A cliffside cottage in Sidmouth, Devon, boasting panoramic sea views and a thatched roof, failed to sell at auction on Tuesday despite a reserve price of just £250,000—less than a quarter of its estimated market value between £1.1 million and £1.6 million. The three-bedroom detached home is at risk of crumbling into the sea due to ongoing cliff erosion along the Jurassic Coast.
Property history and erosion risks
The current owners purchased the property for £695,000 in June 2011. The house features an enclosed garden with a wooden gate leading towards the cliff edge, approximately 40 feet away, which drops 120 feet to the beach below. The cliffs in the area are composed of soft red sandstone, known for sudden collapses. In 2024, part of the cliff edge fell near the property, bringing it closer to the precipice, following a rockfall at Jacob's Ladder Beach a few hundred metres away.
According to the auction listing, 'The property has in recent years suffered a cliff fall within the very far boundary of the garden. A full cliff survey can be seen within the legal pack.' The regular rockfall deterred potential buyers, with only three bidders participating and the highest offer reaching £249,000.
Unique features and future plans
The property was designed and built in the 1960s for novelist R.F. Delderfield, featuring a circular design to maximise natural light and coastal views. It includes a bespoke integrated kitchen, an impressive sitting room with French doors opening onto terraces, a versatile dining room or third bedroom, two first-floor bedrooms, a contemporary bathroom, and an en-suite. The mature landscaped gardens offer terraces, an ornamental pond, lawns, and colourful planting, all enjoying stunning coastal vistas. A garage and extensive driveway parking complete the offering.
The listing described it as 'a unique detached thatched residence enjoying some of the finest panoramic sea and coastal views in East Devon, stretching along the Jurassic Coast.' The owner is reportedly seeking further offers and may put the property up for auction again in the future.
Local context
The council regularly closes beaches hit by spontaneous rockfall from the cliffs above. The area is part of the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for fossils and unstable cliffs.
