With 10 bedrooms, centuries of fascinating history and a beautiful position within the South Downs National Park, South Hay House makes for a truly special property. James Fisher takes a look.
Positioned on a south-facing slope within the South Downs, South Hay House, near the villages of Binsted and Kingsley, is a characterful property that was once the home of the writer H. V. Morton, the Daily Express reporter famed for scooping The Times at the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun.
The sprawling property is currently on the market via Hamptons with a guide price of £5 million.
Fresh from covering the opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb with Howard Carter, Morton converted the large stone-built barn and turned it into a library, linking it to the main house.
Today, the vaulted room, with its extensive shelving and lattice bay windows offers the perfect space for relaxing or entertaining.
Further interior highlights include 10 bedrooms, a wealth of period features and a south-facing vinery that opens out into the garden.
Outside, the property stands in just over eight acres of gardens and grounds; immediately to the south are the formal and kitchen gardens, as well as two paddocks, while a further paddock sits to the west.
The property can be found in the small rural hamlet of South Hay, about a mile from Binsted, where you’ll find a local primary school, the ‘Binsted Inn’ pub and a recreation ground with tennis and croquet clubs.
You’ll also find a village shop, post office, local pub and pre-school in the village of Kingsley, also located about a mile away. Bentley is approximately four miles from the hamlet and runs a mainline train to London Waterloo.
Slightly further afield you’ll find the historic market towns of Alton and Farnham, with a good range of shops, restaurants and weekly food markets.
South Hay House is currently on the market via Hamptons with a guide price of £5 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.
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