After weeks of sunshine and soaring temperatures, many of us have found ourselves casting a wistful eye towards the coast. While a spontaneous move might not be on the cards just yet, some seaside villages make the idea remarkably tempting.
With cottages tumbling towards the harbour, winding lanes lined with hollyhocks and sea views around every corner, these are places that feel more like film sets than real life. Where we'd take evening swims, grow roses over the front gate and be on first-name terms with the local fishermen…
1. Port Isaac, Cornwall
Best known to many as the setting for Doc Martin, Port Isaac hardly needs a camera crew to feel cinematic. Narrow passageways wind between whitewashed cottages before opening suddenly onto a picturesque harbour.
The village has retained the charm of a working fishing community while somehow looking as though it was built specifically for television.
2. Clovelly, Devon
With its steep cobbled streets, flower-draped cottages and tiny harbour, Clovelly feels wonderfully removed from modern life. Donkeys still help transport goods up and down the hill, and every corner looks as though it belongs on a postcard.
3. Porthgain, Pembrokeshire
Tiny but characterful, Porthgain combines a picturesque harbour with dramatic coastal scenery. Stone cottages cluster around the waterfront, while the Pembrokeshire Coast Path offers breathtaking walks in both directions from the village. It's easy to see why walkers often end up staying longer than planned.
4. Polperro, Cornwall
Arriving in Polperro feels like stepping into another era. The traffic disappears, replaced by narrow lanes lined with white cottages that wind towards a bustling little harbour. Every viewpoint seems postcard-worthy, which may explain why visitors have been falling in love with it for generations.
5. Staithes, North Yorkshire
Colourful cottages spill down a steep hillside towards a sheltered harbour in Staithes, creating one of the most photogenic views on the Yorkshire coast.
Once home to fishermen and artists, the village still has an appealingly creative atmosphere. On sunny days, the jumble of rooftops and winding lanes looks almost Mediterranean.
6. St Abbs, Scottish Borders
Dramatic cliffs, colourful fishing cottages and a tiny working harbour give St Abbs a wild beauty that feels almost cinematic. The village sits tucked between sea and sky, where brightly painted boats bob in the harbour and every winding path seems to lead to another breathtaking coastal view
7. Walberswick, Suffolk
With weatherboard cottages, marshland walks and a beach lined with colourful huts, Walberswick has an easy-going charm that is hard to resist. The sort of place that makes us think we'd happily while away an entire summer crabbing from the harbour, catching the little ferry to Southwold and returning home sandy-footed at the end of the day
8. Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
With its flint cottages, winding lanes, iconic windmill and sweeping marshland views, Cley-next-the-Sea has the sort of quiet beauty that makes you feel as though you’ve wandered onto a film set. The sea sits just beyond the marshes – close enough for a stroll and, in our imaginations at least, the perfect excuse to waft about in linen all summer long.
9. Boscastle, Cornwall
Tucked into a steep-sided valley on Cornwall's north coast, Boscastle feels wonderfully atmospheric. Stone cottages line the harbour, cliffs rise dramatically above the sea and every turn reveals another cinematic view. If a location scout were searching for the perfect Cornish fishing village, they would stop here.
10. Crail, Fife
Crail is one of Scotland's prettiest harbours where fishing boats still bob on the water, and narrow streets lead inland towards historic buildings and hidden corners. The harbour remains very much at the heart of village life, supplying local restaurants with freshly landed lobster, crab and other seafood.
Summer in the garden edit
GoodHome GoodHome Sagami Orange Charcoal Egg BBQ
Castlery Sierra Garden Sofa Set
