Any time a house comes up for sale on Lindfield's famous High Street, interest will be piqued. It's a picture-perfect corner of the world with everything you'd love to see: ducks on the pond, charming pubs and so on. It's all so well kept that the village was at one point banned from the 'best kept village in Sussex' competition, for the simple fact that it had won so many times in a row that it was getting embarrassing. On top of all that, the mainline railway service from Haywards Heath is just a mile or two away — walkable, in other words.
This is no ordinary opportunity, however: it's one for the brave. The 14th century Old Bakery is waiting for someone with an enterprising mind and great to take it over, or at least someone looking for a home but willing to risk fighting red tape: part of the ground floor and the cellar are designated as commercial space.
‘Once sympathetically restored, The Old Bakery will be one of the finest and most historic buildings in one of the South of England’s most thriving villages,’ says the team at Jackson-Stops, whose offices are just up the street.
The property is currently on the market via Jackson-Stops for £775,000, but further investment is needed to fully bring this historic building into a new era.
The accommodation is currently comprised of a cellar, a small kitchen, the 'retail space' (including a shop window), and a drawing and sitting room. Upstairs are four inter-connecting bedrooms and two bathrooms.
A cute, west-facing courtyard can be found to the rear of the property, to the side of which is a barn which would make a great home office/gym/studio room.
The Old Bakery is currently on the market via Jackson-Stops for £775,000 — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.
Lindfield: What you need to know
Location: On the outskirts of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, about 1 mile north of Haywards Heath. The service to London from Haywards Heath is famously good, making it easy to get to London Bridge, Kings Cross and Victoria in comfortably under an hour.
Atmosphere: Lindfield is a charming West Sussex village centred around a historic church, an open common and a picturesque high street. The common is at the heart of village life as it hosts an annual funfair, bonfire night displays and cricket matches. There are excellent amenities and shops from a butcher and pharmacy to independent boutique and coffee shops.
Things to do: Cuckfield Golf Centre is situated close by and Haywards Heath offers a range of shops, restaurants and leisure facilities. Goodwood, Glyndebourne and Ardingly Showground all have racecourses, and footpaths offer a network of wonderful walks.
Schools: Plenty of highly-regarded schools to choose from, including Lindfield Primary Academy (rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted), Blackthorns Community Primary Academy (also rated 'outstanding'), Northlands Wood Primary Academy and Great Walstead School. For secondary, there's Ardingly College and Warden Park Academy.
See more property for sale in the area.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
The King's favourite tea, conclave and spring flowers: Country Life Quiz of the Day, April 22, 2025Tuesday's Quiz of the Day blows smoke, tells the time and more.
-
London is the place for me* (*the discerning property buyer)With more buyers looking at London than anywhere else, is the 'race for space' finally over?
-
London is the place for me* (*the discerning property buyer)
With more buyers looking at London than anywhere else, is the 'race for space' finally over?
-
What's a 'wellness village' and will it tempt you back into the office?The team behind London's first mixed-use ‘wellness village’ says it has the magic formula for tempting workers back into offices.
-
A mini estate in Kent that's so lovely it once featured in Simon Schama's 'History of Britain'The Paper Mill estate is a picture-postcard in the Garden of England.
-
Hidden excellence in a £7.5 million north London homeBehind the traditional façades of Provost Road, you will find something very special.
-
Sip tea and laugh at your neighbours in this seaside Norfolk home with a watchtowerOn Cliff Hill in Gorleston, one home is taller than all the others. It could be yours.
-
A Grecian masterpiece that might be one of the nation's finest homes comes up for sale in KentGrade I-listed Holwood House sits in 40 acres of private parkland just 15 miles from central London. It is spectacular.
-
Some of the finest landscapes in the North of England with a 12-bedroom home attachedUpper House in Derbyshire shows why the Kinder landscape was worth fighting for.
-
Could Gruber's Antiques from Paddington 2 be your new Notting Hill home?It was the home of Mr Gruber and his antiques in the film, but in the real world, Alice's Antiques could be yours.
