Latest news with #Birchington
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Daily Mail
World's oldest bungalow has £2million price slashed again after languishing on the market for FOUR years... but six-bed home does boast stunning sea views
It was built during the reign of Queen Victoria and boasts stunning uninterrupted coastal views. But the 'world's oldest' bungalow has been languishing on the market for four years and has now seen its price slashed yet again. The six-bedroom property in Birchington, Kent, is now on offer for £1.25million, down from £2million in 2021. The property's owner first knocked the price down - to £1.5million - in 2023. It became Grade II listed in June 1986 and according to Historic England it is the only surviving example of the very first bungalows built in the UK. The architect of the building, John Taylor, designed the first modern British bungalows and built them in Kent, between 1869 and 1870. Taylor is famed for designing train stations on the London, Chatham and Dover Railway. The term 'bungalow' - meaning 'house in the Bengal style' originated in the Bengali region of India. Esteemed Victorian doctor Erasmus Wilson, who bought the first four of Taylor's bungalows, was among those who advocated for the name. According to Historic England, he said: 'The idea of Bungalows seems to take people's minds immensely. 'They are novel, quaint, pretty and perfect as to sanitary qualities. The best sanitary home for a family is a bungalow.' Wilson is said to have believed Birchington sea air was the best along Britain's coast. The village of Birchington, Kent, is on the north Thanet coastline and is well connected to surrounding seaside towns by bus, rail and road and has a Mainline link to London for commuters. Located on a cliff edge, the property brags a 'Manston' room, or bar, that would be ideal for entertaining. It also has a grand hallway almost 60 ft long in addition to an large rear garden with direct sea views. The listing of the 'oldest genuine bungalow' also says there is a fully fitted kitchen complete with an Aga and storage space in addition to a separate utility room and an L-shaped garage. Two of the bedrooms have en-suites in addition to a separate bathroom and WC and there is direct access to the promenade below the bungalow through a staircase in the garden that could be reinstated by the buyer. Its 'Tower' room could be turned into a home office if needed and there is also an annexe on the property that consists of a bedroom with a shower and toilet, a reception diner and attached kitchen. Ben Williams, estate agent at Fresh Estates, said: 'A lot of what they're building around here, down in this part of the country, what they're throwing up over a weekend is absolute rubbish. It won't be here in 50 years, let alone 150 years. 'Something like this will be, 100%. They just don't build them like they used to. 'It's the chance to buy a bit of history, unfortunately that seems to be a bit of a dying breed. 'When you look at the square footage compared to what else you're going to get for that sort of money around here, it's good value. 'It's unusual because it's the size of the plot. 'You have direct access to the promenade underneath which means you can walk from Birchington all the way to Margate pretty much on this promenade. The manicured lawn of the bungalow, which has been on the market for four years 'It's a family home but because of the annexe you can have potentially a multi-generational home. 'You'd almost want your parents in wheelchairs to be in the same house with you because it's so big you've got that space. 'You can house a family in there very comfortably, and your parents if you need to. That's who it's going to be attractive to. 'It's so big you need a family or multiple generations. It is tricky.' He explained the price the property was originally listed at was too expensive but now believes it to be much more reasonable. 'Originally when it came on the market he (the owner) wanted it on at £2.5 million,' he said. 'I've honestly not had that much interest in it. The market hasn't helped. It's been tough, it's been really really tough. 'I think now, when you look around at other things I'm selling at £1million, £1.5million, £1.75 million, this does look good value. 'It is because it's so unique that your buying pool is that much smaller. It will take a certain individual, probably someone from abroad, somebody who appreciates the history behind it and the fact it is the oldest bungalow in the world.'
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
New £20m Thanet Earth glasshouse to grow 150m tomatoes a year
A large glasshouse complex is set to build a seventh structure, adding 6.5 hectares (16 acres) of growing space for 150 million extra tomatoes a Earth in Birchington, Kent, has begun work on £20 million plans for further growing space, taking its total area to over 50 hectares (124 acres).The new glasshouse, the last approved for the site under its current planning permission, is aimed to be "planting-ready" by Butler, managing director of Thanet Earth, says the glasshouse is a "significant milestone" for the site and "strengthens our capacity to grow more fresh produce". The new glasshouse will take the growing capacity for Thanet Earth, which was first built in 2009, up to about 550 million tomatoes, 33 million cucumbers and 24 million peppers each year.A specifically reinforced gable will make the new glasshouse more wind resistant and will be protected by a new line of trees which will also minimize the visual impact of the project, a Thanet Earth spokesperson said.
The Sun
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
World's OLDEST bungalow in UK seaside village sees price slashed by £750,000
CROWNED by Historic England as the "oldest bungalow in the world", this home could be yours following a massive £750,000 price slash. This six-bedroom"piece of history" was built in the 1870s when Queen Victoria was on the throne. 7 7 Located in Birchington, Kent, the property boasts stunning views of the coast, complete with its own path down to the beach. The building became Grade II listed in June 1986, and according to Historic England is the last surviving example of the very first bungalows built in the UK. It was first listed in 2021 for £2million and again in 2023 when the owner failed to sell the bungalow through other agents and knocked £500,000 off the price. Now, Ben Williams from Fresh Estates is keen to sell the unique home for £1.25million and is confident of its 'good value.' Williams said: 'A lot of what they're building around here, down in this part of the country, what they're throwing up over a weekend is absolute rubbish. 'It won't be here in 50 years, let alone 150 years.' This one-of-a-kind home rests on a cliff edge and boasts a large rear garden with direct sea views. It also has a grand 60ft long hallway, a bar for entertaining, and even a separate annex. Beyond these features, Williams added: 'It's the chance to buy a bit of history, unfortunately that seems to be a bit of a dying breed.' 7 7 On the price slash, Williams explained that the original listing price was too expensive but now he believes it to be much more reasonable. He candidly said: 'I've honestly not had that much interest in it. "The market hasn't helped - it's been tough, it's been really really tough.' Williams added: 'It will take a certain individual, probably someone from abroad, somebody who appreciates the history behind it.' Residing in the village of Birchington, Kent, also comes with its perks. The village is situated on the north Thanet coastline and is well connected to neighbouring seaside towns by bus, rail and road, and has a Mainline link to London for commuters. Historic England's blog also revealed that the architect of the building, John Taylor, designed the first modern British bungalows and built them in Kent between 1869 and 1870. Taylor is famed for designing train stations on the London, Chatham and Dover Railway. The public body says that the name 'bungalow' caught on in 1870 after a journalist compared Taylor's buildings to bungalows. Leading Victorian doctor, Professor Erasmus Wilson, also advocated for the name and bought the first four of Taylor's bungalows. 7 7 7 Wilson is quoted on Historic England's blog saying: "The idea of Bungalows seems to take people's minds immensely. "They are novel, quaint, pretty and perfect as to sanitary qualities.' Wilson continued his praise, saying: "The best sanitary home for a family is a bungalow."
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Rebekah Kefford from Birchington trains for endurance sea swim
A swimmer who plans to become the first woman to swim between two decommissioned World War Two forts and the Kent shore has begun cold water Kefford, from Birchington, plans to take on the eight mile (12.8km) challenge from the Red Sands forts in August, raising money for the spinal injury charity Brown, from Whitstable, became the first person to swim from the forts to the Kent coast in August 2024, in a time of five hours and six minutes, according to spent the winter building up her strength in an indoor pool, Rebekah is now taking to the sea. "I'm up to about 45 to 50 minutes in the sea now, the temperature at the moment is about 10 degrees," she said."Those are going to increase as the time goes on, so I'll keep doing the pool swimming alongside the sea, and the sea will just build, it'll be one hour, then an hour and a half, two hours."I'll build myself up to a maximum of probably five, because we're estimating this will take me no more than six hours."I'm doing it without a wetsuit, it's Channel Swim rules, no wetsuit, so flotation device." She said taking to the open water was "a shock to the system"."You get brain freeze, you can feel your heart go, but once you break through that barrier within a few minutes you really start to feel an energy about yourself, this endorphin that just rushes round your body, it's absolutely amazing."You get a sense of being really in control, but then the cold will start to come in, you start to feel your hands go, your feet go."You need to listen to yourself and know when it's time to get out."
