Pet free accommodation
The Signal House is a new luxury pet free 2-bedroom self-catering coastal cliff top retreat on Beer Head East Devon is now open for bookings.
The Signal House stands proudly on top of Beer Head cliffs giving unrivalled views of the stunning coast to the south and beautiful green farmland to the north. Secluded, Hooken beach, is just a short 10-minute trek away through a SSSI (Site of Specific, Scientific Interest). Unwind and relax, this is a perfect place to stay.
The Signal House was once a Custom and Excise house, with records of former smugglers turned officers. Restored this year, this property offers a luxurious feel. It offers 2 bedrooms for 4 guests, a modern equipped kitchen, log burner and a large garden.
For more information, please scroll, send us a message or call our office on 01297 21107 Mon - Sun between 8am and 5pm. Select ‘Self Catering Accommodation’ when you book online. The Signal House is pet free.
Features:
2 Double Bedrooms (second bedroom convertible to a twin) with beds made up on arrival
Occasional pull-out bed in lounge sofa
Log burner in living room
Underfloor heating throughout
Wet room
Fully equipped contemporary kitchen
Breakfast island in kitchen
Quooker tap and bean to cup coffee machine in kitchen
Raised patio with BBQ (please do not use disposable BBQs) and picnic bench
Private lawned area at front
Water supply is from our borehole & requires no chemical treatment
Local, Historical, Comfortable:
Beer is well known among neolithic enthusiasts for its black flint. If you know what you are looking for, a casual walk across Beer head and you can regularly pick up a flint that would have been napped by neolithic man. Beer Stone that was used to build St. Pauls cathedral among many other historical buildings both nationwide and internationally. The chimney of The Signal house is built with it. On renovation we discovered that the foundation for the Signal house was made up of large blocks of Beer stone that seemed far too large for the needs of a one story building. Also the large square foundation stones that held the signal poles used by the Coastguards are also Beer stone and have been repurposed for the name stones on the gateway as you come in.
The profile of the skirting boards removed from the original Lookout Tower were quite different in appearance and apparently have only been seen in one or two of the older large houses in Beer village so we replicated this profile for the skirting through out the Signal House. The bedroom doors we understand to be Victorian and the wet room door Georgian.
We have made an effort to bring some kind of comfort for those who may struggle with mobility—it is by no means extensive—but hopefully a few helpful differences. You can drive up close with a ramp to the main door. The doors are wheel chair friendly, both main door and interior. There is a wet room instead of a shower cubicle and of course it is only one floor.
Renovation:
Historically, the building appears to have been used firstly for livestock. At some stage it was a coastguard and signal house and a Customs & Excise House. We are still unsure of the age of the building but there is rumour it was built circa 1600. The building is sat on very large Beer stone blocks which appear too big for purpose which begs the question as to whether the building has been built on the foundations of a roman ruin.
Upon renovating the building it was found that a wooden barn was first built on the aforementioned foundation with one large gateway on the opposite side to the predominant winds suggesting it was for livestock. The stone structure that looks so old came later we believe with the chimney. The building appears to have been built in three stages with the barn first, which is where the living room is now. It appears to have been then extended when the wall was put up to include the main bedroom. The third stage was the area of the building that now encompasses the second bedroom, kitchen and bathroom which would have been done in mid 20th century.
On stripping out at the beginning of the project, many musket balls were found under the floor boards, both whole and flattened. The flattened musket balls makes one wonder whether the thick walls were built around the wooden shed for reasons other than protection from the elements. Copious amount of old small bones that appear to have been that of animals eaten by the inhabitants were found under the floor boards. A few other Victorian bits and pieces were found including a couple of coastguard buttons. No underground tunnel was found which confounded the rumours of there being a secret passage way from the Signal House to the Beer Quarry caves.
More works is required to understand the history of The Signal House.