Holiday home Secular Retreat

Peter Zum­thor’s Secular Retreat is the award-winning Swiss archi­tect’s first building in the UK. This extra­or­dinary, sculp­tural retreat of con­crete and glass stretches dis­creetly into the shel­tered land­scape and puts it in the lime­light.
Rolling hills, wild river valleys, colourful fields and small vil­lages define the south of the county of Devon. Here, placed on a hill and framed by cen­turies-old and up to 20-metre-high Mon­terey pines, the Secular Retreat looks out over the Area of Out­standing Beauty all the way to the coast of the English Channel. A house in the shape of a hexagon, with walls of stamped con­crete, massive piers and a can­ti­le­vered con­crete slab. Com­bined with huge windows that reach from the ground to the sky, removing any hea­viness from the building.

Up to ten guests will find plenty of space here. The extensive and light-flooded living area forms the centre of the house and has an almost sacral atmo­sphere. Views in super­screen format are pro­vided by the expansive window fronts, the gle­aming stone floor made of black Jura pro­vides a pleasant grounding effect. Beside the open kitchen and large dining table, custom-made and deli­berately posi­tioned lounge chairs by the fire­place await to follow the drifting clouds or the sunset over the valley. The entire interior design was con­ceived in col­la­bo­ration with Peter Zumthor, and much of the fur­niture and lighting was spe­ci­fi­cally designed by him for the house.

The two sleeping wings, which branch off to the left and right of the living area, give the house its unusual structure. A total of five double bed­rooms are dis­tri­buted here with their cor­re­sponding bath­rooms, floor-to-ceiling windows and far-rea­ching views over the land­scape. The photo series in the bed­rooms tell of Chi­vel­s­tone’s history. For in the early 1940s, a wooden family home was built here. Even though the dila­pi­dated building had to be demo­lished, the pine trees and the hexa­gonal stone wall could be pre­served. Today’s garden benches ori­ginate from the ori­ginal models in the photos.

What to do

Hiking between the seaside resorts of Salcombe and Hallsands - both along the coast and amidst the hills and rivers, cycling, trips to the scenic beaches or charming villages, swimming, sailing, surfing, fishing, boating, horse riding, golf, numerous historical sites and places to visit for all ages, just a walk away there are farm shops and fishermen selling local produce.

Why we like this house

Impressive ! A masterpiece in the midst of a captivating natural backdrop.

This house is great for

Five rooms for max. ten enthusiasts of spectacular architecture and landscape.

Sustainability

E-charging station at the house, public transport: the nearest train station is in Totnes (approx. 40 minutes away by taxi).

Details

Availability calendar

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