This quirky Wes Anderson-style fisherman’s cottage in Kent is more expensive than a London three-bed
Get the binoculars out, because this is accidentally Wes Anderson.
If you’re a fan of Wes Anderson films and the seaside, you can live out your beachy, symmetrical dreams with this quirky property.
Surrounded by sand, sea and stones, a delightfully colourful detached bungalow is for sale in Dungeness in Kent, AKA, the home of Britain’s only desert (as determined by the Met Office due to its dry climate and expanse of shingle and poor soil).
Found on a headland on the coast, the area spans Dungeness Nuclear Power Station and Dungeness hamlet, with the name meaning ‘the headland at Denge’ in reference to the nearby Denge Marsh.
Previously used as an Airbnb holiday home, the property comes with an artist’s studio and a ‘large shingle garden,’ as well as three bedrooms, two bathrooms and quirky interiors.
It comes with a relatively hefty price tag, though – a whopping £875,000 (£437,500 each if you’re buddying up with another person and taking one bedroom each).
The property has views of the English Channel, as well as the old steam railway route that served Romney Marsh. And it has an interesting history, too, previously owned by artist Helen Gillilan, who opened her own studio, Ocean View Studio Gallery, in 2017.
However, the cottage is more expensive than the average three-bedroom property in North London. According to data from Foxtons, in this area the average cost comes in just shy of £400,000 – half the price of the Dungeness fisherman’s cottage.
Elsewhere, a quick scout on Zoopla brings up three-bedroom properties in London for £625,000, £775,000 and £420,000 – all under the listed price for the Kent property.
Meanwhile, though a relatively small area, Dungeness is truly unique. The Old Lighthouse is an historic Grade II-listed building that operated between 1904 and 1960, while Dungeness Nature Reserve poses the potential for birdwatching.
Fish and chips aplenty are served up at The Pilot Inn, just by the beach. Nearby, you can also find the former house of late film director Derek Jarman, Prospect Cottage. With a black and yellow exterior, it’s not too far from the fisherman’s cottage that’s for sale.
So, if you fancy retreating to the sea, you’d better get saving those pennies ASAP.
The UK’s only ‘desert’ with ‘bleakly captivating’ views and a 10-mile beach
If you want to star in your own personal version of Dune, you don’t need to go all the way to Arrakis.
The idyllic and peaceful landscapes of Dungeness, the UK’s only desert, should be all you need for an otherworldly getaway right without going abroad.
Based in Kent, Dungeness is described by reviewers on Tripadvisor as a ‘history-filled natural paradise’ with sandy terrains stretching 16km long.
With views like that, it should come as no surprise that the place was identified by Jeep as one of the best ‘off the beaten track’ places to visit.
From seals, to Arctic terns, to porpoises, Dungeness is full of lively wildlife and unexpected treasures to discover.
The crumbling fishing boats, deserted shores, and the towering power station add a foreboding and gothic vibe to the landscape that would make Emily Bronte shudder.
It’s sea defenses also date back to the Roman era – although we can expect most of Dungeness to ‘return to the sea’ within 150 years.
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