A charming former Rectory, well positioned in this famous village on the Ashdown Forest.
This fine Grade II listed house is steeped in history having been home for many clergy families right up until the late 1980s. It originally dates from around the seventeenth century, but notably there was a fine eighteenth century extension which has created the classic Georgian look and feel.
Works did not stop there, as the house has moved on and evolved over time, adapting to new requirements. A Victorian extension followed, providing a grand drawing room and extra bedrooms and, finally, there were some early twentieth century additions, which completes the picture as The Grange is today; a fascinating, stand-out village house.
Having been enjoyed as a wonderful private family home over the past 33 years, the house now requires considerable works going forward during the next phase of ownership. However, there are many incentives for an incoming buyer to undertake such a task, given such a fine house and an ideal location.
The interior offers abundant character throughout, including panelling to the study, an impressive opening to the entrance hall and a gently rising staircase, as well as two formal, but contrasting, reception rooms - one intimate and one being very grand. The layout of the open-plan kitchen/breakfast/dining room, which opens directly into the home office, makes for a perfect informal arrangement suitable for modern day living. In addition, there is a good ratio of bedrooms to bathrooms, so any proposed alterations to the layout can likely be kept to a minimum in the refurbishment process.
The park-like, lawned garden is interspersed with a good number of mature trees and enjoys distant country views. The boundary here has hedging, trees and rhododendrons and there is a pond with a feature fountain cited around to the side of the house, overlooked from the key reception rooms. There is a small paddock beyond the post and rail fencing, which has a field shelter and then a spinney beyond the boundary.
Church Street is a no through road for vehicles, becoming a pedestrian track with access to good footpaths for walking.
View payable Stamp Duty for this property
They say everyone wants to buy a Georgian Rectory. I can see why with this house, especially as I have always been attracted to the delightful village of Hartfield.
Robert Jacobs