'If romance was a property, this would be it': A wonderful Georgian house in a conservation village in the heart of West Sussex
At the centre of a circle which takes in Chichester, Arundel, the South Downs and the South Coast, Eastergate House is a home which ticks every box.
Toby Keel
When estate agents use phrases like 'Georgian elegance' and 'timeless charm', what do they really mean? What visions are they trying to conjure up? (Beyond one of buyers writing large cheques, of course.)
The answer is that they're trying put their finger on the appeal of homes such as the Grade II-listed Eastergate House, in West Sussex. The rooms are huge and bright; the gardens, wrapping all around the property, are an idyllic slice of Sussex; the flint-knapped walls are covered in wisteria; there are endless little touches and original features to build the atmosphere of the home. It's for sale via Fine & Country at £1.75 million.
Eastergate is a five-bedroom house where the very walls contain history: much of the flint-knapping in this part of Sussex was the work of French soldiers held captive during the Napoleonic Wars (Chichester, just nearby, has many such examples). Historic England's listing for the house doesn't specify the exact date, but this part of the village — which sits half-way between Chichester and Arundel, and not far from the coast at Bognor Regis — is the heart of a small conservation area, which should give the new owners some reassurance about any future development nearby.
Once tucked away inside the house itself, the place is charming. Sunlit rooms are bright and spacious, and for a five-bedroom house it's huge at 6,000 sq ft. That translates to a home that has five reception rooms: a drawing room and dining room, as you'd expect, but also a library, a day room and a garden room. There's also a south-facing conservatory opening out onto the gardens, a pair of cellars, laundry room, a pantry and more.
Upstairs, the bedrooms are all generously proportioned — especially the master suite, which (for once) really is that. A door off the first floor landing leads to a small hallway off which are bathroom, separate cloakroom, dressing room, and the bedroom itself.
The other bedrooms aren't en-suite, instead sharing two large bathrooms between them, while the fifth bedroom could be set up as a separate living area: it has its own landing, and stairs directly down to the day room, which itself has a door leading out into the grounds.
The aforementioned mature gardens are eye-catching whatever the season. Landscaped, and with quiet seating areas incorporated, they wrap around the property in a caress, the plants and flowers providing year-round colour.
Additional features include a rose garden, a summer house, a greenhouse and a cricket practice net (the latter carefully positioned so as not to cause any risk to the former).
Anyone could be happy here, whether indoors or enjoying time alfresco. ‘If romance was a property, this would be it,’ says agent Goreti Gananca. It's not hard to agree with her.
Eastergate House is for sale via Fine & Country at £1.75 million — see more details.
