Snooping around: Art deco homes

Property of the week: Thornton Steward, North Yorkshire. Built in 1803 by a local army captain taking a precautionary stand against an attack by Napoleon, this fortress later became a gentleman’s residence. Military intent survives only in the crenellations - inside it’s all blameless elegance: three reception rooms, four bedrooms, a study and a self-contained two-bedroom annexe, which strikes a jarring 1960s note. Cost: £750,000.
Knight Frank, 01423 530088 Photograph: Knight Frank/Knight Frank

Wreck of the week: Tetbury, Gloucestershire. This two-bed detached cottage needs a scary amount doing to it. £100,000 is a modest assessment of what’s required to do up the place properly. A complete internal reordering and most likely a structural overhaul are also needed. Pluses come in the shape of its location on the Badminton estate in an area of outstanding natural beauty, the potential for expansion, and the relatively affordable £175,000 price.
Knight Frank, 01285 659771 Photograph: Knight Frank/Knight Frank

Take three: Art deco homes. The current owner has returned the 1930s to Kent with this three-bedder in West Wickham. Even the light switches and door handles are art deco, and the fireplaces extravagant. For £425,000 you also get two reception rooms, a kitchen, bathroom and garage. Most of the rooms are generously sized with sweeping windows, and there’s a good-sized garden.
Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward, 020 8777 2381 Photograph: Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward/Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward

Take three: Art deco homes. This curiosity in St Margaret’s Bay, Kent, nestles in one of England’s most famous settings, at the foot of the White Cliffs with the beach below the front windows and vistas towards France from the seafront balcony. Your £800,000 also buys you a double reception, kitchen/diner, two bathrooms and a garage, but offers no protection from any storm surges.
Humberts, 01233 812060 Photograph: Humberts/Humberts

Take three: Art deco homes. London, N6, is the location of this monument to the period. Despite the A1 at the bottom of the slope, the city is kept at bay by woodland, heath and a golf course, while the expensive quaintness of Highgate Village is but a stroll away. For £269,950 you get a kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, as well as a huge reception and communal courtyard garden.
Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward, 020 8341 6666 Photograph: Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward/Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward