Right beside the sea, near the village of Camber, and with views in every direction, Coastguards Lantern is a special, recently renovated holiday cottage surrounded by wild beauty. To one side is SSSI-designated marshland (Site of Special Scientific Interest). To the other, the sea. The only neighbors are other two Coastguard Cottages at Jury’s Gap, so seclusion is a given. Yet you are only a few minutes’ drive to the medieval Cinque Port town of Rye for shops, pubs and restaurants.
Coastguards Lantern is a modified traditional coastguards cottage with modern updates layered over its 143-year-old bones. As soon as you step inside, you will note the careful attention paid to this home’s renovation.
Dining & Lounging
The newly equipped open plan kitchen/dining room has everything you’ll need to prepare lovely meals, including a beautiful Range cooker, Nespresso Coffee Machine, breakfast bar and farmhouse dining table. Why not visit Rye and buy locally caught seafood fresh from the boat? Or some Romney Marsh lamb from the local butchers? Beside The Sea Holidays will be more than happy to recommend our favourites!
After dinner, cosy down on the comfy sofas in the lounge and watch the flames dance in the log burning stove—the centrepiece of this lovely space.
Bed & Bath
Upstairs you’ll find a stunning and modern bathroom with a secret: a customised bath set high enough for sea views to accompany your soothing soak. Dare we say with a glass of wine as an accompaniment? How perfect is that?
The large, comfortable master bedroom has a super king-size bed and unspoilt views over the sheep-studded marsh where the local smugglers plied their trade.
The second bedroom has two 3ft beds and a stunning view of the sea, plus a small flat screen TV with DVD, just in case you ever tire of watching the waves and sunset!
Outdoors
The cottage has a decked south-facing and quiet garden, the perfect place to relax after a day of coastal hikes and historical sites. The pebble beach is mere steps away, with a paved boardwalk spanning its length for sand-and-stone-free jogs. Do as much or as little as you like here, with only the crackle of the fire and the crash of the waves to interrupt the quiet.
Nestled on the border of 1066 Country and The Garden of England with their stunning coast and countryside, ancient towns and historic sites, a holiday at Coastguards Cottages can be exactly what you want it to be.
Nestled on the border of 1066 Country and The Garden of England with their stunning coast and countryside, ancient towns and historic sites, a holiday at Coastguards Cottages can be exactly what you want it to be.
Nestled on the border of 1066 Country and The Garden of England with their stunning coast and countryside, ancient towns and historic sites, a holiday at Coastguards Cottages can be exactly what you want it to be.
Seasonal Activities
Spring and summer evenings are best spent gathered around the BBQ after a day of exploring the coast and countryside. Autumn, the ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ (to quote Keats) is a time for fantastic seaside sunsets bursting into turquoise and pink, and the countryside sprinkled with gold and auburn. It’s also a time of food and drink festivals, and a time to scare yourself silly on a ghost walk in Rye!
A winter break at Coastguards Cottages is an unsurpassed experience. Revive your senses with an invigorating walk, then warm your toes in front of the log burner with a good book and a glass of wine.
Walks & Hikes
Keen walkers will be in hiking heaven with the diverse natural landscapes to explore on your doorstep, such as Romney Marsh with its colourful history of invasions, threatened attacks and smuggling. As one of the most important nature conservation sites in Europe, this patch of pristine wetland covers a whopping 100 square miles and is packed with wildlife, including birds, plants and insects.
From the back of Coastguards, follow the beach to Dungeness, a shingle foreland on the tip of Kent. Home to a nuclear power station and two lighthouses, and designated a National Nature Reserve, Dungeness is often described as ‘the end of the earth’. Be sure to check out Prospect Cottage, where filmmaker Derek Jarman once lived – its prettiness presents a jarring and fascinating contrast to its hauntingly desolate surroundings.
The Royal Military Canal Path runs for 28 miles along the entire length of the Royal Military Canal from Seabrook, Kent to Cliff End in East Sussex. The route treads a path between the vast openness of the Romney Marsh and the old cliff line with its wooded hills and quiet villages.
Kitesurfing
If that sounds too tame, we also have the kitesurf centre just five minutes’ walk away. When you think about it, strapping yourself to a small plank of wood while a huge kite pulls you through the water is probably bonkers. But then again, they said similar things about snowboarding too – and look how much fun that is!
