Dutton Homestead
Emma Morby is the Director Of Land Acquisition at Heritage England Limited. In this article, she talks about Dutton Homestall, a Grade II listed property that was first established in the 14th century.
Dutton Homestall is a magnificent Grade II* country house situated on the edge of Ashurst Wood on the borders of East and West Sussex.
If jaw dropping beauty is what you are looking for, then this property has the wow factor!
The property is steeped in history and dates back to the 14th century. It started life as a hunting lodge for Edward III’s son and then became a farm house, but by 1903 it was derelict.
In 1907 Lord Dewar bought and restored The Homestall, added a substantial service wing, remodelled the gardens and bought in two farms to the north to create a grand estate. Lord Dewar died in 1930 and left the estate to his nephew who married in 1932, and soon after his wife declared the house was not big enough for the lavish entertaining that she had in mind.
He bought Dutton Hall, a large Tudor manor house in Cheshire dating from the 1580s, had it dismantled and then rebuilt alongside The Homestall. The grander and much larger house became known as Dutton Homestall.
During the Second World War Dewar offered the house as an auxiliary hospital to the nearby Royal Victoria Hospital. During the 1950s the house was bought by the owner of The Brunswick School and then in 1965 Stoke House School joined and amalgamated to become The Stoke Brunswick School. The school closed in 2009, and since then the house has fallen under private ownership.
The house is full of character, with an Entrance Door understood to be over 1000 years old and from a monastery in France, original flagstone flooring, a stunning Baronial Hall open to full height with wonderful timberwork, a Central Hall with a carved wood ceiling believed to come from the last man of war to sail into battle, and carved stone fireplaces with the inscription "This being made in the year of our Lord 1585". These are only a handful of amazing historic features hidden within this beautiful home.
The property is set back from the road with a long driveway and has approximately 3 acres of private garden. This 6/7 bedroom home also has a golf course, a swimming pool and tennis courts for those who enjoy the outdoorsy activities. Inside the property there are a further 2 studies, kitchens and a cellar.
If seclusion and history are what you are looking for then, this property really is the perfect match and will set you back a cool £2,900,000.
