Maresfield
East Sussex

SOLD

Architect: Peter & Beryl Harrison

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“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.”

A 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 recently landscaped gardens at the rear.

The house is entered via a covered walkway running beside the carport that leads to an entrance hall and into an enormous 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 structured garden. On the other side of the kitchen / dining room are a bedroom, with en-suite shower room, another bedroom, 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 is the garden, both front and back. These have been artfully landscaped by the current owners to include raised beds and areas that are left to grow in the summer months. There are some notable, protected mature trees and a newly paved terrace. At the front, the garden is largely lawn and runs alongside a driveway which, as well as the covered carport, provides ample space for parking numerous cars.

Within the last five years extensive work has been undertaken to upgrade and update the house, whilst respecting the original design. These included renewal of the electrics, added 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 from the house, 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, East Grinstead and Lewes are nearby. Schools in the area include Tonbridge School, Cumnor House and Roedean. Buxted train station – which runs services to London Bridge in 70 minutes – is just 1.5 miles away. Haywards Heath station is a 20-minute drive and has fast connections (approx 40 minutes) to Victoria and London Bridge.

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 captain, 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.

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