West Grinstead, Nr. Horsham

£5,995,000

Guide price

Lock House is a stately late Victorian Grade II Listed manor house built in 1899, set within its own rural parkland estate extending to approximately 32 acres and with magnificent views across open countryside to the South Downs National Park. It offers beautifully appointed accommodation behind handsome red brick elevations, complemented by a luxurious guest and leisure wing. The property has been refurbished by the current owners to a high standard and benefits from high ceilings and fabulous natural light throughout. The principal rooms retain many of their unique and beautiful period features, while contemporary styling and modern fittings have been added to create a stylish and spacious home for both relaxed family living and lavish entertaining.

Lock House is surrounded by extensive lawns and meadows with beautiful mature oaks, pine and cedar trees. In spring the gardens burst into life and colour with swathes of snowdrops, daffodils, bluebells and mature rhododendron bushes. There is a large area of paved terracing, a fully tiled and heated outdoor swimming pool with electric safety cover and with fine views overlooking the estate. An all-weather tennis court with flood lights lies at the edge of the orchard. The outbuildings include a pretty Edwardian summerhouse, a tennis pavilion, two garage blocks, a large barn and a one-bedroom cottage. Beyond these lawns are areas of pasture land and light woodland.

From the carriage drive, Lock House is entered via a central porte cochere through the double front doors into the wide oak floored Reception Hall with its stone fireplace and elaborate ceiling. A wide imposing oak-carved staircase leads from here to the first-floor landing. There are five reception rooms on the ground floor, in addition to the incredible open-plan Kitchen/Breakfast/Family Room, all of which benefit from impressive c.10ft high ceilings.

The Hall leads to an elegant Drawing Room with a large bay window overlooking the gardens to the South with the far-reaching views of the South Downs. The walls are decorated with a dado and plaster panelling, and there is a fine marble fireplace and two pairs of display alcoves. Off the Hall to the right is a Guest Cloakroom and the formal Dining Room. This is a spectacular room with polished crown cut walnut panelling, a marble fireplace and an oak parquet floor. A door leads out onto a partly covered terrace. The dining room is serviced by a fully fitted Catering Kitchen beyond. Off the Hall to the left is the Sitting Room with a large stone fireplace and bay window looking over the gardens to the South. The room has wide oak floorboards and intricate oak wall panelling.

An 8m long corridor runs off the hall past the oak panelled Library and the Family Dining Room/Study, towards the heart of the house - the Kitchen. The Kitchen was once a ballroom and is an utterly spectacular, double aspect room measuring 17.1m x 8.9m. It has a polished oak parquet floor, beautiful panelling and huge floor to ceiling arched windows that look across the gardens and allow light to flood in. One set of double doors leads directly off the kitchen onto a large rear terrace and the gardens to the South, and another set leads into the Loggia offering a beautiful place to sit to enjoy the gardens. To the rear of the kitchen is the walk-in Larder and the tradesman’s entrance offering secondary access for deliveries. A feature steel and oak-tread staircase leads from the back corner of the kitchen to the galleried Snooker Room with ample space for a full-sized snooker table and separate seating area or bar area. The Kitchen can also be accessed from outside through a side door opposite the garaging and car parking area. This is the family entrance, where there is a cloakroom, walk-in cupboards and a large Boot Room.

At the other end of the ground floor along the corridor running between the Dining Room and Catering Kitchen is a Second Study with built-in cupboards overlooking the gardens to the South. Also at this end of the house is the Leisure Wing comprising two rooms with Art Deco tiling and cabinetry that are currently used to play pool and table tennis. There is also a walk-in shower, a sauna, and a changing room here, as well as a beautiful light Orangery-style room which contains the indoor 15m long heated swimming pool fitted with an electric safety cover. A glazed screen with glass door separates the indoor pool from a Recreation Room which looks out to the South and has a Bar room off it. A staircase leads from this room to the Gym where the floor has been strengthened to accommodate a fully equipped Gymnasium. From the Leisure Wing there is direct access to the orchard where the tennis court and tennis pavilion sit.

The first-floor is accessed by the main central staircase in the Reception Hall as well as by two further staircases positioned at each end of the house. The spacious Principal Bedroom Suite has fabulous views to the South overlooking the gardens and to the South Downs in the distance. It is made up of a suite of rooms comprising a large bedroom with plaster panelling, a marble fireplace and a large bay window with a pretty window seat; a dressing room lined with beautifully crafted Art-Deco built-in walnut wardrobes with a copper freestanding bathtub placed in the centre of the room; a large sitting room with beautiful built-in Art Deco mahogany wardrobes, plaster panelling and a large bay window with a pretty window seat; and 'his and hers' en-suite bathrooms. There are Six Further Bedroom Suites, all with their own large en-suite bathrooms. In addition, in the Guest Wing there are three further guest rooms and one guest bathroom, plus a number of built-in storage and linen cupboards. This floor benefits from a c. 9ft ceiling height.

At second floor level, there is an array of storage rooms fitted out with timber panelling, as well as an oak panelled Cinema Room that was once the nursery, This floor benefits from a c. 8ft ceiling height.