About this property
Located at the southern fringe of historic Winchelsea Town with views across National Trust land to the sea. A charming shop is just 300m across the pretty churchyard and the town pub is a 200m ‘straight line’ back to the house. St Thomas’s is renowned for its 20th Century stained glass windows and the medieval Alard tombs, or simply wander through the picturesque streets, lined with charming cottages and historic buildings. There are many vineyards in the area, including Oxney Organic Estate. Keen walkers can also enjoy exploring the many local footpaths on offer including the 1066 walk and ornithologists will delight in the nearby Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. The vibrant town of Rye (3 miles) with its historic landmarks, has at least six really quite good restaurants. Family friendly, Camber Sands is 7.5 miles and Winchelsea & Pett Level beaches are even closer offering great low tide walks.This property was built in 1953 by High Court Judge Sir Melford Stevenson, famed for unsuccessfully attempting to defend Ruth Ellis the last woman to be hanged - she kept insisting she was guilty- and for sentencing the notorious gangsters the Kray twins to at least 30 years each. It has been recently refurbished (in 2024) preserving many of the 50’s features, including the original yellow bathroom. The spacious entrance hall has original paintings by the respected local landscape artist William Warden (1908-1982). From here, you can enter the light south-facing living room, which offers lovely views across the garden and fields to the sea. This room is furnished with comfortable mid-century style seating for everyone, a Smart TV, and an open fire for chilly evenings. A retro card table plus a piano keyboard, record player and a varied vinyl collection provides the perfect after dinner entertainment. Folding doors from the living room lead into the dining room (seats 10) which in turn is open to the newly fitted kitchen with AGA, well-equipped for whipping up delicious family meals. French doors from the dining room open out onto the patio and into the garden. Adjacent to the kitchen is the scullery, which houses two dishwashers, and an additional fridge freezer. There is also a separate utility room and a garage with a 7kw EV charging point. Just off the main hallway, you'll discover the study, furnished with oak panelling originally from the Old Bailey, a comfortable sofa, a varied collection of books, and another Smart TV. A desk makes this the perfect retreat for those looking to catch up on emails or for a little peace and quiet. Completing the ground floor is a new shower room with the original 1953 cloakroom WC. Heading up the elegant staircase to the first floor you will find a wide landing with five comfortable bedrooms: The master bedroom offers a super-king bed and adjoining the neighbouring twin room should you need to create a family suite. Alternatively, the twin room can also be accessed via the main landing. There are a further two double bedrooms and an additional twin bedroom. Both the double rooms and one of the twin rooms offer vanity basins. Completing this floor is a shower room with WC and the aforementioned original yellow family bathroom.Outside you will find the ‘green’ room, a covered seating area with sofas, a BBQ and a ‘harlequin’ dining table which seats 10, making this the perfect spot for outside entertaining, even on cooler days. The flat garden with several secluded spots has a croquet lawn and is perfect for children (and adults) who want to play games including badminton. A separate pavilion hosts a table tennis table. There is additional seating area on the south facing patio which benefits from views across the croquet lawn and the ha-ha, over the National Trust fields to the sea in the distance. Please note, there is a pond in the garden and children must always be supervised, there is also a ha-ha into the neighbouring field so a dog must also be supervised at all times, as the garden cannot be fully enclosed. Please also be aware, no parties are permitted at this property.
5 bedrooms – 1 super-king-size, 2 doubles and 2 twin bedrooms
3 bathrooms – 1 family bathroom with bath, hand-held shower and WC, 1 shower room with WC and 1 ground-floor shower room with WC
3 oven/2 hob AGA, plus a 2-ring gas hob, 2 additional electric ovens including a combination microwave, warming drawer, American-style fridge/freezer, 2 dishwashers and an additional fridge/freezer
Utility room with washing machine and tumble dryer
Travel cot and highchair
Open fire
Smart TVs in the living room and study
Covered garden area with a charcoal BBQ, sofas and a dining table with seating for 10
Garden games including table tennis in the pavilion, croquet and badminton
Bike storage
Private parking for 4 cars
Beach 2 miles, shop 300 metres, and pub 200 metres
Please note, there is a pond in the garden and children must always be supervised. There is also a ha-ha into the neighbouring field so the dog must also be supervised at all times, as the garden cannot be fully enclosed
Please note, group bookings may be checked to ensure the purpose of the stay is for a holiday, and where relevant, a security deposit may be requested