On this day in Wembury — 14 May 1998
The Country Life property pages featured Spirewell Farm, Wembury, described as “situated in an delightful secluded location with commanding views over Wembury Bay.” The full-page advertisement by Luscombe Maye and Hands Hughes offered a glimpse into one of South Devon’s most desirable coastal holdings, reflecting the growing appeal of the parish to both locals and incomers seeking a quieter pace of life within reach of Plymouth.
The listing highlighted a character 18th-century longhouse with a “traditional stone outbuilding and modern extensions,” offering three bedrooms, ample gardens, and several acres of pasture. The photograph accompanying the piece captured the timeless view across open farmland toward the sea, with the Mewstone standing sentinel in the bay — a view little changed since the days of the old Barton farms.
By the late 1990s, Wembury’s rural properties were beginning to attract national attention in magazines like Country Life, marking a shift from working agriculture to lifestyle and conservation ownership. Many similar farmsteads were restored during this period, blending traditional Devon architecture with modern comforts. Spirewell Farm’s sale symbolised that change — a bridge between the area’s pastoral past and its emergence as one of the most sought-after corners of South Devon.
(Country Life, 14 May 1998)