Sussex House, Lewes
Sussex House is an elegant Grade II listed Georgian townhouse in a prime position on Lewes High Street. Believed to date from the early 19th century, the house has brick elevations and sash windows to the front and elegant five bay windows to the rear. In the 1950s it was converted into office space and two years ago it was acquired by the current owners, who have undertaken a comprehensive and painstaking renovation, restoring the property to its original grandeur and creating a wonderful home with generous proportions and luxurious fittings.
It is approached from the High Street via a classic solid wood front door, sheltered by an elegant porch with graceful Doric columns.
The property has four reception rooms, five bedrooms and five bathrooms, with points of note including the reception hall, which reflects the understated elegance of the property with high ceilings, a working Georgian fireplace and a turned staircase. The drawing room has the original mantelpiece and is connected to the sitting room by interior double doors, which open up to create an impressive entertaining space.
A galleried walkway leads across the stunning open space of the double height dining room to the stairs leading down to the lower ground floor. The dining room has full height glazing on the one corner, ensuring light floods the room and creating a focal point both on the interior, by framing the view of the garden, and externally, with its architectural contrast with the original rear elevation.
The dining room is open to the kitchen/breakfast room, which is fitted with contemporary solid oak cabinetry offering plenty of storage with clean lines, complemented by the polished concrete floor that runs through to the dining room. There is a spacious bespoke steel island, set with a sink, a Gaggenau gas hob and electric grill, and with space for seating. An impressive curved, glazed door replaces the original bay, creating a flow to the rear garden.
The lower ground floor is a good counterpoint to the formal reception rooms and ideally suited for day to day family life; to the front is a cosy yet spacious cinema room with painted wood panelled walls providing a splash of colour. There is an entrance from street level to the stone-flagged boot room and adjoining utility room. A cloakroom and boiler room complete this floor.
The bedrooms are arranged over the first and second floors, reached by the graceful turned staircase which has been refurbished and extended. The principal bedroom lies to the rear, benefitting from the curved bay window. Its luxurious en suite is a truly individual room, with a vintage French shower enclosure as its centrepiece.
All of the bathrooms have been individually designed and feature fine details including vintage showers and Barber Wilson taps.
The guest bedroom is served by a separate bathroom, and the first floor study lies beyond. There are two further en suite bedrooms on the second floor. To the rear of the second floor is a self-contained flat, with living room, a well-equipped kitchen/dining room and a bathroom, which would be ideal for staff or for extended family.
The walled garden is a fine feature, fully enclosed with a generous lawn and a classic Sussex knapped flint wall to one side. Reclaimed stone steps have been excavated down, creating terraces, and there is space to eat and relax outdoors. There is parking at the property, which is accessed from East Street.
Rohan Vines of Savills said: “This is such a beautiful house. I think my favourite room is the dining room – the floor to ceiling window is a striking and effective feature.”.
Guide price of £2,500,000.
Contact Rohan Vines, Savills,
Tel: 01444 – 446008.
