It’s a beautiful spring morning in Fowey when I first meet Alison outside Marners Rock No. 1 on Place View. The light is soft on the estuary, boats on the river just going about their business, and before I even step inside, the view has won me over completely. This is Fowey at its most seductive, a place that rewards you just for stopping for a moment and looking out to sea.

Before we cross the threshold, Alison shares some of the property’s story. She and her family team bought the house, then a single residence, in 2020.    It had been previously owned by three spinster sisters since 1969, and prior to them, by the Treffry family, the historic landowners of Place. The Treffrys, a name woven through Fowey’s history, were influential mine and railway developers in the 1800s, shaping much of the town’s architecture and prosperity. It’s fitting, then, that one of their former homes is once again being lovingly cared for with a spirit of craftsmanship and entrepreneurship very much alive.

Alison’s own background, she tells me, lies in commercial property, having started her career as a commercial agent in Central London and Hong Kong, and later moving into development design and specification of high-end residential property with Knight Frank and Hamptons. Following the birth of her youngest son, she moved out of the corporate world and into design assistance of private homes for families in London.  It’s no surprise then that design and spatial awareness come naturally to her. From the moment we step inside No. 1, her keen eye for detail is clear. Each element has been thoughtfully curated: stone floors that feel both practical and tactile, soft neutral tones that let the view do the talking, and window seats perfectly placed for long conversations over morning coffee while watching the tide turn.

The house has been cleverly reimagined as two apartments, Marners Rock No. 1 and No.2, which can be booked individually or together. Behind a discreet curtain lies a connecting door, giving families or friends flexibility to make the space their own. Every detail has been considered, from the handmade beds, shelves and benches crafted by local maker Pip, to the Moroccan basins that add a touch of global flair. Alison points out a deceptively simple design feature, the higher‑than‑average beds. They allow air to circulate freely (a must in Cornwall’s coastal climate) while also creating useful under‑bed storage. “It’s those little things,” she smiles, “that make a property not just stylish, but smart.”

We wander through the linked apartments before Alison shows me the garage, used for general storage and housing a sophisticated pump system that ensures consistently good water pressure. “The practical bits,” she laughs, “are so unglamorous, but they really matter when you’re running a business.”