A place where you really can get away from it all! Off-grid beachside cottage with outside toilet, gravity shower and no wi-fi goes on the market for £550,000
An off-grid beachside 'oasis' with no mains water or electricity has gone on the market for £550,000.
The former coastguard cottage, located above the remote Mansands Beach in Devon, is the ultimate retreat for those looking to escape the modern world - with an outside toilet, 'gravity' shower and no wi-fi.
It is one of three cottages built by Napoleonic prisoners of war on the site between Kingswear and Brixham - and the two-bedroom home has spectacular panoramic views of the National Trust-owned beach as well as the sea.
The homes also share access to a private cove below, and were built by French prisoners in the early 19th century for the coastguard to monitor tobacco smugglers. There were originally five cottages, later reduced to three.
They were used by the coastguard until the 1950s - and the cottage on sale is in the middle of the three. It has 1,345 sq ft of accommodation, mostly on the ground floor with a big loft room above.
The off-grid beachside 'oasis' on the Devon coast that has no mains water or electricity is on the market for £550,000
The two-bedroom cottage has spectacular panoramic views of the sea and the South Devon coastline
The property on the Devon coast has 1,345 sq ft of accommodation, mostly on the ground floor with a big loft room above
The property has an entrance hall, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms, a shower room and a rear porch
It is one of three cottages, built by Napoleonic prisoners of war, above the remote National Trust-owned Mansands Beach
The homes were built by French prisoners in the early 19th century for the coastguard to monitor tobacco smugglers
It has an entrance hall, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms, a shower room and a rear porch. The reception rooms have multi-fuel burners to provide heating while the kitchen has a gas cooker and gas lamps.
Water is supplied by a rainwater harvesting system or there is access to a spring-fed well at the front. To the rear of the property are two stone-built store rooms and the sawdust toilet. There is also a wildflower garden.
A four-wheel drive car is needed to access the lane and driveway to the remote property. Michelle Stevens from The Coastal House, which is selling the property, said: 'The beach is owned by the National Trust and very idyllic.
'To access the beach usually needs a 4x4. It's a good 15-minute walk from the car park so that deters a lot of people, which means it's not overcrowded.
'The cottages also have access to their own private cove which is just below them. There are some steps leading down to it when the tide is out. It's just a beautiful place.
To the rear of the property between Kingswear and Brixham are two stone-built store rooms and the sawdust toilet
There were originally five cottages built in the 19th century by French prisoners, but this was later reduced to three
The properties on the Devon coast are thought to have operated for the coastguard up to the 1940s or 50s
Water is supplied by a rainwater harvesting system or there is access to a spring-fed well at the front of the home
The reception rooms have multi-fuel burners to provide heating while the kitchen has a gas cooker and gas lamps
A four-wheel drive car is needed to access the lane and driveway to the remote property which is on the Devon coast
The property is one of three cottages built by Napoleonic prisoners of war on the site between Kingswear and Brixham
'These cottages were built by prisoners of war. The Napoleonic war was expensive and I believe the government decided to built coastguard cottages to monitor smugglers and recoup some money.
'They operated for the coastguard up to the 1940s or 50s. Spring water is piped into the area. For the shower you fill up the bag and use a pulley system. You can either heat it up or use it fresh.
'The owners describe it as three-quarters of a shower rather than the full thing. There's also a rainwater harvesting system that feeds the kitchen tap and LPG for the fridge, cooker and gas light, and there is a phone line.
'The outdoor toilet is in a stone-built shed, it's very discreet and looks like a normal WC but it's actually a sawdust toilet. The owners have used it as a second home and had many a lovely holiday there.
'They have occasionally let it for holidays. You can enjoy your own private oasis, listening to the waves crashing and retreat from the stresses of everyday life. This is a very rare opportunity.'