This captivating, Grade II-listed, six-bedroom former farmhouse occupies a plot in the centre of Bexhill-on-Sea’s historic old town and conservation area. It was originally constructed as a tied cottage of the neighbouring manor house; built together but as two separate dwellings, it was later combined into a single home covering over 4,500 sq ft. The house has been lovingly and painstakingly renovated under the current owners, who are well-versed in the quirks and responsibilities of historic home custodianship. It is one of the most architecturally handsome and historically significant homes remaining in Bexhill.

Setting the Scene

This house was first built as a cottage tied to the local manor at an unknown date. However, historical references, coupled with the home's architectural characteristics, indicate that the main fabric of the house was constructed in the 17th century, and the principal façade was altered to its current state circa 1780. The Manor of Bexhill, to which the house was tied, has a documented history extending over a millennium. The house was combined into a single home at an unknown date by the Pocock family, whose ownership spanned several centuries up to the 1990s. For more information, please see the History section below.

The Grand Tour

Entry on the ground floor opens to a hall with a sitting room on the right and a reception room on the left. The sitting room has a beautiful fireplace with intricate brickwork; the south-facing reception room is brilliantly bright and also has an original fireplace. The reception room leads to the dining room, wonderfully appointed, with walls painted a smart navy hue.

The large Shaker-style kitchen lies to the rear of the plan and can be accessed from either the dining room or hallway. Hardwood floors run underfoot, and a large window overlooks the garden. A cornflower-blue Aga lies at the heart of the room, within a nook where an open fire would once have been. There is an adjoining pantry with contrasting terracotta floor tiling. The secondary drawing room at the back of the house has double-height ceilings, a wood-burning stove and roof lights that let in plenty of natural light. This was formerly the sausage production room for Pocock butchers, which lay next door in Stamford House. Adjacent, there is a wet room, well-placed to wash off the sand after a swim. Beneath the house, there are also two generous cellars currently used for storage.

The west end of the kitchen has a back staircase that leads to the first floor, where there are four large bedrooms - one of which is currently used as a library - and two bathrooms. The rooms are linked by a characterful hallway warmed by the hearths below, lined with seagrass carpet that runs underfoot throughout the upper floors.

The second floor is home to the main bedroom suite, with a large dressing room and en suite bathroom featuring a large clawfoot, rolltop bath. The second of the bedrooms on this floor is currently used as a study. The third floor contains attic rooms, currently used as playrooms and storage space but could easily work as two further bedrooms or as another bedroom suite.

The Great Outdoors

The mature walled garden has extensive planting, including magnolia, lime, holly, bay and walnut. It extends roughly 120 ft and contains the former forge within. This is currently used as a potting shed but could be a small writer's den or workshop.

Three parking spaces for the house lie next to the larger outbuilding, which would make for excellent secondary accommodation; a planning application has been successfully applied to alter the building into guest accommodation/a home office, however, these have since expired. Boswell House owns the freehold to the courtyard behind the house, with rights of access granted by the current owners to the cottages that abut the courtyard.

Out and About

The house is in a wonderful location, just minutes from the shingle and sand beach that lies just down the hill, perfect for swimming, paddle-boarding, sailing and fishing. The home is within walking distance of The Amsterdam shipwreck, which can be seen at low tides from the miles of Sussex coastline that frame Bexhill. One can even walk along the coastline to Hastings, enjoy lunch there and then catch the train back to Bexhill. The village is home to the De La Warr Pavilion, an iconic building and community hub that hosts music and comedy events, as well as fantastic art exhibitions.

Bexhill-on-Sea is equidistant between Rye and Lewes, both beautiful, characterful towns with plenty of amenities and events. It is a half-hour drive from the South Downs National Park and Glyndebourne Opera House.

Trains run from Bexhill to Brighton, taking around an hour. There are also trains from Bexhill to London Victoria, which take approximately two hours, whilst the drive is about the same. Gatwick Airport is an hour and 15 minutes by train and around an hour by car.

Council Tax Band: F