The 1920s charm of Thorpeness, a painting by the sea

Red sails on little boats with blue hulls slowly glide across the calm waters of the Meare, the brackish lake in the village of Thorpeness. A few children have taken their places at the helm, such is the tranquillity of sailing on these waters running parallel to the North Sea. In the background, truly perched amongst the clouds as its name seems to suggest, stands the House in the Clouds, where you can book a stay high above the ground: it is one of the most famous architectural oddities along the British east coast. Built in 1923 by the Braithwaite Engineering Company of London as a water tank, it was disguised as a private residence, appearing as a cottage nestled amongst the trees, 21 metres high. The tank lies within its foundations. It is still connected to the nearby mill today. The charm of this coastal spot lies in the wooden cottages dating from the 1920s nestled on the pebble beach, in the wooden fences woven like nests, and in the dog rose bushes that cover them: you can enjoy a cone of fish and chips at the Dolphin Inn, then stroll along the beach to the Scallop, the steel sculpture facing the sea in memory of the composer and pianist Sir Benjamin Britten, watching the large ships in the distance that have set sail from the Netherlands or Denmark, and the small boats cobbled together from makeshift materials by elderly locals trying to keep them afloat with the help of the currents.