96 Manor Road, Deal

This distinguished five-bedroom home in Deal, Kent, combines original period features with thoughtful contemporary details. Believed to date to around 1680, this Grade II-listed house sits in one of the most historic parts of Upper Deal. A series of versatile living spaces occupy the ground floor, while the upper floors are home to four well-appointed bedrooms and a peaceful snug. Deal’s pretty seafront and pier are within walking distance, as is its rail station.

The Tour

The house’s smart red brick façade is punctuated by a series of sash windows. Those on the ground floor are set in marbled cement surrounds, to match the grand pedimented doorcase.

Inside, an entrance hall opens onto a vast sitting room, where a log burner sits in a wide inglenook fireplace. Timber floorboards run underfoot, leading to an intimate family room with original cast-iron fireplace.

To the rear of the plan, a bright kitchen has panelled cabinetry, stainless steel worktops and views of the garden. An adjacent dining room has an inglenook fireplace surround, a witches’ mark etched into its timber lintel.

On this floor there is also a light-filled study, its panelled window stretching across the wall to capture leafy garden views. It sits next to a handy guest WC and utility room.

Two expansive double bedrooms are found on the first floor. One has fitted storage and an en suite shower room, while the other has a useful dressing area. A third bedroom has dark-stained floorboards and is currently used as a home office.

The fourth bedroom lies on the top floor, illuminated by a dormer window. It has an adjacent snug, which could also be used as a bedroom, and there is a bathroom with a roll-top bathtub.

Two dry cellars provide additional storage space.

Outdoor Space

A pretty walled garden lies to the rear, and has a neat lawn bordered by a variety of mature trees and shrubbery. One of the house’s two cellars is accessed via a set of stairs in the garden, and would be suitable as a workshop or garden storage space. There is also a private gated parking area.

The Area

Deal is a perennially popular coastal town, known as one of the most attractive in Kent. Its stretch of coastline is famed for its striking concrete-and-steel mid-century pier, with an architect-designed café at its end. Popular dining spots include The Rose hotel, known for its excellent bar and food, and its sister restaurant, The Blue Pelican.

Le Pinardier, The Black Pig, Climpson & Sons and Jenkins and Sons are the go-to for groceries, meat and fish, respectively. For more local produce, there is also a fantastic Saturday farmers’ market. As far as homeware shops are concerned, Dunlin and Diver, Will and Yates, and Mileage are among some of the finest; there are also several well-known art galleries.

Schooling options in Deal and the surrounding areas are aplenty; Deal Parochial Church of England Primary School, The Downs Church of England Primary School, Sir Roger Manwood's School, Goodwin Academy and Dover Grammar Schools are all well regarded.

Trains run from Deal station to London St Pancras in under 90 minutes. Services also connect to Kent’s other popular seaside towns, including Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate. The A2 is also easily reached by car for travel into the capital, and the Eurotunnel at Folkestone is just over 20 miles away, making access to the continent especially convenient.