BAY WATCHING in association with
HOMES
www.greatlook.co.uk
with Karen Stephenson Die-for views in a sought-after seaside location
Runswick Bay is one of the most sought-after villages on the North Yorkshire coast with beachside properties that huddle on the hillside and gaze towards the sea. The charm of the place is that it is car-free and peaceful, unspoilt and unhurried. But this kind of ‘charm by the bucketful’ also makes for a host of headaches when it comes to turning an unloved property into a beachy bolthole. Owners Shona and Roger found the place after putting a note through the letterbox to see if it was for sale – it is rare for homes in this sought-after village to ever go on the open market. So although they thought the gods had smiled on them when they were able to buy it, they knew there was a project ahead. The cottage had been renovated in the Sixties and needed a huge amount of work. It was essentially a two-bedroomed cottage with twists and turns, dated windows and small rooms that didn’t make the most of the stunning sea views. Added to this was the fact that the cottage was built into the hillside and was fairly inaccessible – certainly to any vehicles. But the potential was obvious as soon as we saw the place – even though architects and builders had offered their own ideas for
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