3-bedroom house with fantastic views out to sea

3 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms; short walk to quayside, shops, bars and restaurants; nearby private parking for 2 cars. COVID-19 UPDATE: As of end June 2020 there will be enhanced cleaning routines as well as the provision of hand sanitiser, anti-bacterial hand wash and anti-bac washing-up liquid within Lopes. Please also ensure you have your own supplies of sanitiser sufficient to cover your stay. If you are showing signs of the virus before your travel, please do not come to Brixham or travel anywhere else - you must follow the government's latest advice around self-isolation and protecting yourself and others. We have conducted a COVID-19 Risk Assessment and a pdf copy can be sent on request. The cleaning / sanitising routines remain in place and will continue. We want you to enjoy Lopes and Brixham as safely as possible. Lopes Cottage is a spacious quayside house overlooking the fishing harbour, marina, fish market and has commanding views across Torbay and Lyme Bay. Lopes was built during the 1700s. Once a lively fishermen's pub, in 1860 it was known as 'The Lopes Arms', named after a wealthy Portuguese trader who became a notable Devonshire landowner and an MP in 1802. Since then it has gone through several transformations, but is still at the heart of the fishing town, always bustling with activity throughout the year, and is only minutes walk from the many bars, restaurants, shops and the South West Coastal Path. Unusually for a quayside property Lopes has private off-road parking for two cars only a few minutes walk away, close to Furzeham Green. Lopes Cottage fronts onto a footpath that starts on the quayside and continues up the hill to Furzeham Green (good for dog exercising). The footpath, like many in Brixham, has a number of steps; Lopes is approximately 20 steps down from Overgang's nearest car-accessible point and about 30 steps up from the quayside. There is a sloping path that runs up to the cottage (slope has 2 shallow steps at the bottom) which is best to use for unloading your cases and on departure, although other, quieter options are described in the Guest Arrival document. Fully refurbished and re-configured in 2015, Lopes is ideal for families wishing to explore Brixham and the surrounding area. It has three sizeable double bedrooms, two bathrooms (one en-suite to the ground floor bedroom), utility room and a small courtyard, ideal for drying off swimwear after a day on the beach. In one of the first floor bedrooms the two single beds can be fixed together and be made up as a 6ft double if required (please advise at time of booking). The living, dining and kitchen area is on the top floor to take full advantage of the lovely panoramic views. From here you can observe every sailboat, power boat and fishing boat that enters and leaves Brixham harbour. The well-equipped open plan kitchen on the top floor has all the usual appliances, including hob, dishwasher, microwave, fridge and freezer. There are plenty of pots, pans, crockery and glasses etc for catering for up to 6 people. The dining table has 6 chairs. This open plan living area includes the 43" smart TV where you can log into your Netflix / Prime accounts to access their content, as well as the standard Freeview offerings. The wifi was upgraded to fast fibre in Sept 2021. The ground floor utility room houses the washing machine, ironing board, iron and clothes dryer. The rear courtyard, off the utility room, has a pull-out washing line. Lopes Cottage is "pet friendly", so you are welcome to bring your well behaved furry friends on holiday with you. There's a large water bowl and old towels provided in the utility room to wipe down a damp dog. We provide hand-towels and bath towels, as well as all bed linen. Please bring your own outdoor towels if you go paddling or swimming. Lopes has been a successful holiday rental property through HomeAway/Vrbo since 2015, gaining over 80 consecutive 5-star ratings (copy of the comments available) to Sept 2019; under Vrbo's rules, these fabulous ratings cannot be transferred to us as new owners, despite all fixtures, fittings and furnishings remaining the same or been upgraded. We're proud to say the reviews of the property remain at 5* level since end of 2019, and we have many guests who stay with us every year. Breakwater Beach and Shoalstone seawater swimming pool are within easy walking distance. Catching crabs on the quayside is very popular and of course there is the replica Golden Hind to visit. The delightful Fishcombe Cove, with its small cafe (open from around Easter to end October), is about 15 minutes walk away. Berry Head has a nature reserve, lighthouse, panoramic sea views (to Dorset's Portland Bill on a clear day and with a vivid imagination) and well-regarded Guardhouse Cafe (open all year round); it's about a 30-40 minutes walk, or under 10 minutes drive to the pay car park. A good walk is to go along the SW Coastal Path to Paignton. It is challenging in a few parts, but generally quite easy. If you're lucky you'll see the steam trains at close quarters. It takes in many coves and beaches. The walk is about 5 miles and takes just over 2 hours; there are plenty of daytime buses to get back! On the water, you can do day boat trips to locations like Torquay and Dartmouth, as well as sea fishing expeditions. Jet-ski lessons are now available from near the breakwater. For steam train enthusiasts, the fabulous line from Paignton to Kingswear (opposite Dartmouth) stops near Brixham at Churston station. There's also a stop close to Agatha Christie's former home at Greenway, which is a National Trust property with a great garden that stretches down to the Dart estuary; it also has the inevitable great NT tea room. Note you must reserve car parking in advance as spaces are limited. For golfers, Churston Golf Club, less than 10 minutes drive from Lopes, is a good challenging parkland course which has some splendid sneaky views out to sea. There are several other courses (such as the sensibly priced Dainton Park, close to Totnes) within 30-40 minutes drive. Brixham and its neighbouring towns and villages have events throughout the year, but especially in the Easter to September period. In Brixham, these include the Pirate Festival, Steam Fair and Food Festival. Most holiday properties get booked up early for dates around these events, so please plan ahead if you want to join the fun.