Limpet Cottage

Limpet Cottage suits couples looking for a quiet retreat by the sea. This single-storey cottage sits in a small terrace on the Boulmer seafront, a working fishing village where the pace of life moves slowly. The living room and patio both face the water, so sea views are constant whether you're inside or out. Everything is on the ground floor with level access to most spaces, though there are a couple of steps between rooms and down to the patio itself.

The cottage has one double bedroom, a bathroom with bath and shower, and a kitchen-diner where you can cook proper meals. A washer-dryer is built in. Electricity, bed linen and towels are included. There's parking for one car on site and a pub within a mile's walk. No smoking indoors.

Boulmer itself is unremarkable—that's rather the point—but you're positioned between two places worth exploring. Alnmouth is less than three miles along the beach and has restaurants and shops. Alnwick, six miles inland, is a market town centred on a castle, with Alnwick Garden, Barter Books and various other attractions nearby. The area suits people who want the coast without the crowds, and who don't need entertainment laid on.