Ninfield Road, Bexhill-on-Sea

A stunning Grade II* Listed period house (4,343 sq ft), beautifully presented and sympathetically updated, together with a group of traditional farm buildings (3,430 sq ft) including a fine old Sussex Barn, and set amidst the most wonderful gardens and grounds - in all about 7.4 acres.

Description
Hollis Street Farm is an exceptionally fine example of a Grade II* Listed period house dating from the 17th century or earlier, the elevations being brick, part tile hung beneath a tile roof with the front facade being re-faced in red brick in the 18th century. This portion projects slightly with a painted string course and a porch with pediments.
The house is steeped in history and was previously owned by the Gilbert Scott family, more recently by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, OM, RA, FRIBA, the English architect known for his work on such structures as Liverpool Cathedral, Waterloo Bridge and Battersea Power Station, and for designing the iconic British red telephone box.
The main features of the property include:
• Front door opening to entrance hall. The wood panelled study has an open fireplace and a double archway leading through to the library with wood burner.
• The cinema room is fully panelled and the sitting room has an inglenook fireplace and a door to the garden.
• The kitchen/breakfast/family room also has an inglenook fireplace. From the kitchen a rear lobby gives access to the utility/boot room, the boiler room and the cloakroom, and has a door leading to the garden.
• The useful cellar is accessed from steps leading down from the long central hall. The rear hall has a door to the side of the house.
• The first floor is accessed via two staircases leading from the central hall. The principal bedroom has a dressing area and en suite bathroom.
• There are four further bedrooms on this floor, two with en suite bathrooms, and one family bathroom.
• On the second floor bedroom 6 has an en suite bathroom and access to the loft space.


The Outbuildings
These form a most attractive group of period former farm buildings. Three are grouped around the heated swimming pool 28’ x 13’10 with wide paved surround and additional area for sunbathing. This part of the garden forms a very sheltered and private setting, ideal for entertaining.
The period buildings comprise:
• Timber-framed Sussex Barn 47’ x 20’, the elevations being rendered at the southern end, part paved floor, pair of double doors at full height on two sides.
• Long Barn of brick and tile construction, comprising a games room 36’6 x 15’5 with kitchen 15’9 x 9’.
• Open-fronted four-bay carriage house of brick and tile construction 31’10 x 17’8 with paved floor and used for ‘summer lunches’. Attached tool shed 19’4 x 13’4.
• Shed/store 14’7 x 11’3 with attached greenhouse. Further large greenhouse. Former piggery.
• The Lodge - this is a heated timber-framed purpose-built building for entertaining up to ten guests.

Gardens and Grounds
These form a really wonderful mature setting for this Grade II* Listed house and over the years have been formed into interesting individual areas divided by old brick walls, established hedges and brick paths.
There is a gravel drive approach and parking space in front of a three-bay open-fronted cart lodge garage 25’9 x 18’. A brick path leads from the cart lodge to the garden immediately at the rear of the house with doors opening from the sittingroom and utility/boot room. This garden is very private, hedge enclosed with lawn, old brick paths and delightful brick courtyard. There is a brick and tile garden store 14’6 x 11’7 with attached greenhouse.
The front garden is wall-enclosed and has a central brick path flanked on either side by lawns and flower/shrub borders. Wrought iron entrance gates lead to the driveway and to the side garden where there is a further large formal lawn enclosed on three sides by high brick walls, one of which has a herbaceous border and features and fine Blue Cedar tree and old fig trees. Adjacent to this is a sheltered area prepared as a lawn tennis court.
Wrought iron gates lead into the rear part of the garden where there is a further stretch of formal lawn with herbaceous and shrub borders surrounded by established beech, yew and laurel hedges and featuring a magnolia tree, together with a vegetable/flower garden contained within five individual beds. To one side is a brick and timber-framed greenhouse 15’ x 10’, a lodge and a further brick and tile workshop (former piggery) with a glazed sink.
The remaining grounds have been laid out in a park-like manner with a mixed selection of established trees including horse chestnut, beech, oak, silver birch and copper beech. There is also a paddock with additional access onto the side farm lane.
On the opposite side of the garden is a further 2.8 acres of arable field.
In all about 7.4 acres.