Excavations only a few metres away have revealed fragments of fine pottery dating from 50 BC, and it is thought that this area, facing the river and with its back to the hilltop fort, was once home to wealthy Roman aristocrats. The lower walls were built with masonry 'borrowed' from the town's medieval walls. The upper floors date from the 1890's, as does the impressive staircase with its wrought iron banisters. So it is almost certain that the site was been an urban residence for over 2,000 years.

Carrer Llarg runs into the main square of Blanes, Placa de Catalunya, so is only a minute or two away from the sea front, the two main beaches, markets, shops, banks and restaurants. With the main taxi rank and bus terminal less than 100 metres away a car is not necessary. (See separate sheet for information about Blanes itself and access from airports and railway stations.)

As recently as 40 years ago, there were dozens of impressive houses in Blanes with a similar history, especially in this part of town and along the sea front, but the building boom that started in the 1950's, when mass tourism came to the Costa Brava, led to most of these being demolished in favour of high-rise apartment blocks, so that today only a handful remain, and the Town House is the only one available as a small private hotel or guest house, possibly in the whole of the Costa Brava.
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Beyond the double front doors characteristic of this period the entrance hall has a waist-high frieze of decorative tiles from Castellon. The walls are decorated with antique plates and mosaics showing scenes of traditional Catalan agriculture, source of the wealth on which the house was built: the harvesting of olives and grapes, poultry farming and bee-keeping. These all come from Breda, the pottery capital of this part of Catalonia. An antique wooden blanket chest stands on one side, and on the other is a sitting room with comfortable chairs, for guests' use. There is also a refrigerator and if demand justifies there will be other facilities for self-service breakfast and snacks. The proprietor, Roger Cooper, lives in the remainder of the ground floor, with its patio garden of bougainvillea, lilies and honeysuckle, overlooked by the upper floors.

Passing up the stairway we come to the first floor, with four rooms. The two at the back, TH2 and TH3 are normally rented together, as they share a bathroom (shower/WC/basin). One is a double, the other a twin. Each has a washbasin, a wardrobe, bedside tables, attractive ceiling lamps, roll-up blinds and muslin curtains, with pretty bedcovers and floor mats of Indian cotton. Room 4, in the central part of the building, is a spacious twin with en suite bathroom (tub, basin, shower with doors) and a separate WC cubicle with basin. Room 5, decorated in a peach wash, also has an en suite bathroom, and tall shuttered French windows leading to a balcony overlooking the street. Double-glazing helps reduce noise and glare in summer. There is also a sitting area with a rustic wood-framed sofa-bed. Above this is a large antique mirror painted in moderniste style.
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The roof terrace is one of the most appealing features of the Town House. A neighbour looking up from the street at the olive, pomegranate, palm and orange trees joked that Blanes now has not just two, but three botanical gardens. Unlike the others, you can eat, drink and sunbathe in this one. Some two dozen Mediterranean species have been planted in large terracotta pots to provide shade, colour and scent. There are spectacular views of San Juan and its medieval watchtower, the unusual parish church built in a former palace-castle, and close up, the remains of the Roman hilltop camp.

At the far end of the terrace is a kitchen for guests' use, containing a large fridge, natural gas hob, microwave oven, washing machine and basic equipment, cutlery and crockery. Additional items can be supplied on demand. Outside is a large wood-burning barbecue, capable of cooking paellas as well as kebabs. Retractable laundry lines, an outside shower and wrought iron tables and chairs, with parasols, complete the picture.

The eight guest rooms and family suites of the Town House are available for periods of not less than three nights at prices that compare favourably with unmodernized local pensions, yet provide a far high level of style and comfort.