Guide Price | £1,650.000 - £1,750.000 |

Panthill is set within the picturesque East Sussex Village of Barcombe. It is a uniquely beautiful, detached family home with five bedrooms, two studies and three generous reception rooms, plus a fully equipped one-bedroom annexe. It is surrounded by almost 3-arcres of glorious gardens and land which includes stables and a paddock for horses looking out over some of the most exquisite countryside. Positioned just 2 miles from the County Town of Lewes and just 10 miles from the seaside City of Brighton & Hove, this property offers comfortable country living while remaining well connected. Cooksbridge commuter train station is just a 5 minute drive from the house with direct links to both London Victoria and Gatwick, or Lewes Station is equally close by.

Built during the early Victorian era, the house is brimming with character and original period features. It was extended during the turn of the 20th Century to include a two-storey workshop and a self-contained annexe, yet there remains further scope for modernisation and extension to add space and value. Perfect for families with children of all ages, the local schools are excellent with the OFSTED ‘Outstanding’ Barcombe Primary in the village, and several high-achieving secondary schools within catchment. Barcombe also hosts a thriving and welcoming community with a country pub and a village shop, plus the café culture and shops of Lewes and Uckfield are a short drive away. For families and professionals alike, looking for the best of both worlds, close to the cities, the coast and the countryside; this property is ideal.

Style: Detached early-Victorian house (1830s)
Type: 6 bedrooms (5 double, 1 single), 3 bathrooms + WC, 4 reception rooms, 2 studies/snugs, 2 kitchens, 1 workshop
Location: Barcombe
Floor Area: Please see floor plan
Outside: 3-acres of gardens and paddocks with stables
Parking: Driveway with space for several cars
Council Tax band: G

Introduction:
The drive from Lewes to Barcombe takes just a few minutes along country roads which wend their way through an area of outstanding natural beauty. This exceptional family home is a hidden gem amongst it all, accessed up a shingle drive shared by just one other property. Originally built as a row of several cottages during the early 19th-Century, it bears classic Victorian architectural features with gables, decorative brickwork and Sussex hung tiles on its upper façade. Leaded light windows feature throughout, and the later extension is in keeping with solid wooden beams in an Arts & Crafts style. A semi-circular drive sits to the front of the house encasing an immaculate lawn bordered with flowers and a neat hedgerow to conceal the house and its grounds from the road.

Entrance Hall & Workshop:
Entering the property to the side of the house, a terracotta tiled path leads to the front door within a portico entrance. As expected from a house of this stature, the entrance hall is impressive with a grand pillared staircase rising up through a galleried stairwell to the first floor. There is a deep cupboard for household items and several hooks for coats run along the corridor to the kitchen.

To the right of the entrance, forming the ground floor of the later extension, the workshop is any creator’s dream with natural light streaming in throughout the day via a wide bow window. It is currently used as a joiner’s workshop, but it is a hugely versatile space with incredible views over the garden and the wildlife within it.

Reception Rooms & Snug:
Homely and spacious, there are two main reception rooms sitting off the main entrance hall; both with garden views to the front of the house. Original period features are abundant in each with two open fires in the sitting room and an open inglenook fireplace with seating in the formal dining room. Both rooms have space for the whole family to come together in the evening or for festive gatherings and meals around the fire which adds both warmth and atmosphere as the weather cools.

Along the corridor to the kitchen, the snug room is tranquil; ideal for reading, study or working from home. It would also work well as a teenage TV space or a play room for young children perhaps.

Kitchen & Dining Room:
The original terracotta floor tiles run along the hallway and into the informal dining room and family space where a kitchen table and relaxed seating sit before a beehive fireplace and mantel. This warm and comfortable space feels like the heart of the home for cooking and family time. It would be simple enough to open this space to the kitchen next door which would add to its sociability; to include an island or an extension into the garden to give it a greater footprint and incredible views, with direct access for alfresco drinks and dining – all food for thought.

The kitchen itself is well-designed for the space with a deep larder and timber cabinetry paired with granite worktops. Within these, the oven and hob are integrated, while the dishwasher and fridge are freestanding, and the utility room is separate in a room across the hall.

Gardens & Grounds:
Surrounding the house, the gardens are manicured with an array of flowering plants, herbs and trees to give each space definition. There are areas for barbecues, summer suppers and soirees or for children to play in safety. Behind the house is a large shed for storage alongside a private orchard with fruit trees inviting a wealth of local wildlife. It is a treat for the senses out here with verbena, clematis, palms, and roses which bring scent, colour and shape to each space, alongside well-established shrub and hedgerow borders which are relatively low-maintenance, considering the scale of the garden.
Across the drive, the paddock and adjoining field is fenced off with two stables for horses, although these are no longer in use. This land could have any number of uses depending on the needs of the family, but it has been used for off-road biking and riding in the past.

First Floor Annexe:
Formed from the first floor of the later extension to the house, the annexe rooms create a fully equipped one-bedroom apartment with an open plan living room and an en suite double bedroom with glorious views over the South Downs and surrounding countryside. These rooms are generous and full of period character and charm. Edwardian fireplaces and leaded windows continue the country-house scheme, while the kitchen and bathroom are well-appointed with a hob for cooking and an integrated fridge, while the en suite has a full bath suite with a traditional shower attachment.

Ideal for long-term staying family members looking to live independently but with the security of the family nearby, or alternatively for an au pair to live and work close to the children.

Bedrooms:
Running the full width of the house, the first-floor landing has bedrooms and bathrooms on either side. Aside from the annexe, there are four further double bedrooms and a single room which would again be ideal as a study. Every room has been decorated in restful tones in keeping with the traditional style of the house and all have soft carpet underfoot. All have period fireplaces and original features, and several have built-in wardrobes or space for freestanding pieces of bedroom furniture. The countryside location ensures these rooms are tranquil spaces with only birdsong to disrupt your sleep in the morning.

Bathrooms:
Aside from the bathroom in the annexe, there are two further bathrooms on the first floor. The family bathroom is lined in Travertine stone around the bath and vanity unit below the basin. A deep double cupboard houses linen and towels and the views from the window are private.
Fitted more recently, the shower room is on-trend with metro brick wall tiles and a rainfall shower showerhead in the glass enclosure. A column radiator warms the room and there is contemporary storage below the hand basin.

Agent's thoughts:
“Feeling every inch the country manor, this beautiful home has character, history and space in abundance. It has been expertly maintained both inside and out, being careful to retain its many incredible features, yet there remains huge scope for further modernisations which would add value. It is no surprise that the current owners have stayed here for almost four-decades – as have the neighbours, as it is a wonderful place to live and to raise a family. It is rare for homes of this calibre to come on the market in Barcombe, so it really does need to be seen to be admired.”

Owner's secret:
"We knew from the moment we entered this house that it has a good energy and we immediately fell in love with it and is the reason we have stayed so long. It has been an incredibly happy home for us over the last 38-years. We raised our family here, enjoying the countryside for horse riding, or walks to The Anchor Inn for boating along the river. It is the perfect house for big family gatherings – particularly at Christmas with the fire roaring in the dining room. My mother lived in the annexe very comfortably and independently in her later years when we appreciated having her close – but it has also been fantastic as a guest suite when friends come to stay. It will be such a wrench to leave, but we are moving to be closer to family."

Where it is:
Shops: Barcombe Village Shop 2 min drive, Lewes/Uckfield 8-10 min drive
Train Station: Cooksbridge Station 5 min drive
Seafront or Park: South Downs on your doorstep, Seafront 15-20 min drive
Closest Schools:
Primary: Barcombe Primary School (OFSTED ‘Outstanding’)
Secondary: Lewes Priory, Chailey School, Uckfield Community College
Private: Bede’s, Burgess Hill School for Girls, Lewes Old Grammar School, Hurst College

The expansive house is only 4 miles from the County Town of Lewes and 10 miles from The City of Brighton & Hove. Cooksbridge Station is a short drive from the house with its direct mainline service to London Victoria, 54 minutes and Gatwick Airport 25 minutes. Barcombe has a lively community with an active Facebook Page and is a thriving village which has a well-supported school and two village shops. It is served by bus services to Lewes and other villages but there are plenty of local amenities. The opera house of Glyndbourne is close by, as is the relaxed café culture of Lewes where there are larger supermarkets and restaurants, or there are farm shops in Offham and Barcombe selling local produce.