Woodlands, Hundredhouse Lane, East Sussex

Wrapped by its own woodland, this four-bedroom house’s exquisite minimal interiors allow the surrounding greenery to take centre stage. Its low, single-storey profile, pitched roofs and banks of glazing evoke the clean lines of mid-century design. The historic town of Rye is a 10-minute drive away.

The Tour

The house has a striking black rendered façade punctuated by wide planes of glazing. The recessive colouring sympathetically blends the house into its surroundings and presents a lively contrast to the bright white walls of the interiors. A sparing palette of natural materials has been used throughout, foregrounding the setting. The house is arranged in two distinct wings connected by a central portion with a flat roof.

Its long driveway has plenty of space for parking as well as a separate garage.

The house is characterised by its relationship to the garden. Surrounded by doors that lead out to its various terraces and lawns, there are many ways to come and go through these welcoming spaces. The main front door opens to a generous hallway with room for storage.

Around the corner is a large living room with portrait windows and full height sliding doors framing views of the rear terrace. The space is centred around a limestone hearth with a working fire. Douglas pine floorboards run from here throughout this wing of the house. A second reception room to the left looks out toward the rewilded part of the garden. A separate bathroom and study lead off from here that, so that if used as a bedroom, it could make for a wonderfully self-contained space.

The kitchen sits centrally, connecting the sleeping and the living wings at the far sides of the plan. It is set down a single step and has full-height sliding door drawn back to open the space to the terrace at the front of the house. Cork floors provide warmth underfoot. The kitchen is finished in a natural oak palette with black accents, tactile Modric handles and solid oak worktops. There are integrated appliances and an induction hob. A utility room sits at the back of the plan and opens to the rear terrace.

Cork flooring continues through the second wing of the house. This has four generously sized double bedrooms and a family bathroom arranged along a central corridor with built-in storage. The main bedroom is an en suite with an extra-long bath, space for plenty of storage and views over the front garden.

Outdoor Space

The house is bookended by a front and a rear terrace, with an area of tended lawn to one side. A pergola with climbing wisteria provides a shaded spot at the rear, where raised brick beds filled with established perennials and grasses offer further planting space.

Beyond is a wonderful three-acre expanse of specimen trees and rewilded grass. Over the years, the owners have established almost an arboretum of beautiful trees including hornbeam, white cherry, chestnut, oaks, acers and maples.

This beautiful glade has a secluded woodland feel and roots the house in its idyllic countryside setting.

The Area

Udimore is a rural village a short drive from Rye in East Sussex, Surrounded by the ancient landscapes of the High Weald. On the route towards Rye are The King’s Head and The Plough at Cock Marling for local pubs and Tibbs Farm which serves an excellent variety of cake and farm produce, positioned on a rise overlooking the beautiful Tillingham Estate.

Rye, with its wide range of shops, pubs, restaurants, and train station is a 10-minute drive. It is perfectly situated to explore the surrounding beaches, countryside, pubs, restaurants and local vineyards. Its rich historic centre is a patchwork of cobbled streets and beautiful independent shops and cafés. Attractions include Merchant & Mills, Puckhaber, Sailors, and The Rye Bookshop. The twisting lanes are peppered with independent galleries and there is even a popular independent cinema, Kino, set within an old church building. The town has a number of excellent eateries including The Fig, The Lemongrass, and The Union alongside a thriving pub and café scene.

Tillingham Winery, a mixed farm set in 70 acres of rolling countryside and woodlands, is a short drive from the house. Home to vineyards, fruit trees, ancient woodland and livestock, it also provides a place for visitors to stay and enjoy the produce of the farm and the local area.

The house is within a 20-minute drive of Camber Sands, a stunning five-mile stretch of unspoilt sandy beach located in East Sussex, close to the border with Kent. It has one of the purest and longest dune systems on the South Coast, and the only one to be found in East Sussex. Both Camber Sands and nearby Greatstone are well-regarded as kite and windsurfing beaches.

In the immediate area are the famous Rye Golf Club links course and the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, which lies within a large triangle of land extending south from Rye, along the River Rother, past Rye Harbour to the sea, westward to Winchelsea Beach and northwards along the River Brede. The popular towns of Hastings and St Leonards are also easily accessible. Dungeness and the beaches at Winchelsea and Pett are a short drive away.

Rye Station is approximately a 10-minute drive away, with services to London St Pancras taking around an hour. Ashford International is about 20 miles north, providing links to the continent and to London via the high-speed line.

Council Tax Band: G