The Sunday School, Deal, Kent

Built over 200 years ago, this five-bedroom former schoolhouse in Deal's Old Town has been spectacularly reimagined by its current owner. It unfolds across over 3,960 sq ft, with a muted, limewashed palette that emphasises its generous proportions and soaring ceilings. Evocative original features have been paired with striking modern interventions such as the steel staircase that winds through the core of the house. An open-plan kitchen and dining room opens to a south-facing courtyard garden, with plenty of room for outdoor dining and entertaining. The Sunday School lies on Stanley Road, a street that leads directly to the town's beautiful shingle beach.

The Tour

The house's period frontage belies the unabashedly contemporary interiors within: Flemish-bond brick and a towering pitched roof render its profile unique along Stanley Road. Entry is from the north side, via an original wooden door that opens to a hallway. Ahead lies the sleek central steel staircase that, along with adjacent six-over-six Georgian glazing, makes clear the contemporary yet sensitive approach that the current owners took during its thorough renovation.

The house's material palette is wonderfully cohesive, with Farrow and Ball limewashed walls and polished concrete flooring across the ground floor. Upstairs, soft, neutral carpet runs underfoot in each of the five bedrooms.

A calming living room is found to the left of the ground floor. Here, original archways recall the house’s origins and are enhanced by gentle downlighting. There is a modern fireplace fitted into the original chimney breast, now framed by a marble and wood architectural wall finish.

The refined craftsmanship that defines the house is perhaps most impressive in the open-plan kitchen and dining room. The former comprises bespoke oak cabinets and marble worktops, with a central island housing a Bertazzoni range cooker. Above, an encased extractor fan above demonstrates the exacting approach to detail. Beyond is the dining room, which lies next to large French doors to the courtyard garden.

All five of the house's bedrooms lie upstairs. The principal is sublime, with tall ceilings, contoured walls and enough space for a seating area beneath a large original arched window. An equally immaculate en suite lies adjacent, with a freestanding Lusso Stone bath and a walk-in shower. A dressing room, housed on the mezzanine above, is accessed via a staircase in the bathroom.

There are two further bedrooms on this floor, both with en suite bathrooms concealed behind wardrobes. The remaining two bedrooms lie on the second floor and are framed by exposed timber frames.

There is a shared family bathroom on the first floor, beautifully finished with herringbone-laid marble tiles.

Outdoor Space

Entered via the dining room, the house's wide and private courtyard garden is bounded by brick walls along three sides, with a row of pleached holm trees along the fourth. There is plenty of space for a table and chairs and for some artfully potted plants and/or kitchen herbs.

The Area

Stanley Road is positioned in the heart of Deal's Old Town, encased by a series of winding narrow residential streets. Within easy reach is the the famed Ship Inn, while Middle Street Fish Bar, Le Pinardier wine bar and importer, and The Rose Hotel and restaurant are all easily reached.

The beach at Deal, with its array of wooden fishing boats, is less thana minute's walk from the house. Deal Pier, which was built entirely of concrete and steel, is nearby and is a wonderful stroll regardless of the weather, with a glass-clad cafe at its end offering uninterrupted views out over the channel.

There are plenty of excellent schooling options in the area including the highly regarded Brewood Secondary School, Warden House Primary School and Ripplevale School.

Deal has a mainline railway station that runs services to London St Pancras in under an hour and a half. London can be reached via the M2 in under two hours.

Council Tax Band: TBC