Legendary recording studio in Cornwall is on the market
AWORLD-FAMOUS recording studio where bands including Oasis, Muse and Jessie J have recorded music is for sale on the open market – and has just had £250,000 slashed from its asking price.
Set in a picturesque Cornish location, The Old Sawmills opened in 1963 as one of the first residential recording studios in the UK.
It has seen a range of famous musicians record there over the years, including Robert Plant, The Stone Roses, The Verve and Supergrass, as well as Manchester’s 1990s supergroup, Oasis, and South Devon’s Muse.
Located by a tidal creek on the banks of the River Fowey, in Golant, The Old Sawmills boasts one of the most picturesque and atmospheric locations for a recording studio anywhere in the world.
The main building is a 17th century water mill, and the site itself has a documented history stretching back to the 11th century.
It was first listed for sale in 2020 – for the first time in half a century – as a seven-bedroom home, but it is the recording studio that holds the appeal for many – and the fact that the building being flanked by 32 acres of enchanting woodland.
Popular albums recorded at The Old Sawmills include the seminal Oasis LP Definitely Maybe, In It For The Money by Supergrass and various albums by Muse, including Showbiz and Origin Of Symmetry.
Muse launched their career there, after its owner Dennis Smith started managing them.
The creek, known as Bodmin Pill, was used by the medieval merchants of Bodmin, who chose this location as a preferred landing point from the sea. The reason for this would have been to avoid paying landing dues up-river at Lostwithiel, the ancient capital of Cornwall.
The Old Sawmills also played a part during the Second World War. The property was requisitioned by the United States Army in 1943 for preparations in the run-up to the D-Day landings.
With few home comforts and time to spare, an engineering regiment built a hydro-electric scheme to provide heat and light.
The regiment managed to source cast iron pipe work and a turbine, and today the remains of the pipe work can still be seen in situ along the stream, according to the property’s website.
As if that was not enough history for one property, this magical residence is also said to have been the inspiration for author Kenneth Grahame when he was writing The Wind In the Willows.
The property itself has wonderful water and woodland views. French doors open out on to a raised terrace, with more magnificent vistas overlooking the creek and gardens.
The listing for the property reads: “The Old Sawmills is a truly unique waterside property which has been unavailable on the open market for 48 years. Only accessible by boat or on foot, the property offers an unrivalled level of privacy and seclusion, surrounded by its own enchanting woodland, with the potential for a high level of self-sufficiency. It would be difficult to imagine a more romantic and historic setting than that of The Old Sawmills.
The unique property is listed for sale with Exeter-based Strutt & Parker with a guide price of £2,250,000. It was previously for sale at £2,500,000.