Fancy living in part of a Grade II listed building with your own outdoor dining area, set amongst turrets with spectacular views of the surrounding South Devon countryside?
Then this stunning three-bedroom penthouse, which is on the market for £450,000 through Luscombe Maye agents, could be the right choice.
The penthouse is part of Flete House Tower, set in 30 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds in the village of Ermington, 2 miles from the town of Ivybridge.
However, anyone considering buying it should be aware of one big – and expensive – catch.
A penthouse forming part of this historic building is for sale for £450,000 through Luscombe Maye agents
The flat is exclusively for people over 55 and has a significant service charge of €17,795 per year
Buyers will need deep pockets to support the ongoing maintenance of the property.
This is because high service costs of € 17,795 per year are charged on the leasehold. The property is being sold with a new 125-year lease.
There are also features of the property that may exclude some potential buyers, not least due to their age, as the property is intended for over 55s only.
The penthouse is part of Flete House Tower, set in 30 acres of landscaped grounds in the village of Ermington, 2 miles from the Devon town of Ivybridge.
The penthouse has three bedrooms, including this one with antique stone window styles
The penthouse has its own roof terrace with decking and is surrounded by turrets
The apartment for sale is number 21 and is located in the tower, accessible from the ground floor via stairs or elevator.
The penthouse has its own entrance hall, with a kitchen at one end and a door leading to a living room with space for more formal dining.
There is a staircase in the flat leading to a master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom and underfloor heating.
The two other bedrooms and a bathroom are on the third floor, all of which are beautifully presented and include original features such as fireplaces and stone mullioned windows.
The property has many original features including highly decorative windows
The internal stairs lead to two of the bedrooms and to the private roof terrace
The roof terrace offers space for dining, with a table that can comfortably seat six guests
The private roof terrace offers extensive views of the beautiful surrounding landscape
The earliest part of Flete House dates from the sixteenth century and was largely rebuilt for Sir Charles Hele around 1620.
The Hele family owned the house until 1716, after which the estate was transferred to the Bulteels.
Additions were made in subsequent years, and in 1835 it was heavily remodeled by John Crocker Bulteel.
These Gothic additions replaced the classical work of the early and late eighteenth century and added battlements.
The architect Richard Norman Shaw carried out extensive building work for Henry Bingham Mildmay in 1878.
The earliest part of Flete House dates from the sixteenth century
The kitchen of the penthouse has a skylight that allows a lot of light to enter the room
The living room in the penthouse has high ceilings and a large fireplace, with ample seating space
The building was used as a maternity hospital during and after the Second World War, where the first baby was born on July 14, 1941.
At the start of the war the estate was owned by Lord Mildmay, who remained there until his death in 1947 and was often seen on the wards.
Perhaps one of the best-known names born in the boroughs in 1946 was Dave Hill, of the pop group Slade.
The hospital closed in 1958 and in 1959 the house was returned to the Mildmay family.
The house was run by the Country House Association for a while before becoming luxury senior apartments in 2005.
The building was used as a maternity hospital during and after the Second World War, where the first baby was born on July 14, 1941.
The owners of the Flete House apartments have unlimited access to the stately rooms in the main building
The owners of the Flete House apartments have unlimited access to the stately rooms in the main building.
These include a dining room, drawing room, billiards room and a well-stocked library with four stained glass windows.
There is also a hard surface tennis court and croquet lawn, as well as water gardens and grounds maintained by a team of ground staff.
There is an allocated parking space for the apartments, as well as some visitor parking spaces.
The stately rooms include a dining room, lounge, billiards room and a well-stocked library with four stained glass windows
Current service and maintenance costs are £1,482.91 per month, including household energy bills and grounds staff costs
The current service and maintenance costs are €1,482.91 per month, including household energy bills such as electricity, lighting, central heating, water and drainage.
You can make your own Downton Abbey fantasies come true
The compensation also includes costs that apply to all apartments, such as building insurance, exterior maintenance, ground rent, garden staff, cleaning staff, 24-hour security and window cleaning.
Daniel Copley, from Zoopla, said: ‘This penthouse apartment in the beautiful Grade II listed Flete House is an opportunity to own a little piece of history.
‘Set in 12 acres of landscaped gardens, the apartment offers unparalleled views of the surrounding countryside on its own private roof terrace – you even get access to the building’s stately rooms, such as the billiards room and croquet lawn, so you can let off steam own Downton Abbey fantasies in South Devon.’