Axminster, Devon£795,000 Freehold

Weycroft Well House

Local stone walls with vernacular flint chequerboard flourishes sit beneath the once-thatched roof

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Layers of history are interwoven at Weycroft Well House, the core of which was extended into the neighbouring Weycroft Manor, kin so close they share their Grade II*-listing. The current owner has carefully retained the unique character of the building while making subtle upgrades. Inside, broad reception rooms and three characterful bedrooms are defined by features that span centuries, from exposed timber framing to arched stone Tudor doorways. Walls extend beyond the building to form two carefully restored courtyard gardens, with particular attention paid to the uncovering of original features and establishing of a well-structured planting scheme. Minutes from Axminster, the house is elevated atop a hill with far-reaching views.

Setting the Scene

While the site itself has been occupied by a manor since at least its identification in Domesday Book, parts of Well House date back to the mid-14th century. It formed part of a southern range to the wider manor development associated with the early 15th-century, Grade I-listed Weycroft Hall. Well House is attached to Weycroft Manor, which is a remnant of that range and is believed to have been built over half a century later. Over the years the manorial complex was home to a roster of barons, politicians, and noblemen before eventually falling to ruin in the 18th century.

This house was refurbished in the late 18th century and has retained many features of this period, including sash windows and a dog-leg staircase to match those installed in the neighbouring manor. Both the manor and Well House were in use as a single dwelling until well into the 20th century, perhaps with service functions located in the Well House.

For more information, please see the History section.

The Grand Tour

The Well House enclosure is first entered through a four-centred archway, draped with an elegant hood mould. Passing through the courtyard, complete with working well, the path to the front door is flanked by two leaded windows topped with chequerboard knapped flint. The doorway itself is recessed, providing a moment’s cover before entering the house proper. Once thatched, the roof is now laid with wood shingles, recently refurbished.

The kitchen beyond opens up with unusually high ceilings that speak of the latent grandeur of the building’s former use. Smooth flags spread out underfoot while a timber-framed wall runs along one side. Delicately detailed tripartite timber windows look onto the front garden. A well-stocked larder is set through a softly textured stone archway.

Resplendent in tone and texture, the living room is centred around a vast inglenook fireplace recessed beneath a gargantuan bressummer beam. A typically Devonian ‘smoking room’ – a cylindrical space once used for smoking fish – sits alongside. The texture of the stone walls acts in contrast to the sleekly grooved historic beams that delineate the ceiling. A glazed door opens out onto the rear courtyard. The ground-floor plan is completed by a generous WC with utility space.

Timber stairs run up to three bedrooms, two of which face due south and are therefore well-lit throughout the day. The primary bedroom suite is divided by a 16th century Devonian muntin screen, providing a secluded study area. A well-appointed dressing area is through a stone archway.

The recently updated bathroom has been finished with a sunshine yellow.

There is a boarded-out attic at the second floor.

The Great Outdoors

There are three main areas to the garden, each with a distinct character. The first sits behind the main boundary wall and connects the house with its large barn. This building, once a cottage, is now a valuable storage space and garage with exceptional potential. The vast vaulted roof reaches double height, delineated by the exposed timber frame. Its picturesque gable end is faced with further flint checkerboard and the door is framed by a timber arch, the silver patina of the wood in perfect harmony with the warm-toned stone.

Running across the west of the house, a lawned area stretches alongside a stone wall, low enough to afford views out across the countryside. A secluded terrace sits closer to the house.

The final courtyard is a veritable secret garden. Here, the strata of history is most visceral, the patchwork of stonework testament to multiple uses throughout the ages. The central lawn is edged with beds of lavender, hydrangea, Michaelmas daisies and spring bulbs, and the walls clad in ivy, and a local breed of wild rock daisy.

Out and About

A mere mile from Axminster, Weycroft Well House makes the most of both its secluded setting and easy access to the busy market town. At it’s centre, a thriving Thursday market brings a range of food and goods traders to the town. Local favourites include Belluno Italian restaurant, the extremely popular Community Waffle House, Azura Tapas and Cocktails and a roster of intimate cafes, including Higgler Coffee and The Tiffin Box. Less that 10-minutes’ drive away is Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s inimitable River Cottage, on the southern outskirts of town. Independent shops abound including the well-stocked Archway Bookshop, Ganesha Wholefoods, and the sizeable Millers Farm Shop.

The house is within easy reach of the Blackdown Hills National Landscape (AONB) and the East Devon National Landscape, with walks aplenty. Sea swimming groups gather at Lyme, where calmer waters are sheltered by the arm of the Cobb. There is also a gig rowing club, a sailing club and a boat building school.

Bridport is around 30 minutes by car, while Lyme Regis is around 10 minutes’ drive away and has a great selection of independent shops, including Lyme Book Shop, a stellar fishmonger near the harbour, Papa Luca Vintage and Ryder and Hope. There is also a museum and a theatre for music, theatre, comedy and National Theatre Live screenings; it is also host to the Lyme Regis Film Society.

The area is renowned for local food producers and independently-run cafés and restaurants. Trill Farm Garden is a community of local organic market gardeners who deliver a weekly box of fresh vegetables and In My Back Yard delivers food from various nearby producers. Tom’s Lyme Regis is a restaurant on the seafront specialising in local produce and is great for a morning coffee with a sea view. For something different, Largigi is an excellent Thai restaurant, with views out to sea. Lilac’s wine bar and restaurant offers excellent food, and for pizza, there is Poco’s, which has an upstairs terrace overlooking the beach. Facing the seafront and surrounded by beach huts, Kiosk provides deck chairs and umbrellas on the beach to complement a fine and unusual offering of food and drinks. Popular The Seaside Boarding House, with incredible views of the sea from its terrace, is a 35-minute drive along the coast into West Dorset.

The South West Coast Path is also easily accessible. Stonebarrow in Charmouth, owned by the National Trust, is a 15-minute drive away. The location also provides ease of access to the Jurassic Coast, a hugely diverse and beautiful landscape underpinned by incredible geology of global importance. In 2001 it was inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site for the outstanding value of its rocks, fossils and landforms. It remains England’s only natural World Heritage Site. The Jurassic Coast begins at Orcombe Point in Exmouth, Devon, and continues for 95 miles to Old Harry Rocks, near Swanage, Dorset.

The nearest train station is at Axminster, a seven-minute drive from the house, with direct services running to London Waterloo in around two hours and 40 minutes.

Council Tax Band: F

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. Inigo has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.

History

Axminster sits at the junction of two major Roman roads: the Fosse Way from Lincoln to Seaton, and the route from Dorchester to Exeter. A Roman fort existed at Woodbury Farm south of Axminster, and James Davidson’s The British and Roman Remains in the Vicinity of Axminster (1833) notes Weycroft was a garrison protecting the Fosse Way, chosen for its defensible position, proximity to a ford at the Axe, and natural spring.

The 1086 Domesday Book records Weycroft as part of the Barons of Berry Pomeroy’s lands, later purchased by Sir Thomas II Brooke in 1395. The Brooke family, originally from Illchester, became one of Somerset’s largest landowners, with Sir Thomas II serving as MP for Somerset 13 times, and his son Sir Thomas III, four times.

In 1417, Sir Thomas III built the manor house, adding a private chapel and enclosing parkland by 1426. The original manor likely centered around the hall, with additional structures and a chapel to the southwest.

The manor underwent significant changes in the 18th century, including room remodelling, the creation of a panelled room, and the addition of a dogleg staircase. The sash windows and stair at the Well House likely date from this period.