Backsafore, Near Landscore

WH Thornecroft was an MP. He may have been a modest man. But on the other hand, he placed a large plaque bearing his name on the front of his house. The hamlet in which Thornecroft stands was called Thornecroft too and it’s situated on the edge of Landscove, a village which, together with its church, came into existence much later. Before that, the whole area was called Landscore. Thornecroft (the hamlet) consisted of some miners’ cottages and Thornecroft (the house). Thornecroft (the man) lived in Thornecroft (the house) because in the mid 1800s he managed the nearby Penn Recca slate mine where the other residents of Thornecroft (the hamlet) worked.

Thornecroft, which Luscombe Maye’s Totnes office has just sold, is thought to have built in 1805 and faces south with long views over South Devon countryside towards Dartmouth in the far distance. The house has plenty of interesting history covering its 200 years and retains many original features despite the fact that the original back of the house is now the front. WH Thornecroft was the man who turned things around and he carried out a number of other improvements and embellishments. The house’s facade now has four fine bay windows with original glass, added when window taxes were relaxed. These windows flood with light the principal rooms, one of which has an original marble mantelpiece.

Thornecroft, who had by then become an MP, installed the marble floor in the hall. It is said to be identical to that outside Thornecroft’s office in the House of Commons. Perhaps a deal had been struck, for slate from the mine was used at Westminster. The house has had a number of well-known guests. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle visited the house while writing The Hounds Of The Baskervilles.

The present owners run a B&B operation and have played host to numerous celebrities including the Boomtown Rats and a number of people big in football. This is a lovely family home in the country with wonderful views, two good reception rooms, four bedrooms and three bath or shower rooms, and outside, there's a secluded walled garden, a pond, a garage and parking. The asking price was £445,000.