Canterbury Road, Birchington, CT7

The best cottages are often the ones you didn’t know were there.

Tucked away at the end of a footpath just off Canterbury Road, this period cottage is almost hiding in plain sight. You’re incredibly close to Birchington High Street and the centre of the village — a very short saunter away — yet once you’re through the gate and into its enclosed garden, it feels surprisingly tucked away from everything.

And then there’s the slightly unusual bit.

We understand from the current owners that the cottage is only physically joined to the neighbouring property by a small downstairs WC/bathroom area, making the vast majority of the house effectively detached. That’s our understanding, anyway — naturally, do your own detective work before taking our word as gospel.

Inside, it’s an old cottage, and old cottages tend to make their own rules.

Officially one bedroom? Possibly two? That particular debate can continue during the viewing. There are two good-sized rooms upstairs, although the second has borrowed light, so whether you call it a bedroom, dressing room, study or something else entirely is probably down to how you want to live.

Downstairs is much simpler: a generous open-plan living space, a ground-floor bathroom and plenty of the character you’d expect from a property of this age.

Outside, there’s a lovely enclosed and secure garden of its own — another reason the whole place feels far more private than its Canterbury Road address might suggest.

And perhaps the bigger point is this:

How often do you get the opportunity to buy something approaching a detached period cottage for around £250,000?

At this price point, we think it makes an interesting alternative to the usual flats and terraces. First-time buyer, downsizer, retired couple, weekend escape or holiday home — we can see this working for quite a few different people.

But mostly, we just like it.

It’s old. It’s tucked away. The layout is a little eccentric. And unless somebody showed you where it was, you could probably walk past it for years without knowing it existed.

A little secret of a cottage, hiding right next to Birchington.