Former East-the-Water care home goes under the hammer

An Art Deco style former care home with 26 bedrooms at East-the-Water in Bideford has sold for £701,000 at auction.

Woodtown House, set in 3.6 acres of landscaped gardens and woodland, was among 145  lots in the second auction of 2025 by Clive Emson Land and Property Auctioneers.

Auction appraiser Steve Appleby said: “This stunning Art Deco style former care home was one of the highlights of our latest auction.

“If offers the new owner numerous possibilities including use as a multi-generational family home, holiday apartments, guest house or continued use as a care establishment, subject to all necessary consents being obtainable.”

Woodtown House has a grand entrance with gates, gardens and parking for about fifteen vehicles.

The main house is surrounded by maintained level lawned gardens with several storage buildings and a large static structure previously used as a workshop.

It was auctioned in arrangement with Ware Commercial.

The auction also saw a top floor holiday apartment with sea views at Westbeach Holiday Resort, Westward Ho! fetch £66,000.

The two-bedroom property was sold with the remainder of a 125-year lease from February 2012.

Above: This sea view apartment at Westward Ho! sold for £66,000. Credit: Clive Emson Auctioneers

Clive Emson Auctioneers, which has its regional office in Exeter, was recently awarded Residential Auction Service of the Year in The Negotiator Awards 2024, the ‘Oscars’ of the UK’s residential agency sector.

The next auction of eight this year by Clive Emson Auctioneers concludes on May 1, with bidding live 48 hours beforehand. Lot entries close on April 7, with the catalogue online from April 10.

See https://www.cliveemson.co.uk for more details.