A striking octagonal weather observatory built by Quakers 150 years ago with spectacular 360-degree views has gone on the market for offers over £600,000.
The Observatory Tower in Falmouth, Cornwall, was built on some of the highest ground in the area and from the top floor people can see for miles out to sea and along the Cornish coast.
There is also a 'camera obscura' in the observatory deck, effectively turning the room into a pinhole camera and projecting the beautiful panoramic views onto a table.
The Grade II listed mostly octagonal-shaped building was renovated in 2011 and rented out as a high-end holiday let for up to £1,400, but has now gone on the market with Lillicrap Chilcott.
The incredible octagonal building was built by Quakers 150 years ago and has gone on the market for offers over £600,000
The four-floor tower is split over several levels and features a striking spiral staircase which snakes its way through the entire building
From the fourth-floor of the tower there are striking views out over Falmouth harbour and the Cornish countryside beyond
It was built in 1868 by the Royal Polytechnic Society, founded by Anna-Maria and Caroline Fox, Quakers who were concerned about the well-being of the working classes.
The tower was constructed to provide weather information to the local population and serve as a way to engage them in meteorology.
It only served this purpose for 12 years until 1880 when another observatory was built elsewhere in the town. It was then used for storing meteorological records and artists and school groups visited until it was turned into a private residence in the 1980s.
The current owners bought it in 2004 and transformed it from the basic accommodation it had been over just the bottom two floors, into the stunning five-storey property it is now.
It has 1,216 sq ft of accommodation with two bedrooms and two bathrooms on the ground and first floor and the kitchen/diner and lounge on the second and third floors to take advantage of the views.
On the fourth floor is the observation deck, which the estate agents describe as 'one of the most incredible rooms anywhere in Cornwall'.
On the ground floor of the building there is a useful wet room with modern appliances, shower, loo, sink and modern tiling
There is also a camera obscura in the observatory deck, effectively turning the room into a pinhole camera and projecting the beautiful panoramic views onto a table
The comfortable lounge one floor below the observatory deck affords the inhabitants ample living space and yet more sumptuous views
It has windows on all eight walls offering a genuine 360-degree view across Falmouth, the surrounding countryside and coastline, including Falmouth Bay, and across to the Roseland Peninsula, with St Mawes and Pendennis Castles easily seen and lit at night.
The room has an oak panelled vaulted roof space leading up to the camera obscura at the apex, which was constructed in the 1950s.
It converts the whole room into a pinhole camera when the black-out blinds are drawn and it rotates, allowing the panoramic views to be projected as an image on a table in the observation deck.
The owners have recently run the property as a holiday rental and are prepared to sell it with ongoing bookings and its website if the buyer wanted to continue this.
All the furniture, linen, cutlery and crockery, light fittings, blinds and artwork are available by separate negotiation.
Ian Lillicrap from Lillicrap Chilcott said: 'I've been an estate agent in Cornwall for 39 years and I can honestly say it's the most unusual property I have ever dealt with.
The house also features a light and bright compact kitchen with 360 degree windows offering light from every angle around
The house only features two bedrooms in total but they are modern and bright throughout - with the house having been recently renovated
The house's floorplan shows the unusual layout in more detail - as it is split over five floors but only offers around 113 square meters in living space
'And the views from the upper floors and the top are the most spectacular I have ever seen.
'It's like being in a helicopter above Falmouth when you reach the top. It just completely takes your breath away.
'It's glazed on all sides so you get a 360-degree view over Falmouth and for miles surrounding.
'It is the sort of vista you just never see.
'It's a well-worn phrase but it truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
'The craftmanship in this property is spectacular. The beautiful, quality, intricate workmanship and ingenuity, similar to kitting out a superyacht, has been brought into this building.
'The flooring, the winding staircases from floor to floor and the way the kitchen has been fitted, it's all marvellous. The owners have the most incredible eye for detail.
'It's not huge so I don't think it will sell as a main home but it would be an absolutely prized second home for someone or it could be someone who wants to use it for lettings.
'I don't believe there is anything else resembling it in Cornwall. There's nothing that comes close in terms of uniqueness and quality.'
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