Sandbanks is a peninsula barely four hundred metres across at its narrowest, reaching from Poole towards the harbour mouth. The English Channel lies on one flank, with a long run of pale sand; on the other, the sheltered water of Poole Harbour, among the largest natural harbours in the world. The land between is finite, and that scarcity is the whole story. By most measures it is the most expensive coastal ground in Britain.

The houses tell of a place that has rebuilt itself. The Edwardian and inter-war villas that once lined the spit have largely given way to a newer architecture of white render, glass and flat roofs, much of it turned wholly towards the water. The best is genuinely considered: low, horizontal homes that frame the harbour, terraces that meet the tideline, moorings at the foot of the garden. There are weaker imitations too. What carries value here is frontage. A direct waterside plot, with deep water and a jetty, sits in a class of its own.

The setting

The light is what people remember. Open sky on both sides, water in constant motion, the harbour shifting from blue to pewter with the weather. Sailing runs through daily life, from the small craft of Poole Harbour to the chain ferry that crosses to Studland and the Isle of Purbeck beyond. The beaches carry Blue Flag status, and the dunes of the National Trust's Studland heath lie a short crossing away.

Those who live here are a particular mix: established sailing families, business owners, and second-home buyers drawn by the water and the privacy a gated drive affords. It is quieter out of season than its reputation suggests. Many houses stand empty through winter, and the spit returns to its residents and the wind.

For all its seclusion, Sandbanks is well connected. Poole town and its main line station are minutes away, with trains to London Waterloo in around two hours. Bournemouth Airport lies to the east, and the chain ferry gives quick access to the Purbeck coast without the long drive around the harbour.