Stunning second homes in Britain’s most popular holiday destination
Recently voted the UK’s most popular holiday destination in The Countryfile Magazine Awards 2012, Cornwall is the ‘land of magical coves, enchanting fishing villages, sandy beaches and many myths and legends.’ This perfectly describes St Agnes, a picturesque Cornish fishing village where Rocky Lane, a collection of 10 with only 2 now remaining unique second homes is available for discerning buyers looking for the ultimate accommodation in this highly prized holiday location. Celebrating the UK’s countryside these highly coveted awards also named the good old Cornish pasty as the country’s second favourite regional dish.
Combining cutting edge design, the charm of natural materials and the highest eco standards, the ten individually designed homes sit within 3.5 acres of private woodland. Their exteriors are clad in Western Red Cedar to harmonise with their surroundings and create a feeling of tranquility among the trees. The steep, rocky site is situated in a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so the design had to minimise impact on the environment, work with the topography of the site and respect nature. The designs were created by internationally acclaimed architect Joel Turkel of Turkel Design, known for his ground-breaking homes made principally from wood.
Simon Blackburn, Managing Director of Living Structures, the developer behind Rocky Lane, explains his passion for the county: “Cornwall is a special place to us, as we have always felt a connection with the people as well as the landscape, so it isn’t a great surprise why Cornwall came out on top. Rocky Lane exemplifies all that is great about Cornwall, with a picturesque location and properties architecturally designed to create the ultimate holiday retreat, invoking the feeling of a woodland hideaway, almost like living in a treehouse.”
Designed with active family holidays in mind, each house has generous sheltered outdoor decks and/or terraces, as well as large open plan living and kitchen areas which connect with the outdoor areas through glass doors that slide back completely, creating a blurring between outdoors and in. The extensive glazing makes the most of views, natural light and heating via solar gain, while the choice of Rationel high performance double-glazed windows and doors ensures maximum insulation. The zoned underfloor heating is fed by an air source heat pump and the living room is complete with wood-burning stove. These energy saving features add up to make the homes extremely thermally efficient, surpassing current requirements by 44%, equivalent to a code 4 rating in the Code for Sustainable Homes.
St Agnes has a selection of pubs, restaurants, independent shops and galleries, as well as an active and welcoming community and a calendar of colourful festivals taking place through the year. Averaging more hours of sunshine than anywhere else in the UK, Cornwall’s dramatic north coast holds a huge range of activities and some of the UK’s best surfing spots. St Agnes lies 10 miles from Truro and 20 miles from Newquay International Airport, which offers frequent direct flights to Gatwick, Manchester and other UK destinations.
Current prices are from £499,995 for a three bedroom property and are exempt from stamp duty. For further sales information, visit: rockylanecornwall.com
