There is a report in the Daily Mail that the Bantham Estate is being put up for sale by Old Etonian multi-millionaire Nicholas Johnson (52) and his wife Saskia (38).

The 760-acre estate includes 21 homes, a golf course, vineyard and surfing beach with an asking price of around £30m.

He bought the seaside village ‘on a whim’ for £11.5m in 2014 and initially said he had no plans for development before revealing proposals for a beach club sunk into the ground including a gym, cafe and swimming pool.

The plans also included an underground car park, a boat restoration yard and 16 family homes for sale and rent.

He told a local planning meeting that it represented a ‘once in a generation ambitious plan’ but the plans met with stiff local opposition.

In 2021 he withdrew an application to convert an historical boathouse into a luxury restaurant and cocktail bar.

The sale includes nine Grade II- listed beach cottages dating from the 17th century and the Bantham Estate Vineyard whose Pinot Gris white won a medal at the WineGB Awards earlier this year.

Nicholas Johnson owns the 4,000-acre Great Tew Estate in Oxfordshire that hosts the Cornbury Festival, nicknamed ‘Poshstock’,which is frequented by members of the ‘Chipping Norton set” including former Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha.

He also sold land to the Soho House private members club.

The estate is being marketed by Strutt and Parker and Savills and it is reported he hopes to make £18.5m profit.