Old and new are carefully blended throughout the house

with rooms arranged over three floors, all unified by a cool, natural colour scheme. Windows on the upper floors provide spectacular rooftop views. Place House, the grand Grade I-listed estate of the Treffry family, is visible from the top floor.

Old and new are carefully blended throughout the house, with many finds having been sourced from local antiques stores. The rooms are decorated sparsely, so they are comfortable but also practical. In the main bedroom on the top floor, a window seat furnished with white linen cushions offers a snug reading nook, while a chorus of church bells and seagulls chimes outside.

The Sea Swallow was designed to be let out to guests, but Tracey and her family – husband Jonathan and son Sam

– have not denied themselves weekends at the property. “Swimming in the cooler months is invigorating,” Tracey exclaims. “In summertime, it’s bliss.”

Whatever the season, this small cottage, imbued with the spirit of a seabird, provides the perfect perch from which to explore Cornwall’s enduring beauty.

OPPOSITE A Georgian linen press, typical of local antiques store finds, looks quite at home combined with contemporary ceramics and rugs THIS PAGE The sun sets over St Catherine’s Castle on the edge of Fowey’s harbour