Albany Road, St Leonards On Sea, East Sussex, TN38

Architecture and interior
An impressive former private mansion built in 1879, Caple ne Ferne is a Grade II Listed property which has been converted to an incredibly high standard into 8 private apartments. The property sits in attractive private grounds with allocated off street parking. Retaining original wooden parquet floors and panelling and with lofty ceiling heights throughout, Number 3 Caple Apartments is the largest of these apartments with one bedroom and its own private garden and stone loggia.

The main entrance to the apartments signifies something special with original front door with stained glass inserts. Finishes to the common parts are impeccable and maintained to the highest standards. The apartment has retained its wonderful original solid wood parquet flooring throughout along with original oak wall panelling which glows with the patina of age and care. Ceiling heights throughout the apartment are 3.5metres which gives a lofty spaciousness. These features along with the secluded position of the property gives the flat an atmosphere of calm, light and peacefulness.

A generous hallway opens via original wooden double doors into what was once the Dining Room of the mansion and is now a deeply impressive Living Space with contemporary kitchen, dining and seating areas. Huge leaded windows with contemporary wooden shutters along one entire wall flood the space with light. The kitchen area is arranged in a Corian-topped ergonomic L-shape with integrated Bosch appliances and generous storage plus slide-away extractor fan above the hob. Bespoke cabinetry houses further storage and a fridge and freezer. The Living Space is incredibly impressive and allows flexibility and plenty of room to create “zones” for eating, entertaining and seating.

From the hallway, doors take you to the bedroom with integrated wardrobes along one entire wall. Lead casement windows on two sides of the room bring soft light into the bedroom. Original ceramic tiles in the bathroom lean into the provenance and history of the building while offering a pleasingly contemporary feel with stylish black marble shelves and traditional white bath, hand basin and loo.

The history of the building is fascinating: Caple ne Ferne was built in 1879 for Major Robert Tubbs (a retired army officer) and his French born wife Fanny. The very large, detached house with servant quarters was built by local architects Jeffery & Skiller in an eclectic style that is also reminiscent of the architecture of northern France. The name Caple ne Ferne was thought to have come from old Norman French meaning 'Chapel in the Woods'.

The house took full advantage of its commanding position and had open views to the sea from the balconies and veranda on the south side before the buildings opposite in Pevensey Road were later built. Principal rooms included the drawing room, dining room and a 'boudoir' (as described on the architect's drawings) which overlooked the garden to the south. Major Tubbs' room opened off a large baronial hall and three of the five bedrooms looked out to sea. Stairs led to a tower with a small west-facing balcony.

Caple ne Ferne was left to Tubbs' wife Fanny when he died in 1891 and remained her private home until her death in 1922.
The London Omnibus Company bought the house in 1922 and built a large extension which was subsequently opened in 1923. This contained a commercial kitchen, large dining hall and a games room big enough to house two full size snooker tables.

Upstairs were several bedrooms, some large, containing four to six beds, whilst others were smaller containing either one or two singles. During 1927 under the management of The Employees Friendly Society, the whole complex became a convalescent home for employees who needed to recuperate after illness or surgery.

The London Omnibus Company changed its role in 1933 and was renamed The London Transport Board. Caple Ne Ferne became known as The London Transport Convalescent Home for Male Employees and was financed by employee contributions levied by the unions.

Various bus garages undertook the responsibility of furnishing and maintaining one of the many rooms. Rooms were named after the bus garage that supported it, for example Forest Gate, Elmers End, Acton, etc. Other garages took on the supply of equipment, cutlery, snooker tables etc. During this time cost was never a problem and Caple ne Ferne even boasted its own private bowling green, much loved by the recovering patients.

The home continued to serve the employees of London’s transport system until 1992, when a dedicated convalescence home was no longer required. Caple ne Fern was often empty of patients but was so popular with past ‘inmates’ that they often returned to enjoy a week or two holiday by the sea. The home retained a large staff, including 4 gardeners and won many prestigious awards for its flowers blooms and lawns as well as being only one of two homes in the country that could boast an ‘oak hedge’ bordering the sandstone walls.

From the end of the hallway a further solid oak door takes you into the private covered external walkway which leads to a pretty stone loggia and the carefully planted garden which is rich with mature ferns and tetrapanax – a calm and quiet haven away from traffic noise and a rare asset for a flat in St Leonards.

To the front of the property is a large and well-kept parking area surrounded by a mature brick wall and trees. There is allocated parking for residents and spaces for guests.

Beneath the flat is a spacious and secure storage area which is shared with other residents and there is also a secure dry garage which can be used for bike storage.

In the neighbourhood
St Leonards and the seafront are a short walk from the apartment. St Leonards continues to thrive as a seaside town attracting people often with professional backgrounds in the arts to make it their home. An interesting array of independent restaurants, cafes, shops, a cinema and galleries continue to open and contribute to the unique culture of the town. Capel Apartments is close to the beautiful Markwick Gardens, a subscription park with a wonderful array of trees and planting.

Transport & Connections
St Leonards Warrior Square Station is within a fifteen-minute walk from Capel Apartments and connects to London Victoria, London Charing Cross, London Bridge and Waterloo East as well as, via a change at Ashford the high-speed connection to Kings Cross St Pancras International. Brighton, Gatwick Airport and Ashford International are all easy to access by train. Hastings Old Town can be reached in around 30 minutes by foot. There are also local bus services from close to Capel Apartments to St Leonards and the centre of Hastings.

Material Information 

• Long Lease (999 years from 01 January 2017) with a share of the Freehold.
• Property construction: Brick and stone
• Utilities: Gas, Electricity, Water Supply, Broadband
• Gas Supply & Electricity Supply: Independently supplied by EDF Energy
• Water supply & Sewerage: Mains connected with Southern Water
• Broadband: Standard download speed 11Mbps, upload speed 1Mbps. Superfast available (d/s 80mbps, u/s 20Mbps) Source: Ofcom 
• Mobile signal/coverage: Likely good external cover on all major networks, variable internal cover linked to EE, O2 & Vodafone. No internal cover linked to Three. Source: Ofcom
• Restrictions: Located in Markwick Terrace Conservation area. Grade II listed – listing no 1409493
• Flood risk: Very low to no risk of any type of flooding. Source: Gov.uk
• Coastal erosion risk: HL1 (Hold the line – maintain / replace). Source: Coastal Erosion Risks
• Planning permission: None known at the time of listing. source: Gov.uk planning decisions
• Coalfield or mining area: No. Source: The Coal Authority
• Flight path: Yes but not necessarily directly. Source: FlightRadar24

EPC rating: D. Tenure: Share of freehold, Service charge description: Includes building insurance, cleaning and gardening services of communal areas, window cleaning. , Known building safety issues or planned/required works: None upon listing Mobile signal information: ikely good external cover on all major networks, variable internal cover linked to EE, O2 & Vodafone. No internal cover linked to Three. Source: Ofcom