Seawood
House

The name Seawood House traces its origins to the estate's original footprint — land that once stretched from the property's doorstep down to the water's edge through a stretch of ancient coastal woodland known as Sea Chambers Wood, and rearward through further forested acres into the heart of Lynton town.

The first residence to rise along North Walk was Seawood House, completed around 1835 — crafted by the hands of a well-regarded local building family by the name of Jones.

The story of the estate begins in 1815, when a Mr William Sanford paid £200 to John Lock — then Lord of the Manor of Lynmouth and Lynton — to secure a leasehold on a commanding elevated plot from which to build his private summer retreat. Recognising the growing allure of the area to the aspirational Victorian visitor, Sanford moved to secure the freehold on twelve surrounding acres of woodland in 1826, cementing the estate's foundations.

Seawood House holds a singular place in the heritage of the Lynton to Lynmouth Funicular Railway — one of England's most beloved Victorian engineering achievements. Sir Thomas Hewitt, Mayor of Kensington & Chelsea and Queen's Counsel to the Courts of Queen Victoria, joined forces with publisher Sir George Newnes to finance the cliff railway, which began carrying passengers in 1890. As a lasting testament to this connection, Seawood House retains an exclusive private gate to the top of the railway, and the original water tanks that power its hydraulic mechanism remain within the grounds today.

A home of genuine historical distinction, Seawood House unites extraordinary provenance, sweeping coastal grandeur, and the warmth of a true family estate.