Fancy living in part of a Grade I listed property with your own private alfresco dining room, set among turrets with spectacular views of the surrounding South Devon countryside?
Then this stunning three-bedroom penthouse which is for sale for £450,000 through Luscombe Maye estate agents could be the solution.
He penthouse is part of Flete House Tower, which sits in 12 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds in the village of Ermington, two miles from the town of Ivybridge.
However, anyone considering purchasing it will need to be aware of one major and costly problem.
A penthouse which forms part of this historic building is for sale for £450,000 through Luscombe Maye estate agents.
The apartment is exclusively for over 55s and has a significant service cost of £17,795 per year.
Buyers will need a lot of money to help support the ongoing maintenance of the property.
This is because there is a high service charge on the leasehold property of £17,795 a year. The property is being sold with a new 125 year lease.
There are also features of the property that may exclude some potential buyers, particularly due to their age, as the property is exclusively for over 55s.
The penthouse forms part of Flete House Tower, which sits on 12 acres of landscaped grounds in the village of Ermington, two miles from the Devon town of Ivybridge.
The attic has three bedrooms, including this one with period stone mullioned windows.
The penthouse has its own private terraced terrace and is surrounded by turrets.
The apartment for sale is number 21 and is in the tower, accessed from the ground floor by staircase or elevator.
The penthouse has its own hallway, with a kitchen to one side and a door leading to a living room with space for a more formal dining room.
There is a staircase on the floor leading to the master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and underfloor heating.
The other two bedrooms and a bathroom are located on the third floor, all of which are beautifully presented and feature original features such as fireplaces and stone mullions.
The property has many original features including very decorative windows.
The internal staircase leads to two of the bedrooms and the private roof terrace.
The roof terrace has space for dining, with a table that seats half a dozen guests.
The private roof terrace has panoramic views of the beautiful surrounding countryside.
The oldest part of Flete House dates from the 16th century and was substantially rebuilt around 1620 for Sir Charles Hele.
The Hele family retained the house until 1716, when ownership passed to the Bulteels.
Additions were made over the next few years, and it was largely remodeled by John Crocker Bulteel in 1835.
These Gothic additions replaced the classical work of the early and late 18th century and added battlements.
Architect Richard Norman Shaw carried out major building work for Henry Bingham Mildmay in 1878.
The oldest part of the Flete House is recorded as dating back to the 16th century.
The attic kitchen has a skylight that lets plenty of light into the space.
The main penthouse living room has high ceilings and a large fireplace, with plenty of seating space.
The property was used as a maternity hospital during and after World War II, and the first baby was born there on July 14, 1941.
At the beginning of the war the estate was in the hands of Lord Mildmay, who remained there until his death in 1947 and was often seen in the wards.
Perhaps one of the best-known names born in 1946 in the neighborhoods was Dave Hill, of the pop group Slade.
The hospital closed in 1958 and the house was returned to the Mildmay family in 1959.
For a time the house was managed by the Country House Association, before being converted into luxury retirement apartments in 2005.
The property was used as a maternity hospital during and after World War II, and the first baby was born there on July 14, 1941.
Flete House apartment owners have unlimited access to the stately rooms in the main building.
Flete House apartment owners have unlimited access to the majestic rooms in the main building.
These include a dining room, drawing room, billiard room and a well-stocked library with its four stained glass windows.
There is also a hard surface tennis court and croquet lawn, plus water gardens and grounds tended by a team of ground staff.
There is assigned parking for the apartments, as well as visitor parking.
The majestic rooms include a dining room, a drawing room, a billiard room and a well-stocked library with its four stained glass windows.
The current service and maintenance charge is £1,482.91 per month, which includes household utility bills and the cost of gardening staff.
The current service and maintenance charge is £1,482.91 per month, which includes household utility bills such as electricity, lighting, central heating, water and drainage.
You can live out your own Downton Abbey fantasies
The charge also includes expenses common to all apartments, such as building insurance, exterior maintenance, ground rent, gardening staff, cleaning staff, 24-hour security and window cleaning.
Daniel Copley, of Zoopla, said: ‘This penthouse in the beautiful Grade I listed Flete House is a chance to own a little piece of history.
‘Set in 12 acres of landscaped gardens, the apartment offers unparalleled views of the surrounding countryside from its own roof terrace; You even have access to the building’s majestic rooms, such as the billiard room and croquet lawn, so you can live out your own Downton Abbey fantasies in South Devon.
