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Why We Love Swiftsden House

Swiftsden House is an idyllic family home built in the Arts and Crafts era and cherished by the same family since 1978

Its magical setting within the High Weald AONB enjoys spectacular views over undulating hills fringed by pockets of ancient woodland as far as the eye can see

The house itself is a grade II listed handsome red brick building with stone quoining designed by prominent architect Sir Reginald Blomfield RA and built in 1892. Located on top of a hill close to the village of Hurst Green, the house is accessed via a smart set of double wooden electric gates which open onto a secluded gravel driveway flanked by grassy banks planted with assorted trees, shrubs and carpets of primroses and daffodils in the spring. The drive forks in two with one branch swinging off to a courtyard with garages and parking to the side of the house and the other branch continuing to a gravelled forecourt with further parking at the front of the house.

Groundfloor

The front door, with decorative shell hood, opens into an ante hall followed by a large reception hall with grand open well staircase and rooms fanning off to each side. The dual aspect drawing room with ornately carved mantlepiece enjoys wonderful views out over the gardens and hill beyond, as does the dining room next door which also has a smart mantlepiece and hatch to the kitchen. A sitting room with open fire and study provide separate quiet spaces.

Some of the most stunning views in the house are enjoyed by the orangery with hexagonal lightwell, and five sets of French doors which lead out to an outdoor dining terrace and flood the adjoining kitchen with light. The large family kitchen is a fantastic sociable space and room for a sofa and large breakfast table. A pantry, cellar with winestore, laundry cupboard with stacked washing machine dryer, and back hall with back door leading to the garage courtyard and internal door to the garage.

Upstairs

Swiftsden House has eight double bedrooms with a good ratio of bathrooms spread over the first and second floors. The principle bedroom with adjoining bathroom with bath are located on the first floor over the orangery and enjoy the same spectacular views. There are four more generous bedrooms one with an adjoining bathroom, and another with a balcony and a family bathroom and separate loo on this floor. The second floor is made up of a kitchen, three bedrooms one with adjoining bathroom , and a family bathroom.

Annexe

The annexe is on the first floor above the garage and accessed via backstairs next to the back door. It comprises an impressive studio games room with high vaulted ceiling and huge dual aspect windows, a triple aspect study with inbuilt bookshelves and Juliette balcony, a shower room, and a storage cupboard. This space would work equally well as additional accommodation.

Outbuildings

Double garage with internal access.

Glorious Gardens and Grounds

The house sits in an elevated position surrounded by 8.8 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens and grounds, which frame far reaching views.

Swiftsden s grand sweeping gardens are a charming blend of formal structure and informal planting. Level South facing lawns and stone terraces immediately around the house give way to terraced lawns with stone retaining walls forming a backdrop for colourful flower beds.

A central pathway leads down to a tennis court and an outdoor swimming pool to the West. The swimming pool is hidden from the house behind a neatly clipped yew hedge with pretty classical pool house and its own stone terrace seating area, a great afternoon suntrap for drinks and lunch in the summer. A large greenhouse and formal kitchen garden with raised beds for soft fruits, vegetables and cut flowers sits below.

The East of the garden is informally planted with a variety of shrubs including a substantial Rhododendron walk, which provides a sea of lilac coloured flowers in the late spring.

Location

Swiftsden House sits within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in East Sussex close to the hamlet of Swiftsden and village of Hurst Green. Surrounded by ancient woodlands and gently rolling hills, the landscape is dotted with traditional Oast houses, brick and tile farmsteads, and cottages, reflecting the region s rich hop growing history.

Hurst Green has a range of amenities including several shops, a Post Office, pub, village hall, church, C of E Primary School, village cricket club and Eggs to Apples, an excellent family run farm shop. Further shopping and restaurants can be found in Etchingham and Ticehurst which has a Michelin starred restaurant, The Bell Inn , and a wider choice of shops and supermarkets in the market town of Royal Tunbridge Wells.

The area offers fantastic walking right from the doorstep with a great network of local footpaths which take in rolling open fields and also woodland, an ideal habitat for birdlife, including nightingales who have been heard locally. Dale Hill Hotel Golf Club, Hurst Green Cricket Club, and Etchingham Tennis Club are all nearby.

Cultural amenities include Pashley Manor Gardens, Sissinghurst Gardens, Bodiam Castle, and Charleston Farmhouse, with the coastal attractions of Camber Sands Beach and Dungeness also within easy reach.

Fantastic schools

There is a selection of excellent schools in the area with prominent independents including Marlborough House, Vinehall, St Ronan s, Kent College Pembury, Cranbook, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks and Benenden.

Transport

Etchingham Station 3.5 miles away, is located on the Hastings mainline and providing regular direct services to London Charing Cross from 1 hour 14 minutes. Wadhurst Station, 7 miles away, also has regular services to London Charing Cross from 1 hour 2 minutes.

Hurst Green 1.5 miles, Etchingham 3.3 miles, Royal Tunbridge Wells 13 miles

Central London 52 miles, Gatwick Airport 34 miles

Etchingham Railway Station 3.3 miles services to London Charing Cross from 1 hour 14 minutes

Wadhurst Railway Station 7.3 miles services to London Charing Cross from 1 hour 2 minutes

All distances and times approximate

Chapters Past

The High Weald, with its high proportion of surviving Ancient Woodland is regarded as one of the best preserved and most complete medieval landscapes in the country. In late summer and autumn, farmers would drive their pigs into the area s woodland grazing, places known as dens , to fatten them up on acorns and beech mast. Eventually, these areas evolved into permanent farmsteads and small settlements, giving rise to the region s characteristic pattern of scattered farmsteads, and the term den persisted in local placenames, including Swiftsden.

Swiftsden House itself was designed and built at the end of the 19th century by prominent architect Sir Reginald Blomfield RA, who designed many distinguished buildings in the late 19th and early 20th century, and is perhaps now best known for his work on Chequers between 1909 and 1912. Not only was Blomfield one of the foremost architects of his day, he was also an influential garden designer and vocal exponent of the art of formal garden design, believing architecture and gardens should relate to one another. Blomfield designed several spectacular gardens on hilltop sites, including at Mellerstain House and at his own home Point Hill in nearby Kent. He also notably laid out the gardens at Sulgrave Manor in Northamptonshire, the seat of George Washington s ancestors.