Designed to resemble both Maunsell forts and redshanks, a type of wading bird, this resolutely unique and award-winning home hovers above salty marshland on the north Essex coast. Rear and side-glazed aspects usher in an ethereal light and draw the eye south and west across the seascape and towards Colne Point Nature Reserve. Colchester is just 15 miles north-west, while Clacton-on-Sea station, a 22-minute drive away, runs services to London Liverpool Street in around 90 minutes.