Image Credit - Richard Gadsby

Evelyn and Simon Burton had very particular criteria when they began to look for the house they now call home, which they purchased in 2018.

‘We wanted a period property with good parking, a level garden and last, but not least, a view,’ recalls Evelyn, as she gazes out from the terrace, taking in the rooftops of Dartmouth below and the sea beyond.

‘But while some people might think all that should be fairly easy to achieve, it proved quite a tall order here,’ she explains.

 The beautiful riverside town in Devon is famed for its many hills, higgledy-piggledy streets linked by steep steps, and unique buildings – but with that historic charm come compromises.

‘Finding a property with just one thing on our wish list was proving difficult, and we were beginning to think it was never going to happen,’ says Evelyn.

The couple had been holidaying in the town for many years before moving to Devon.

‘We were living in north London but absolutely loved visiting, and had thought for a long time about making the move,’ she explains.

‘It was a big change though, so originally we bought a little cottage for holidays to test the water. After a year, we knew this was the right place for us.’

Unfortunately, the perfect house continued to evade them.

‘Then one day I called an estate agent, mainly to bemoan the fact that nothing ever seemed to be available,’ she says.

‘I was told that a house was about to come on the market, and it just might be what we were looking for! We wasted no time in going to see it and straight away we crossed everything off on our tick list.’

The imposing Edwardian house stands on a road that runs high above the town on land that was once part of a large family estate, which also incorporated the Britannia Royal Naval College.

‘When plots were auctioned off, the house was built for the college’s fleet paymaster,’ says Evelyn.

‘The original staircase in what was the servants’ quarters sits in a cupboard in what is now our boot room.

The house had undergone a series of changes since then, being turned into flats and then back again.

‘When we viewed it, the interior walls at the back of the house had been removed to create one big space, but we felt so much could still be done, not least to make the most of that incredible view,’ says Evelyn.

With French doors leading out to the terrace, the vista was somewhat compromised. So the couple’s vision was to extend the footprint, renovate the space entirely, and install vast sliding-glass doors across the whole of the back wall to create a seamless link to the outdoors.

On the floor above, a sleek balcony with glass panels to shield against sea breezes was also planned.

Evelyn and Simon worked with a local architect to refine all their ideas, and once planning permission had been approved, the major work could begin.

‘It took 18 months altogether – not helped by the pandemic,’ recalls Evelyn.

‘Several factors made it a bit easier though, such as having an outdoor room we could escape to when it got too much. Also, our fantastic builder had the foresight to order all the materials before we went into lockdown, so work resumed straight away.’

The couple had decided on a clean, contemporary style for their open-living space.

‘It’s in contrast to the rest of the house, which retains many of its original Edwardian features, but that was the idea – we wanted it to feel fresh and unexpected,’ says Evelyn.

‘I also wanted the kitchen to be clutter-free, so a local company made it to our exact specifications – I wanted sleek finishes and plenty of storage.’

Once the major interior work was complete, including decorating throughout, the exterior was rendered to bring old and new together. One of the most important parts of the project for Evelyn and Simon was the outside space.

‘We both wanted a low-maintenance Mediterranean-style garden with an emphasis on evergreens and architectural plants,’ says Evelyn, who has Royal Horticultural Society diplomas in garden design.

‘We wanted to draw the eye outside of the house, and our designer Mark Simpson completely appreciated what we wanted to achieve – it is everything we could have hoped for.’

Six years later and the couple, who share their home with teenage son Finn and whippet Dave, are still thankful for that call to the estate agent.

‘We were so lucky to find exactly what we were looking for,’ says Evelyn.

‘But the star of the show is – and always has been – that mesmerising view. We love the fact that it looks very much the same as it did when the paymaster would have gazed out at it all those years ago, and it will be here long after we’ve gone. That’s very special, isn’t it?’