The Coach House

Whitstable's pebble beach and seafront promenade sit less than a ten-minute walk away, making this detached house an easy base for coastal days out. The Coach House itself is a recent build set back from the main street, with its own parking and an enclosed garden where you can set up for the evening. One dog stays free, and the essentials—heating, electricity, wi-fi, bed linen and towels—are all covered.

Inside, two bedrooms and two bathrooms serve four people comfortably. Downstairs is an open-plan living and dining space with patio doors to the garden, plus a kitchen equipped for cooking proper meals rather than holiday shortcuts. Upstairs, one bedroom has a king bed and the other has two singles that zip together. A travel cot and highchair are available if you ask. The property is non-smoking.

Whitstable itself is a working fishing town with plenty of pubs, restaurants and cafés along the seafront. Whitstable Castle and the Tankerton Slopes—an unusual shingle ridge with views across the bay—are three minutes' walk away. Canterbury Cathedral is within easy reach by car or train, and Reculver's Roman ruins lie 20 minutes inland. For a further afield day, Dover's ferry terminal connects to France. The railway station is five minutes away by car if you want to head into London or elsewhere.