a penthouse above poole quay with the harbour at its feet

The top floor of a contemporary quayside building, this penthouse turns its back on the town and opens entirely towards the water. The principal living space runs the full width of the apartment, glazed on its harbour side from floor to ceiling, so that the working quay, the chandlers' moorings and the channel out towards Brownsea sit framed across a single uninterrupted plane. Light moves through the room all day: hard and silvered off the water in the morning, then warmer as the sun drops behind Hamworthy to the west.\n\nThe terrace is the apartment's real argument. Close to forty feet of it, wrapping the southern corner, deep enough to hold a long table and still leave room to stand at the rail and watch the boats come in on the tide. Inside, the plan is calm and unfussy: an open kitchen in pale oak and honed stone, a principal bedroom with its own slice of the view and a walk-through dressing area, two further bedrooms, and bathrooms finished in matt limestone tile. Engineered oak underfoot throughout, ceilings kept high, and a quiet restraint to the joinery that lets the harbour do the talking.\n\nPoole Quay is a genuine working waterfront rather than a decorative one — the fish come in here, the lifeboat sits a short walk along, and the Old Town's Georgian streets begin a minute behind. Allocated secure parking, lift access to the top floor, and the railway station ten minutes off for London directly.