A delightful, fully renovated cottage cottage set in the heart of this unique coastal village.

Thorpeness is a popular seaside resort village with a long shingle beach, the Meare, a man made boating lake over approximately 60 acres, Thorpeness Golf Club and Thorpeness Country Club.
Thorpeness is close to the seaside town of Aldeburgh, which benefits from a lively High Street full of both independent and national shops and eateries, supported by an active and engaged local community as well as a thriving tourist trade. The nearby towns of Leiston and Saxmundham prove handy shopping facilities and High Streets, Saxmundham benefits from a railway station on the branch line to Ipswich where a change can be made to the Inter-City line to London Liverpool Street.

Description - Set within the heart of the enchanting seaside village of Thorpeness, this charming former fisherman’s cottage occupies a truly special and peaceful position on the Suffolk Heritage Coast. Approached via an unmade track shared with neighbouring properties, the cottage sits behind traditional five-bar gates that open onto a shingled driveway—shared with No. 1 Beach Cottages—and a lawned garden with a shingle pathway and seating area. The front elevation is immediately appealing: an attractive mid-terrace seaside cottage with colour-washed elevations beneath a pantile roof, complemented by a single-storey extension finished in black lap boarding with a gently pitched zinc covered roof and roof lights that draw natural light into the home.

The cottage has a rare sense of warmth and tranquility, offering an atmosphere that feels welcoming and calm from the moment you step inside. The entrance porch leads into a small lobby with a utility cupboard housing plumbing for a washing machine and the gas-fired central-heating boiler. From here, a beautifully finished shower room features a high-specification suite with a large walk-in shower, a combination vanity basin and WC unit complemented by wall and floor tiling. The kitchen is fitted in a Shaker style with a range of base and wall cabinets, wood effect and textured work surfaces, tiled upstands and surrounds, and a composite sink with mixer tap beneath a window. Integrated appliances include a dishwasher, fridge-freezer, electric oven and hob, and there is a decorative tiled splashback to the cooking area. The original fireplace recess—now shelved and lit —adds a lovely nod to the cottage’s heritage.

A doorway opens into the delightful living room, an inviting space with a double-glazed rear window, useful storage, and the enclosed staircase rising to the first floor. The room flows beautifully into the dining/garden room, created during the recent renovation and designed to take full advantage of the garden and natural surroundings. Full-height double-glazed windows and French doors open directly to the sun-filled garden, while the sloping ceiling, double-glazed roof lights, and soft natural light create a gentle, uplifting atmosphere throughout the day.

Upstairs, a painted winder staircase leads directly into a charming and well-proportioned bedroom. This peaceful space enjoys a window overlooking the front garden and additional light from double-glazed roof lights at the rear. An exposed brick chimney breast with a miniature fireplace and tiled hearth—topped with a painted timber mantle—adds further character, while the vaulted ceiling enhances the room’s sense of space and calm. The beautifully appointed en-suite bathroom is notably generous, featuring a freestanding bath with central mixer tap and handheld shower, a freestanding basin with storage below, WC, tiled floor, and both a double-glazed window to the front and a roof light to the rear, ensuring the room is always bright and airy.

The garden is one of the cottage’s great pleasures: always bathed in sunshine, it is a quiet and sheltered space where the sound of the sea can be heard and the sunsets over the Meare can be enjoyed in complete tranquillity. A detached brick-and-tile store provides useful additional storage for garden tools, bicycles, or beach equipment.

Between 2020 and 2021, the cottage and garden underwent a full and meticulously considered renovation. The roof was replaced, the walls were stripped back to their original cobblestone core, fully damp-proofed and dry-lined, and the property was thoroughly insulated to ensure year-round comfort. A complete new electrical and heating system—including a combi boiler—was installed, alongside new windows, doors, bathrooms, and kitchen. The extension was entirely reimagined to form the light-filled sunroom, and even the practical details were carefully considered, such as the warm outdoor tap—perfect for washing sandy boots or dogs after coastal walks. Throughout the renovation, every effort was made to preserve the cottage’s original charm, including the exciting discovery and careful uncovering of the original fireplaces, which remain intact and could be reinstated with the necessary checks and permissions.

Deeply rooted in the history of Thorpeness, 2 Beach Cottages is one of the village’s original fishermen’s dwellings. The adjoining Smokehouse—built using stones unique to this stretch of the Suffolk coastline—was once used by villagers to smoke their catch, and the cottage appears in numerous early photographs of Thorpeness, some predating the creation of the Meare and the village as it is known today. One such photograph, displayed in the living room, shows the cottage behind the early-1900s “Thorpeness Vitesse”, which transported holidaymakers from Leiston railway station to the coast. Further references appear in historical records including the memoirs of a local fisherman preserved in the Heritage Hut. Ownership records date to 1800, though the cottage is believed to be older, and it remained in the same family for nearly two centuries—an extraordinary continuity rarely found today.

With its peaceful atmosphere, rich heritage, thoughtful modernisation, and idyllic coastal setting, 2 Beach Cottages offers a unique opportunity to own a home of exceptional character and enduring charm in one of Suffolk’s most distinctive and sought-after villages.

Tenure - Freehold

Outgoings - Council Tax Band currently A

Services - Mains gas, electricity, water and drainage.

Viewing Arrangements - Please contact Flick & Son, 134 High Street, Aldeburgh, IP15 5AQ for an appointment to view. Email: Tel: Ref: 20998/RDB.

Fixtures And Fittings - No fixtures, fittings, furnishings or effects save those that are specifically mentioned in these particulars are included in the sale and any item not so noted is expressly excluded. It should not be assumed that any contents, furnishings or furniture shown in the photographs (if any) are included in the sale. These particulars do not constitute any part of any offer or contract. They are issued in good faith but do not constitute representations of fact and should be independently checked by or on behalf of prospective purchasers or tenants and are furnished on the express understanding that neither the agents nor the vendor are or will become liable in respect of their contents. The vendor does not hereby make or give nor do Messrs Flick & Son nor does any Director or employee of Messrs Flick & Son have any authority to make or give any representation or warranty whatsoever, as regards the property or otherwise.