A cliffside cottage in Sidmouth, Devon, with panoramic sea views and a thatched roof has failed to sell at auction, with buyers deterred by the risk of it falling into the sea. The three-bedroom detached home is valued at between £1,100,000 and £1,600,000 under normal market conditions, but went under the hammer on Tuesday with a reserve price of just £250,000—less than a quarter of its market value—and remained unsold.
Erosion risk and rockfalls
The property sits on the Jurassic Coast, where cliffs are made of soft red sandstone prone to sudden collapse. The enclosed garden leads to a wooden gate about 40ft from the cliff edge, which drops 120ft. In 2024, part of the cliff edge fell near the property, bringing it closer to the precipice, following another rockfall at Jacob's Ladder Beach a few hundred metres away.
The council regularly closes beaches due to spontaneous rockfall. The listing stated: 'The property has in recent years suffered a cliff fall within the very far boundary of the garden. A full cliff survey can be seen within the legal pack.'
Auction and future plans
Only three bidders made offers, the highest at £249,000. The owner is reportedly seeking further offers and may put the property up for auction again. The current owners paid £695,000 for the home in June 2011.
The listing described the property as 'occupying a spectacular cliff-top position' with 'some of the finest panoramic sea and coastal views in East Devon.' Designed and built in the 1960s for novelist R.F. Delderfield, the home features a circular design, bespoke kitchen, sitting room with French doors, three bedrooms, and landscaped gardens with coastal vistas.
