Tucked away in the heart of Bude is the town’s oldest house, constructed by a knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses.

Granville Quay Cottage is up for sale for the first time in 50 years, listed at a guide price of £750,000.

The cottage has a long history, having been built in 1485 by Sir Thomas Grenville above the River Neet.

oldest house in bude view
The house comes with an unrivalled view of the coast and town. (Webbers Property Services)

Thomas Grenville, a Knight of Stow at the time, is a notable historic figure, having served as a sheriff of Cornwall and later receiving the title of Knight of Bath.

Grenville was also involved in the Wars of the Roses, taking part in the Duke of Buckingham’s 1483 conspiracy against King Richard III, the last king of the Lancastrian line and the last English king to die in battle, inspiring the Shakespeare play Richard III.

After the wars, King Henry VII ascended the throne and appointed Thomas Grenville as one of his Esquires of the Body.

After becoming a Knight of Bath in 1501, Grenville turned his attention to more local matters, serving on the Commission of the Peace For Devon from 1510 until his death in 1513.

Thomas was not the only notable figure to have connections to the house - his great-great-grandson was Richard Grenville, who was not only involved in defeating the Spanish Armada, but took the first pilgrims to Roanoke Island in the late 1500s as part of the English settlement to the Americas.

The house itself confirms its storied beginnings, with a granite mullioned window and an etching on the wood coving proclaiming “this house was built by Thomas Grenville in 1485”.

oldest house in bude window
The stained glass window which confirms the house’s construction date. (Webbers Property Services)

The characterful cottage is fronted by a carved wooden door which leads to a sitting room complete with fireplaces, slate floors and windows overlooking the river.

The ground floor also features a dining room, plus a kitchen which comes with its own pantry.

oldest house in bude entrance
The entrance to Granville Quay Cottage. (Webbers Property Services)

Heading further into the property, a granite spiral staircase rises in a stone tower, opening into a landing with access to the three bedrooms, which between them feature a dressing room, a Jack and Jill bathroom and an ensuite bathroom.

The cottage is being brought to the market by estate agents Webbers Property Services.

oldest house in bude snug
The snug appears frozen in time, with stone walls and decorated windows. (Webbers Property Services)

John Tape, of Webbers, said: “As you enter this unique cottage the feel and character envelopes you, with a stunning window with the Grenville family coat of arms, with a date of 1480, the granite staircase is set in a stone tower at the rear and the lime fold fireplace is a great feature in the main bedroom.

“All this plus a superb location with a few steps of the beach and the town centre.”