'After 32 years we still camp in the garden and have barbecues — it’s magical': Sarah Raven on her first house in the country
The gardener and writer Sarah Raven tells Julie Harding about her countryside haven in Sussex.
Where is it?
East Sussex, near the village of Brightling between Hastings and Tunbridge Wells.
A quick description
It’s a 90-acre farm with a farmhouse whose core dates from 1560 with 19th-century additions, as well as an oast house and a barn.
When did you buy it?
1994.
How did you find it?
We were living in London and went to see a house for sale. My father-in-law was elderly and my husband, Adam [Nicolson, the journalist and author], wanted to move closer to him. Friends had told me about the first house that was quite near, but it wasn’t right. I went for a walk before heading back to London and spotted a handwritten ‘for sale’ sign.
The Brightling Needle is a local landmark close by the village where Sarah Raven lives.
What made you buy it?
It wasn’t so much the house as the surrounding countryside: it reminded me of the Auvergne in France, with its rolling hills and fields.
Was the purchase smooth?
We dithered. It was quite expensive and a stretch financially, but the actual purchase was pretty smooth once we’d made up our minds.
Favourite aspect?
It’s hidden down a little lane and is surrounded by woods, which gives the setting a slight Hansel and Gretel feel. The house itself isn’t very practical. My husband is 6ft 3in and I’m quite tall, too, and it has very low ceilings in parts.
Best memory of living there?
When Rosie, our elder daughter, turned one, we had a birthday party and housewarming in a field under a canvas tent looking out over the views. We still camp and have barbecues there today; it’s one of the most magical things about the house.
Biggest mistake?
Mixing home and work life. With hindsight, I’d like to separate them.
Biggest indulgence?
The first thing we did was replace the cowl and restore the oast house, which is now Adam’s study and a space for guests.
Sarah Raven is creative director of her eponymous gardening brand. The next open days at Perch Hill, East Sussex, are on August 28 and 29. For tickets for these and her one-day course, A Day with Alan Titchmarsh and Sarah Raven ‘Why I Garden’ at Perch Hill Farm (September 22) visit www.sarahraven.com
