A sprawling countryside property in East Sussex, England, topped with a mansion converted from a 16th-century rectory, is on the market for £5 million (US$6.25 million).
Sitting on a total of 44 acres, the Grade II-listed house is encircled with a moat, thought to be single-handedly dug by the Rev. Richard Porter, who served as rector on the property, according to the listing. He was also credited with the most significant renovations to the original timber-framed house dating back to 1540.
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Dubbed "Chailey Moat," the 6,416-square-foot house has been updated with contemporary touches while maintaining its period character with Tudor, Elizabethan and Georgian elements. Spanning three stories, it has seven bedrooms, four reception rooms, a study, a drawing room, two kitchens and a dining hall.
Exposed timber, oak paneling and flooring and original fireplaces are featured throughout the house. The sitting room has four pairs of French doors with Juliet balconies opening directly over the moat.
"There are super views from nearly every room over the moat to the formal gardens, lake and grounds beyond," said the listing agent Sophie Wysock-Wright of Savills. She declined to disclose the identity of current owners, noting just that "they are downsizing."
In addition to the main house, there is a barn and a cottage on the premises, ideal for housing staff and guests. The 17th-century tithe barn has four bedrooms, a game room with kitchenette and shower room and its own private terrace. The single-story cottage offers additional living space configured as two bedrooms, a kitchenette and a shower room.
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Via three timber footbridges, the house is accessible to a rolling lawn, a fence-enclosed tennis court, a Victorian-style greenhouse and a swimming pool.
Though it’s a rural retreat, the property is close to all modern conveniences. It is six miles from the historic town of Lewes and the Haywards Heath railway station, which connects to London in about 50 minutes.
The property first came on the market in May 2016, with an asking price of £5 million. The price has remained unchanged since then.