The sheltered waters of Chichester Harbour, a West Sussex AONB since 1964 and a Special Protection Area for birdlife, are a Mecca for sailors and wildlife alike. Houses on the water’s edge rarely come to the market, reveals Mark Astley of Jackson-Stops who has launched enchanting Apuldram House at Dell Quay, near Chichester, onto the market for the first time in almost 60 years.
He quotes a guide price of £4.95m for the elegant Edwardian house, which comes with its own slipway and direct frontage to the upper reaches of Chichester Harbour, yet offers complete privacy thanks to its 2½ acres of impeccably maintained gardens and grounds.
The house has effectively only had three owners since it was built in 1900. The first was the Rev Richard Baker, who bought the land from the Church Commissioners and built the house. Rev Baker enjoyed his creature comforts and was known to get a little tiddly on occasions, leaving his groom to wonder whether he would remember to duck as he entered the stable building on his horse on returning from lunch. Often he didn’t and there was plenty of colourful language flying as he hit his head.
For the record, the stable building has since been converted to a garage and home office.
When Rev Baker died in 1936, the house passed to his widow, Ethel, who lived there for a further 25 years until she died in 1961, at which point, the Clifford-Brown family acquired it from her executors. In 1963, they bought additional land so they could plant an orchard and build the tennis court. Mr Clifford-Brown died in 1974 and his widow continued to live at the house until her own death in 1988.
The present owners, John and Sheila Perry, bought the house privately from the Clifford-Browns that same year; now, after 31 happy years, they have reluctantly decided to move on. Apuldram House offers 3,488sq ft of light-filled living space, including a reception hall, three reception rooms, a study and a kitchen on the ground floor, with six bedrooms and three bathrooms on the first floor.
In addition to the slipway, amenities include a hard tennis court and a heated swimming pool. The owners also have the use of a deep-water mooring allocated by the harbour authority.
Credit: Galbraith
Your own loch and 65 acres of Scottish countryside for the price of small flat on the outskirts of London
Credit: Platform Property
A wonderfully-bonkers Victorian bathhouse that brings all the fun of the fair — but best not to apply if you're scared of clowns...
Have you ever dreamt of running away to the circus, but were reluctant to leave the comfort of your own
Credit: Strutt & Parker
Five country homes with breathtaking sea views, from the top of Scotland all the way to South Cornwall
Stretching from the top of Scotland right down to the tip of Cornwall, these wonderful properties boast some of the
What's the most popular area for a second home?
A survey on www.countrylife.co.uk has identified the most popular choice for buying a second home
-
Where Venice once ruled: The roving Venetians left handsome imprints across the Greek world, from its religion to its rambling villasMatthew Dennison explores the lingering traces of Venice's vanished empire — and the best places to buy where it once stood.
-
Country Life 2 July 2025Country Life 2 July 2025 celebrates the British seaside lido, the life you'll find in graveyards and the history of picnics.
-
Where Venice once ruled: The roving Venetians left handsome imprints across the Greek world, from its religion to its rambling villas
Matthew Dennison explores the lingering traces of Venice's vanished empire — and the best places to buy where it once stood.
-
A delightful 16th century home with some of Kent's most beautiful gardens has come on to the marketThe Grange puts the 'garden' into the Garden of England.
-
A pristine Scottish island for sale at the price of a garage in FulhamA dot on the map of the west coast of Scotland has come on to the market, where you'll be surrounded by sea, living off grid and be neighbours with the local seal colony.
-
18 beautiful homes, from charming cottages to a Highland mansion with unbeatable views, as seen in Country LifeOur look at some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in the past week includes Georgian manor houses, charming commutable homes and the grandest home in Newcastle.
-
The gorgeous Somerset home of the designer behind one of Glastonbury's chicest spotsThe Manor in Hinton Blewitt is a glorious Georgian home that ticks every box.
-
A 600-year-old National Trust property that you can call homeThis blooming property in Kent showcases the original garden of England. Penny Churchill takes a look.
-
A wisteria-clad delight with lawns running down to the Thames at the prettiest riverside home for sale in London todayDeodar Road, near Putney High Street, offers unrivalled views of the Thames and is characterful in excess.
-
Five of the most majestic properties for sale in Britain today, from a 1,700-acre estate to a private island, as seen in Country LifeOur look at the best homes to come to the market via Country Life this week includes some genuinely breathtaking places.
