Seven Whistlers, Salthouse, Norfolk

With sublime views of Salthouse’s elegantly rugged stretch of coastline, this former fisherman’s cottage has been masterfully transformed into a spacious and dynamic five-bedroom home. Picture windows wrap around its exterior, working in tandem with roof-set glazing to douse each room in natural light. A thoughtfully landscaped garden surrounds the buildings and is filled with grasses, lavender and mature specimen trees. Despite its rural National Landscape (AONB) setting, the house is a 15-minute drive from Sheringham station, from which train services connect to London in just over three hours.

The Building

A tapestry of materials defines the exterior and interior of Seven Whistlers. Outside, textured flint walls and red brick hark to the surrounding vernacular. The main house is topped with a striking aluminium roof, topped with pan tiles, while a green sedum roof crowns the annexe. Corten motifs are placed next to the beautifully charred finish of thermo ash cladding.

Inside is similarly considered, with glass walkways that connect the house’s sections. Microcement flooring grounds much of the plan, with timber flooring used elsewhere; both contrast pleasingly with the texture of exposed stone walls. Contemporary additions include an air source heat pump, underfloor heating, CAT6 ethernet throughout, Buster and Punch light fittings, and hand-crafted charred ash joinery.

The Tour

The architectural layout has been designed to incorporate the main house and its four bedrooms; a separate one-bedroom longhouse sits adjacent. The main house sits to the right of the plot and is entered through a slightly recessed grey-painted door. An entry vestibule gives way to a smart boot room, with plenty of space for a bench to kick off muddy shoes. There is space for soft seating here in front of a log-burning stove, with a snug tucked behind.

From the boot room is a glazed corridor that guides towards the expansive and open-plan kitchen, dining and sitting room. Glazing runs along three aspects here, making the room exceptionally bright and establishing strong visual connections to the outdoors. The kitchen units are formed of veneer ply with a rough oak finish; charred ash has been used to form the wide central island. There is also a Quooker tap and appliances by Fisher and Paykel and Neff are integrated within the units, which in turn sits beneath a fantastically wide window that faces the surrounding landscape.

At the far end of the room is a built-in dining bench that sits adjacent to a wraparound window and beneath a light shaft that borrows brightness from above. The room has plenty of cleverly carved-out storage in the form of tall cupboards, flush built-in shelving and fitted drawers.

The first of three sculptural spiral plywood staircases winds up to the south-easterly wing of the house’s upper level, which is entirely occupied by a living space. A generous area, the room showcases the house’s dynamic form it all its fullness. A glass-fronted fireplace is positioned centrally, while electric-powdered skylights punctuate both sides of the pitched roof. A second horizontal picture window here frames elevated views across the gardens, saltmarsh and out to the sea – making it a great spot for birdwatching.

Downstairs are two of the house’s four bedrooms. Both the main bedroom and the guest suite occupy peripheral parts of the plan, creating a private and peaceful ambience. The main bedroom has electric-powered Velux windows and blinds, built-in storage and a spacious en suite with a Lusso stone bathtub and walk-in shower. The guest suite has an adjoining shower room and a cosy log burner.

A second staircase ascends from the boot room to the north-westerly part of the upper storey, where there are two further bedrooms and a shared bathroom. The finishes across each of these spaces is exceptional, with no detail overlooked. Although unique in character, the palettes are similarly soothing, making use of a rich roster of materials and paint shades.

The longhouse sits adjacent to the main home. Entry is from the ground floor, with a garage and plant room to one side. Stairs coil up to the first floor, where there is a brilliant bedroom with an adjoining en suite. The finish is of a piece with the main plan’s tranquil bedrooms, though unique to this room is a bank of apex glazing that gives way to a private balcony with far-reaching views towards the pebble-fringed sea.

Outdoor Space

The entrance gate is motorised, leading to a generous provision of parking for several vehicles, ideally positioned to the side of the house ensuring the views remain unobstructed. There is also a well-sized garage and a newly installed EV charger, suitable for all cars.

Extensive gardens surround the house and are, arguably, as intrinsic to the redesign as the internal plan. Mature trees including a Goat Willow dot the grounds, there are deep beds of lavender and a rosemary bush, while galvanised steel planters are chock-full of herbs, seagrasses, and verbena. There are large swathes of lawn too, with views across the surrounding topography visible from almost every angle.

There are also spaces to sit and gather, including a sheltered rear courtyard and a fire pit seating area. Terraces and wooden walkways extend around the house, providing idyllic spots to sip a coffee and complete a crossword.

The Area

Set in a Natural Landscape (AONB), Salthouse in nestled between Norfolk’s famous salt marshes and a buffeting pebble beach. Renowned for its wildlife, the extremely rare bittern bird, with its booming call, is found on the shores along with a phenomenal range of fauna and wildflowers.

The village’s well-stocked community includes a 13th-century church, set on a hill with panoramic views of the coastline and the well-loved pub The Dun Cow. There are plenty of nearby spots that draw customers from across the region, including the Salthouse Store facing the green – a fabulous spot for coffee and pastries and its bookshop – and there’s also Cookie’s Crab Shack. Picturesque village Cley-next-the-Sea sits adjacent and has plenty of delis and food markets from Picnic Fayre to the Cley Smokehouse.

The glorious sweeping shores of the North Norfolk coastline stretch west to east as far as the eye can see, with the unspoilt beauty of Holkham Nature Reserve and the Coastal Path only a 25-minute drive away. At Blakeney Point, traditional clinker ferry boats take seal watching trips and the waters afford rowing, paddle boarding and sailing.

The larger Georgian market town of Holt, four miles south, has a broader range of shops and services. It has a doctors’ surgery, post office, banks and larger supermarkets, as well as some notable antiques and vintage shops and the one-star Michelin restaurant Meadowsweet. The cathedral city of Norwich is reachable in under an hour, with many cultural offerings, such as The Theatre Royal and Cinema City, as well as The Sainsbury Centre Art Gallery and Museum.

The Norfolk coast is also famed for its abundance of incredible natural produce, from the local fishermen’s daily hauls to foraging in the fertile salt marshes. Michelin-starred restaurants make the most of locally sourced ingredients, including the one-starred Morston Hall and The Neptune, in the village of Old Hunstanton. Local favourite Socius in Burnham Market has an exceptional reputation, reflecting its use of the best of the seasonal produce available.

There are plenty of highly regarded schools in the area including Holt Community Primary School, the independent Gresham’s School for ages 2 – 18, Sheringham High School, St Andrews and Cromer Academy.

There are excellent transport links to the wider Norfolk coast with a regular Coasthopper bus service or via the A149. Sheringham station is around a 15-minute drive from the house. It runs services to Norwich, which connect to London and to Cambridge.

Council Tax Band: G