Alan Titchmarsh's stunning second home in Cowes with royal link

Love Your Garden host regards his farmhouse in the picturesque Hampshire countryside around Alton as his primary home. Yet how much did viewers know of the blissful beachfront hideaway he has on an island and likes to retreat to as a second home?

He and wife Alison, whom he has been devoted to for half a century, regard their Isle of Wight coastal property as a "lovely escape". Alan has been visiting Cowes since childhood - and it's not difficult to see why. He shared his joy over the location being a second home in a 2021 interview, telling : "It's a better pace of life and it's so nice to be by the sea - that stretch of water and being cut off from the mainland gives you a sense of going overseas."

Cowes is world famous for its yachting opportunities, which are known to draw in members of the royal family, and there are connections to historical royal figures there too, with 's much loved Osborne House being a key landmark.

The monarch died there, in the country mansion said to be one of her favourite places on earth, over 100 years ago.

It has since gone into the care of English Heritage and is open to curious members of the public, who can enter the state rooms and even see the late Queen Victoria's private beach.

Meanwhile, like the royals of today, Alan has a passion for sailing and it's one of the things he loves to indulge in most during dreamy holidays shared with Alison.

"As I'm an early riser, I start the day on the veranda with a cup of tea, watching the sun coming up over the water," he explained.

"Then I might go for a pootle in my 21ft long motorboat. I have always liked the water - I'll go around the island to find a bay and drop anchor."

As well as being a buzzing maritime hub, Cowes is also lined with quaint houses and independent boutique shops.

He and Alison had a flat there a quarter of a century ago, before moving to their £1.25 million Hampshire home where they welcomed their two daughters, Polly and Camilla.

With ten acres of land to befit Alan's green fingered ambitions, it keeps him occupied - but his Cowes holiday home, which he visits whenever possible, will always hold a special place in his heart.