The Watch Tower, Dungeness, Kent

This wonderfully singular home in Dungeness, Kent, comes to market with planning permission for reconfiguration, if desired, by award-winning Adam Khan Architects. The house (which currently operates as a successful holiday let) sits on the edge of a Site of Special Scientific Interest on Dungeness’s shingle beach, and provides mesmerising views of its singular landscape. Rye station is a 30-minute drive away, with regular services to King’s Cross in just over an hour.



Full details of the planning permission presently in place can be found here.



Environmental Performance



In the proposed plans, breathable and low-carbon materials have been chosen. The new design will achieve higher thermal insulation, with newly insulated walls and higher-performing windows. The house’s revised layout and larger external openings will improve natural ventilation and cooling, while project eaves help to control solar gain.



Materials have been selected that are robust and sympathetic to the local landscape. There will be a net gain in biodiversity from the reintroduction of shingle areas right up to the boundaries of the buildings, as well as a green roof on the garage.



The Architect



Adam Khan Architects is an award-winning practice with an established reputation for work of sensitivity, elegance and refinement, and which addresses sustainability, adaptability and placemaking.



The practice has been the recipient of many awards, including the RIBA London Award, the Civic Trust Award and the Housing Design Awards.



The Tour



Existing



The house is accessed via a single shingle track on Dungeness beach. As one of only a few two-storey buildings in the area, it cuts a distinctive silhouette.



Once used as a watchtower, it has a set of well-proportioned windows on the first floor that were designed to provide arresting views of the beach and the sea beyond. It has a bright and spacious kitchen and dining room, and an adjacent living room with a log burner. There is also a large conservatory that overlooks the sublime landscape.



The main bedroom lies upstairs, via a sweeping stone staircase, with beautiful elevated views across the landscape. An en-suite shower room lies next door.



Proposal



The proposed plans retain the building's original footprint while creating a harmonious spatial flow and fostering a deeper connection with its surroundings.



Externally, existing UPVC cladding will be removed on the first floor and replaced with lime render over wood-wool insulation. Windows and doors will be framed with timber, and a new slate roof with solar units will be installed. Projecting eaves will reduce unwanted solar gain and overheating in the warmer months, while allowing beneficial solar gain in colder weather.



Inside, the living spaces on the first floor will be reconfigured. While the kitchen will remain in its current orientation, its entrance will be repositioned, and a dining area will be added to the left. Here, panels of glazing will extend across both exterior walls. A bedroom will sit to the rear of the plan, and a bathroom will be positioned next to the kitchen. The first floor will remain in its current configuration.



The garage will be used as ancillary accommodation, providing a study, birdwatching hide, and guest bedroom. It can also be easily used as a creative space; as a music or art studio. New openings will look out over the landscape, with ‘bird-hide’ hinged shutters for user-controlled protection from solar gain and glare.



Outdoor Space



The house sits within the distinctive shingle landscape of Dungeness. There are currently paved areas to the front and side of the building, with plans to remove these and replace with shingle, adding stone steps as natural pathways. The garden will be transformed into an extension of the surrounding shingle landscape, providing the opportunity for local native ecologies to thrive.



A new extensive green roof on the garage will allow self-seeded local species to thrive, increasing the biodiversity of the site.



The Area



Dungeness' striking landscape has garnered it the title of Britain's only desert. Its beautiful scenery has attracted a flourishing artist and architectural community. Derek Jarman’s former home, Prospect Cottage, is within walking distance. Recently protected by The Arts Fund, its garden is famous for its wildflowers, sculptures made from beach-found objects, and saltwater-loving flora. Hastings Contemporary is nearby and has a world-class collection of artworks, including works by LS Lowry and Stanley Spencer.



There are two pubs on the peninsula, as well as a fish hut and the famous ‘Snack Shack’, which sells freshly-caught fish and crab rolls. Nearby New Romney has a Sainsbury’s and a useful high street. Slightly further afield, the picturesque town of Rye has some excellent independent shops and good places to eat and drink, including The George, The Standard Inn and Knoops Chocolate.



Dungeness is around 75 miles from central London, approximately 90 minutes from Greenwich. It lies around 20 miles from Ashford International, from which trains run to King's Cross St Pancras in 38 minutes. Rye rail station is approximately a 30-minute drive away, and runs services to King’s Cross via Ashford in just over an hour.



Council Tax Band: B