered to investigate unusual radio activity in the area – managed to slip in amongst them under a cover of darkness in Lyme Bay.
Two landing ships, LST-507 and LST-531, were torpedoed and quickly sank, while a third was badly damaged.
Many American troops did not know how to use lifejackets. They were thrown into the Channel where they drowned, or succumbed to hypothermia, before being rescued.
The death toll in various reports fluctuates, but the Ministry of Defence has estimated that 749 people were killed.
This information was not made public until 30 years later. Leaders covered it up because they feared that the tragedy would have a devastating impact on morale during conflict.
They were not killed in vain though, because the soldiers who had been trained at Slapton during Operation Tiger were able to land on Utah Beach in Normandy less than they did during the actual landing later that year.
Their sacrifice has since been marked by an art installation of their bootprints on the sand created by artist Martin Barraud, the man behind the WW1 ‘silhouette Tommy’ statues, placed around the country to mark the 100th anniversary of the Great War.