The Grand Tour
Entrance is through a gabled porch into a hall is laid with quarry tiles with a drawing room to one side, currently used as a formal piano room. It has an expansive inglenook fireplace with a stove inset and exposed timber beams overhead. It is thought that this room was once the kitchen; the beam above the fireplace bears marks to suggest where a roasting spit was once installed, alongside indentations at the side where knives were sharpened on the wall. On the other side of the hall is a second reception room, which has a wood-burning stove and is laid with oak flooring. Casement windows have been restored throughout.
Recently renovated to a high standard by the current owners, a bespoke hardwood kitchen at the rear is complete with a Belfast sink, an induction hob and oak worktops. A separate Stanley cooker doubles up as a boiler and emits warmth throughout the winter. A dining area flows from the kitchen, with French doors opening directly onto the garden, painted in a burst of Little Greene’s
Atomic Red. A walk-in larder is painted with Little Greene's
Indian Yellow and lined with bespoke hardwood shelves to maximise storage.
An orangery is set to one side through a stable door with a pitched glazed roof, a sun trap throughout the year. To one end lies a corridor leading to a double office with a vaulted ceiling, fully insulated and renovated by owners with a stove set within the fireplace. Overlooking fields directly outside with Firle Beacon in the distance, the room is spacious and light, with ample space for two to work from.
A well-proportioned utility room is positioned to one side of the kitchen, with plenty of space for the daily organising of a household, along with a handy ground floor WC. There is also a 15 ft cellar.
The ascent to the first floor is up a curved central staircase and onto a landing. The principal bedroom has exceptionally high ceilings, with exposed timber beams, original floorboards and enchanting views across the fields. Three further double bedrooms are sited off the landing, each with its own distinct character and outlook.
A shared bathroom is positioned at the centre, with a shower over the bathtub and clad in white tiles.
The Great Outdoors
A large garden with lawned and paved areas is well planted with mature trees and hedges alongside younger plants, including a weeping cherry, sweet peas, apple, fig and quince trees, and many types of flowers.
Ancillary buildings include a wood shed, tool shed and a garage. There is private parking on a gravel driveway.
Out and About
Selmeston has a church and an active village hall hosting yoga classes, theatre productions and writing sessions, as well as a village pub and cricket pitch.
There is much to do in the nearby Lewes, an 18-minute drive away, including a wide selection of independent shops, antiquarian bookshops and several antiques markets. There are numerous cafes, such as Patisserie Lewes and Flint Owl Bakery, and galleries, including
The Star Brewery Gallery and the
Needlemakers. Many independent businesses stock work by local craftspeople. A new cinema and art complex, The Depot, offers a varied programme of mainstream and arthouse movies.
Lewes Castle is a wonderful local landmark with stunning panoramic views across Sussex from the top of the fortification.
There are a number of good schooling options in the area, including Alfriston Primary, with many more in Lewes, Hailsham and Eastbourne.
There are regular connections to London Victoria, with trains either running direct from Lewes in one hour and 12 minutes, or from Berwick in under an hour and a half. Gatwick Airport is also only 33 minutes by train from Lewes.
Council Tax Band: G