Hunston Manor House

The Grand Tour 

The house is approached via a long track leading from the main road, past the church and along the driveway towards a handsome façade. Built during the reign of Charles II, the house beautifully illustrates the era’s Restoration style. A rare double-moat would have surrounded the house at one point; a single moat remains, fed by a large pond complete with a wooden pontoon. Entry is through a central front door into the lobby. To the left is a reading room/snug; to the right a large hallway, complete with a deep brick inglenook, once covered over with plasterboard but revealed by the current owners. At the far end is the formal drawing room, home to one of many large fireplaces. These rooms run along the front of the house with windows bookended by original shutters that frame bucolic views of the front garden, the pond and the church.

A second entrance, through an informal boot room, is found at the other end of the house. To one side is a store-room once used for food and meat, which has original meat-hooks hanging from the beams. This is a flexible space that could be used as a study or snug. Opposite lies a generous kitchen with a soaring pitched ceiling, intersected by the original beams. It has a warming oil-fired Aga, blue-painted cabinetry and solid oak floors with windows overlooking the formal rose garden. Beyond is a pantry with a deep butler sink and a downstairs WC, set against a quarry-tiled floor. Leading off from the kitchen, glazed French doors open from the dining room onto a sun-drenched, south-facing brick terrace. A long corridor with a beautiful flagstone floor leads past a library lined with bookshelves to a generous hall with a brick inglenook, now occupied by a wood-burning stove.

A wooden staircase leads upstairs to the main bedrooms, passing a large window and lovingly restored original wood panelling en route. The master bedroom has two large windows which frame views of the serpentine driveway, the moat and the church. A row of cupboards create a dressing area and there is a generous en suite bathroom with a luxurious freestanding cast-iron bath. On this floor, there are two further double bedrooms, each with a distinct atmosphere and style. Upstairs in the old maids’ quarters are three further bedrooms.

The Great Outdoors

Hunston Manor House sits in the middle of three acres of private gardens and a further three acres of organic fields. To the rear of the house, the south-facing sun terrace bleeds into the lawn which abuts a beautifully sculpted yew hedge. A tall opening within the hedge leads to the tennis court, flanked on one side by an orchard with medieval-themed fruit trees including mature quince, apple, pear, mulberry and medlar.

To one side of the house is a formal rose garden complete with sculptural topiary and to the other is a swimming pool surrounded by paved areas – perfect for sunbaking on summer afternoons. An outhouse contains a pool house as well as a fantastic yoga studio, ideal for either solo practice or for hosting retreats. There is also a hardstanding surface surrounded by outbuildings with running water and electricity, some of which are currently being used as studio space. There is a separate barn which a florist uses as her workshop and other barns which are currently used for storage but could easily be reinstated as stables or suchlike.

Out and About

Chichester is a small cathedral city with a rich history and a vibrant cultural scene, most notably including the renowned Chichester Festival Theatre and Pallant House Gallery. It is a settlement that dates back to Roman times and is renowned for its outstanding architecture of all periods. It has an excellent range of shops and restaurants; other attractions include the Goodwood Estate (where there is a racecourse and festivals throughout the year), the South Down Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Chichester Harbour, and nearby beaches including West Wittering. The mainline railway station runs services to London Victoria in approximately 90 minutes.