Selham, Petworth

A country house with a rich history and interiors demonstrating true craftsmanship, a large barn for garaging and extenisve workshops, ancilary accom. and pool house all set amidst rolling West Sussex countryside.

The Priory is a quintessential country house with some modern interior quirks. Unbelievably from the house we see today, The Priory dates as far back as the 12th century and is amazingly un-listed, despite its rich history. The Priory is part Georgian and enjoys the fantastic room proportions that typically comes with properties of this era.

The house is accessed along a rural lane, through wrought iron gates arriving at a large gravelled parking area. There is an additional access into the grounds along the eastern boundary.

The Priory has been extended from its original hall house into a generously sized family house with excellent ceiling heights in some areas and an abundance of character throughout, in some parts original and in others character which has been added by the current owner through their expertise of joinery craftsmanship. This craftsmanship has resulted in beautiful woodwork throughout, which takes shape in the hand carved doors, panelling, architraves and a beautiful staircase.

The ground floor is accessed through a large hallway currently decorated with a fascinating mural, opening into the sitting room where your attention is immediately drawn to the large open stone fireplace. Off the hall there is a utility and WC room, and a boiler and boot room.

Leading from the sitting room are 2 studies and the kitchen with plenty of space for a dining table. The kitchen has Miele and Gagenau appliances and fabulous views across the land to the front of the house. There is also access from the sitting room into the conservatory and out into the south facing garden. This area flows extremely well for contemporary family living. Stairs to the cellar are reached via a hydraulically lifted door in the floor of the sitting room.

Double doors lead from the sitting room and into another hall, where your vision is immediately drawn to the impressive oak staircase, embellished with delicate detailing which continues to the first floor.

Two further sets of double doors lead off the hallway, one giving access to the very generous formal dining room with impressive fireplace and excellent ceiling height, and the second set leading into the drawing room, which features a stone mullion bay window, built in cabinetry and a stained glass window.

Both reception rooms are connected by a small hall, of which has ‘a malt room’ currently used as a very comfortable snug and a bar room. Also leading off the hall is access into a charming courtyard with a two-tier pond and stone-built storage outbuilding.

On the first floor, there is a generous master bedroom with a fabric tented ceiling, electrically controlled curtains and built in wardrobes. The master bedroom has use of the adjacent
bathroom. Bedroom 2 with an en-suite bathroom, which would make a fantastic guest suite, full of character and has an impressive vaulted ceiling, showcasing the exposed beams of the oldest part of the house. Bedrooms 3, 5 and 6 are all similar in size each with a different rural aspect, have showering facilities, and bedroom 4 is serviced by the family bathroom.

The Barn
Whilst the main house itself is not listed; the Barn is Grade II listed. The Barn incorporates the annexe, set over two floors and comprises a downstairs kitchen and living area and a bathroom, and bedroom on the first floor. The remaining space is currently arranged as an extensive joinery workshop, a car workshop and further garaging.
The Barn has been extended by the current owners and could be converted, subject to gaining the necessary planning conditions, to make a fantastic party barn, office space or entertainment area.

Outbuildings
In addition to the Barn, there is ample ancillary space. There are 2 stables to the rear of the boundary near the lake, 2 substantial stone-built garden stores and a working Victorian style green house.
Adjacent to the outside heated swimming pool is the pool house, an ideal area for outside entertaining. It has full width sliding glass doors, a kitchen, sauna, changing area, shower and WC.

Gardens and Grounds
The gardens and grounds lie mainly to the south and enjoy the open setting with far reaching views over the surrounding South Downs. The gardens are primarily made up of lawn with an orchard, vegetable patch and fruit cages. The current owners have at one stage allocated an area to paddock. There are three carefully designed and distinctive water features, along with the outdoor pool with a pachyderm statue water fountain.

In all about 5.4 acres.