4-bedroom barn-style living at the end of the lane, with your work studio across the drive

West Knightacott Barn is a brand-new, four-bedroom detached home at the end of a quiet no-through lane, on land that was once part of Little Knightacott Farm. Its design draws on the agricultural buildings that came before it. The western red cedar cladding will weather gently into the landscape and the vaulted ceilings echo the open volumes of a traditional barn. Behind that character is a fully modern, EPC A-rated home, ready to move into.

The house has about 1,929 sq ft of accommodation. A detached studio and garage across the drive add a further 490 sq ft, giving about 2,419 sq ft in total. There are enclosed private gardens, an area of amenity land to the front and generous parking. It is a home built around family life, working from home and the way a household changes over time.

As the lane narrows it opens out into the tiny hamlet of Lydacott. To the front of the house is an area of amenity land with space for outdoor activities: a kickabout, a game of rounders, a summer party, or simply open space to look out on. But you have your own enclosed private gardens, where children and dogs can play safely and there is room for long lunches and quiet evenings.

Parking is straightforward via double timber gates, with room for the family cars, a work van and visitors without any shuffling. The garage takes the bikes, boards and everything else that comes with an outdoor life.

Kitchen, dining and family room (28'0" x 26'7")

The heart of the home is part-vaulted, which gives it a real sense of height and light. The Sheraton kitchen has quartz worktops, AEG appliances and a Quooker tap, arranged around a large central island where breakfast, homework and conversation tend to gather. There is room for a long dining table and a generous sofa area. Glazed doors on two sides open onto the garden, so on summer days inside and out become one space.

Utility room (10'1" x 6'4")

With a sink and its own external door, the utility room handles the practical side of country living: wet coats, muddy boots and the dog after a beach walk.

Sitting room (19'0" x 13'8")

The vaulted sitting room is a separate room, connected to the main living space by folding doors. Open them for Christmas and gatherings, or close them for a quiet evening by the multi-fuel stove. It has its own bi-fold doors to the garden.

Ground-floor bedroom suite

On the ground floor is a guest or relatives' room (13'11" x 12'0") with French doors to the garden and a bathroom alongside. It suits visiting grandparents, an older relative who wants independence without the stairs, or a teenager who wants a space of their own.

First floor

Upstairs, three bedrooms are served by two shower rooms. The two principal bedrooms (19'0" x 13'11" and 14'8" x 13'11") are at opposite ends of the house, which gives each real privacy. The third bedroom (8'4" x 8'4") makes a nursery, a single room or a quiet study. The landing has built-in storage.

Engineered oak floors run throughout, giving the house a warm, consistent finish.

What sets West Knightacott Barn apart stands across the drive: a detached studio (18'9" x 15'4") with its own kitchenette and shower room, and a garage alongside (18'11" x 10'1").

Your commute is thirty paces. Close the studio door and you are properly at work, away from the noise of the household. Clients can visit without coming into your home, video calls happen in peace, and the working day has a clear beginning and end.

The building could equally become:

- a home office or business base

- a consulting or treatment room

- a creative studio or workshop

- a teenager's den or games room

- an independent space for guests or family, subject to any consents required

(Some uses might be subject of course to any permissions or local authority requirements)

The ground-floor bedroom suite, the three first-floor bedrooms and the separate studio together make this an unusually adaptable home. It can accommodate young children, working parents, teenagers, visiting family or a relative living alongside you and it can keep adapting as your life changes.

BUILT FOR NOW, AND FOR THE FUTURE

- EPC rating A

- Vaillant air source heat pump

- Solar PV panels

- Electric vehicle charging point

- Private borehole water supply, so no hosepipe bans

- Private Tricel treatment plant

- Rubber seam roof and western red cedar cladding

As a new home, it comes with none of the upkeep of an older property: no rewiring, no damp and no draughty windows. Your weekends can go to the beach, the moor or the garden rather than the to-do list. The house also comes with a Nova Surveyors Professional Consultant's Certificate, backed by £2 million of cover.

North Devon is a place people tend to feel rather than describe. In a single afternoon you can walk long sandy beaches, find hidden coves, cross open moorland and wander through wooded valleys. The coastline includes some of the South West's best-loved beaches: Woolacombe, Croyde, Putsborough, Saunton Sands, Instow and Westward Ho!. Inland, Exmoor National Park opens up a different world of moorland, combes and far-reaching views.

This is a landscape that draws life outdoors, and walkers, surfers, swimmers, sailors, golfers and cyclists are all well served. The pace of life is gentler and the communities are real. For many buyers, that means more time, more space and a closer connection to coast and countryside.

On your doorstep

Fremington and the estuary village of Instow are each about two miles away. You can walk or cycle the Tarka Trail along the water's edge, eat crab sandwiches on Instow quay, take the ferry across to Appledore or watch the sun go down over the sands. Fremington has everyday shops, pubs and the quay café. Saunton Golf Club and the surf beaches of Saunton and Croyde are a short drive away.

Barnstaple is the main town for the region. It has the historic Pannier Market, high street shopping, restaurants, leisure facilities and North Devon District Hospital. Everyday needs are covered at Roundswell, on the edge of town, which has the major supermarkets and a retail park.

Travel and connections

The North Devon Link Road (A361) runs from Barnstaple to junction 27 of the M5, connecting with Exeter, Bristol and the wider motorway network. Tiverton Parkway, just off the same junction, has direct trains to London Paddington in about two hours. Closer to home, Barnstaple station is on the scenic Tarka Line to Exeter St Davids. Exeter, Newquay and Bristol airports offer domestic and European flights.

Getting about (all distances approximate)

Fremington village: about 2 miles

Instow (beach, quay and Appledore ferry): about 2 miles

Roundswell supermarkets and retail park: about 3 miles

Barnstaple town centre: about 4 miles

Barnstaple station (Tarka Line to Exeter): about 4 miles

North Devon District Hospital: about 5 miles

Saunton Sands: about 8 miles

Croyde: about 10 miles

Tiverton Parkway (London Paddington about 2 hours): about 40 miles

M5 junction 27, via the North Devon Link Road: about 40 miles

Exeter: about 45 miles

Exeter Airport: about 50 miles

Newquay Airport: about 70 miles

Bristol Airport: about 95 miles

Schools

There is a good choice of schools nearby. Primary schools serve Fremington, Instow and the surrounding villages. For secondary education, the options include Park Community School and Pilton Community College in Barnstaple, and Bideford College. Petroc, in Barnstaple, offers sixth form, further education and university-level courses. For independent education, West Buckland School and Shebbear College are both within reach.

A different quality of life

For many buyers, moving here is about more than a change of address. It means choosing a life with more landscape in it, more time outdoors, and a stronger connection to coast, countryside and community. West Knightacott Barn has been built for exactly that life.

Council Tax banding imminent.

Viewing strictly by appointment with By Design North Devon & Exmoor.