Originally built as a place to spot smugglers, The Watch House now provides a tranquil environment from which to watch the world go by as it becomes a holiday let following its restoration
You can always count on the British summer to throw a curveball. And although my first glimpse of The Watch House as I round the corner is through windscreen wipers, it still initiates a ‘wow’.
Set on the beach of the Lepe Estate near Exbury, the property stands proudly out to sea watching the comings and goings of the Solent. Built in 1828, the building was part of a coastguard station to combat smugglers. Emma and Michael Page are the current custodians of the estate which has been in Emma’s family since 1879.
‘At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Lepe was renowned for smuggling,’ explains Michael. ‘In December 1821, the officer in command of the preventive boat stationed at Lepe captured over 50 barrels of brandy from smugglers. HM Coastguard was created in 1822 and The Watch House was built to house the cutter (boat) used by the coastguard crew who lived in the cottages behind.’
From the outside the building remains largely unchanged, but inside it has been renovated to create a unique home. Reached by a small path, a rather insignificant door hides the quirky interior. It’s no surprise that such an unusual property has an unusual floorplan. The layout has been turned upside down with the upstairs living area and kitchen taking advantage of uninterrupted views of the Solent. Two bedrooms, a twin and double, along with the bathroom are downstairs.
The initial conversion was carried out in 1977, when Emma and Michael converted the ground floor space into bedrooms, replacing the large sea-facing doors to the slipway with a big window. Over the years it has been used either by family members or by tenants.
But the Grade II listed building has recently been given a new lease of life by Tracy Harding, lettings director at Spencers Estate Agents, who manage the estate, and her son Archie and for the first time is available as a holiday let. ‘When I first saw The Watch House I fell in love with it,’ she says. ‘I was just blown away and loved all the wood panelling and the history behind it. I knew it would work well as a holiday let.’
Tracy and her son took it on as an empty shell. ‘It was a blank canvas,’ she remembers.
‘It has always been upside down. It had a boat launch, so the boat would have been underneath and staff facilities we're at the top. The views from the window seat are just so special and then to wake up in the morning and have those sea views lying in bed. It’s almost like you are in the sea.’
The dog-friendly house is beautifully styled with an eclectic mix of old furniture mixed with contemporary additions.
Tracy was initially concerned about the dark wood panelling in the living room, but Michael reminded her it had been there since the 1880s.
‘I think he was terrified I was going to cover it with Farrow and Ball, but the furnishings that we added and the touches of artwork merge beautifully.’
The panelling adds a cosy feel to the room, with throws and a wood burner the perfect addition for colder evenings. Scatter cushions and a gorgeous orange velvet coloured sofa create a feeling of luxury, but due to accessibility, it had to be lifted up a step ladder and put through a window!
‘I wanted it to be sumptuous and really enjoy colour,’ says Tracy. ‘I don’t believe that you have to spend a fortune on interior design and love finding random bits of old furniture that add character. I wanted the overall affect to feel comfortable, like you're in your own little space.’
Tracy’s favourite pictures are the Rocket St George portraits – a humorous take on 16th-century paintings by Young and Battaglia. ‘A lot of what we have is Rocket St George or Graham and Green – they are my go-to places for bits and bobs. But I also love the brightly coloured vases, they were from a vintage shop in Boscombe, Retro by the Sea; I could have bought them all.
‘Something I did steal from Instagram was the coloured books. There’s a great site called Country House Library, you just choose the colour and they send them to you.’
A bright kitchen is equipped with a Smeg fridge, Nespresso coffee machine and stylish Habitat dinner plates with a window that looks out onto the coast path and beach. ‘Having a well-equipped kitchen was important as we are big foodies in our family.’
Tracy has given the property a subtle nod to the nautical without it being themed. In contrast to the panelling, bedrooms are decorated simply with whitewashed walls ‘I didn’t want it to be beachy, that's not my style. What you see is pretty much what my house is like.’
The house has its own sound and spirit. The cold tap sung as I brushed my teeth and the toilet gurgles, but these are charming anomalies.
‘You are on a house in the sea, it’s not going to be a shiny new pin, it’s not going to be modern technology but that’s part of the escape isn't it?’ However, for those that can’t bear to be disconnected there’s wi-fi.
A tiny garden, so small I missed it, has a little paved platform with a bench - somewhere to look out over the sea on a sunny day or enjoy a glass of wine as the sun goes down. The coastal path runs past the property and behind the house is access to Lepe Estate with plenty of walks. When the sea goes out it reveals a mainly shingle beach peppered with shells that children will love to discover. In the morning you may see fishermen digging for lug worms.
Instead of watching for smugglers, nowadays you can sit in the stunning window of the living area, look across to the Isle of Wight and watch the sail boats, windsurfers and wildlife - terns, oystercatchers and curlews are regular visitors. And of course, there’s that wonderful British pastime of watching weather!
‘A family member spent the weekend and said she sat in the window in her pyjamas reading The Times and just completely switched off from everything.
‘It’s a bit magical really.'
The Watch House from £250 per night is available to rent through Airbnb, booking.com or email archieharding93@gmail.com
Find it on Instagram @thewatchouselepebeach
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