Falcon House, Swanage, Dorset

This wonderful Arts and Crafts house was built in 1925 by the original architect-owner as his family home. In more recent years, it has been thoughtfully updated by its current owners, also architects, who have upheld the building’s period integrity and showcased its original features. Outside, carefully landscaped gardens offer a series of “rooms” set against a backdrop of the beautiful Dorset coast.



Setting the Scene



Swanage is a storied town on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, a stretch famous for its 185 million years of geological history. In more recent history, Swanage gained a reputation as a quarrying and fishing town. In the 1700s, after the Great Fire of London, demand for local Purbeck stone expanded. In the 19th century, Swanage became a popular seaside resort, with its railway station built in the 1880s and its pier, which still stands today, constructed in the 1890s.



Built in the early 20th century, Falcon House was constructed on land previously owned by the first Curator of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Sir John Charles Robinson, who owned a Grade II*-listed building nearby. This land was bought by a local architect, Lionel Way, and was designed for himself as his retirement home. The house is filled with original period details, including fireplaces, doors, and exposed timbers. Tall ceilings carry throughout, and a beautiful quality of light is brought in by windows that frame restorative sea views.



The Grand Tour



Falcon House’s striking façade is typically Arts and Crafts, with its symmetry and steeply pitched slate roof. Wide and tall windows hint at the brightness that permeates within. The approach to the house is quiet, culminating in an off-road parking area and a gate to a smart front garden.



Entry is to an entrance porch, which leads through to a larger hall, a wonderfully evocative space with a welcoming period feel. A curved red-brick fireplace remains here, and the staircase and exposed timbers lend a dark tonality repeated throughout the home.



From the hallway are three spacious and distinct living rooms, all with green views over the garden and out towards the sea. The first, the living room, has a deep bay window and an original tiled fireplace; a second original fireplace adorned with fiery crimson tiles, and framed by a marvellously ornate surround, can be found in the adjacent dining room.



The kitchen sits alongside and is a charming room, with whimsical green flower-motif tiles, fitted white cabinetry, and a log-fired Rayburn cooker. A door on one side opens to a spacious utility room. The ground-floor ensemble is completed by a neat WC, tucked on the other side of the entrance porch.



From the hall, the handsome quarter-turn staircase ascends to the first-floor landing, which provides access to all four bedrooms. The largest rooms are at the front and have commanding sea views overlooking Old Harry Rocks, Swanage Bay and the Purbeck Hills beyond; on the right is the principal, which has bookending windows that allow light to tunnel in. All four have original fireplace surrounds, fitted wardrobes, and one is used as a peaceful home study with an aspect towards the historical Swanage Water Tower. There is also a large bathroom on this level, with a perfectly placed roll-top bath and a marble-topped vanity.



The Great Outdoors



The gardens unfold with exactitude, having been thoughtfully landscaped in recent years. Softly weathered Purbeck stone creates delineations, allowing the garden to be arranged in a set of connected outdoor rooms.



At the front is a large terrace, ideal for long summer lunches, with the rear enjoying private beautifully manicured and maintained lawned areas, mature hedging and planting. Connected to the kitchen are the kitchen gardens and adjacent to the bay window in the living room is a tranquil pond. In the lower terraced garden, framed by beautiful Purbeck stone walls, is a secret walled garden with its natural rock formation area surrounded by wild flowers and a small orchard of apple, pear and fig trees.



Out and About



The Jurassic Coast is a hugely diverse and beautiful landscape with geology of global importance. In 2001, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the outstanding value of its rocks, fossils and landforms. It remains England’s only natural World Heritage Site, and begins at Orcombe Point in Exmouth, Devon, and continues for 95 miles to Old Harry Rocks, near Swanage, Dorset.



Unsurprising, then, are the number of magical beaches near Falcon House: Swanage Beach, National Trust-managed Knoll, Kimmeridge Bay, and Man O’War Beach are all easily reached and worth the visit.



The house is located in the Durlston area of the Isle of Purbeck, with Durlston Country Park only a few minutes walk away, a stunning nature park with breathtaking sea walks, the eccentric and beautifully sited 19th-century Durlston Castle, a restaurant and exhibition space.



On the seafront, the restored Swanage Pier has been wonderfully preserved. Other local attractions include the fascinating Corfe Castle, a 1000-year-old site with wonderful wildlife walks, and Isle of Purbeck Golf Club with panoramic views over Poole Harbour.



Swanage itself has several shops and amenities. There is a wonderful Friday market, some delightful local coffee spots, like Carve, which sits near the seafront, and Swanage Sailing Club is a short walk away. There are also several schooling options, both private and secondary, with additional sixth form options in Poole and Bournemouth.



The nearest station is Wareham, around 10 miles away, which runs direct services to London Waterloo, Bournemouth and Southampton. Swanage is also served by several bus routes and has easy access to the A351 and A35. For a quicker route around the harbour, the Sandbanks Ferry connects Studland to Poole in as little as four minutes.



Council Tax Band: F