WHERE TO STAY

Coastguard’s House (from £440 for a three-night stay; english-heritage.org.uk). Slip across the tidal causeway to reach Lindisfarne and steal away to the three-bedroom Coastguard’s Cottage. From the garden you can see the 16th-century castle, and when the tide cuts you off you can follow in the footsteps of ancient islanders in peace.

17. LYNMOUTH, NORTH DEVON

Concertinaed between dramatic sea cliffs, the pretty harbour town of Lynmouth, in Exmoor, has an edge-of the-world feel that’s perfect for lovebirds in search of sea air and seclusion. A favourite holiday resort for the Georgians and Victorians, it was here that RD Blackmore wrote Lorna Doone, and where poet Percy Shelley honeymooned with his first wife, Harriet, staying in the thatched Rising Sun Inn. Days mean wildly romantic clifftop and moorland walks and – for the brave – a bracing dip in the sea, while evenings invite fireside dining in cosy country pubs. Turner Contemporary with its ever-changing art exhibitions and sweeping sea views (plus a Gormley statue out front). In the old town, splurge-worthy romantic restaurants include Angela’s and Bottega Caruso, and you can stroll past Tracey Emin’s I Never Stopped Loving You before warming your cockles in the micropub on the harbour arm. Caribbean-Cornwall, with Lloyd Loom wicker furniture and Malabar fabrics set against neutral hues. It feels like a private oasis for a beach-chic lovers’ escape, decked with works from some of the region’s finest artists. A pop-up crab shack appears during the summer months, completing a truly chilledout beachside break.