Peppercombe is a steep and wooded valley, through which a stream runs down to a meadow before tumbling down to a beach in a fine waterfall. Luckily, there is a gently sloping path for you to reach the shore. The cliffs here are particularly dramatic, formed from an outcrop of red Triassic stone, with the whole magnificent North Devon coast line curving away in both directions and Lundy on the horizon. When this wild and lovely valley was acquired by the National Trust in 1988, we took on two of its buildings.

At the mouth of the combe is Castle Bungalow, which is just that, a 1920s Boulton and Paul bungalow. The company’s archivist (it is still going strong in Norwich) found one catalogue of this period for us; it had survived the bombing of the factory in 1940. It has tempting illustrations of ‘Residences, Bungalows and Cottages’, ranging from a substantial six-bedroom house on two storeys (at £4,000) to Bungalow B49, with just a bedroom, a living-room and a verandah (in case you should live in the tropics). This, with brick foundations and carriage paid to the nearest goods station, cost just £280.

Sadly, although a number of its brothers and sisters are there, our bungalow does not feature in the catalogue, but it is still just as tempting. Its weather-boarded walls are painted in railway colours, cream and brown (like the old Great Western Railway carriages), its windows are latticed, and inside the rooms are snug as only wood-lined rooms can be. Beside it are the remains of Peppercombe Castle, a castellated seaside residence.

Sleeps: 2+2