A seaside village once served as a tucked away treasure trove of antique stores surrounded by a mixed array of modest and colourful homes. Reporter Millie Bowles looks at how expensive luxury modern houses, trendy cafes and bars sprung up when dealers shut up shop and took their wares elsewhere. Two miles west of Folkestone, the arguably more affluent village of Sandgate has become a hot spot for bold glass-fronted properties, many built within cliffs and graced with sea views.
And while some, of course, enjoy the aesthetic – no doubt the money their owners pump into the community too – others feel the large square buildings dominate and spoil the scenery. Stephen Pollard lives in one of these aforementioned homes which, he says, he planned on retiring to, but circumstances changed and it’s now on the market for £1.15m.
He told KentOnline: “Sandgate has the communications, the rail, the road and it's also very close to the continent. It has a wonderful seafront and it's an area that a lot of people don't know about. “I don't think it's all DFLs [Down from Londoners].
“There are no doubt a lot of DFLs, but, I mean, people have always moved down to the coast from London, usually to either bring a family up or retire, and I think it's a good mixture all the way through.” Despite its modern visard, the 70-year-old’s house actually dates back to the 1980s, but he completely gutted the place and built a wrap-around glass balcony with sea views, large windows and a .