The first time I visited Amsterdam, I went to a bar where everything was slightly off centre. The walls weren’t _quite_ straight. The bar wasn’t quite flat. None of it was particularly awful, and I didn’t really understand why it was designed this way.
It was only after drinking several beers and then stumbling outside that the illusion revealed itself — I had normalised the off-kilter bar, and as a result the rest of the world went wonky. The beers also probably didn’t help.
You might have to be careful at The Cottage in Hog Hill, East Sussex. It would not be accurate to describe it as ‘off kilter’. Some of the rooms in this house have never been near the kilter. It comes, therefore, as no surprise that this was once the home of Terrence Alan Milligan. Better known to you and I as ‘Spike’. The property is for rent with John D Wood & Co for £3,400pcm.
A characterful man deserves a characterful home and I think the Cottage qualifies. It features three bedrooms, a large kitchen and a living/dining room over three floors.
The highlight is, of course, that extremely off-centre living room. Talk about a conversation starter.
Thankfully, the rest of the property seems pretty straight, so you will be more than able to keep your sanity. There’s lots of period features throughout, from exposed beams, wooden floors and doors, and mullion and transom windows. There is also a very nice fireplace.
The glorious British seaside is only a 30-minute walk away from the property, and The Cottage also benefits from a large garden with great views of the surrounding countryside.
I suppose I should also mention that the property is opposite something called Hogg Hill Mill, which is the private recording studio of Sir Paul McCartney. So that would be a useful neighbour to have.
-
A 17th century farmhouse in Surrey with one of Britain's oldest squash courtsFords Farm is on the market for the first time in over half a century.
-
'You have to work hand in hand with the author — like a dancer has to work with the music': Illustrating Homer's epic poemsArtist Clive Hicks-Jenkins, faced with the colossal challenge of illustrating Homer's 'The Iliad' and 'The Odyssey', eschewed grandstand views of monumental battles, looking instead for what he calls the little cracks in the paving stones.
-
A 17th century farmhouse in Surrey with one of Britain's oldest squash courts
Fords Farm is on the market for the first time in over half a century.
-
The 15 best-value commuter towns for people working in London, according to new research from one of Britain's top estate agentsSavills have released their list of the best-value commuter towns in Britain. But do the sums add up? Toby Keel takes a look.
-
What everyone is talking about this week: Where are the new Cotswolds?The appearance of American Vice President J. D. Vance in the Cotswolds is a sure sign that they're saturated, but where else can you escape to that has the same charm?
-
19 outstanding country homes, from £450,000 to £20 million, as seen in Country LifeA spectacular country house in Yorkshire and an enormously impressive Channel Islands retreat are among the stand-out homes on the market this week.
-
Three homes down by the Thames, perfect for those who love messing about on boatsThis summer’s scorching temperatures will no doubt have endorsed the perennial appeal of Thames-side houses with frontage and private access to the river. Penny Churchill and Toby Keel pick out some prime examples.
-
A pavilion, pool and pleasure gardens at this Devon country house 'with not another building in sight'Ebberly House is a majestic country house in Devon built by one of John Soane's pupils — and as it comes to the market, it's a place Penny Churchill knows well.
-
Take over the world or throw a great big party on this private fort for sale in PembrokeThorne Island, dubbed the British Alcatraz, has been a £2 million labour of love. Now it could be yours.
-
The perfect summer house? A country home, beach house and rural escape rolled into one in a prime spot in SussexIf there's a finer house than Grangewood House in which to enjoy the summer, we'd love to see it. Penny Churchill takes a look.
