The £1.5million ice cream hut with the best garden in Devon
A TINY beachfront ice cream kiosk that overlooks one of the most coveted corners of Britain’s coastline is on sale for £1.5 million.
The stone-built kiosk is just two thirds of the size of a standard double garage.
But located in East Portlemouth, South Devon, it has stunning views across the estuary to the upmarket town of Salcombe, where house prices have spiralled in recent years.
Named the Old Stable, it was built as sea-level stabling for a neighbouring farm so that horses could rest there overnight without having to make the journey up a steep hill to the farm in the village above.
But 40 years ago, Rufus Gilbert, a young postmaster turned oil executive, transformed it into a seaside kiosk and ran it himself for several years while his wife Sandy ran the local post office.
The Old Stable has since 1997 been leased from him by the Venus Cafe chain, based in South Devon, who continued to run it until last year as a beachfront ice cream kiosk also serving traditional pasties. Mr Gilbert, who now sits as a Conservative on Devon county council, is now selling the six-metre by four-metre property for £1.5 million.
An advert by Savills Estate Agents describes it as “a unique opportunity to acquire a fabulous waterside site and about an acre of golden sandy beach on the Salcombe Estuary”.
“Perfectly situated on the golden, sandy banks of the Salcombe Estuary, The Old Stable is being offered for sale for the first time in over 40 years,” the advert says beneath the asking price.
“Located adjacent to the jetty from which the ferry runs between the village and the coastal town of Salcombe, the site currently comprises a stone built former stable.”
The section of beach is used daily by holidaymakers going to and from the motorboat passenger ferry, accessed from the adjacent landing stage.
The section cannot be sealed off for exclusive private use, but ownership does carry mooring and running mooring rights.
While the advert shows views of the beach, prospective buyers are provided with no photos of the tiny kiosk.
Salcombe, South Hams, is one of Britain’s most sought-after coastal destinations, which has caused an influx of second home owners in recent years and council crackdowns on them.
Houses there and in East Portlemouth fetch an average of more than £1 million.
The narrow, single-track Devon lane which leads past The Old Stable and ends in a National Trust car park at Mill Bay, has long been known to locals as “Millionaires’ Row.”
Tennis star and Wimbledon Committee member Tim Henman and his family have stayed in a multimillion-pound property, while the England Rugby World Cup winning coach Sir Clive Woodward and TV sports presenter Steve Rider have homes nearby.