What more pleasant way of relaxing than sitting in the sun on the verandah at this £1.75 million Regency villa on the Kentish Riviera, with a large gin and tonic in hand, surveying a grand panorama of sparkling blue sea?

For the money you acquire a newly renovated listed building in Sandgate, a 19th-century resort just outside Folkestone. But Frenches also comes with all the latest mod-cons: CCTV, multi-room sound system, and a hidden descending screen that turns the library into a cinema.

Frenches may be on the coast but it is far from isolated. From December new high-speed trains will take you from Folkestone to St Pancras in 55 minutes, shaving up to 44 minutes off the current journey. The station is no more than ten minutes’ drive away. Suddenly Sandgate will be as easy to reach from London as Bath or Brighton. The promenade at Sandgate is more modest but it has a wealth of antiques shops, pubs and restaurants. Nearby Hythe has a charming high street, complete with a Waitrose.

When Ron Godfrey, a local antiques dealer, bought the house ten years ago, half a caravan was parked at the end of the verandah to form a potting shed. Now that the restoration is complete, he is moving no farther than next door: the two comprise a pair of matching marine villas, built for royal engineers in about 1820.

The house is approached by a private lane between the villas, which opens into a completely secluded courtyard. Here the stables have been converted into a self-contained cottage. The large lawn filling the front garden is flanked by pretty flower borders and hedges, perfectly framing the view of the Channel.

The whole house brims with the elegance of Regency taste. It is evident in the gracious ascent of the lofty stair, lit by a tall arched window edged with stained glass, and the twin drawing rooms. These are linked by double doors that slide into the partition wall to increase the sense of space. Both rooms have full-height french windows that open on the verandah.

The masterstroke has been to glaze in the verandah, introducing sections of glass in the tent-like roof that bring in extra light above the bay windows. Curved glass specially made in Nottingham preserves the graceful lines.

The dining room is newly hung with French panoramic wallpapers, printed from the 200-year-old blocks. They are in grisaille — grey and white — and portray lively horse racing scenes in England and Italy. The kitchen, which has a circular table in the large west-facing bay window, is an equally pleasant place to eat; it is arranged so that you can cook while talking to guests. As host, you can reach for a bottle in the built-in wine rack behind your chair.

There are three large en suite bedrooms, two with bay windows and sea views, the third with its own small sitting room and study.

Behind the house there is an elevated back garden and arbour, another perfect place for outdoor parties, which can also serve the cottage.

FAST FACTS

What you get: Listed Regency villa with sea views. Three bedroom suites and a cottage. In all, 5,221 sq ft.

Where it is: Sandgate, Kent, 2½miles from Folkestone, 15 miles from Ashford. Five minutes by car from the M20.

Details: £1.75 million through Knight Frank, 01892 515035, www.knightfrank.com

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