Maresfield
East Sussex
Architect: Peter & Beryl Harrison
Register for similar homesA wonderful example of a 1960s, single-storey gull winged architect-designed house, sympathetically updated and located on an attractive, level plot of approximately 0.41 acres. The six-bedroom property can be found on a private road in the large East Sussex village of Maresfield.
It was originally designed in 1964 by the architects Peter & Beryl Harrison for a sea captain and his wife and gained much attention and admiration at the time of construction. Today many of the original details remain, including timbered ceilings, exposed brickwork and a full-width glazing overlooking the gardens at the rear. For more information on the history of the house click here.
The house is entered via a covered walkway running beside the carport that leads to an entrance hall and into a recently updated kitchen / dining room. This space opens onto the 44 ft long reception room, which is divided into a main space and a family area at one end. This a room of rare quality, having extensive glazing bringing in floods of light and giving views across the lawns. On the other side of the kitchen / dining room are a bedroom, with en suite shower room, another bedroom (current used as a study) and a utility room.
A further wing of the house features four more bedrooms (one with en suite bathroom) and a family bathroom.
One of the real appeals of the property are the gardens, both front and back. The gardens to the rear are largely lawn, with some notable, protected mature trees and a paved terrace. There is a recently added summerhouse here as well. At the front, the garden is also largely lawn and run alongside a driveway which, as well as the carport, provides ample space for parking numerous cars.
The current owners have undertaken extensive work to upgrade and update the house in the last few years, whilst respecting the original design. These include renewal of the electrics, adding insulation, replacement of numerous windows, a roof replacement and installation of a new heating system amongst other things.
The house can be found on the sought-after Maresfield Park private estate. This lies adjacent to the Ashdown Forest, over which the owners of the house have commoners rights. The centre of the village of Maresfield is a short walk and offers a post office / general stores as well the Chequers Inn, a popular pub, a recreation ground and a primary school.
For a further range of shopping, schooling and dining opportunities, Uckfield and East Grinstead are nearby. Schools in the area include Tonbrige School, Cumnor House and Roedean. Buxted train station (which runs services to London Bridge in 70 minutes) is just 1.5 miles away.
Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.
History
The architects Peter & Beryl Harrison, a husband and wife team, designed the house for a sea caption, J.M. Hulsken and his wife, an arboroculturist as somewhere to retire. They left a Victorian house, which they considered too much work to maintain, to build this in a style that was greatly inspired by the sort of Scandinavian architecture that Mr. Hulsken encountered on his travels. He was also inspired by the practical, yet elegant, designs of many of the ships that he had worked on (indeed the house is named after one of these vessels) whilst his wife wanted generous views of the gardens and the mature trees that it contained.
In a book of ‘Architect-designed homes and speculatively built properties’, published in 1968, the house at Maresfield was given a double page spread. The author writes of a house that “is ‘modern’ in the best sense… on a delightful site”. They praise the “use of natural material” and state that “the preponderance of timber and uncovered brickwork produce an air of simplicity”. They also point out the use of double glazing and cavity wall insulation – both rare at the time. The book, displaying some original photography, is illustrated above.
