Gordon Ramsay reportedly sold one of his Cornwall mansions for £7.5 million last year, in the most expensive sale ever recorded in the coastal county.
The celebrity chef had bought Daymer Bay House in Trebetherick, near Polzeath, for £4 million in 2016, meaning he made a tasty £3.5 million profit.
Details of the property are scant, but we know that Ramsay, 55, once owned three homes in Cornwall. He sold his Fowey property, a refurbished bank, for £2.5 million in 2020, but still retains a palatial pile in Rock.
The Hell’s Kitchen star eventually built that home from scratch after an eight-month planning row over his wish to bulldoze the five-bedroom 1920s property, Lanarth, that formerly stood on its site, and which he had bought for £4.4 million in 2015.
Their new-build, which has a glass-walled swimming pool and overlooks the Camel Estuary, is thought to be worth around £6 million.
Demand for Cornish homes has rocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic, with asking prices in the county soaring by 17.5 per cent year-on-year, compared to 9.9 per cent nationwide.
The desire for outdoor space, the rise in home working and the popularity of seaside staycations are all thought to be behind this upwards trend.
Ramsay’s multi-million-pound property portfolio may be out of reach for most of us, but there are plenty of picturesque houses available, many on the coast, for the price of a London flat or less.
Over the past year, the average London flat has sold for £525,882, according to Rightmove. Meanwhile, in Cornwall, the average detached house has gone for £464,732.
So if you fancy getting more for your money in a buzzing property market, swap the city for the sea with our pick of the prettiest Cornish homes for sale right now.
Grade II listed cottage in Looe, £525,000
This chocolate box country cottage near the coastal town of Looe, in south-east Cornwall, has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, parking and a garage.
Built in the late 17th century on a peaceful parish road, it is Grade II listed, with a small stream running past its lawned garden and patio.
Direct trains to London Paddington depart from nearby Liskeard, a 15-minute drive away, and take just under four hours.
16th-century cottage in Polperro, £500,000
This picture-perfect cottage, also Grade II listed, is the former home of Cornish naturalist Dr Jonathan Couch.
Found on the quayside of the fishing village of Polperro, between Looe and Fowey, it has four bedrooms and overlooks a babbling river. There is a courtyard out the front for people-watching.
Once again, head for Liskeard for a four-hour journey into London Paddington by train.
Converted mining cottage in Pendeen, £500,000
This three-bedroom, two-bathroom home near the village of Pendeen in west Cornwall has been created from two mining cottages.
It has traditional country-style interiors, with sash windows, wooden flooring and two inglenook fireplaces.
It has a garden and is just a kilometre from the South West Coastal Path. Penzance is a 50-minute drive away, from where you can catch a direct five-hour train to London Paddington.
White-washed cottage in Porthallow, £500,000
Set on the Lizard Peninsula in the historic former fishing village of Porthallow, or ‘Pralla’, this three-bedroom cottage is only a few steps from the beach.
The perfect holiday home, its garden is laden with flowers and there is off-street parking available.
Falmouth is an hour’s drive away, with trains to London Paddington taking just over five hours, with one change at Truro.
Georgian-style townhouse in Truro, £495,000
You won’t miss London quite so much in this four-bedroom, three-bathroom townhouse spread over three floors.
Found in a new development overlooking the city of Truro, inland in western Cornwall, it has high ceilings, a Shaker-style kitchen, an upstairs sitting room with a wood-burning stove and a lawned garden.
You can reach London Paddington direct from Truro in about four-and-a-half hours.
Stone cottage in Penzance, £470,000
This two-bedroom cottage is within close walking distance of Penzance town centre, promenade and Jubilee Pool.
It has been renovated to a modern standard inside and has peaceful gardens and two private parking spaces.
Direct trains leave Penzance – the most westerly major town in Cornwall – for London Paddington, taking five hours.
