The Beach Hive

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The sea doesn’t get much closer than at The Beach Hive, with its glorious views of the East Sussex coastline. Located in Pevensey Bay, just 15-20 minutes from Eastbourne and Bexhill, this three-bedroom house hides a great secret – a sea-view terrace with dining space and a warming, roaring fire-pit.

This 1930s timber-framed bungalow has been given a 21st-century makeover and makes the most of its stunning location. Natural light streams into the open-plan interior, where large windows, wooden floors and elegant, eclectic furnishings make their mark. You have a large dining table, 42-inch TV with DVD, and a wood-burner to keep it all cosy.

A well-equipped kitchen includes a microwave and dishwasher, and a barbecue can be found out on the terrace too. In addition to a family bathroom with bath, overhead shower and underfloor heating, the house packs in a master bedroom with king-size bed and en suite, a further double or twin bedroom, and a third which has two hand-made single beds.

Children are very welcome at The Beach Hive, with games, books and playthings provided, as well as a cot, high chair, pushchair for the youngest family members. It’s great for your dog too, who is sure to enjoy the fact there is direct access from the end of the garden to the shingle beach.

It’s an easy drive to some notable Sussex attractions and the area’s larger towns. Hastings remains a favourite for its famous heritage, Old Town and the Jerwood Gallery, while Eastbourne offers fishing, diving, boat trips and a miniature steam railway.

The Herstmonceux Observatory, Battle Abbey and Glyndebourne Opera House offer hands-on science experiences, local history and cultural events, while vineyard tours are on offer at Nyetimber or across the Kentish border at Chapel Down near Tenterden.

If you’re heading that way, you might like to stop off at pretty coastal towns like Rye and Winchelsea or take in the modernist architecture of Bexhill’s iconic De La Warr Pavilion – perhaps catching a show or art exhibition while you’re there.