House For Sale £1,800,000
High Street, Rye, East Sussex TN31 7JF

ROOMS Reception hall, Cloakroom, Drawing Room, Sitting room, Dining room, Kitchen/breakfast room, Former dairy/laundry room, Medieval Cellar, Principal bedroom with en suite shower room, Three further first floor bedrooms, 3 Bath/shower rooms, Four Attic rooms, Garage & garden room/studio, Parking, Part walled garden of approaching one third of an acre
 

LOCATION Centrally positioned in the High Street in the heart of the Conservation Area of the Ancient Town and Cinque Port of Rye, renowned for its historical associations, medieval fortifications and fine period architecture. As well as its charm and history, the town has a comprehensive range of shopping facilities and an active local community, with the arts being strongly represented; Rye Arts Festival and Rye International Jazz Festival are both held annually. From the town there are local train services to Eastbourne and to Ashford International with high speed connections to London St Pancras in about 37 minutes. Sporting facilities in the area include golf at Rye, Cooden and Hastings, sailing on the south coast and many fine countryside and coastal walks. 

DESCRIPTION A distinctive Grade II Listed town residence of considerable architectural merit comprising the major portion of an early sixteenth century building with a Georgian façade, an unusual gabled rear elevation and a vaulted medieval cellar. The structure is timber framed with a fine mathematical-tile front elevation under a peg tile roof. The property, which has generous ceiling heights in all the principal rooms, has a wealth of fine period features including Elizabethan and Georgian panelling and enjoys the benefit of a large secluded garden, charming views and a private drive leading to a substantial garage. The property is now in need of general upgrading and improvement works. 

GROUND FLOOR A part glazed front door opens into a panelled reception hall divided by glazed doors with exposed timber framing, a Georgian curved display cupboard with scalloped shelves and oak floorboards. The well-proportioned panelled drawing room has a wide bay window overlooking the rear garden, an Adam style fireplace, fine oak floorboards and a part glazed door with an external wrought iron staircase leading down to a terrace.

The sitting room has exposed oak beams, an inglenook fireplace with a wood burner and fitted cupboards to either side. The dining room, which overlooks the High Street, has original window shutters and a moulded ceiling beam. The double aspect kitchen/breakfast room has a fitted range of worktops, cupboards and shelves, a stainless-steel double drainer sink unit, electric cooker point, quarry tiled floor, pantry and a door to the driveway. The cloakroom has a close coupled wc, wall mounted hand basin and a quarry tiled floor.

To the rear of the hall is a panelled staircase to the upper floors and stone steps leading down to a lower hall with a flagstone floor and doors to the garden, garage and former diary/laundry room with a window to the rear and an old brick floor. From the lower hall, brick steps lead to a barrel-vaulted medieval cellar with slate wine racks.
 

FIRST FLOOR On the first floor, bedroom 1, which has a panelled bay window overlooking the garden and with delightful views over the surrounding countrywide, has a fine Georgian fireplace and an en suite shower room. Bedroom 2 is a most attractive double aspect room with fine views and overlooking the garden, with exposed studwork, wide oak floorboards and an open brick fireplace. There are two further double bedrooms on this floor, together with a shower room and a separate bathroom. On the second floor, there are four attic rooms, two of which have views to the rear, and a bathroom.  

OUTSIDE To the side of the house there is a gated private drive, serving three properties, leading to a parking area and substantial garage with timber double doors, a vaulted ceiling with exposed timber framing and a wide opening to an integral garden room/studio with a glazed roof, old brick floor and doors to the driveway and main garden. Immediately to the rear of the house is a delightful stone paved terrace with climbing hydrangea, mature wisteria, mahonia and an arch door to a brick garden store. From the terrace steps lead to a pleasant and sheltered part walled formal garden with extensive mature lawns, fine specimen trees including acers, bay, magnolia and stocked borders underplanted with euphorbia, cordylines, globe thistle, solidago, geraniums etc. In all, the property is believed to extend to approaching a third of an acre.  

SERVICES Mains electricity, water, gas and drainage.
Council Tax Band G