Property of the week: Dungeness beach
Thursday, 3 November 2011 2:12 PM
You wake up, get dressed (advised) and walk out of the front door. What do you see? A busy, rainy street? Quiet cul-de-sac? It probably doesn't beat walking out onto the shingle of Dungeness beach every morning.
At the very tip of the South East coast in Kent the beach has views across the Channel to France. If it were 1066 you'd be concerned about a wave of Normans coming ashore but nowadays you can probably bank on it being pretty relaxed and tranquil.
Our property of the week is a two-bedroom house perched oddly, yet beautifully, on the shingle of Dungeness beach. The house has a round, woody exterior which merges in to the harsh browns of the landscape, lending it a strange windswept yet modern look.
Architects Simon Conder Associates say the houses on Dungeness beach have come about through a process of "improvisation and bodge". That is certainly true of our Property of the Week which looks perfectly adjusted to its surroundings.
One side of the house is fully glazed and offers views out across then Channel, whilst the other peeks up at the adjacent lighthouse, coastguard station and nuclear power station.
There is something about industrial buildings near the sea which gives them far more charm than they might have if they were plonked down in our back garden in the leafy shires.
Still, this is probably the best view to be had:
You don't have to be an artist to live in this house, but you wouldn't be short of the inspiration to become one.
There is a sloping roof deck which acts as an observation panel, perfect for plonking the easel down and creating a masterpiece.
The strangest feature of the house, excusing the fact it is on the beach, is the 19th century railway carriage which doubles as a kitchen:
In tone with the beach-worn look of the property, the railway carriage fits uncannily well and has been put to great use as the house's centrepiece.
Over 10 miles from the nearest train station it would take you a while to nip to Tesco, but that isn't quite what this house is all about.
If you wish to live on the largest area of open shingle in Europe, near the RSPB Nature Reserve and the vast beaches at Camber Sands, then you're probably not too concerned about easy access to a drive-through McDonalds.
Dungeness beach has traditionally been a draw for creative minds and looking at the setting of this beautifully crafted home it is not difficult to see why.
Property provided courtesy of Rightmove.co.uk.
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