Historic Cobo house on sale for £1.6m.

Built pre-1470, Old Cobo Farm has been the Montague family home since 1938, having been extended over the years, not least by the Germans during the war.

Estate agent Swoffers is handling the sale and local market negotiator Scott Ingrouille said it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase.

‘Iconic older farmhouses like this don’t come along very often and one in such a desired location is even more rare,’ he said.

‘We’ve had a lot of interest in the property so far, the vast majority being locals who have recognised that the chances of finding a house of this kind in this location are few and far between.’

The house is where journalist Sarah Montague, who is well known for her 18 years as a presenter on BBC Radio 4’s current affairs programmes, grew up.

She spoke to the Guernsey Press about her fond memories of living there and how difficult it has been to come to terms with letting it go.

‘It’s still home for me, I think it always will be.

‘My grandfather and his wife bought the house in the 1930s as a weekend cottage, which now seems absolutely astonishing.’

Back then the house had just three rooms downstairs, an outside loo and plenty of room for the animals.

During the war the Germans moved in, likely using it as a lookout, and when Ms Montague’s grandmother returned and raised her children there they spent hours playing in the garden, running across to the beach and discovering bits and pieces the Germans had left behind.

‘A lot has changed since then,’ Ms Montague continued.

‘The whole Cobo landscape is different, but even now all of us kids have grown up and we’ve got children of our own, Cobo will always be our home.’

Throughout different parts of their lives, all of the children lived in Old Cobo Farm, each making their own mark.

When their mother died three and a half years ago, they knew it was time to sell the house, but that did not make it any easier.

‘We looked at ways to keep it and share it but, like all families, we’ve all grown up and are moving on so we’ve slowly reached a time where we feel it’s time to sell,’ she said.

‘I’ll never forget it – making mud pies in the pigsty, building dens in Le Guet, skinny dipping at Cobo in my early teens.

'It’s heartbreaking to let it go, but I know the next family will make it their own.’

Because of the pandemic, Ms Montague has not been able to get back to Guernsey since the family decided to sell the property.

She hoped to be able to come back to the house one more time before it sells for one last family party.