Secluded retreat on the rugged South Cornwall coast for sale

Come back in time with me for a moment to 2006, and turn your mind to the classic Christmas flick The Holiday. The highly strung Amanda (played by Cameron Diaz) sits in her sunny Californian mansion, having just ditched her cheating ex. She dreams of a house swap somewhere cosy and far away – it’s a time long before Airbnb, of course.

England seems like a place that ticks all the boxes. Except instead of it being the depths of winter, it’s June and the northern hemisphere summer, and she’s dreaming of somewhere private by the water to lick her wounds.

Elevate your living experience with our digital magazines

Browse Domain’s property and lifestyle magazines.

Read now

In my head, the dream home in this version of the film would look something like Ropehawn, a secluded waterfront retreat located in South Cornwall on England’s rugged south-western coast.

The charming five-bedroom property offers ultimate privacy, wrapped in nothing but woodlands on one side and the crystal clear water of St Austell Bay on the other. Access to the property from the car park is only available via a rugged woodland walk (pack some sturdy boots if you’re arriving via car) or, more seamlessly, via boat to your private pontoon.

Ropehawn has been a fixture of the Cornish coast since the 17th century, long serving as a vital fishing outpost before being transformed into a cherished family home and retreat. While it has evolved through the ages and been updated with modern and luxurious comforts and touches, its history and character are still evident in every stone and beam. The home has now hit the market, listed for sale with agent Jonathan Cunliffe with a price guide of £3.5 million ($6.75 million).

Set across three levels, Ropehawn’s main property has four bedrooms. Walk into the entrance hall on the ground floor and you’re flanked by a sitting room on the right, complete with a fireplace plus built-in cabinetry, the shelves practically begging to overflow with the comforting weight of old classics.

On the left is the modern kitchen, where you can step down to a separate utility room, plus the adjoining dining room. The charming dining nook in the bay window invites you to linger over slow breakfasts or lazy lunches, and while the ornate original range cooker may no longer work, it adds a nostalgic touch to the space. There’s also a powder room that services the living spaces.

Head upstairs to find three bedrooms – two boast en suites, while the third sits near the main bathroom, which has the home’s only bathtub. Head upstairs again, and the entire top level consists of the fourth bedroom. The interiors are a masterpiece in understated elegance, with each room designed to frame and celebrate the stunning views of the sea beyond.

“It really is like nowhere else,” says Cunliffe.

“Whilst the house is gorgeous and comfortable inside, it is really all about the outside, with a private harbour, slipway, quay and boathouse.”

Outside, the verdant walled gardens provide a tranquil spot to wander, while the courtyard terrace is an idyllic spot for al fresco dining with the gently lapping water as your soundtrack.

“The boathouse has a kitchen and shower room for entire days spent in the water and on the quay,” says Cunliffe.

And when guests come to visit, they’ll be blown away by the Sea Room, a romantic, fully self-contained one-bedroom apartment right down by the water’s edge. Its lower level houses a bespoke kitchen and sitting room, with French doors opening out to a waterside patio. Upstairs on the mezzanine, the bedroom enjoys beautiful sea views, or step through Narnia-inspired carved wooden doors to the en suite.

As for how to spend your days here, if you can drag yourself away from the cosy embrace of the home, there are ample coastal walking trails basically from the property’s bounds, where you can amble through picturesque landscape and marvel at the unspoiled beauty of Cornwall’s countryside.

“The Daphne Du Maurier connection is strong, too. She lived in and around Fowey and St Austell Bay when she was writing some of her most famous novels,” says Cunliffe.

Or you can just make the most of waterfront living.

“[You could spend your time] fishing, swimming, paddle boarding and sailing in the daytime. Then going to a pub or restaurant across the bay by boat for dinner,” says Cunliffe.