A PICTURE-postcard village complete with thatched cottages and its own beach has been bought by a family for £11.5million.
This tiny village has sold for £11.5 million [SWNS]It comes with 728 acres of land, 21 homes, cobbled streets, a golf course, a boathouse and a shop which only opens on weekends.
Lieutenant Commander Charles Evans purchased Bantham in 1922 and since then it has remained one of the largest family-owned estates in Britain.
But the Evans family decided to sell up earlier this year, prompting fears the seaside community could be snapped up by a foreign billionaire and turned into a resort.
The National Trust was so worried about the pretty holiday spot being lost it launched a £7million fundraising to buy just the beach and surrounding coastline.
But it was outbid by the successful buyer, who has agreed a deal with estate agents Strutt and Parker to buy the whole of Bantham.
The final purchase price has not been revealed and neither has the identity of the buyer.
The sellers said that they have found someone who will look after the village [SWNS]We believe this is a very special place, held dear in the hearts of many, not only locally, but also those who have fond memories of childhoods and family times spent there
But Strutt and Parker partner James Baker but said it is a family with plans to maintain and preserve the landscape the same way as the Evans have done for nearly 100 years.
He said: "What we were very particular about was choosing and hand picking the right buyer and we believe we have found them.
"There shouldn't be any concerns from any one in the village.
"They will continue exactly the same as the Evans family have done."
Prompted by a death in the Evans family, the sale of Bantham was hugely controversial, with many of the local tenants worried that the character of the village would change forever.
Strutt and Parker fielded calls from across the globe, fuelling rumours that a Saudi prince or a Russian oligarch would join the bidding.
Sir Richard Branson was rumoured to have interest having holidayed there as a child.
The National Trust emerged as possible buyer after deciding to bid for just the beach and coastline for £7million.
However it was not prepared to take on the rest of the hamlet because it didn't want to become a "social landlord".
The Trust currently owns, manages and cares for over 40 miles and 3,000 hectares of the South Devon coast and Bantham would have been its biggest outlay since it bought a chunk of the White Cliffs of Dover in 2012.
Richard Branson was rumoured to be interested in bidding for Bantham [PA]But announcing that their bid had failed, Mark Harold, South West Regional Director, said: "We have been informed by the agents acting on behalf of Evan's Estates that we have been unsuccessful in our bid to purchase Bantham Beach and Avon Estuary in South Devon.
"We are extremely disappointed at this decision.
"We, along with many thousands of people who have contacted us over the past few weeks encouraging our involvement in its future, care very passionately about Bantham.
"We believe this is a very special place, held dear in the hearts of many, not only locally, but also those who have fond memories of childhoods and family times spent there.
"We will of course continue to care and protect for ever and for everyone the 40 miles and 3,000 hectares of the South Devon coast we already care for.
"We would also want, if possible, to work with any future owners of Bantham Beach and Estuary and ensure that this beautiful location is continued to be enjoyed by the many thousands of people who have told us how much it means to them.
"We would like to thank everyone for their support of our fundraising appeal.
"As a charity the Trust relies on the generous support of its supporters who help us care for some of the most beautiful and vulnerable stretches of coastal land in the country."
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