Entire Devonshire seaside village of Bantham will go on sale 'for £11.5m'

An entire seaside village and surfing beaches in Devon are expected to be put on sale by the current owners Evans Estate this weekend with an estimated asking price of £11.5 million.

Bantham village, near Kingsbridge, has a pub, harbour and over 40 homes, with about 750 acres of land expected to be included in the sale.

Bantham beach is one of the most popular surfing sites in Devon and regular visitors to the area are said to include businessman Richard Branson.

The steep asking price has failed to deter interest and estate agents have reported receiving interest from prospective buyers across the world.

Residents on the privately-run estate, which has been owned by the same family for several generations, were told land and buildings would be sold in November.

They have since voiced concerns over the future of the village and whether the prospective owner will continue not renting out cottages to people on holdiay.

One resident, Maya Plass, told the BBC she is hoping the National Trust would buy the estate, because they “value that sense of community and society that we've got here."

The National Trust said it was “aware” the village is now for sale, but a purchase would require “a significant fundraising appeal.”

A spokesperson said it was "actively discussing what role the Trust could take in helping to protect the area "from significant development risk".

“The sale of Bantham beach and village at £11.5 million would be a substantial draw on any money we currently have set aside for caring for what we already own. Any possible purchase would require us to launch a significant fundraising appeal.

“As a charity, the National Trust is dependent on the support of our visitors, donors and of course our 4 million members.

“We sadly cannot save everything at risk and would need huge public support and donations to have any chance of an appeal to save Bantham being a success”