The Shell House, Winchelsea Beach, East Sussex

At the foot of Winchelsea Beach and within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is Morlais Ridge, an unmade road that borders Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. It is also the setting for The Shell House, a four-bedroom house beautifully reimagined by designer Pearl Lowe in recent years. Outside, an acre of gardens encompasses a two-bedroom cabin, a heated swimming pool and plenty of parking space. The house is well-placed for easy access to Rye, and to the sandy beaches of Camber just beyond.

The Tour

The house is set back from the lane behind gravel parking areas and a large front terrace, to which a bedroom and the kitchen open. To the left is the main entrance, opening through double doors to a large Victorian-tiled, deVOL-designed boot room and utility which serves as the main entrance. From here, a further set of double doors open to a music room, where a spiral staircase with Roger Oates-carpeted treads twists to the first-floor bedrooms.

Beyond a bathroom and guest WC are the two ground-floor bedrooms, one of which is en suite; fixtures here are by Burlington. White-painted wooden floors extend throughout and blend with timber-clad walls and gentle off-white plaster. Each of the ground-level rooms opens up to outside space.

The kitchen, breakfast room and rear reception are arranged in a sweeping open plan, with natural light pouring in from many directions including a roof light in the vaulted pitched ceiling. The kitchen is also by deVOL and is arranged around a huge copper-topped island. Light shaker cabinets are wonderfully paired with brass fixtures and a ceramic butler sink. As part of the renovation, the heating system and plumbing have been completely updated, and vintage cast-iron radiators have been added to contrast with the gentle wood aesthetics. The slatted ceiling of the kitchen turns to painted beams in the vaulted reception, and double doors open to the rear decked terrace.

The timber cabin within the garden is a superb addition to the house, with two bedrooms arranged around an open-plan kitchen and reception with a wood-burning stove. It offers excellent independent guest accommodation or the option of holiday rental; both houses have been in great demand for the latter over the past year.

Outdoor Space

The garden of The Shell House is unusually large for the area, extending to around an acre. Borders of mature trees and shrubs around lawns and long-grass meadow sections merge to create a private, intimate setting and a haven for wildlife. Along Morlais Ridge, quiet paths offer tranquil walks through fields of pebbles to arrive at Winchelsea Beach.

The Area 

Winchelsea Beach is a quiet seaside village and shingle beach, superbly positioned for easy access to the many highlights of the East Sussex coastline.

Morlais Ridge itself backs onto the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, composed of varying habitats: scrub, woodland and lagoons, and home to thousands of species of native wildlife. A fantastic backyard expanse for walking and cycling routes, or days on the beach.

The popular town of Rye is less than three miles away and offers great restaurants – the Globe Inn Marsh, The Fig and Standard Inn are particularly notable – and there is also an independent cinema alongside a growing number of independent boutiques. The Old Town in Hastings is around 20 minutes by car and is home to the Hastings Contemporary, as well as a wide variety of shops and restaurants.

Nearby Pett Level marks the end of the Royal Military Canal, a defensive structure that runs for 28 miles to Hythe in Kent, built in preparation for a possible invasion by Napoleon. The shallow lakes and reed beds of Pett Pools attract an enormous variety of both breeding and over-wintering wildfowl and waterbirds. The Saxon Shore Way footpath (running from Gravesend in Kent to Hastings) is easily accessed and there are spectacular walks along the Jurassic Coast across the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. Pett Level Beach is also nearby and great for swimming, with a sandy cove which stretches all the way towards Winchelsea and Rye Harbour.

There is a wide choice of state and private schools in the area, including Claremont School, Battle Abbey School, Buckswood at Guestling, Eastbourne College, Vinehall at Robertsbridge and Marlborough House in Hawkhurst.

Rail connections from Rye are excellent, with branch-line train services to Brighton and Ashford offering high-speed connections to London St Pancras.

Council Tax Band: C
Tenure: Freehold