Reimagined by Sir Edwin Lutyens for Victoria Sackville-West, a Brighton home for sale in the Regency square that inspired 'Alice in Wonderland'
Much of this beautiful home in Sussex Square was filled with rubble and hidden beneath a concrete slab for years. Annabel Dixon and Toby Keel take a look.
Sometimes, when we look at property, it’s easy to know where to start. It might be the unbeatable setting. It could be fascinating tales of past residents, or its literary links. Once in a blue moon it’s even the cooker.
But this house for sale at 40a Sussex Square in Brighton has us scratching our heads. Should we open up by discussing the fine architecture in one of the grandest Regency crescents in Britain, a place that’s been called home by Cate Blanchett and Nick Cave? How about the fact that there’s a secret tunnel from the residents’ garden direct to the beach, apparently a key inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland? Or should we kick things off with a love story featuring one of Britain’s greatest ever architects, and his wealthy patron?
Lutyens and Lady Sackville were both in their 50s when they collaborated on Sussex Square.
Well, as John Lennon wrote, all you need is love. So let’s begin with the Sir Edwin Lutyens and Victoria Sackville-West, Baroness Sackville, old friends who came together in the early 1920s at a time when both of their marriages had floundered, and built a beautiful relationship. She called him McNed; he called her McSack. They travelled across Kent and Sussex visiting beautiful houses and gardens, talking for hours and developing a wonderful warm bond. Google their names and you’ll casually see them referred to as lovers, but that’s pure conjecture: ‘The two enjoyed a close relationship,’ says our architectural editor John Goodall, ‘though the loss of all their correspondence conceals its character.’
What we do know is that McSack was so close to McNed that — among other things — she bought him a Rolls-Royce, and employed a chauffeur to ferry him around in it. And when she bought a trio of adjacent townhouses in Sussex Square, she of course turned to Lutyens to remodel and convert them into a single, superbly-grand home. It’s this home which is for sale right now, although only a portion of it.
Lady Sackville’s wealth (the source of which is a story in itself) proved not enough to run a household of this size, and she sold it in 1923. Following that it was converted — as have almost all the buildings on Sussex Square — into separate dwellings. Hamptons quote a price of £1.4 million for this home, the price reflecting the fact that it’s not an apartment, but a three-storey townhouse with garden (‘A very rare find in an area dominated by flats!’ says the agent Martina Tizani).
Stepping inside, the hall follows the shape of a curved staircase and opens up to an area that could be used to relax or work in. Unusually, the master bedroom and en-suite bathroom are also on this ground floor, with views of the private walled garden at the front of the house. There are a further two bedrooms — both dual aspect — and a bathroom on the first floor.
The real heart of the home is the open-plan kitchen, dining and sitting area on the lower ground floor. Natural light floods through the skylights above, creating a bright and airy space.
This floor is an intriguing blend of historic charm and modern style. A central walkway runs through the middle, showcasing archways designed by Lutyens. The brickwork has been left ‘au naturel’, adding to the effect. On one side is a sitting and dining area, while on the other is a glossy, white, pared-back kitchen with a breakfast bar.
Rather amazingly, this entire area was lost for years beneath a concrete slab. An article in the Brighton Argus from 2016 describes its discovery, along with the original plans drawn up by Lutyens; you can see the later at a local history site focusing on Brighton’s Kemptown.
It was a years-long project to clear out the rubble that once stood here and open the building up again. ‘We had known the vault was there, filled with builders’ rubble and other material,’ the building’s owner, Ian Barr, said at the time. ‘But we hadn’t realised the significance of it until we found the drawings. We couldn’t believe it.’
The property is at the reverse of the building, looking over Bristol Place rather than Sussex Square itself, but the address is still listed as Sussex Square, and as such it comes with the one of the most coveted objects in Brighton: a key to the private residents’ garden.
As mentioned above, there’s a strong claim that Lewis Carroll’s ‘rabbit hole’ in Alice was inspired by this. One of his siblings apparently lived on Sussex Square, and Carroll is said to have come to stay regularly during his life. As with every claim, about everything ever, some dispute the whole story, instead insisting that the tunnel was inspired by a narrow passageway in Oxford, where Carroll (aka Charles Dodgson) lived and worked for most of his life. But as you can see here, the Brighton claim is seductive; the tunnel really is very ‘Alice-y’.
Either way, Sussex Square is a glorious place to live, with the lively, blending beautiful architecture, ‘steeped in history and blue plaques’ in the words of the agent, with charming gardens and access to the sea alongside a location that has the Bohemian attractions of Kemptown on the doorstep.
40a Sussex Square is for sale via Hamptons — see more details.
