A cottage where chocolate-box charm meets an idyllic seaside setting
A picture-perfect fishermans cottage perched at the end of a pier, far away from the heat and bustle of city life.


As the temperature shows no side of dropping this summer and it's predicted that London's climate will resemble Barcelona's over the next thirty years, it may be time to think a little outside the box and look to greener pastures with a healthy dose of coastal winds.
It's unsurprising, given its location and quaint charm, that Quay Cottage in Porlock Weir used to be a fisherman's cottage. Sitting at the end of a charming row of houses, Quay Cottage is the closest to the water, thatched next to a row of tiled roofs with a garden at the front and the back.
Currently on the market with Greenslade Taylor Hunt looking for offers over £475,000, the house shouts holiday destination, with direct access to an adorable pebble beach on the Bristol Channel, as well as another beach on the other side of the house. Views stretch out to the Channel, the Harbour and the Weir – the perfect place for a family with a love of the ocean and its many varied sporting pursuits.
With a location so gorgeous, it's a good thing that Quay Cottage has more windows than you would expect from a traditional English cottage. The main downstairs bedroom has the kind of large sliding doors one would find in a beachside riviera home, looking out to a sweet couryard. The upstairs bedrooms have far-reaching views.
The little country kitchen is beautifully tiled and leads out to the modest dining room, with sliding doors to the outside. The cosy living room sits at the entrance to the property, ready to greet guests as they come in. The gardens also contain a small studio and a timber summerhouse.
The hamlet of Porlock Weir sits in the Exmoor National Park, a short drive from the coastal down of Minehead. It's not a place to live if you want easy connections to the rest of the country, but then again, it's a place you'll never want to leave.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
A futuristic home with glorious views, an indoor cricket pitch and a zipwire in the grounds
Steppingstone – a modern house in Cheshire with helipad, pool and football pitch – is truly something else, says Penny
Credit: H Tiddy
12 stunning character properties for sale at under £400,000
Thatched homes in Cornwall and West Sussex are among the many highlights of these gorgeous character cottages for sale.
Credit: Jaguar
The five best electric cars you can buy today, no matter what you need
It doesn't matter if you need a sporty car, a city hatchback or a load-lugger with room for all the
Three perfect houses which show just why so many of us dream of moving to a waterside home
Living by the waterside is no longer a retirement dream – young families are flocking to river, lake and seaside spots.
Five beautiful houses, including a Cotswolds manor and Cornish waterside dream, as seen in Country Life
A Cornish paradise for sailors and a magnificent Worcestershire home make our round-up this week.
Credit: Alamy
Seven charming Cornish country homes, from harbour-fronted houses to riverside mansions
If you're looking to move closer to the water, there can be no better place to aim for than Cornwall.
Credit: Jonathan Stone
Eight charmingly British beach front properties, from the Isle of Wight to the Isle of Skye
Dreaming of a life by the sunny shore? Well, look no further than our own gorgeous coastline, where many properties
-
100 years of the photobooth, the essential piece of party paraphernalia beloved by Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol and Beyoncé
On the centenary of the photobooth, Will Hosie looks back on a hundred years of self-portraits.
By Will Hosie Published
-
The dream home that never was for one of Britain's greatest film stars, back on the market for the first time in half a century
Anna White takes a look at the beautiful Wallers Mead, in the Buckinghamshire village full of links to Hollywood movies from James Bond to Star Wars.
By Anna White Published
-
The dream home that never was for one of Britain's greatest film stars, back on the market for the first time in half a century
Anna White takes a look at the beautiful Wallers Mead, in the Buckinghamshire village full of links to Hollywood movies from James Bond to Star Wars.
By Anna White Published
-
A 500-year-old cottage in West Sussex that's as beautiful as you could ever hope to see, with a pool ringed by flowers, stables and a croquet lawn
James Fisher was in need of some balm for the soul when he came across Woodshill House.
By James Fisher Published
-
A Clarkson's Farm of one's own: Five properties with just enough farmland for you and your family, from under £1 million
Moving to the country is one thing; moving to the country and being able to grow and rear all your own food is another level entirely, and all these properties offer exactly that.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
Six superb homes, from chocolate box cottages to grand Tudor mansions, as seen in Country Life
Our regular round-up includes charming home counties houses and superb grand country house in Ireland.
By Toby Keel Published
-
A billionaire's thatched cottage is for sale in Surrey, once owned by the oil magnate J. Paul Getty
Chestnut Cottage is a joyous little home — albeit one with the most unusual bedrooms to acreage to price balances we've ever seen. Toby Keel takes a look inside.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Medieval Italian? 19th century French? 16th century German? You're spoilt for choice if you're looking to buy a gorgeous continental castle
From hills of Italy to a Bavarian palace, Toby Keel takes a look at three of the finest castles for sale across Europe today.
By Toby Keel Published
-
How to buy a house at auction
Buying at auction can mean you secure your dream property for a bargain price, but preparation is the key
By Annabel Dixon Last updated
-
The homes of two 1980s TV icons are both up for sale at the same time
The houses where Bob Monkhouse and Sir Terry Wogan spent decades of their lives are currently on the market. Annabel Dixon takes a look.
By Annabel Dixon Published