Sir Noël Coward sold this spectacular Art Deco cottage in the shadow of the White Cliffs of Dover to Ian Fleming — and now it could be yours

In folklore, mermaids (‘mere’ meaning sea and ‘maid’ meaning young woman) are sea-dwelling creatures with a human upper-body and fish-like tail, traditionally associated with seductive songs, dramatic storms and shipwrecks. Nowadays, they’re altogether more benign. Think Ariel in The Little Mermaid and Aquamarine, the 2006 teen fantasy-romance film.

Much like the sea and its contents — real and imagined — mermaids have always had a captivating allure over us, appearing in art, operas, books and, of course, on big and small screens. They even pop up in the written reports of Christopher Columbus, made while ‘exploring’ the Caribbean. The navigator, who paved the way for European colonisation of the Americas, was convinced he had seen one, but it was most likely a manatee.

Mermaids do not appear in any of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, but the author is believed to have written plenty of them in Mermaid Cottage — which is now for sale with a guide price of £1.75 million.

The three bedroom, two bathroom beachhouse, set in a breathtaking location in between the White Cliffs of Dover and St Margaret’s Bay, water practically lapping at the front door, is part of a small enclave of four properties. Bizarrely, Fleming isn’t even its most famous owner. That accolade goes to Sir Noël Coward, the singer-songwriter and playwright, whom we have to thank for Blithe Spirit and Private Lives. Coward was renowned for his wonderfully flamboyant nature, and, while living here, had his valet roll out a red carpet across the beach, every day, which he would then walk down and into the sea.

The home, built in 1929 in the Art Deco style, was once part of a thriving community. The area was also a popular holiday destination with Fleming coming down on the weekends to take stock and write. Unfortunately the Second World War dealt it a bad hand with many of the buildings badly damaged, not by the Nazis, but by the practising commandoes and Canadian forces. Thankfully, the four cottages survived unscathed.

The current owner has completely and carefully renovated and modernised the house over almost two decades — using a soothing palette of white and blues that somehow doesn’t look overly nautical (an easy trap to fall into when you’re decorating this close to the sea). Look out for the white wood kitchen with its smart gold fittings and two-part butler’s sink, the roll-top bath in the powder blue clapboard bathroom and bespoke, and handmade joinery throughout — in a matching shade of blue. Large picture windows in multiple rooms frame the utterly unique and uninterrupted view.

Outside, the same colour has been used to paint the window and door frames, and the garden gate. There’s also a separate gym and workshop, and a manageable garden, expertly landscaped by an RHS Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medal winner with hardy coastal plants.

According to the agent, Strutt & Parker, ‘St Margaret’s Bay is a sheltered haven, with a clifftop mainly in the care of the National Trust’. There is a popular café, an inn, and golf courses nearby, plus unique entertainment in the form of cross-channel swimming. France is only 21 miles away and this, apparently, is a favoured place from which to embark…

If you do decide to dip your toe into the water, make sure you keep an eye out for mermaids.

Mermaid Cottage is for sale at £1.75 million — see more pictures and details