Uckfield, East Sussex

DESCRIPTION The Old Rectory is a fine example of how a character home can be restored to its former glory to create superb living and entertaining space. Occupying part of this imposing Victorian home the accommodation has until approximately 10 years ago, been used as The Rectory to the nearby Holy Cross Church located on a quiet no through road which provides plenty of privacy and security.
There is a consistency throughout this home; spacious accommodation, high ceilings, excellent views and large windows to take advantage of the southerly and westerly aspects. In total, there is over 4,000 square feet of accommodation to enjoy. From the L shaped entrance hall, you are met by stunning original style tiling which perfectly complements the white walls and 3 metre high ceilings. There are two main reception rooms, designated as the sitting room and the more formal drawing room. The sitting room enjoys a double aspect over the landscaped gardens and a feature wood burner. The drawing room measures an impressive 18’8 x 17’10 with bay windows and french doors to the garden. Similar to the sitting room, there is also a wood burner to enjoy. In both rooms, the three quarter length windows enhances the size of the room and amount of light they both enjoy. As impressive as these are, in our opinion, it is the kitchen/diner that will take your breath away. It is not just the size of the room or the ceiling height that you notice. It is the attention to detail, the granite work tops that complements the heated limestone flooring, the herringbone wood block floor in the dining area to remind you of what this home was formerly used as. The vision to remove the window that overlooked the terrace and replace with French doors now provides not only more light, but helps both rooms flow even better. The terrace is the perfect spot for breakfast or a late evening supper. The electronically controlled Aga sits perfectly within the chimney stack and surrounding cupboards and drawers. Off the kitchen there is a step down to an area which provides more storage and is built around the American style fridge freezer and access to both the front and the terrace.
Two further areas enhance the ground floor accommodation. There is a cloakroom between the entrance hall and the kitchen which also provides a useful area for hanging jackets and a cellar which is the perfect wine store area.
The light from the velux window on the second floor shines through to the galleried first and second floor landings. This area was deliberately opened up to enhance the light and feel of these two floors. The wide staircase, stripped landing floorboards and white walls help create the sense of space. On the first floor there are four bedrooms and two bathrooms. The master bedroom is above the sitting room and like the sitting room, benefits from a double aspect over the gardens. The en-suite is beautifully finished, with a large walk in shower and heated slate flooring. There is one bedroom which overlooks the gardens to the south and another which overlooks the terrace. The main bathroom is located here on the first floor, next to a cloakroom and another bedroom. The wide staircase continues from the first floor to the second floor where the fifth bedroom and the office provide excellent elevated views the South Downs National Park in the distance. This office is a great place to work from! Next to the office is a wet room with walk in Aqualisa power shower. Rather than have washing on the ground floor, our client has cleverly installed a utility area in the wet room. Sat behind doors to help create that clean look, is a washing machine and dryer with shelving. Off the wet room is the boiler room, which conveniently doubles up as the perfect drying room to complement the utility area.
As with the internal accommodation, much thought and work has been invested in the external appearance. The well-lit sweeping drive provides the perfect entrance to The Old Rectory and with it, plenty of parking. There is a garage and a brick built log store. The gardens have been landscaped and plenty of thought has been given to make the most of the sunny aspects. A terrace runs along the eastern and southern side of the home with space for garden furniture whilst a small bank and steps lead to the lawn area. The boundaries are enclosed by fencing and mature trees which help create some shading and will improve year by year.

LOCATION The Old Rectory is approached by a sweeping drive located on a semi-rural single lane track a stone’s throw from the High Street in Uckfield. All of the town’s local amenities can be found close by, from a range of independent shops to major brand supermarkets. At the southern end of the High Street is the train station, providing a commuter service to London in approximately one hour twenty. For those seeking a faster service, Haywards Heath station, forming part of the London to Brighton line, can be found 12 miles to the West. Uckfield has a large leisure centre, a historic picture house (celebrating 100 years in 2016) plenty of pubs and restaurants to eat in. Within striking distance is historic Lewes, whilst sought after nearby villages and hamlets include Nutley, Piltdown, Newick and Buxted. There are excellent local primary schools in both the town and the villages, as well as a secondary school within Uckfield itself. You have plenty of beautiful countryside on your doorstep, most notably with Ashdown Forest to the north and the South Downs National Park to the south. The A272 connects Uckfield with Haywards Heath and then the A/M23, whilst the A26 takes you north towards Royal Tunbridge Wells and south towards Lewes, the A27 and Brighton.