A delightful Georgian house that's perfect for anyone who loves life by the waterside
Ivy House is a beautiful home in a prime spot on the south coast. Penny Churchill takes a look.


If sailing’s your scene, you’re in luck: a house has come up for sale in the historic coastal town of Emsworth, Hampshire. Here, you might take the helm of Grade II-listed Ivy House, a handsome, late-18th-century property with a large, three-storey, Victorian rear extension, which stands in a prominent position on King Street, a quiet no-through road leading down to the beach, to which it has access via a shared private path.
Launched in August with a guide price of £3.25m through the Chichester office of Strutt & Parker, the house was built in 1790 by a Mr King, a prosperous merchant who supplied the materials used to build Emsworth’s once-thriving fleet of oyster boats from a timber yard behind the house.
In 2018, Ivy House was acquired by its present owner, a retired Winchester GP and a lifelong sailor. The setting is at the northern end of an arm of Chichester Harbour, 2½ miles from Havant, eight miles from Portsmouth and nine miles from the cathedral city of Chichester; the good doctor was persuaded to move to Emsworth in part for its two sailing clubs. The port has easy access to the calm waters of Chichester Harbour, with the Beaulieu River, the Solent and the Channel beyond.
With more than 5,000sq ft of accommodation arranged over five levels, the house, which has a distinctly nautical feel, has undergone a comprehensive restoration including the re-tiling of the roof, the installation of a new heating system and three new, high-spec bathrooms, and the replacement of old windows with double-glazed wooden sashes.
A neutral colour palette is used throughout and warm-toned wooden flooring creates a sense of cohesion between the living areas. These comprise a front-facing family room, study, dining room and a raised sitting room overlooking the harbour — as indeed is the bathroom which, if you dare, allows you to soak in the tub while watching the boats bob up and down in the harbour.
In total, Ivy House offers four reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room, seven bedrooms and two bathrooms, with planning consent to convert the vast loft into a further room with high-level views across the Emsworth water to the Isle of Wight.
For sale via Strutt & Parker — see more pictures and details.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
The Chichester Harbour AONB, a slice of Sussex where nature, beauty and history come together
Rosie Paterson takes in the all-too-often overlooked Chichester Harbour.
The best places to live south of London, from charming rural villages to picture-perfect spots beside the sea
With more and more of us commuting two or three days a week, taking on a one or two-hour commute
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
LAPICIDA — Tile & Stone Specialist
Lapicida is a world-class specialist in luxury surfaces.
By Country Life Published
-
What lies beneath: The weird and wonderful things lurking in Britain's museum basements
From radioactive rocks to great white sharks, and a dolphin called Boris, the things stored in Britain's museum basements make the mind boggle — and now plans are afoot to improve visitor access.
By Deborah Nicholls-Lee Published
-
A converted bothy on the shores of Loch Tay from which to enjoy the fresh tastes of Spring
Waterfall Cottage offers four bedrooms and a garden that stretches right down to the lapping waters.
By James Fisher Published
-
An idyllic home in Hampshire that's perfect for the musical mind
Lyewood House sits in 3.5 acres and comes with a purpose built recording studio and an outdoor heated pool.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
A well-connected rural playground with 23 acres on the edge of the South Downs National Park
Old House Farm is an impressive family home with a wealth of amenities that would inspire any rural passion.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
18 magnificent homes for sale from £550k to £20 million, as seen in Country Life
From a charming thatched cottage to a 300-acre estate with its own vineyard, here's our pick of places to come to the market via Country Life of late.
By Toby Keel Published
-
If heaven is on earth, it might be in this home with a converted chapel that is now a swimming pool
5 Wood Barton Town House is part of an exclusive 80-acre development in Devon that also comes with fishing rights on the River Avon and four bedrooms.
By James Fisher Published
-
The sounds of spring and stained glass in an Arts-and-Crafts masterpiece in Dorset
With 35 acres, more than 10 bedrooms, a swimming pool and tennis court, Winterfield has it all.
By James Fisher Published
-
An eight-bedroom wonder in East Sussex where the outdoors are an adventure
The interiors of Old Middleton are pretty good too.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
A lakeside farmhouse on the market in the beautiful heart of Pembrokeshire
A lake, streams, 15 acres and five bedrooms. Rogershook might have it all.
By James Fisher Published