Special Places to Stay - More than a bed for the night

Rolling hills and woodland, long views over luscious Kent and a modern Scandia house brick-built from a Swedish kit. It is brilliant for wheelchair users and altogether easy and comfortable to be in, with floral-covered sofas and chairs and plain reproduction furniture. Alison, a beauty therapist and masseuse, is friendly and gracious. The house is so close to Dover that it is worth staying here for the night before the ferry. Perfectly designed, brilliantly executed – Alison’s garden has come along way since it was a field. She used to picnic here as a child and dream about living here... Now the garden is bursting with plants. By the front gate is a spring bed, then a purple bed leading to a white-scented border of winter flowering clematis and magnolias. The herbaceous border is a triumph – colours move from pinks, purples and blues through apricots, creams and whites to the ‘hot’ end. A little waterfall sits in the pond garden and rockery where hostas, ferns, gunnera, bamboo and lilac compete for space. Rejoice in the knowledge that someone who has achieved their dream is so happy to share it with others.