It is one of the most unspoilt beaches and villages in the south-west of England, with a lovely, sandy shore, clear water and thatched cottages. But Bantham was not such a cheerful place after it emerged that the privately owned estate is being put up for sale for a rumoured £10m.

Tenants are concerned that the Devon seaside village, which has been owned by the same family for generations, may be snapped up by a developer who could evict them and completely change the character of the place.

Barbara Tucker, 44, who runs Bantham's village store and coffee shop with her husband, Kevin, said: "Generation after generation of families have lived here. It's a very special and close little village. It's worrying, as it's more than likely to be bought by a big company that has no idea about Bantham.

"Whoever buys it needs Bantham in their heart, and that's unlikely to be the case if it's bought by a clueless investment company. For all we know, the new owners could bulldoze the village and build high-rise flats, or turn it into a Butlins.A family-run company called Evans Estates owns the beach, various properties in the village, and land on both sides of the Avon estuary. Its website says: "The estate at Bantham has been in the same family for several generations. Their ethos has always been to allow Bantham to remain a place of outstanding beauty, with the village's old thatched cottages portraying an image of unchanging charm and the beach and its surrounds staying as wild and natural as can be. James Baker, a partner at Strutt & Parker estate agency, said: "All we know at this time is that the directors have made the very difficult decision to sell the estate. Letters were sent out last week to various tenants to confirm the estate would likely be put up for sale in May 2014. Rosemary Jeffery , 79, who has rented a cottage in Bantham with her husband for 52 years, said: "Nobody knows a huge amount about it but most of the villagers are feeling worried about it. It has been owned and run by the same family for such a long time, and it works."