Tackleway, Hastings, East Sussex

This Grade II-listed Georgian townhouse occupies a commanding position in Hastings Old Town, overlooking the glens and gorse of Hastings Country Park as well as the rugged East Sussex Coast. With four-bedrooms, the house has been recently renovated in collaboration with a local designer, creating a home that encapsulates its seaside position while encompassing the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi – the celebration of nature and the imperfect. Expertise was also brought by a specialist builder who works for the National Trust. The street is among the most tranquil in the area, yet it is minutes from the heart of the Old Town with its creative shops, loved pubs and fine restaurants.

Setting the Scene

Hastings has gone through many iterations. Once a small fishing village, in the 14th century it became a smugglers haven and later, following the Napoleonic Wars, a popular seaside resort. Inaugurated in 1891, the West Hill Cliff Lift funicular railway has retained its original Victorian coaches and even today allows visitors to admire panoramic views of the town and sea.Tackleway was one of the last areas in Hastings Old Town to be developed due to its tricky terrain on the cusp of East Hill and the Hastings cliff line. Most of the homes in the area were built at the end of the 18th century and in the first half of the 19th century, with this house built in approximately 1810.

The recent restoration process of the house involved local conservators and craftsmen. Peg tiling at the rear was revealed by stripping the cement render and sourcing replacement tiles from local reclamation yards; the British slate roof and lead work over the bay windows and entrances were redone by local roofers. The façade was repaired with lime render and painted using Keim Mineral Paint – renowned for its resilience to coastal weather – in a biscuit hue that complements the black-framed sash windows and iron railings.

The Grand Tour

There are two entrances to the house, the front accessed from Tackleway and the side from the small path that runs down to East Hill passage. The front door, accessed past a small patio with smart iron railings, is tucked into a newly restored Portland Stone doorway, opening to an atmospheric hallway. Here, exposed original wooden floorboards have been sanded while walls are lime plaster and left unpainted.

The tranquil living room is at the front of the plan on this floor. Due to the house’s elevated position, the large bay window in this room has a spectacular vista of the Hasting’s rooftops, the sky and the sea. A steel wood-burner is set on brown gloss tiles, in-keeping the pared-back palette.

The kitchen and dining room are on the lower-ground floor; both are characterised by clever tiling from local manufacturer Aldershaw. In the kitchen, white tiles reflect light that pours through a window overlooking the patio. A central island made from timber topped with black slate countertop dominates the room; a rustic butler’s sink with copper accents is set into it. Above, the ceiling is lined with tongue-and-groove panelling.

Across the hallway is the dining room, where one wall is finished in the same gloss tiling as the kitchen, offsetting exposed copper piping. A fireplace with exposed brickwork hewn from a rugged stone creates a focal point; brown diamond tiling runs underfoot in both rooms. The dining room ceiling is lime plaster over hand-riven chestnut laths.

Four bedrooms are distributed between the first and second floors. On the staircase, wooden floorboards have been exposed, and wooden bannisters have been treated with Osmo, adding lustre. The ground floor has one light-filled bedroom currently used as a study.

On the first floor is a bedroom with views over Hastings and a foliate iron fireplace with a wooden surround. There are two further bedrooms on the second floor; the room at the rear has a large built-in wardrobe and a bespoke desk made from poplar wood. The fourth bedroom is similarly fitted with floor-to-ceiling wooden panelling, creating cohesion between the two rooms, which are connected by a Jack-and-Jill WC.

The Great Outdoors

The house’s location on the periphery of Hastings Old Town has allowed for a spacious town garden. It is enclosed by red brick with a wooden trellis topped with mature ivy. The slopes of Hastings are mirrored in the gentle incline of the garden, with paving leading from the house towards a wooden area that catches the last of the day’s sun.

Out and About

Hastings is a thriving town, perennially popular with creative communities. Such are the idiosyncrasies of the area that, in 1990, the art critic Jonathan Meades suggested the town be renamed ‘Bohemia’.

The old town is home to some legendary antique traders and independent retailers, including AG Hendy and Co, Warp and Weft, Hawk & Dove, Vintage Bird, Robert’s Rummage and Hastings Antiques Warehouse. Art galleries are likewise abundant; the most significant is perhaps Hastings Contemporary (formerly the Jerwood Gallery) designed by HAT Projects, though there are many others of note, including The Rebel Gallery, Lucy Bell Fine Art and The Memorial Gallery.

An ever-growing number of restaurants are boosting Hastings’ gastronomic reputation, including Rock-a-Nore Kitchen, The Crown, The Albion and local stalwart Maggie’s Fish and Chips. On the High Street, Judges Bakery (founded in 1826) and Penbuckles delicatessen are perfect community food shops.

Hastings is known for its live music scene, and Sunday evenings are the best time to catch an act. The Stag on the East Hill holds lively folk nights, or for a more peaceful pint, The Jolly Fisherman has a fine selection of craft beers within its buttercup yellow walls.

This is a town rich in culture and traditions live large; the raucously surreal Hastings Jack-in-the-Green celebrations are the largest of their kind in the country, and the town bonfire procession is equally evocative.

Hastings is also a brilliant foothold to explore other coastal spots and characterful towns. St Leonard’s, Rye, Camber and Dungeness are all easily reached by car.

Hastings station is a 20-minute walk from the house, with frequent services to London Bridge and London Victoria station. Trains reach London Bridge in an hour and 20 minutes and Charing Cross in one hour and a half.

Council Tax Band: C