Coastguard Cottage, East Cliff Ramsgate

Site Birdseye, 1920. Historic England. Photos below, cottage prior renovation:

Located upon the East Cliff in Ramsgate, Kent, this project revived a semi-derelict and outdated Grade-II Listed end of terrace former Coastguard Cottage into a personalised seaside retreat for our client. The cottage was constructed by the Admiralty c.1865 and forms part of one terrace of three total and faces inward to a large, open communal ‘quad’ laid to lawn and outward to unobstructed sea views beyond. We provided full architects services.

The Victorian Gothic styled cottage is distinctive in appearance, with its red brick and stone detailing, wooden mullioned casement windows in stone surrounds and front gable projection with ball finial.

Our client required us to carefully plan and detail a light touch restoration of the exterior with internal renovation works carried out to all living spaces and to a good specification that contrasted period style with highly personalised fixtures and fittings collected by the client. The ground floor kitchen, dining and sitting room spaces were reconfigured and ‘opened up’ to one another to provide considerable improvements to day lighting with long sea views and a more contemporary and comfortable way of living.

The client has undertaken a marvelous landscaping project to the north of the site, featuring raised deep planted borders and irregularly shaped paved terrace.

As an addendum to the project we designed and achieved planning consent for a self contained studio space, positioned upon higher ground. Its articulated form, clad in copper coloured panels and large glazed opening elevation looks out across the garden toward the English Channel. We hope construction will be completed summertime this year (2024). Concept image below: