Please note that we are unaware of any lenders providing mortgages for this type of property at the present time.

Set atop the shingle against the wilderness of Dungeness is the remarkable Pobble House, designed by Guy Hollaway architects. Winner of the RIBA Regional Award in 2015, this three-bedroom single-storey house forms a unique retreat embedded on the beach.

The materials have been carefully combined to give the house a strong profile of three pitched roof cabins, with a side pod that appears to float lightly above the shingle, cast in a simple palette of industrial materials; timber cladding, cement board and corten steel. A larger block is linked to a smaller dormitory block, connected by a glass bridge, and includes a timber deck that wraps around the glazed elevation.

The brief from the owner was to make the building respond to its setting, so Hollaway’s team proposed a palette of materials that would show their age, much like the old fishing shacks dotted along the beach. “The building is extremely durable, an important aspect considering the harsh climate and exposed setting. The exposure will cause the larch and Corten to weather silver and red respectively – an echo to the natural landscape,” said Hollaway.

Strict planning restrictions in the area stipulate that any new structure must be built in place of another, to roughly the same size and proportions, which set the template for the house as a single-storey structure made up of three predetermined blocks. This makes these designs very difficult to achieve, limited to an elite handful of buildings.

Inside, the living space is arranged over a single level, with a wonderful open-plan reception room assembled around a wood-burning stove that is flanked by two corner windows and views across the shingle landscape. The kitchen is on a slightly raised level and positioned next to a built-in area for a dining table. Limed-oak floorboards augment the sense of serenity in contrast to the harsher exterior.

The bedrooms line up along one side of a lateral corridor, each with its own view. At the far of the house, and looking in an easterly direction over Romney Marsh, is the bunk room that has useful built-in beds. The house can easily absorb a large number of guests, up to 10 in beds, and has been run as a very successful holiday let.

The base of the building is raised above the beach by half a metre to reduce its impact on the shingle, an important factor to consider given its environment. Dungeness is one of the largest expanses of shingle in Europe and is of international conservation importance for its geomorphology, plant and invertebrate communities and birdlife. This is recognised and protected mostly through its conservation designations as a national nature reserve (NNR), a Special Protection Area (SPA), a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and part of the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) of Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay.

There are a number of dwellings that line the beach either side of the quiet through road. Most of these are fisherman huts, but others are a mixture of houses, a handful of which are exciting contemporary designs, including the Living Architecture house known as Shingle House. Most famously is the house of the late artist and film director Derek Jarman. The garden, reflecting the windswept landscape of the peninsula, is made of pebbles, driftwood, scrap metal and a few hardy plants.

Dungeness is around 75 miles from central London. Trains run from Kings Cross station to Rye via Ashford in just over an hour, where there is a local bus service to Romney Marsh and Dungeness, or else a 20-minute taxi ride.

There are two pubs on the peninsula, one at either end of the through road, a fish hut selling freshly caught fish and a general store in Dungeness. Nearby New Romney has a Sainsbury’s and a useful high street. Most supermarket delivery companies deliver to the house. Rye is an attractive small town with some excellent independent shops and good places to eat and drink.

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.